Bay Area Restaurant Review: Trader Vic’s - Emeryville

Trader Vic's - 9 Anchor Dr. Emeryville California 

OVERALL RATING: ♥♥♥

Have you ever heard that local legend about the couple from England traveling through Martinez California and how they invented the Martini there? Well if you heard that one hopefully you also heard that the story is a load of crap!! One intoxicating local legend associated with the spirits that is true is that the famous Hawaiian rum based Mai Tai was invented in North Oakland in a bar called Hinky Dinks. Owner of Hinky Dinks, Vic Bergeron, visited Tahiti in 1937 and fell in love with the culture and exotic foods. Bergeron was already well known locally for trading his food & exotic drinks for anything he wanted, returned to his little rinky dink Hinky Dinks and renamed it Trader Vic's. After the original restaurant relocated to Emeryville Trader Vic's love of Polynesia became a success with additional locations opening throughout the bay area, united states and the world - England, Spain, and Japan.

This Polynesian themed restaurant tucked away in the Emeryville Marina area screams bold and different from the moment you enter the restaurant. Don't let the cheesy lotus flower shirts (circa Red Lobster 1999) fool ya - this cookery is all the exotic and quality you can wish for.

With a pseudo-tropical atmosphere full of bamboo walls, tiki heads, big brown men pulling racks of glistening ribs and chops out of huge wood fire burning Chinese ovens, and a seven page rum drink menu it might seem like scenes from that reoccurring dream...or is that just me?

Anyhoo, lets start with the drinks. The bartenders at Trader Vic's have their work cut out for them. With daquiries, punches, and pages of house specialty drinks to memorize recipes for they are put through a rigorous training program. First bar backing, then mixing certain drinks in a behind the scenes bar and finally those who survive are able to share their smile and mixology skills in the front of the house. Think drinks like "Rum Keg" - a mixture of light and dark rums and tropical fruit juice served in a wooden Keg, remember it is supposed to serve four!! Or one of my favorites, the Peachtree Punch - a fishbowl size drink with light rum, flavors of peach, orange and a hint of coconut, garnished with a half of a peach. Because this restaurant is where the drink originated, the Mai Tai is a must try.

Anything on the menu coming out of the Chinese ovens is highly recommended. The food takes on a exceptional nutty/sweet flavor from the smoke of the almond wood that is used in the ovens. The ginger and soy add a mild but savory essence to the steamed Chilean sea bass. The chicken chow mein was by no means run of the mill, it was filled with fresh vegetables and the chicken was well cooked with the savories of Asian cuisine, however it did prove to be a little too oily. We also sampled the 1.5 lbs Maine lobster served with fingerling potatoes, at $40.00 was slightly overcooked and a bit of a disappointment.

Recommendations: 

Oysters on Ice with shallot vinegar, cocktail & horseradish sauces Almond Duck with plum sauce 

Indonesian rack of lamb with pake noodles, grilled pineapple & chutney

Trader Vic's rum cup for two