Cuisine:

• Polynesian
• Asian
• Pan-Asian
• Sushi bar

Trader Vic's Description:
There have always been reasons since 1944 to go to Trader Vic's---the exotic and deadly Polynesian cocktails, the exuberantly kitsch South Seas décor, the evocative ukulele-Sinatra soundtrack---but the food (which magically improved with every scorpion bowl) was never one of them. Happily, the chain that now spans numerous world locations from London to Beirut to Dubai has risen like a phoenix at L.A. Live with a solid pan-Asian menu that's both nostalgic and contemporary. Extravagant tropical cocktails are the same classics your parents (or grandparents) drank; the mai tai was invented by the original Trader Vic's. For fun, start with a platter of classic pupus---barbecue pork ribs, crab Rangoon, big crispy prawns---they're perfect bar food too. The silky ahi poke, tuna marinated in soy with chili and seaweed, is more refined. But the real must-have dishes here are cooked in the giant Han Dynasty-style clay oven, which is encased in a beautiful "open kitchen" at the dining room's center. It turns out a topnotch Prime rib-eye and a buttery miso-glazed sea bass. Choice desserts include Tahitian coffee crème brûlée or the chocolate kumquat spring rolls.


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