Leilani Hut, Belmont Shore (Long Beach), CA (restaurant) - Locating Tiki

L lohphat Tiki Centralite Joined: Nov 29, 2010 Posts: 17	L lohphat Posted posted on Tue, Apr 9, 2019 1:33 PM On 2010-09-17 17:35, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote: A frame - Love that article! Sorry I missed it earlier. Here's a photo of the outside of the Leilani Hut from 1967. I really like the giant letters on the roof (even though they're a bit washed out in the photo). That's a real old-school South Seas Club facade. "Posted prominently on the front of the Leilani is a sign saying "Muncie City Limits," proof that owner Don May - who hails from there - is still an eager booster of the Indiana city. The restaurant's decor is very unindiana - tropical in the mood of Hawaii and Tahiti. Lovely Koloa, an island girl, provides songs and ukelele music on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm. The Leilani is the oldest Cantonese restaurant in the Long Beach area. Chef Ray Lee, with the restaurant since its opening 30 years ago, suggests the Celestial Dinner (two for $11) with a long list of appetizers and a main course which includes diced breast of chicken, barbecued pork and fried rice. Teriyaki steak is delicious for $5.50. A la carte items start at $1.65. Complete menu of American dinners too, from $3.50. We STILL have the Muncie sign! Interesting note about Ray the chef: Some guys tried to jump him in the alley behind the Leilani one night because he used to carry a wad of cash -- remember the times as immigrants often didn't trust, or were unfairly treated, by the banks. Anyway, he grew up in China and knew enough kung-fu so that little 5'3" man laid waste to them. He was NEVER roughed up again. He was a ladies man and loved his scotch. Always had the ladies come around and look him up. The other chef whom we called "Billy Dee" (Hong Kay Dea was his real name) opened up his own restaurant in Gardena called the Jade Palace. We used to go there until he passed away in the mid '80s. He was always indebted to Don as he was able to pull some strings to get Billy's family out of the PRC after the 1949 Chinese Revolution. Billy was a very kind and funny man. I miss him still. [ Edited by: lohphat 2019-04-09 13:35 ]

On 2010-09-17 17:35, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
A frame - Love that article! Sorry I missed it earlier.

Here's a photo of the outside of the Leilani Hut from 1967. I really like the giant letters on the roof (even though they're a bit washed out in the photo). That's a real old-school South Seas Club facade.

"Posted prominently on the front of the Leilani is a sign saying "Muncie City Limits," proof that owner Don May - who hails from there - is still an eager booster of the Indiana city. The restaurant's decor is very unindiana - tropical in the mood of Hawaii and Tahiti. Lovely Koloa, an island girl, provides songs and ukelele music on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm.

The Leilani is the oldest Cantonese restaurant in the Long Beach area. Chef Ray Lee, with the restaurant since its opening 30 years ago, suggests the Celestial Dinner (two for $11) with a long list of appetizers and a main course which includes diced breast of chicken, barbecued pork and fried rice. Teriyaki steak is delicious for $5.50. A la carte items start at $1.65. Complete menu of American dinners too, from $3.50.

We STILL have the Muncie sign!

Interesting note about Ray the chef: Some guys tried to jump him in the alley behind the Leilani one night because he used to carry a wad of cash -- remember the times as immigrants often didn't trust, or were unfairly treated, by the banks. Anyway, he grew up in China and knew enough kung-fu so that little 5'3" man laid waste to them. He was NEVER roughed up again.

He was a ladies man and loved his scotch. Always had the ladies come around and look him up.

The other chef whom we called "Billy Dee" (Hong Kay Dea was his real name) opened up his own restaurant in Gardena called the Jade Palace. We used to go there until he passed away in the mid '80s.

He was always indebted to Don as he was able to pull some strings to get Billy's family out of the PRC after the 1949 Chinese Revolution.

Billy was a very kind and funny man. I miss him still.

[ Edited by: lohphat 2019-04-09 13:35 ]

Post #794385 by lohphat on Tue, Apr 9, 2019 1:33 PM