Oh Mai!… Tai

Oh Mai!… Tai

A tribute to Trader Vic’s

Normally I would not waste my time or yours with a post about a chain restaurant, but Trader Vic’s in Emeryville rises above the status of a boring chain. And because its existence in Emeryville’s Peninsula neighborhood has been precarious as of late, I want to take this opportunity to sing its praises while it is still around for people to enjoy. When Victor Bergeron moved his flagship namesake restaurant to Emeryville in 1972, he signed a 50 year lease. That lease has recently expired, triggering rampant speculation on the future of the Emeryville location. Those speculations have been further fueled by development plans for the site that were presented to the Emeryville community by the land owners in early 2023. Those plans met significant resistance and have since been retracted. That still leaves the Trader Vic’s Emeryville situation precarious at best, so if you have not been or you have been thinking of going again, go while you still can.

A view of Emeryville Marina from Trade Vic’s

If I asked you to name a tropical cocktail, your first response would likely be the Mai Tai, and not just because it is in the title of this article. The popular drink can be found on restaurant and bar menus far and wide. But the first restaurant menu to ever display that tasty libation was at Trader Vic’s in Oakland California. Although the original Trader Vic’s on San Pablo Avenue and 65th street served its last Mai Tai half a century ago, the current flagship location at the Emeryville Marina has been going strong since 1972. Throughout the years, and especially during the Tiki Culture craze of the 50s and 60s, Trader Vic’s expanded to as many as 25 locations. Today only 18 restaurants remain, with only 3 of those locations in the US. The Emeryville location is considered Trader Vic’s flagship restaurant. Maybe that is why it doesn’t feel like a chain. Chains are just copies of each other and everything that is copied needs a master to copy from. This restaurant is the exemplar from which all other Trader Vic’s locations strive to be.

So, what makes Trader Vic’s special? I’ve been to a number of Tiki bars. For the most part they all follow the same formula. Create a menu that is heavy on rum, set out a bunch of wood carvings and statues, cover everything in tropical plants and bamboo, and put on some island music. Most Tiki bars today have distilled the Tiki culture into a cliché of a cliché. Trader Vic’s isn’t that. It feels… authentic. Not authentic as in a truly Polynesian experience, but an authentic 1950’s representation of a Polynesian experience. There are plenty of wood carvings and bamboo, but you won’t find volcanos spewing fog or fake thunderstorms every 15 minutes. What you will find are two gigantic smokers, real food, and a prolific cocktail menu with so many drink recipes it will make your head spin.

The main entrance to Trader Vic’s flagship Emeryville location

Entering the Trader Vic’s property, you are guided to the drive up front entrance. Prior to Covid, this entrance was staffed and parking was valet only. I can only imagine that this was done so that the restaurant was placing keys in the hands of someone sober enough to drive home. As delicious as the drinks are, it is easy to over indulge, and without the valet, you will need to make that judgement call yourself. My recommendation, leave the car at home and take Uber. Once through the large tiki adorned double doors, you are greeted by a host stand and a display case with various tiki mugs and glassware, most of which are available for purchase.

Even the candles and salt shakers are tiki themed

Turning left at the host stand will take you to the Bar area, where Trader Vic’s master mixologists construct intricate and innovative cocktails, blending exotic ingredients and time-honored techniques to create a dazzling array of flavors that tantalize the senses and transport you to a world of tropical escapades. The bar area is first come first serve with a fair number of tables. If you show up without reservations and the restaurant is full, you may still be able to find a seat in the bar. Be warned though, the bar area has a limited menu consisting of mostly appetizers and only a few entrees such as the Island Fried rice and Vic’s burger.

Moving straight ahead from the host stand takes you past a glassed in room with two massive smoking ovens and into a dining room adorned in vibrant Polynesian-inspired décor, where an eclectic fusion of traditional and modern elements creates an atmosphere of warmth and sophistication. The walls are adorned with colorful tribal art, vintage travel posters, and lush greenery, while the ceiling is festooned with bamboo accents, and woven rattan panels, all combining to transport diners to a tropical paradise while they savor the delectable flavors of the restaurant's signature dishes.

Once seated, you will be presented with a drink menu and a dinner menu. Trader Vic’s dinner menu can best be described as Chinese fusion, with dishes like Crab Rangoon, Wonton Soup and 5 Spice Half Duck mixed with more traditional American fare such as BBQ Spareribs and Pork Chops. There is nothing on the Dinner menu that absolutely knocks our socks off, but it contains a number of solid options.

For appetizers, the Cheese Bings are a must have. It is the one thing on the menu that is non-negotiable for us. The only question is, do we order seconds? Cheese Bings are a classic Trader Vic’s dish first introduced at the Beverly Hilton location in the 80’s. They are a variation of a ham croquet, consisting of a rolled crepe containing Gruyere cheese, smoked ham, and Nutmeg seasoned Béchamel. The bite sized explosion of flavor is coated in Panko bread crumbs and lightly fried to give them a crispy exterior that balances perfectly with the warm gooey center. The Bings are served with two sauces for dipping, one is a horseradish forward yellow mustard and the other is a sweet barbeque sauce. Personally, I enjoy them most without any accoutrements, but the mustard adds a nice zing that really transforms the flavor.

The Island Fried Rice and the 5 Spice Half Duck are standout entrees. The Island Fried rice is Trader Vic’s signature blend of chicken, pork, and pineapple chunks mixed with ginger, garlic, egg, and onion and fried with a hearty portion of rice. The entrée is well balanced and flavorful without falling into the common trap of being overly salty. Portion size is enough for the average person to feel full without being overstuffed, leaving plenty of room for drinks. If you are feeling more adventurous, the 5 Spice half duck is slow cooked and finished in its own fat, then shredded and served with moo shoo pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallions. The five spice salt, infused with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds adds a delightful depth and warmth to the dish.

An Island of Fried Rice being watched over by the vengeful Tututupo Tiki

Now let’s talk about the real reason we came here, the drinks! Trader Vic’s cocktail menu has more than FIFTY different concoctions. Most are rum heavy to fit the theme, but there are some very creative non-rum cocktails as well. Each drink has its own unique tiki mug or custom glassware that adds to the novelty. Classics like the Pain Killer and the aforementioned Mai Tai are scattered all throughout the menu. Some of the drinks on the menu, such as the Seyhorse born at the Trader Vics in Seychelles, were crafted for the opening of one of Trader Vics restaurants around the world.

While the drinks are often fruity in nature, they pack a punch, especially the drinks found under the Potent Potions section of the menu. That is where you will find our favorite drink at Trader Vic’s, the Tututupo Tiki. This deadly drink combines pineapple, spices, amber rum, and 151 in an evil looking red totem shaped tiki mug. Be warned, this drink is delicious and one may not be enough, but two is almost certainly too much.

One of Vic’s newest concoctions, the Jungle

For those of you who enjoy coconut flavored cocktails, there is an entire section on the menu just for you. Our two favorites on this list are the Bahia, consisting of light rum, coconut, and pineapple over crushed ice, and the Koko-Nana Delight containing the three basic island food groups, coconut, bananas, and rum.

A flower tops the Singapore Symphony, Trader Vic’s take on the Singapore sling

There is a small desert menu with the usual items like flourless chocolate cake or crème Brule, but we very seldomly find ourselves with room for desert after several fruity cocktails. If you have a ride home and still want something sweet, your money is better spent on one more selection from the cocktail menu. Perhaps the coconut, creme de cacao, and vodka combination known as the white cloud, or the rum imbued Tahitian coffee. Just sit back, enjoy the view, and wait for your uber to arrive.

So, if you are in the bay area and are a fan of Tiki bars or just like delicious fruity cocktails, you really can’t go wrong with a visit to Trader Vic’s. If you are in the bay area and have not been, you should definitely go have a sip of history while you can. I did reach out to Trader Vic’s PR department while writing this article, but they were unwilling to comment on the fate of the Emeryville location at this time. If that changes, I will be sure to provide an update.

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