Columbia will soon have another destination for tiki drinks and food. Here’s where
A well-known local restaurant that serves Asian cuisine in the Vista will add tiki-themed food and cocktails to its menu at the beginning of February.
The Dragon Room, from prominent restaurateur Kristian Niemi who also owns Black Rooster in West Columbia and Bourbon on Columbia’s Main Street, will become one of only two eateries in town to emphasize tiki-specific cuisine and drink. The other tiki-themed bar, Urban Tiki, is in the downstairs space of The Grand bowling alley/bar on Main Street.
Tiki bars are known for their rum-based cocktails like the Mai Tai and the Zombie and kitschy decor inspired by Polynesian culture. They rose to prominence in the ‘40s after the concept was established by Donn Beach in 1933 with his Hollywood bar Don The Beachcomber.
Niemi will move his tiki week event, which has typically taken place as a pop-up at Bourbon, to The Dragon Room, with a kickoff dinner on Feb. 4. Niemi started the annual pop-up at Bourbon in 2015.
The Dragon Room, which serves pan-Asian small plates, will add traditional tiki drinks and cuisine. Niemi teased a pu pu platter, an appetizer tray featuring Chinese and Hawaiian bites typically consisting of meat and seafood. But don’t expect any island decor at Niemi’s spot.
“We’re not going to go overboard on decor like we did last time,” Niemi said. His emphasis at The Dragon Room will be on offering solid tiki eats, alongside the restaurant’s existing pan-Asian menu, throughout the year.
“It was fun to do it a couple of weeks every year at Bourbon and then just leave it alone, but there’s still that itch so to just simply add tiki to part of the color palette that we have at The Dragon Room just made a lot more sense,” he added.
Niemi opened The Dragon Room at 803 Gervais St. in June 2023. Head chef Alex Strickland, who was previously at Black Rooster, leads the kitchen and David Adedokun, formerly at The War Mouth, is behind the bar.
