Sundays at Duke's Waikiki

Posted by Liberty on Jul 31, '07 9:00 AM for everyone

No visit to Waikiki is complete without experiencing Duke’s Restaurant! Personally, it is one of the happiest places on my side of the world. Straight from the beach, clad in just my pareo (sarong), my swimsuits underneath, and my thong sandals, I used to go there almost every Sunday afternoon for great music, fun and spectacular sunsets.

Situated right on the sands of Waikiki,  Duke’s is reminiscent of  a gentler and younger Waikiki, when canoeing and surfing were in their heyday, beach boys ruled, and Duke Kahanomoku was the undisputed “king of the ocean” and Hawaii’s ambassador of aloha. Duke’s is so much more than a seafood restaurant by the sea.  It is a gathering place of people from near and far.  It is where old friends meet and get merry, and where strangers and newcomers find an instant connection to the island, and to fortunate many, instant friends.

Imagine this.  Bright sunny afternoon, swaying palm trees, sun drenched people pushing sands between their feet,   great live island music playing in an open air scenario right there in front of the bright blue, warm ocean with people swimming, surfing, canoeing, or merely frolicking in the sands.  The energy is wild, fun, exciting.  People are dancing, drinking, eating or simply talking to each other amidst all the excitement around them.

 Everybody at Duke’s is eager to have some fun in the sun until we see it all go down. And that glorious sunset really is the grand finale of the day.  The music reaches a sort of climax while the sun is setting.  People in awe of the music and the beauty of the spectacular sunset and its colors and everybody knows the music is about to end.  And so there is this suspended energy in the air that knows the dancing and all the music are about to come to a close and you’re wishing it won’t.  So the crowd keeps screaming

“hana hou” – the Hawaiian phrase for ‘encore’ or ‘one more time’.

 But the fun continues till the moon and the stars take the place of the mighty sun.  And the bustling energy of the afternoon tames down a bit.  People have had enough drinks perhaps, or intoxicated by the beauty assaulting their senses all day long, and are ready to have dinner, resume talking to their friends, or take in the views around them, both inside and out.  You begin to appreciate better the décor of the place. Against a gleaming backdrop of polished koa wood and tiki torches blazing, you notice that Duke’s restaurant is filled with museum quality photos of Duke Kahanomoku, the father of modern surfing. Koa outrigger canoes, antique surfboards and wonderful posters of old Hawaii line the walls.  All of this adds to the ambience of that old Waikiki feeling, with palm-thatched roofs, umbrellas, touches of bamboo and lauhala.

As you soak all this in, and you are half-way thru your meal, it’s time that you know of another wonderful thing you can enjoy at Duke’s.  Billed as “the dessert that the sailors swam ashore for” this is the dessert that has been pleasing even the heartiest of dessert eaters.  It is time for “Hula Pie”!

 Hula Pie is made with macadami nut ice cream piled high on a chocolate cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and more macadamia nuts.  It is so huge too so be ready to share it with a few of your friends.  It is so “ono” (delicious) you are ready to do the hula after a few bites!  All this reminiscing is making me miss my old hang-out place!

Okay, I know what I'm doing this coming Sunday.  I think I better hit town and see my old friends at Duke’s in Waikiki.  Anybody coming along for some great fun on the sand?  “A hui ho”!  (Till we meet again).

Below is a sample of a Sunday at Duke's with the legendary Henry Kapono and his band performing as the sun goes down.  This video shows the inside and outside of Duke's.  Join the fun!

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