Tiki goes high end
Carved hands and masks throw Zen-Balinese into the mix at a new tiki outpost in Beverly Hills a restaurant that re-imagines the storied Luau. The statue at right, custom made by Tiki Ray Kieffer, is based on a salt shaker from the original restaurant. Hold on to your paper parasols, folks theres a new trade wind blowing through: Polynesian pop has gone upscale, with a clothing line, restaurants, even paintings. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The Luau includes the requisite puffer fish lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Determined to give his clientele at the Luau that Polynesian feeling updated for the 21st century restaurant owner Andrew Hewitt tracked down the tiki revivals tribal elders to help turn his vision into a reality. He tapped Bamboo Ben Bassham, grandson of Eli Hedley, who had outfitted the original Luau, to appoint the interior with all manner of bamboo, puffer fish lamps, coiled rope and thatched awnings. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
