The Experience, Emeryville: Trader Vic’s Summer Drink
The Experience:
Beat the heat with a tropical treat!
Summer is unofficially here. This weekend you can cool down with a refreshing Cucu Lada. This crisp, island-inspired cocktail blends pineapple juice, cucumber purée, light rum and creamy coconut for a drink that’s as chill as it is delicious, or so they say at Trader Vic’s.
And while you are there you can meet your new favorite meatless dish: the Oni’o Palena Stir Fry. Crispy eggplant, crunchy snow peas and a rich pineapple glaze, all tossed together and served over perfectly steamed rice. It’s fresh, bold and packed with flavor – no meat required.
Trader Vic’s is the place where fusion flavors meet tropical vibes. Take a break and visit their lounge for a drink and some Tidbits & Pupus – Veggie Spring Rolls, Crispy Prawns and of course, the Cheese Bings made famous at the Beverly Hilton in the 80s..
Enjoy the afternoon light as the sun begins to dip and you slowly finish off your Cucu Lada.. 510-653-3400
About Trader Vic’s + the Mai Tai
Decades ahead of his time, Vic ‘The Trader’ Bergeron chose to offer Chinese dishes alongside the then-contemporary Continental cuisine, creating maybe the original fusion menu. Today, Trader Vic’s continues the tradition and still uses the Chinese Wood-fired Ovens featuring dishes from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia, and Japan. And, as we all know, Trader Vic’s claims to be home to the original Mai Tai.
According to the Trader, Vic Bergeron, “In 1944, after success with several exotic rum drinks, I felt a new drink was needed. I was at the service bar in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a bottle of 17-year-old Jamaican J. Wray Nephew rum, added fresh lime, some Orange Curaçao from Holland, a dash of Rock Candy Syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle flavor. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color, I stuck in a branch of fresh mint, and gave two of them to Ham and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, “Mai Tai – Roa Ae” In Tahitian means “Out of this World- The Best”. Well, that was that, I named the drink ‘Mai Tai.’”
(Victor Bergeron and Carrie Guild featured below in 1970)
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday:
- Lunch 12pm-3pm
- Lounge 12pm-9:30pm
- Dinner 5pm-9pm
Where:
9 Anchor Dr
Emeryville
