I’ve always liked the idea of a speakeasy bar. A bar that you have to be “in the know” to even know where it’s located is kind of a cool concept..
Let’s be honest, we all have a bar or a restaurant that we love and wish to keep under the radar of the masses, and tiki bars have been that way for a long time. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that some of the allure of hanging out in tiki bars is knowing that most people don’t even know what a tiki bar actually is!
Sometimes you don’t need to have a secret door or entrance to hide a cool bar, in the case of Lun Wah, you just need to be in a strip mall.
That’s right! Lun Wah is located in a small strip mall in Roselle, New Jersey, and if you’re not “in the know” you’d drive right by the place. If you make the trip out to Lun Wah, you won’t regret it. And I’m going to show you why, right now.
As soon as you step inside, you will notice a very large waterfall (that’s working) that spans the length of the wall …
I love waterfalls!
Turn to the right and you can head directly to the bar …
If you see this man, have him make you a tiki drink, you’ll be in good hands, because he’s the owner …
Say hello to Chris Pandolfo. Lun Wah has been open since 1974. Chris took over the business a couple of years ago. He’s made a point of keeping both the Tiki, and the Chinese, vibe and décor as they were.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Lun Wah is not just a Tiki bar, but also a Chinese restaurant.
The dining area is lined with booths that are made out of bamboo, and tikis adorn the walls.
The food is solid! I had the chicken lo mein …
And my buddy Matt had the boneless spareribs with an appetizer of steamed pork dumplings …
The drinks were great as well …
They are not craft quality by any means, but they are tasty and enjoyable. I had the Lun Wah Punch (in the Moai mug) and Matt had the Zombie Circa 1970 …
Lun Wah is a speakeasy tiki bar in it’s own way. Everyone at the bar was there because they wanted to be there, not because it’s some hot, new, trendy place. Everyone seemed down to earth and laid back. These are the people I want to drink with, people in the “know”.
Don’t forget to hit the gift shop on the way out!
Here is the Lun Wah website.
And Facebook page.