TASTE 2023 miaminewtimes.com 14 14 elements only serve to heighten that nostalgia,” promises Fuller, who shares that 95 percent of the renovations have been made to the building’s exterior. “This establishment has endured for over 60 years. Our goal is to see generations to come enjoy the space for another 60 years.” Now, more than two years since the Mai-Kai closed and with dozens of plans approvals be- hind them, an end is in sight. On January 26, the Oakland Park’s Development Review Commit- tee gave the Mai-Kai’s site plans the green light, allowing the $8.5 million revamp of the 2.7-acre property to move forward. Fuller says the goal is to re- open in June, a launch timed to coincide with the return of the Hukilau, the annual event that draws thousands to Fort Lauder- dale for a four-day, Tiki-themed celebration. The Mai-Kai is the original home for many of the symposiums, tastings, and events. When the doors open, guests will return to the Mai-Kai’s sprawling, 26,000-square-foot space where little has changed. The eight themed rooms — from the nautical-themed bar to the dining areas named for South Seas islands — remain relatively untouched, ensures Gelardi, save a few refurbishments. An important part of the partnership was to keep the menu the same while also work- ing with the chefs to introduce new dishes with a more con- temporary feel, says Geraldi. “My father was almost ahead of the time, offering things like ceviche and lettuce wraps that people didn’t understand 30 to 40 years ago but are now staples you’ll find on almost any menu,” says Geraldi. Since the mid-1950s, this Polynesian eatery has been serving the complete “dinner and a show” experience, starting with its fusion menu of Cantonese-American dishes. While the menu has changed several times over the years, longtime classics — the pupu platter, barbecue ribs, Peking duck, and Shanghai chicken — will make a triumphant return. Tiki lovers will be happy to hear that the most mysti- cal element of the Mai-Kai, the Molokai Bar, will return untouched, serving the same tropical libations that span decades, recipes untouched since their original inspiration from Don the Beachcomber. To this day, only a handful of people — Gelardi’s cousin, mother, sister, and the daughter of one of the Mai-Kai’s first bar- tenders — have intimate knowl- edge of the venue’s longtime, well-guarded cocktail recipes. Even now, they’re the only ones entrusted to prepare the syrups and juices that give char- acter and color to each unique libation served in ceramic mugs, giant goblets, or decorative glassware. Made from scratch, they’re batched and bottled gallons at a time and labeled by numbers rather than names. “There’s still that bit of se- crecy. Today, there are very few people that can make a Mai-Kai drink by themselves,” she says. While the drink menu remains untouched, a few modern twists with specialty or seasonal libations will be added highlights, says Fuller. Some will be served in custom glassware from Tiki Farm, one of the world’s top designers of ceramic Tiki mugs, to add to the Mai-Kai’s current collection. To further honor the legend- ary cocktails of the Mai-Kai, Fuller also began the painstak- ing process of sourcing an old- world style of rum that could capture the flavor profile of the venue’s original base spirit. According to Geraldi, her father and his early team of mixologists understood their tropical cocktails needed the right type of rum. “It’s a flavor that is much different than what most people think it’s supposed to be. It’s not a sipping rum or a sweet rum. It’s more wild and funky, meant to offset the bold flavors of the syrups and juices.” To do so, the team collabo- rated with master distiller Don Benn, sourcing rums from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, and the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica, to cre- ate a proprietary blend that is perfect for crafting the Mai- Kai’s tropical drinks, explains Fuller, a throwback to the style of rums made in the 1940s and ‘50s, but aged and refined. But it’s Mireille — who’s led the family ownership team since her husband’s death in 1989 and is known lovingly as the matriarch of the Mai-Kai — who offers the best-kept se- cret of the Mai-Kai’s return. At 85, she’ll continue her ar- tistic legacy as a key steward in preserving the family’s legacy and the Mai-Kai traditions by choreographing and directing the live dances for the establish- ment’s Polynesian Islander revue. It’s a title she’s held since the 1960s when she was a dancer, a legacy that earned the Mai-Kai its title as the longest-running Polynesian dance show in the continental United States before its closure. “When we had our first meeting with Bill, and I learned I could continue to direct and choreograph the show, let me tell you, it was hard not to cry,” Mireille tells New Times. “Over the past few months, it’s been fun to look backward at all the numbers we’ve done to put together a new show.” For its grand relaunch, the show will offer “golden nug- gets” of years past — snippets from previous shows Mireille reviewed from the 80s and the 90s, brought together as highlights to share the story of traveling through the islands of the South Pacific. As always, the 45-minute performance will accompany two reservation- only dinner seatings each night, with the meal timed to finish with the show’s grand finale. Now, alongside Gelardi, the mother-daughter duo stands as the last remaining bridge that connects Mai-Kai’s past and present. They say that car- rying the torch into its new- est iteration is an honor. “The name ‘Mai-Kai’ means “the best,” and that’s exactly what we’ve always aimed to deliver,” sums up Gelardi. “It’s what my father, and we, have always en- deavored to be. It’s our family’s job to carry out his vision while adding to it. The work we’re do- ing now is what my dad would have wanted, something he did many times himself to bring the Mai-Kai where it is today.” [email protected] Mai-Kai photo Peak Tiki from p10
