Lettin' it all WANG OUT!

This past Saturday I was lucky enough to make it to the last Kon Tiki party of the season at Wang Chung's, a beach-themed night of revelry at the Asian karaoke bar.  We arrived around ten and the hole in the wall bar was packed, standing room only (which is typical at Wang's for this time on a Saturday).  Two military boys were cordial enough to give up a seat to my roomie Lia.  Their chivalry had its limits, as they then asked, rather nicely nonetheless, if they could motor-boat her.  Not tonight, boys.  Later they bought me a shot so I could catch up with them, but the effort was in vain as they were already three sheets to the wind.

To the wind I say! Thanks boys!

At any rate, I was able to get in a few standards - even with the crowd it was only about a 15-20 minute wait to get your song up.  Wang Chung's has one of the best selections of quality songs I've seen, plus a binder of "new songs" that's continually updated with new karaoke classics, from Keri Hilson to Ke$ha (still waiting to hear someone whisper "I like your beard" into the mic), to Young Money's "Bedrock," my personal favorite.

Wang's is definitely an intimate atmosphere, both because of the size of the venue and the friendly faces that work behind the bar.  Dan greets his guests by name and with a hug, and bartender Bud pours a pint of Hef  with lemon when he sees me walk in the door.  They only have two beers on tap, but one of them is Widmer Hefeweizen, and that’s all I could really ask for. The other is Sapporo.

Meanwhile, Cory whips up one of the best local kine cocktails in Waikiki, the lychee kamikaze. The mix of chilled lychee-infused vodka and lime makes for a refreshing melon taste in the end. Cory played bartender and host at the Kon Tiki party, and even managed to sing a ditty or two from behind the counter. Cory’s sister made it a family affair and brought it home with a par-for-the-course rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” sounding all expensive and shit like a young Marilyn Monroe.

Good songs, good drinks, good people. Wang’s is good to me, and she’ll be good to you too.

A typical night out Wangin’

DOA: I usually prime with a beer before I go, and let the Hef take it from there.


HAUNT OR EXORCISE: Haunt this bitch. I do.

 
WANG CHUNG’S ASIAN KARAOKE BAR
2410 Koa Avenue (Behind the Hyatt Regency)
Honolulu, HI 96815

Your Own.... Personal.... Pitchers

What's good on a Sunday night after you've had your share of soul-searching at Lulu's?  Double-down Sunday at Hula's Bar & Lei Stand.  You get a double for the price of a single on all well drinks, making it about $5 a cocktail.  I prefer my vodka tonics by the pint, so it seems like a fair drink special to me.  Make it a bloody Sunday and for a little extra bartender Talon will mix you up a scratch bloody Mary, made to order - you choose the heat, and he adds the pickle.  And olives.  And salt if you like.

But if you've had your fill of hard-A, maybe the personal pitcher is right for you.  Hula's pours Miller Light Drafts in pitchers perfect for a pair to share, or a single lush to suck down with a straw.  The last time I brought some fresh faces to the bar, they all were green with envy after ordering their Coronas and then seeing me with my pitcher of Miller Light for the same price.  In the end, we all had our own personals.  Needless to say everyone was pretty belige by closing. 

On Sundays at Hula's you can grab a seat at the bar or a table by the dance floor and talk story with friends while watching a mix of house/pop/hip-hop music videos on the two big screens.  Or if that's a little too impersonal, there's always the 808 boyz tearing up center stage.  They all got rhythm and their own style of dancing, but there's one in particular who could probably make it all the way to Vegas on SYTYCD based soley on his Jazz-inspired use of suspenders and bandana.  Not kidding, he's a very talented dancer.  I really think he should try out.  I believe his name is James.

If you wanna compete with center stage then go on and break it down on the dance floor.  Sundays are definitely a mixed bag for dancing at Hula's, with usually a meager crowd later in the night making it happen.  Nonetheless it's hard not to when David Guetta and Kelly Rowland command you to DANCE!

DOA:  Drunk on arival? Only if you're looking to B.O.

HAUNT OR EXORCISE:  Haunt away.  Sundays are fun days, but there's much ado Thursdays-Saturdays at Hula's too. 

HULA'S BAR & LEI STAND
134 Kapahulu Avenue (2nd Floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel)
Honolulu, HI 96815

Feed Your SOUL Sundays

Skip dinner on Sunday night and get down to Lulu's Waikiki!  Arrive a little after 7pm for the main attraction -Simple Souls, the local duo Jenn and Zaysha, who provide listeners with an acoustic mash-up of contemporary hits and classics. 

They're both blessed with the velvety chops of Lauryn Hill, with Zaysha on guitar and Jenn on the beat, and two mics for soulful harmony.  The tunes of Beyonce, Fergie-ferg, and even Lady GaGa make the mix on any given night, along with those of Erykah Badu, Lenny Kravitz, and Miss-educated Lauryn Hill herself.

The gals of Simple Souls, as seen performing at Jimmy Buffet's
(now Lulu's and Mai Tai Bar are the places to find them)

While soaking up Simple Souls, get down on an order of Beach Boy Nachos.  It's is a mountain of golden corn tortilla chips with real cheese and fresh fixins that can serve 3 for just $12.  You might need a beer too, though drink specials don't start till 10pm. 

Go to Lulu's on Sundays as a final stop for the weekend to unwind and relax, or as a first stop on a Sunday Night out!  With another bar looming just next door, it's on to the next one...

DOA:  No need to be drunk on arrival, unless you're meeting a really awkward group of people at Lulu's, in which case use your discretion.

HAUNT OR EXORCISE:  Haunt this bitch!  Simple Souls Sundays at Lulu's doesn't seem to get old. 

LULU'S WAIKIKI
2589 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(on the corner of Kalakaua and Kapahulu, above Starbucks)

Flashback - RED LION

RED LION WAIKIKI is a basement dive-bar bar in a surprisingly upscale location - the Hyatt Regency on Kalakaua. While it boasts DJ and dancing till 4am every night, the floor is rarely occupied by a soul. The exception is Broke-ass mondays (RL's bread-winner, with real cheap beer specials but a $10 cover) and occasionally dollar drink night (formerly Thursdays, moved to Tuesdays, $10 cover). Although the last few dollar nights I went to, my group had to break the dancing ice, and found few others willing to get down on the floor. The music is a mild, no frills mix of top-40 and old-school R&B.  I used to bring my friends there all the time, but then I realized other venues have so much more to offer, like patrons and friendly bartenders.

No one knows what theme they're going for, with booths shaped as baseball gloves, walls adorned with swiftly painted images of bull dogs and scottish coat of arms, and a disco-lit dance floor. Maybe they've got the right demographic in mind though: people who don't care that they're spending their time in Waikiki consuming marginal bar food and weak well drinks in a basement.  

REVIEW:

DOA? Yes, drunk on arrival is recommended for a more enjoyable experience.

HAUNT OR EXORCISE? Exorcise this bitch - haunt something in a more hospitable environment.  Unless it's Monday night, in which case go for broke!

RED LION WAIKIKI
2424 Kalakaua Avenue (Basment of the Hyatt Regnecy, diamond head tower)
Honolulu, HI 96815

E Komo Mai ! ! !

Welcome to OUT IN WAIKIKI, a new source for residents and visitors to get the detes on waikiks's social scene : food and drink haunts, nightlife, street style and anything else deemed deserving of social commentary. Follow us for a scathing good time out in waikiki!