It was only fitting that The Lei Stand Waikiki — Hawaii’s beloved cocktail bar formerly located in Chinatown — held a grand opening for its new location at Romer House Waikiki on Lei Day (May 1).
The hotel bar features an intimate space filled with Instagram-worthy photo-ops, neon lighting, refreshing signature libations and delicious island-fusion cuisine prepared by Romer House’s indoor-outdoor restaurant, 855-ALOHA.
The Lei Stand founders Ryan Kalei Tsuji and Tara Kanani Shimooka came up with the concept to pay homage to the lei shops in Chinatown.
“For me, personally, lei has always been a part of my life,” says Tsuji. “My middle name literally means ‘the lei’ and ‘the embrace of a lei.’ I’ve always been connected with the lei. The concept was what if we created a spot where we celebrated lei culture and really try to help educate people about giving lei.
“You think about it from a visitor, they may just think about it as a flower that they get around their neck when they arrive and we wanted to find ways to expand that knowledge and what it means and how significant it is because it is a big part of our culture and part of Hawaii, so we’re trying to celebrate that.”
And, The Lei Stand accomplishes just that. One of the first things we noticed on the menu were the beautiful black-and-white historical photos adjusted to include pops of color and accompanied by information about important lei milestones and traditions.
While the Waikiki location is new, loyal customers can still find a menu that harkens back to the Chinatown location — albeit with a few exciting new drinks and dishes.
The biz carried over its signature cocktails, such as the Soup Soup ($19), which features Angelisco Blanco, acid-adjusted pineapple, Oloroso Sherry, Falernum, cane and absinthe clarified with coconut, and Rub Up On My Belly ($17).
While I loved the playful backstory of the Soup Soup (if you know, you know), the latter was my fave as it had floral, fruity notes from the guava-jelly-infused Tito’s, acid-adjusted pineapple, lime and yuzu soda. The biz also added the Uncle China ($18), a Mezcal old fashioned that pays tribute to legendary Hawaiian surfer, organizer and teacher, China Uemura. Also new are two mocktails: Lennay Kekua ($14) and Kalapana Rise ($14).
As for the food, Tsuji notes that the biz brought back its four bestsellers: Chex Mix ($8), taro chips and crack dip ($14), edamame hummus ($16) and chicken karaage ($15).
The chicken karaage was so juicy and tender, and was elevated by the crack sauce that it came with. I wish I could get the recipe for that sauce because it tasted sublime.
The same can be said for the edamame hummus, which was served with freshly baked focaccia with honey and macadamia nut oil. (I’m not ashamed to say that I took this home as leftovers and devoured it the next day!)
While Tsuji says The Lei Stand Waikiki was intended to offer a bar/lounge experience and he and Shimooka specifically chose easy-to-eat pupu-style offerings, the menu does offer heartier options as well.
The smash burger ($25) featured a 6-ounce beef patty, American cheese, coleslaw and teriyaki sauce on a brioche bun. It was so juicy and delicious. I sampled just a quarter of it, but would definitely come back for dinner to indulge in its entirety.
I was ecstatic to see that the menu also had sushi. The Godzilla Roll ($23) came with snow crab, shrimp tempura, salmon, avocado and tobiko, and was topped with spicy mayo, unagi sauce and scallion. The Geisha Roll ($23) featured similar ingredients except it highlighted tuna instead of salmon. Sushi is hands-down my favorite food and The Lei Stand’s rolls did not disappoint — I would order either one of these rolls again.
Tsuji hopes that both locals and tourists can enjoy The Lei Stand Waikiki.
“For me, as someone who is from Hawaii, I never thought I would do something like this and I never thought that I would have a place in Waikiki — it never was something I even dreamed about,” he says. “To be able to do something like this, it is very rewarding but also it’s like a full circle moment where I recognize that the lei experience has always been a part of my life.
“The kupuna who have given me this name, it’s become who I am, and to be able to share an experience but while educating people is just an honor for me. I’m just really excited for people, outside of Hawaii, to learn about what we are here in Hawaii, beyond what maybe they just see in the media.”
