Aloha from the Suburbs!

Disclaimer: My son and I enjoyed a complementary dinner and show at Tiki Terrace in exchange for me sharing our experience on this blog.

My son and I traveled to the South Pacific for an evening (yes, one evening) earlier this week!  No airports; no luggage; no hassles. It was a VERY mini vacation, but it was a great little evening getaway, and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with my son!  We went to Tiki Terrace in Des Plaines, IL for a Hawaiian dinner and luau show (it was Hang Loose Wednesday!).

As soon as we walked in, we certainly felt transported.  No suburban feel there! We had a 5:30 dinner reservation, and the show started at 6:30.  Although some may prefer to eat their dinners during the performance (which is an option), I opted for an earlier reservation time so that we could enjoy both the food and show in their entirety.  

My son and I started with an appetizer of taro chips with homemade pineapple salsa.  This was addictive! The portion was large enough that we each were satisfied, but nothing was left in the bowl except a little salt.  Of course, at a place called Tiki Terrace, we each felt the need to order a non-alcoholic fruity drink (he is underage; I am simply a lightweight).  He enjoyed his at the start of the meal, and I saved mine to enjoy during the show. Both were delicious! My son ordered a Lava Flow–think Pina Colada with fresh banana and strawberry.   I later enjoyed a Mango Colada. If you are on a tropical getaway, a fruity drink is a necessity!

The menu included a choice of entrees which come with rice plus another side dish.  After some going back and forth and asking our server many questions, my son ordered the coconut chicken.  Since I can’t describe it much better than the menu, this dish is “fresh chicken breast marinated in coconut milk and herbs, then coated in a Japanese bread crumb and coconut flakes.  After cooking, this sweet and savory entree is paired with an Asian plum sauce and coconut creme fraiche.” He chose Hawaiian rolls as his side. This meal was a winner! My son really enjoyed it, and he felt full (an accomplishment for a teen with hollow legs) by the end of the dinner.  I chose the vegetable stir fry which included broccoli, multi-colored peppers, snow peas, water chestnuts, and baby corn in a delicious sauce. In addition to the rice, I chose the macaroni salad as my side dish. Yum! The vegetables had just the right amount of crunch, and the macaroni was creamy but not swimming in dressing.  (I also dipped some of the vegetables in the coconut creme fraiche. I need to find a way to get some more of that!) Suffice it to say, my plate was pretty close to being clean by the time I stopped eating.

Next, SHOWTIME!  We continued our Polynesian experience in music and dance.  We enjoyed great singing, comedy, beautiful dancing and costumes, and hilarious audience participation.  I felt like I was on vacation! When it was time for audience participation, both my son and I decided to make the most of the experience!  First, women were invited to learn a hula dance. I joined several other women on stage and learned (didn’t quite remember but still learned) a dance about a little grass hut.  I don’t remember all of the moves or the song, but grass huts, fish, and lots of hip movements were involved! (I felt as though I burned off some of my dinner.) I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time!  When it was time for the men to participate, my son was up on the stage with three other gutsy souls. I did take some video, but I am not going to share it here for two reasons–1) For the protection of the innocent–I am not sure that the other participants will want video proof of their performance available on-line and 2)  I was laughing so hard that I could not keep my hands still to take video! There is a lot of camera movement, and you can hear my laughter very clearly! Let’s just say that the guys had to sound and look FIERCE (think loud grunting), and hula skirts were involved. That should give you an initial visual. (I acknowledge that the photos of me below are blurry, but that is what happens once you cut the other “innocent” participants out of the photo and try to focus on just one person.)

By the end of the night, my boy and I were both full and happy!  We didn’t just go out to dinner on a weeknight together. Using the Tiki Terrace “portal,” we went to the islands!