Trader Vic's

Mai Tai

The original 1944 recipe — aged rum, fresh lime, orgeat, and orange curaçao — sharp and balanced, nothing like the overly sweet versions that spread everywhere else

Bongo Bongo Soup

A velvety cream soup with oysters and spinach that has been on the menu since the 1950s — rich and deeply savory, genuinely worth ordering for its history and execution

Crab Rangoon

Crispy fried wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese and crab — Trader Vic's claims the original recipe, and these hold up as a truer version of a dish they popularized

Chinese Oven-Roasted Meats

Duck, pork, or chicken slow-cooked in the restaurant's signature wood-fired Chinese oven — lacquered, tender, and the most technically distinguished thing the kitchen produces

Rack of Lamb

A long-running menu anchor, marinated and roasted in the Chinese oven — more satisfying than the lighter dishes and the safest bet among the entrees

Pupu Platter

A communal spread of spareribs, egg rolls, and assorted bites served tableside — iconic Trader Vic's but inconsistently executed; order it for the experience, not the food quality

Tropical Cocktail Menu

Beyond the Mai Tai, the bar runs Fog Cutters, Scorpion Bowls, and rum-forward tiki drinks made with genuine care for the classic canon — the bar program consistently outperforms the kitchen