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I have no idea how many times I’ve enjoyed the Mai-Kai. Too many to count, dating back over most of the nearly 17 years I’ve lived here. The Mai-Kai is a place to feel far from home, as removed from daily cares as if on a Polynesian island.
Last night, I returned again. And I’m very glad to tell you that the experience offered the same delightful tranquilizing effect as ever. Whether it’s for a rum cocktail and appetizer or dinner and a show, or all of the above, the Mai-Kai is a dependably enjoyable escape from daily routine. And it’s just plain fun.
We arrived shortly after 6:30 for drinks along with an appetizer of chicken wrapped in bacon, served with three sauces, including a Chinese mustard sauce that will clear anyone’s sinuses instantly! I started my cocktail sipping with a Zombie, which earns its name in sheer power, believe me. My date had a less potent Hidden Pearl. We tasted each other’s drinks, of course, and somehow the time until our 8 p.m. dinner seating passed quickly. Can’t imagine why.
For dinner, we started by sharing more cocktails. And two more appetizers: Nams, which are crabmeat and pork rolls that you then wrap in leaves of lettuce and mint for dipping, and also a warm spinach salad. The rolls were very good, the salad was fabulous. For our main courses, mahi-mahi for me, duck for her, followed by key lime pie and macadamia nut ice cream. All of the food was delicious. Just before the show, we each ordered a Kona Coffee Grog – to me, a “must” when dining at the Mai-Kai. Prepared at your table, the flaming drink is mixed in a way that makes it a show all in itself.
But of course the Mai-Kai is best known for its Islanders Revue dancers, who have entertained visitors and locals, famous people and everyday people alike for almost 50 years now. The Polynesian music is authentic, and so are the musicians, from islands such as Samoa and Tahiti. Last night, some of the dancers entered the stage from the audience, dressed in the elaborate costumes the Mai-Kai creates from materials such as the bark of breadfruit trees, mother of pearl and abalone shells.
The athletic dancers always impress. Whether during the fire knife dance, the Tahitian Wedding dance or any of the other numbers, the choreography by Mai-Kai owner Mireille Thornton is both traditional and exciting.
To me, the Mai-Kai brings back that Polynesian feeling in a way that nothing else does, short of flying to Honolulu. The huge restaurant, Molokai Bar, gardens and gift shop sit on Federal Highway, just north of Oakland Park Boulevard. But once you’re inside, you may as well be in Maui. For reservations, call 954-563-3272.
And to really get you in the mood for your own Polynesian experience, why not sample one of the Molokai Bar’s tropical drinks at home – recipe courtesy of the Mai-Kai. Enjoy!
Shark Bite
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup or ½ teaspoon sugar
1 ½ oz. fine aged dark rum
Fill a drink mixer with ½ cup crushed ice, add lime juice, simple syrup and 1 oz. rum. Mix well. Pour into chilled glass and top with ½ oz. rum as floater.
Last night, I returned again. And I’m very glad to tell you that the experience offered the same delightful tranquilizing effect as ever. Whether it’s for a rum cocktail and appetizer or dinner and a show, or all of the above, the Mai-Kai is a dependably enjoyable escape from daily routine. And it’s just plain fun.
We arrived shortly after 6:30 for drinks along with an appetizer of chicken wrapped in bacon, served with three sauces, including a Chinese mustard sauce that will clear anyone’s sinuses instantly! I started my cocktail sipping with a Zombie, which earns its name in sheer power, believe me. My date had a less potent Hidden Pearl. We tasted each other’s drinks, of course, and somehow the time until our 8 p.m. dinner seating passed quickly. Can’t imagine why.
For dinner, we started by sharing more cocktails. And two more appetizers: Nams, which are crabmeat and pork rolls that you then wrap in leaves of lettuce and mint for dipping, and also a warm spinach salad. The rolls were very good, the salad was fabulous. For our main courses, mahi-mahi for me, duck for her, followed by key lime pie and macadamia nut ice cream. All of the food was delicious. Just before the show, we each ordered a Kona Coffee Grog – to me, a “must” when dining at the Mai-Kai. Prepared at your table, the flaming drink is mixed in a way that makes it a show all in itself.
But of course the Mai-Kai is best known for its Islanders Revue dancers, who have entertained visitors and locals, famous people and everyday people alike for almost 50 years now. The Polynesian music is authentic, and so are the musicians, from islands such as Samoa and Tahiti. Last night, some of the dancers entered the stage from the audience, dressed in the elaborate costumes the Mai-Kai creates from materials such as the bark of breadfruit trees, mother of pearl and abalone shells.
The athletic dancers always impress. Whether during the fire knife dance, the Tahitian Wedding dance or any of the other numbers, the choreography by Mai-Kai owner Mireille Thornton is both traditional and exciting.
To me, the Mai-Kai brings back that Polynesian feeling in a way that nothing else does, short of flying to Honolulu. The huge restaurant, Molokai Bar, gardens and gift shop sit on Federal Highway, just north of Oakland Park Boulevard. But once you’re inside, you may as well be in Maui. For reservations, call 954-563-3272.
And to really get you in the mood for your own Polynesian experience, why not sample one of the Molokai Bar’s tropical drinks at home – recipe courtesy of the Mai-Kai. Enjoy!
Shark Bite
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup or ½ teaspoon sugar
1 ½ oz. fine aged dark rum
Fill a drink mixer with ½ cup crushed ice, add lime juice, simple syrup and 1 oz. rum. Mix well. Pour into chilled glass and top with ½ oz. rum as floater.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 1:49 PM
Mai Kai = AWSOME. Some presume it to be a tourist trap but we don't.We enjoy our visits there year after year the only thing is it's quite pricey for a family of 4.All good things cost $ right?
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