“Coming in to our 10th year, it’s time to up the game,” says Nick Brink, general manager of wildly popular Chinatown bar The Golden Tiki. “We’ve just rolled out the biggest renovation we’ve ever done of our cocktail and food program.”
If you love the Golden Tiki for its mai tais, celebrity shrunken heads and maximalist décor, don’t worry. They’ve kept all those elements and introduced some new, lighter snacks reflective of the dining-forward neighborhood, including curried cashews($8), gochujang cucumbers marinated in Korean chili ($6), and a crab
Rangoon dip with pita chips and sweet chili ($14).
They’re strong companions to the new cocktails, which slyly subvert your idea of what a tiki
drink can be.
Take the A Negroni Killed My Pet Lizard ($16). Del Maguey mezcal, Tra-Kal Patagonian Spirit, Italicus, bergamot, Crème de Mure and more mix with Campari into a bittersweet remedy that could resuscitate that lizard. This Is My Boomstick ($16) combines Zaya rum, Laphroaig Islay scotch, cinnamon, lemon, bitters and Chinese five spice into a tart mind-opener as smoky as Bruce Campbell’s shotgun.
The Aku Aku Lapu ($16) pays homage to the Stardust’s tiki spot with a powerful, one-and-done dosage of three rums—Lemon Hart 151, Don Q Gold and Planteray Dark—with lemon, Avua falernum, pineapple, grapefruit and orange. And the Trial By Fire ($16) brings whiskey to the tropics: Hurst Knoll 101 rye, Brother’s Bond bourbon, coconut liqueur, Chardonnay syrup, pineapple, lemon and chocolate bitters. And it’s served flaming, because some traditions must be honored.
THE GOLDEN TIKI 3939 Spring Mountain Road, 702-222-3196, thegoldentiki.com. Daily, 24/7.
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