A new tiki hotspot in Fort Lauderdale promises plenty of escape on the menu. From concocted cocktails to delish dishes, at Hula Kai, a trip to Hawaii feels much closer. When times get tough, there\u2019s almost nothing better than the escape you find inside a themed tiki bar. Hula Kai, which just opened on 17th Street, brings a new take.<\/p>\n
Sometimes you need a vacation. Other times you just need dinner somewhere that feels like one.<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cI love it. I feel like I was transported over to Hawaii.\u201d<\/p>\n
Welcome to Hula Kai, Fort Lauderdale\u2019s newest tiki restaurant and bar.<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cA contemporary take on a tiki bar, although it still harkens back to all of the old tiki culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where getting away starts with simply getting a table.<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cWe made it a point to create different spaces inside one restaurant, so outside it\u2019s garden-style, inside you get the full immersion, go to the rooftop \u2013 you have a very Palm Springs vibe and view of the Fort Lauderdale skyline, which is iconic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now this is tiki, so first item on the agenda: cocktails.<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cAt the core of a good tiki restaurant is a fantastic tiki cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cThe cocktail here is a masterpiece. The presentation has been brought up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cI loved the fun additions of the colorful straws and umbrellas and added things to the drinks, so it definitely made a really fun experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cWe\u2019re gonna make you first a Zombie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ricky: \u201cSo we\u2019re gonna do a light rum, dark rum, grapefruit juice, falernum, then we do a float of Wray & Nephew right before we light it on fire and sprinkle cinnamon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cI love it. And this is dangerous \u2019cause I could have a few of these.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cA My Kind of Rye, which is a WhistlePig rye-based cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ricky: \u201cServed in our lovely pig tiki mug.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cIt was delicious; it\u2019s almost gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cThe little pigtail. I mean, it had me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cThat was 100% what got me.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cIt\u2019s also very important, if you\u2019re gonna have the tiki cocktails, which I consider very high octane, you need to eat some food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cThey better be. James, don\u2019t play with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cYou need to eat food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cI already told James. I\u2019m gonna be Ubering here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over on the food side, the menu takes its inspiration from across the Pacific, including tiki classics like the pupu platter.<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cIt\u2019s a mixture of crab Rangoon, it\u2019s got lumpia, it\u2019s got everything in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cDelicious, best crab Rangoon I\u2019ve had in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cWe have a pineapple fried rice and we are gonna make you a pork belly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cRibs, incredible. Everything was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex: \u201cThe ribs were next level!\u201d<\/p>\n
Now to take your evening to another level, literally, upstairs is the Ohana Rooftop Lounge.<\/p>\n
Nicolette Bonkowski: \u201cAloha and welcome to the Hula Kai Rooftop Bar, our Ohana Lounge. I\u2019m going to make you guys a Say When, and I say we make it right now. We\u2019re going to start off with an egg white, Roku is a nice gin, some lemon juice, some passionfruit liqueur, what makes it really special is our house meat orgeat. Shake the heck out of it. A house made Jell-o shot. Enjoy!\u201d<\/p>\n
James Flanigan: \u201cWe are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 5 p.m. until you feel like leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hula Kai plans on adding lunch service very soon. They anticipate sometime in November.<\/p>\n