Introducing: The Shameful Tiki Room, a Polynesian paradise in Parkdale

Name: Shameful Tiki Room
Neighbourhood: Parkdale
Contact: 1378 Queen St. W., no phone, shamefultikiroom.com
Previously: Ravage and Rumble
Owners:  Rod Moore (Vancouver’s Shameful Tiki Room) and Alana Nogueda (The Harbord Room)
Chef:  Mike MacKinnon

The drinks

Classic tiki drinks (Hurricanes, Mai Tais and Singapore Slings) served in fun vessels (like the house tiki mug that’s available for purchase). “Everything that we do is by the book, unless we can’t,” says Nogueda. “Due to the LCBO’s restrictions on certain rums, we’ve had to adapt some of the recipes.” For groups of three to four, there’s the Mystery Bowl, a rum-based concoction served in a lit-up bowl. A gong announces its arrival, just because.

The Jungle Bird (left) made with blackstrap rum, Campari,  pineapple juice, simple syrup and lime ($12); and the Rum Barrel (right) made with Appleton, Bacardi and Lemon Hart rums, Pernod Ricard, Angostura, falernum, allspice, honey, pineapple, orange, lime and grapefruit. ($13).

The food

Polynesian-influenced bar snacks like Spam–fried rice balls, tuna poke, fish tacos and a longanisa corndog, served until last call. “I like working with the flavours and the colours of the drinks when I’m putting dishes together,” says MacKinnon. “It paints a nice little picture and makes you feel like you’re in paradise.”

Humuhumunukunukuapua Tacos: two rice flour–battered swordfish tacos served on crispy tostada-like shells and topped with avocado, tiki slaw, cilantro and a spicy sour cream. $12.

Luau sliders: three beef-and-pork patties topped with cheddar, pineapple, spam and hula-hula barbecue sauce on milk buns from the Tempered Room. Served with fries. $14.

(Clockwise from top right) Jungle Diet: red and white quinoa pilaf with chickpeas, pecans, arugula, goat cheese and rum-soaked cranberries ($14); Ahi tuna poke with honeydew melon, crushed almonds, sesame oil, cilantro, thai chilies and hibiscus sauce ($14); and teriyaki-fried broccoli ($5).

The space

Moore spent two months transforming Ravage and Rumble’s concrete cell block finish into a tried-and-true tiki bar chock full of carved totems, vintage posters, taxidermied blowfish light fixtures and a hell of lot of rattan. “This is as authentic as we can get,” says co-owner Nogueda. “Everything from what we wear on the floor, to the music that we play to the drinks that we make.” And how do you change the lightbulbs inside the blowfish lamps? Very, very carefully.

Note the sweet vintage tiki mug collection on the wall to the left.