by Richard Foss
When a former bootlegger named Ernest Gantt opened a bar and restaurant called Don the Beachcomber in 1933, he couldn’t have known that he was beginning a craze that would long outlast him. Or perhaps he could – after all, Hawaiian themes had been beguiling America for decades, spawning novels set in the islands, several plays and movies, and the Great Ukulele Craze of 1913.
Gantt, who later changed his name to Donn Beach, was a visionary, and when he poured that first Sumatra Kula for a customer, he tapped into something America craved. His motto was “If you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you.” It resonated with depression-era America and a cult crowd ever since.
All tiki-themed restaurants that came afterward have had to face that comparison, because he got so much right on the first try. One near miss was the food, which was mostly renamed Cantonese dishes with extra pineapple and fruit in the sauces. A competitor in the Bay Area opened Trader Vic’s and added Singaporean touches, and that fusion cuisine became as integral as the little umbrellas in drinks.
Hermosa Beach used to have a tiki bar just steps from the pier, but the Lighthouse gradually shed the tropical decor and became a famous jazz club. The recent opening of Tiki Kai on Pier Plaza, across from the Lighthouse, has brought the theme back, and they have leaned into the most theatrical elements, both inside and out. The patio’s tikis with glowing eyes, lurid lighting, and the tall a-frame roof with fake thatching let you know what to expect. Inside is a baroque caricature of Polynesia. You’re primed for strong fruity drinks, which they certainly have – but what about the food? Do the items that were exotic in the 1930s pass muster with modern diners?
They probably wouldn’t, and Tiki Kai sensibly set their sights on evoking the spirit of the era while aiming at a modern palate. A few classics are here, but updated – the sticky ribs are in a honey-brown garlic sauce, and crab Rangoon is on a bed of Thai chili sauce. Nothing could tempt me to order crab Rangoon, but those ribs hit the spot – they were done in the Chinese “mahogany” style, where the glaze turns the slow-roasted meat the deep brown color of that wood. The sauce would have been regarded as heavily garlicky in the ‘30s but is mild by modern standards. I’m surprised these ribs aren’t offered as an entrée, because I’d order them – these and some vegetable sides would be delightful.
Another pairing with the ribs would be the house salad, a spring mix with avocado, mango, pineapple, pickled onions, and macadamia nuts with a pineapple vinaigrette. The flavor has everything I like about a good seaweed salad, but without seaweed. This is a fantastic combination – whatever else you order, get one of these to share.
Other starters are more conventional, though still worth ordering. The karaage is the standard Japanese style fried chicken, served with a yuzu chili aioli that adds agreeable spicy and citrusy notes. The firecracker shrimp were more aggressively hot thanks to a peppery spice and sesame rub that almost overwhelmed the seafood flavor. It arrives with blistered shishito peppers, which are always a gamble – there are always three or four that have a nice mild flavor, and one that scorches your tongue.
The Hamachi crudo might be to your tastes if you enjoy milder herbal flavors, the sweet ponzu and minty shiso a nice accent with the mild watermelon radish. On one visit we ordered ceviche as a starter, and we found Tiki Kai’s version more fruity than spicy. It’s served with taro chips, a nice touch to actually include a Polynesian ingredient. Note that taro chips are fragile and aren’t that useful for picking things up – use a fork for the ceviche and eat the chips on the side.
The entrees were a little less creative than the starters, but solid. Huli Huli chicken in a sweet soy glaze is a standard item that is well executed here, and the miso black cod is the Japanese classic. There’s nothing particularly Hawaiian about a pork chop with brown butter and apple glaze, and I generally think of this as a fall and winter dish, but it’s delicious.
The ribeye steak does fit the theme, since it’s glazed with Kona coffee and what is described as Hawaiian herbs. I’m not sure what those might be, since the Islands don’t have many native herbs and most are used medicinally rather than for culinary purposes. Whatever they are, they go very well with meaty and smoky flavors along with the slight coffee bitterness. Kudos to the kitchen for delivering a steak ordered medium rare exactly as it should be – I’ve had some overdone steaks at local places recently.
The macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi is another winner, and the tuna bowl with mango, seaweed salad, and jasmine rice was a good balanced meal, but other items were shaky. The burger had nice toppings but none of the grill flavor that was on that steak, a curious lapse. The gochujang aioli and grilled pineapple would have been better with that smokiness for balance. We were also disappointed by the veggie fried rice, which was curiously bland. There was nothing wrong with it, but the very mild ginger sauce did nothing to pull the flavors together.
There were no such problems with the cocktails, which were finely crafted and very well balanced. Even powerful drinks like the jet pilot, Chief Lapu Lapu, and mai tai all balance strong spirit flavors with liqueurs and juices, making them great sipping drinks. You should barely sip these if you’ll be driving, because they are potent. Some of the house specials are worthy additions to the tiki canon, such as the “Ube your thirst,” which is based on boiled purple yams with vodka, cocoanut, jasmine, and pineapple. The vegetable sweetness of the yams is the centerpiece in Filipino desserts, and it’s a hit here.
We tried two of the desserts, the chocolate lava cake that was the predictable decadent delight and a good sorbet trio. They also offer Baked Alaska, another classic, but we weren’t in the mood for it. I’d like to see what this culinary team could do if they put their minds to creating a dessert that would be a fitting pairing for a contemporary palate.
The environment at Tiki Kai is buzzy, on the loud side but not overwhelming, and the blend of 50’s exotica and surf music fits the mood. The service on multiple visits was welcoming and friendly, and the prices are about what you’d expect from a Pier Plaza restaurant – around $75 for dinner and a drink. It’s worth it. Tiki Kai’s elaborate, fantasy environment is a wonderful antidote to the everyday world, and don’t we all need that?
Tiki Kai is at 73 Pier Avenue in Hermosa. Open daily at 4 p.m., closes 11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; midnight Fri.-Sat. Street and parking structures nearby. Wheelchair access good, Some vegetarian/vegan items.(310) 374-3822. Tikikai.com. ER
