Tiki Triangle is my East Coast tiki connection …
Justin Cristaldi lives in New Jersey and blogs about all the tiki things going on in the Tri-State area. What I love most about Justin’s blog Tiki Triangle, is that he gives straight-up honest reviews of tiki bars and always recommends what you should and shouldn’t order. I have a soft spot in my heart for New Jersey’s three Chinese tiki bars: Lee’s, Chan’s Dragon Inn and Lun Wah, and you can find Justin hanging out drinking a Mai Tai at one of them. Here is Justin’s story …
What is the Tiki scene like where you are located?
Justin– In North Jersey we have a small handful of classic authentic Polynesian places left over from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. About 19 miles away in Manhattan there is a lot of fun and interesting things going on at new places like The Polynesian which is “the ultimate ode to Tiki” as they imply. There is also Mother of Pearl, in the Village, which is serving vegan fare and some pretty killer cocktails. I was in Philadelphia, which is about 2 hours away, and I was quite pleased with what was going on with the scene there, especially the Upstairs Bar which is a Tiki Speakeasy at the Franklin Bar. During Prohibition, this bar was disguised as a bank, so it was very cool that it’s a tiki speakeasy inside of a craft cocktail speakeasy.
What brought you into the “Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Justin– I was fortunate enough to be a kid in the 1970s when Tiki was still alive and trendy. My father was in the Navy during World War II and stationed in the South Pacific and he loved the culture. I remember him taking us to a live Polynesian show with Hula dancers and flaming pupu platters.
When I finally did reach drinking age, there were still a few good tiki places left (now there are less than a handful). But those were always my favorite over any other type of bar, especially because I got to collect another tiki mug after each visit. I was never much for beer, but a tropical drink in a mug? That was more my speed. It still is.
When and what made you decide to start blogging about Tiki?
Justin- I’ve always had an avid passion for Polynesian Pop Culture. About 20 years ago I had reserved the domain name TIKI.CX – a Christmas Island domain. I started to build it, but soon the country went bankrupt and the domain and its servers could not be administrated. Now that blogging is so easy and popular I decided to start a new website filled with food, drinks, music and all things Polynesian Pop.
What is your favorite Tiki drink? What do you think makes the perfect cocktail?
Justin- I really can’t say I have a favorite drink, it all depends on my mood. Of course, I love a good Mai Tai if it’s done the right way, but I am constantly exploring newer options and combinations. When I am home I tend to develop cocktails based on my particular tastes. When I am out I always look for something new I have never tried on any particular menu.
The perfect cocktail often is dependent on the atmosphere, the music, the mood, the vibe. But it most definitely does not contain sweet and sour mix. It always contains the freshest ingredients like fresh squeezed juice. When I visited Jade Island in Staten Island just days before Anthony Bourdain’s death, I sat at the same booth, about to have the same cocktail he enjoyed while he was there, The Headhunter. But at first sip, I could taste the artificial sour mix immediately. Even then, it did not suck because the mood, vibe and other elements were all in order, and to have traveled and sat in the same place enjoying the same cocktail as the world’s greatest traveler made it worthwhile in spite of the overall quality of the drink.
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Why?
Justin- This too really depends on my mood. If it’s just cocktails I am at The Polynesian. If its food in a more casual relaxed atmosphere, its Mother of Pearl in the Village. But if I want a real retro vintage experience I am headed to one of the tiki bars in New Jersey that have looked nearly the same since the day they opened half a century ago.
The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale in Florida is something to behold. The Polynesian show is a must-see. But obviously we can’t all just fly down, over or however to Florida to experience its awesomeness.
When you love and live tiki as a lifestyle, it’s like anything else, it’s not a question of if you want to go out to a tiki place, it’s what kind of experience do you want to have. When you get hungry, you just don’t go out to one generic place like a diner. Sometimes its Italian, other times Mexican, or Sushi, etc., etc. Sometimes it’s the atmosphere I crave, other times the food, but always the quality of the cocktails. I am still in search of one place that has all of these components all in one place.
What does the future hold for you and Tiki Triangle?
Justin- I’d really like to keep adding and expand to it, going in depth about real authentic aspects of Polynesian history, not just the popular culture phenomenon. And of course, new music news, events, and any new tiki places that might pop up to report on. I’d really like to see the site grow into a resource, along with some factual historical information.
Anything else you would like to add?
Justin- It’s really great to see the revival of tiki and Polynesian Pop culture. When Tiki wasn’t “in”, we were reduced to having to go to a Chinese restaurant to enjoy a standard cocktail. The only thing that might have qualified it as Polynesian is that it had a piece of canned fruit and umbrella in it. Now the revival has brought about taking the basic classics seriously while delivering some new interpretations and concoctions.
Last year I was in Aruba and was very happy to find a chic bar doing modern interpretation of Polynesian cocktails. One might say “It’s a Caribbean Island, of course they are doing tropical drinks” but this place was really bringing tiki to the new level and rivals some of the best cocktails I’ve had anywhere. I wish I had found this place before spending money on the beach for slushy drinks that barely contained any rum.
The one thing I’ve really wished is that there were more tiki revival or tiki type events in this area.
Here is the Tiki Triangle website