SHAMEFUL TIKI (1378 Queen West, shamefultikiroom.com)
While wandering down Queen on a chilly December night silently cursing Canadian weather with your wind-chapped hands jammed into your parka pockets, you spot a blacked-out facade emblazoned with a Polynesian-style decal above the words “Shameful Tiki.” What do you do?
You simply open the door and walk into another world, where little else matters besides what happens from one rum-splashed moment to the next.
After a few noncommittal attempts at tiki, Toronto finally has a bar so dedicated to the 20th century’s most flamboyant drinking culture that everything in its fold – from the thatch-roofed bar to the cocktails and the stylized mo’ai mugs – strives to be as authentic as possible. It’s an odd irony when you consider the appropriated roots of the tiki movement – but then again, stranger things have happened in Parkdale.
Owner Rod Moore, a self-professed tiki geek who opened the original (and now very successful) Shameful Tiki Room in Vancouver over two years ago, pinpointed Toronto as a big city with a gaping niche.
“My thing is very much authenticity, so I’m going to do nothing but commit [to tiki],” he says. “It’s about bringing back an experience that died at the end of the 1960s – ultimately, it’s about fun,” he says.
It’s clear that there’s no corner-cutting at this tiki joint. Pours are generous and prices are reasonable. There’s no Trap or Top 40, just relaxed tropical vibes. Snacks – or pu pus – like crab rangoons (wontons stuffed with crab and cream cheese, $5) are delicious bites from another era.
Shameful reminds us why tiki became such a phenomenon in the first place – it offers an easy escape from everyday bullshit. It’s the ultimate drunk fantasy.
There are oceans of rum to help nudge you into a state of tropical bliss. An elaborate list overseen by bar manager and co-owner Alana Nogueda (The Harbord Room) will eventually feature around 40 traditional tiki cocktails from Chi Chis to Zombies and everything in between.
The Seven Shores ($12) and the Jungle Bird ($12) are my personal favourites, along with the sweet-tart (and strong) Navy Grog ($13). If you’re frozen with indecision, let the friendly Hawaiian-shirt-clad bartenders choose for you. You might just end up with a flaming Mystery Bowl ($23) for two, which oughta spark a little internal sunshine.
Hours Sunday to Tuesday 5 pm to 1 am. Wednesday to Saturday 5 pm to 2 am.
Access No barrier at the door, washrooms up one step.
