423555 Sun Jul 22 09:50:26 -0700 2007 22 12 Boston Area 0 2772392 looking for a fantastic mai tai preferably outside the city. maybe brookline, cambridge area. can anyone offer any suggestions? Sun Jul 22 09:50:26 -0700 2007 113558 daisy27 1 2772538 Back in my younger (and less calorie obsessed) days, I'd drop by the Hong Kong for a few Mai Tais and top the event off with a delicious Pu Pu platter. Sun Jul 22 11:14:20 -0700 2007 2772392 28241 CambridgeFoodie 1 2772569 We need the great Brother Cleve to chime in on this. I don't know if he reads Chowhound. I make mean Tiki drinks at home, including the original-recipe Trader Vic's Mai Tai, for which I specifically bought my own electric ice shaver. The only place in town I'd tried was the now-defunct Tiki Room on Lansdowne St, now home to La Verdad -- its Tiki drinks weren't terrible. But Christopher Muther of the Globe did a little tour of places that at least have authentic Tiki bar atmosphere (with Cleve along to assess the drinks, most of which he rated "acceptable"), a few months back. I can't vouch for any of these myself, but he toured the Kowloon in Saugus, Bali Hai in Lynnfield, Tahiti in Dedham, South Pacific in Newton, and Tiki Island in Medford. Details here: www.boston.com/news/globe/living/calendar/articles/2007/05/24/tiki_tacky/ Good luck! Would love to see a follow-up report on wherever you end up. Sun Jul 22 11:30:55 -0700 2007 2772392 10143 MC Slim JB 2 2774826 I still have a half a case of Trader Vic's Mix and a bottle of Orgeat Almond Syrup that I had shipped for a party! Cost as much to ship as purchase 2 cases - LOL! Trader Vic Mai Tais in New England - priceless!!! Montien makes a propper Mai Tai - order it with no grenadine. Mon Jul 23 10:31:07 -0700 2007 2772569 23130 gyppielou 1 2772624 Not outside of the city, but I've had excellent Mai Tais at Eastern Standard (Kenmore Square), and Billy Tse's (Commercial Street/North End). At Billy Tse's, you'll see more regulars at the bar with a Mai Tai in front of them than any other drink - they really know how to make them here. Sun Jul 22 12:00:14 -0700 2007 2772392 10271 Rubee 2 2772633 Billy Tse and ES: Sun Jul 22 12:03:16 -0700 2007 2772624 10271 Rubee 2 2773070 Second Billy Tse's. Count me as one of those at the bar with a Mai Tai. I think it is the best I have had. Not cloying like many Polynesian / America-Chinese places (thinking Kowloon, e.g.) I often ask for a dark rum floater. Not that it needs it, mind you, they are quite (deliciously) boozy on their own. Sun Jul 22 15:44:02 -0700 2007 2772624 99422 Small Plates 1 2772734 Golden Temple in Brookline has a stand-up Mai Tai. Just be careful- it packs a real punch! Thank goodness I live in walking distance! Sun Jul 22 13:04:26 -0700 2007 2772392 100804 bex77 2 2774397 I second that!! The Mai Tais at Golden Temple are excellent... Definitely the best I've ever had... and they do pack a wallop! North Shore of Boston - Blue Fin in Middleton on 114 has a really good Mai Tai as well. Mon Jul 23 09:04:31 -0700 2007 2772734 104257 tater_tot 1 2774557 Go to Imperial China in Framingham. Good chinese food and a potent "May's Special" Mai-Tai. They won't tell you whats in it and they will only serve you two. Enjoy. Mon Jul 23 09:38:02 -0700 2007 2772392 109304 jferg18 2 2776648 Been there, done that, and your right! Mon Jul 23 17:53:16 -0700 2007 2774557 45436 Harp00n 3 2776957 Before I forget it, my man Ming makes a great Mai Tai here along with the other usual Tiki Bar suspects, ie, Fog Cutters, Suffering Bastards, etc. Give up your keys to the SO first, however. Harp0n Obtw, a good compendium for after-hours explorations; http://www.kevdo.com/maitai/recipes.html Mon Jul 23 19:33:25 -0700 2007 2776648 45436 Harp00n 1 2775447 I will bet you dollars to donuts that Misty, Dylan, and the crew at Green Street can make you a mean Mai Tai. It's not on their stunningly large A-Z menu, but they always seem up for a challenge, and I know for sure they've got a ice-shaver (they use it for a drink called the Iceberg: gin, ricard, and mint over shaved ice -- yum!). It may not come in a fun tiki-styled glass, but for sure it'll be good. Mon Jul 23 12:44:51 -0700 2007 2772392 47694 litchick 2 2776601 I never thought to order a Mai Tai at Green Street, but given Dylan's affinity for good rums, and how he's stocked his bar as a result, it's pretty good guess he could do a proper one. Lack of orgeat syrup is the showstopper for most non-Tiki bars. Mon Jul 23 17:37:22 -0700 2007 2775447 10143 MC Slim JB 3 2780974 Is there a difference between orgeat syrup and the orzata syrup used in Italian sodas etc.? Wed Jul 25 06:09:57 -0700 2007 2776601 18512 Allstonian 4 2781639 I'm not certain, but judging from a bad Wikipedia Italia translation, they look to be the same. If it's a thick, milky-colored, mainly almond-flavored syrup, orzata is awfully similar to orgeat. (Trivia: both words come from the same Latin root, meaning "made with barley", a former ingredient, and the same origin as the Spanish "horchata".) Wed Jul 25 08:58:38 -0700 2007 2780974 10143 MC Slim JB 5 2781814 Yep - that's the stuff. I've loved it since I was a kid (also loved marzipan from an early age.) Barley, huh? It seems like an odd transition from barley to almonds. I know that the base of horchata is rice, but doesn't it have almond milk too? This digression will probably get carted off to Spirits or Home Cooking or someplace soon, but if orgeat and orzata are reasonably equivalent it's worth knowing that orzata should be readily available in any shop that carry Italian syrups for drinks, such as a salumeria or an Italian bakery. It helps if the shop's a little on the old-fashioned side stockwise - the "traditional" flavors include orzata and tamarindo, but places that carry syrups mostly intended for flavored coffees (especially if they carry one of the French brands instead) might not have them. Wed Jul 25 09:36:18 -0700 2007 2781639 18512 Allstonian 1 2775747 I really like the Mai Tais at East Coast Grill. Dangerously smooth. Mon Jul 23 13:48:30 -0700 2007 2772392 13596 DoubleMan 2 2775892 Make sure to ask for the "man" Mai Tai at Billy Tse's and you will not be disapointed. Kowloon's are ok, but they are pre-mixed which kind of throws me off. Mon Jul 23 14:19:42 -0700 2007 2775747 16672 phatchris 1 2777050 The B-Side makes a mean mai tai (at least when Dave's working - not sure about the rest of the crew.) Probably the best I've had in Boston. Mon Jul 23 19:55:54 -0700 2007 2772392 81219 cambridgejen 1 2780902 chow chow city in chinatown makes a killer mai tai.. yummy Wed Jul 25 05:27:04 -0700 2007 2772392 114229 sara hedwog 1 3152675 Does anyone know where I can find orgeat syrup in BostonCambridge/Metrowest? I'm putting mai tais on the Christmas party drink menu. Thanks! Sun Nov 25 07:59:39 -0800 2007 2772392 10917 Kat 2 3153293 I got some at Capone Foods in Cambridge (Mass Ave, they've also got a location in Union Square in Somerville). I made a tasty mai tai with it... Sun Nov 25 12:42:44 -0800 2007 3152675 77134 skokefoe