Tiki Chinese Restaurant in Harvard Square — Review by Tastemade

The Dishes

The restaurant impressed with its carefully curated menu bridging American Chinese cuisine and tiki culture. The Peking duck was the showstopper, sourced from the only farm in the entire United States that raises 100% Peking breed ducks. This duck was prepared using a rare hanging oven, the only one of its kind in the country, which gave it an exceptional quality impossible to find elsewhere in the US. The chef dramatically carved the duck tableside with theatrical flair.

The General Gao's chicken drumettes were served as oversized pieces perfect for eating with hands, making the dish highly interactive and playful. The hoisin sauce accompanying the chicken received special praise for its quality and flavor. The chicken bao featured caricature-shaped designs, drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese night market aesthetics where baos were historically crafted to look like heads as sacrificial offerings. The restaurant reimagined this tradition in a fun, thematic way that fit the overall playful vibe of the establishment.

The Experience

The restaurant atmosphere was described as incredible with exceptional buildout and design. The chef personally constructed much of the restaurant from scratch along with one other person using hammers and nail guns, and even designed the furniture themselves. The space features two distinct areas: a downstairs tea parlor serving night market-style food like baos and rice bowls, and an upstairs bar focused on American Chinese small plates with tropical escapism theming. The restaurant is decorated with an impressive tiki mug collection displayed on multiple shelves throughout the space, including a custom-sculpted monkey-themed mug by artist Oakwash, with only 88 made. A striking custom tiger head from a Florida art gallery called Pavo Real adorns the space, created specifically for the Year of the Tiger. The overall theme emphasizes fun and avoiding taking things too seriously, welcoming guests in tropical attire without judgment.

Value & Pricing

Specific dish pricing was not mentioned in the transcript. However, the tiki mug collection reveals the premium nature of the establishment, with hand-sculpted collector mugs typically ranging from one hundred to one hundred twenty-five dollars, and limited edition pieces reselling for significantly more among dedicated collectors.

Notable Moments

There's only one farm in the entire US that does a 100% Peking breed. So there's only one restaurant in the country that has this oven. Like, I can't eat this or anything like this anywhere else in the United States.

The zombie really will knock you on your butt. That's by design.

A lot of us forgot to have fun in restaurants. Have a ridiculous drink in a ridiculous mug. Come in your tropical garb. No one's going to judge you here for that.

This duck, honestly, it goes with the whole theme of this restaurant. It's so playful. It's tasty. This is why people come here.

The Verdict

This restaurant represents a love letter to American Chinese cuisine combined with tiki culture, elevating both while staying true to their roots. The chef successfully bridges fine dining techniques with comfort food classics like General Gao's chicken and crab rangoon, addressing criticism that elevated Chinese American cuisine loses its authenticity. The experience is best for those seeking interactive, theatrical dining with exceptional cocktails served in collectible mugs, and for anyone interested in experiencing dishes prepared using rare ingredients and unique cooking methods found nowhere else in the country. This is a must-visit destination for both tiki enthusiasts and American Chinese food lovers.