The Lei Stand Waikīkī is celebrating May Day in a big way. The cocktail bar, formerly located in Chinatown, opens today in Romer House Waikīkī, Oʻahu’s first adults-only hotel that opened last June.
The Lei Stand was created in 2022 by co-founders Ryan Kalei Tsuji and Tara Kanani Shimooka. The whole idea to open The Lei Stand Waikīkī happened quickly, according to Tsuji.
“Daniel (the general manager at Romer House), Ramona and I were here (at Romer House Waikīkī) after an event, and we started chatting,” Tsuji says. “Three hours later, we came up with this whole plan and pitched it to the team at Highgate. We love Kelly (Sanders) and what he’s doing here with Highgate. It was a perfect fit; five months later, we’re here.”
“Our relationship with Ramona, who helped us open The Lei Stand in Chinatown, helped, too,” says Shimooka.
When Romer House Waikīkī initially opened, its bar, restaurant and whole lobby was called ‘855 Aloha,’ according to Kelly Sanders, president of Highgate Hawaiʻi.
“Our ability to separate the restaurant experience as 855 Aloha and now the bar as The Lei Stand seemed like the perfect opportunity to define the spaces within the hotel, and give people a reason to come and visit — not just to eat, but to drink and to play,” Sanders says. “We’re thrilled with the partnership, and it’s a perfect complement to our Romer House.”
You’ll see familiar elements from the cocktail bar’s Chinatown location, such as its neon signs and floral elements. Similar to the original location, this Waikīkī spot offers seated cocktail lounge service. But guests can look forward to even more fun details to come.
“We’re going to have a neon corner; we’ll have neon activations,” Tsuji says. “There’s a place in downtown L.A. that has a wall of neons; we’re drawing inspiration from that. There are little personal elements here, too — there’s a photo of my grandpa giving lei at the airport.”
The Lei Stand brought over its signature cocktails to its new space. Popular options include Clifton’s Curse ($21) — Kuleana Hui Hui, house orgeat, lime, pear cognac, angeleno, absinthe, bitters and sherry — and Soup Soup ($19), which is a coconut clarified mix of blanco tequila with falernum, absinthe and pineapple.
“I really like the Soup Soup; it really is our most popular drink,” Shimooka says. “It’s tequila based, but it’s so smooth with the clarified coconut wash and pineapple infusion.”
New beverage options include Uncle China ($18) — which pays homage to legendary waterman China Uemura, according to Tsuji — and two non-alcoholic options, the Lennay Kekua ($14) and Kalapana Rise ($14).
“He (China Uemura) used to have surf contests in Waikīkī; he taught a lot of young kids how to surf and did a lot of things with the community,” Tsuji says. “He passed away a few years ago; we wanted a drink that would pay homage to a local in this community. That’s actually his photo underneath The Lei Stand Waikīkī (sign).”
Other beverage options include beers and shots, beers on draft and by the can, and wines by the glass.
The food menu features a mix of pūpū and a few heartier dishes. The cocktail bar brought back a few customer favorites, according to Tsuji.
“Our taro chips were so popular back in Chinatown that we were actually packaging it and selling it,” he says. “We had to make sure that was on the menu; it’s served with what we call our Crack Sauce. Our chicken karaage ($15) was one of our bestsellers, too, so we brought that recipe over.”
The Lei Stand featured a Chex Mix pūpū when it first opened, and it’s now at the Waikīkī location because it was so popular. The savory (furikake) and sweet (smoked local honey) snack ($8) is absolutely addictive. The edamame hummus ($16), served with fresh-baked focaccia with honey and macadamia nut oil, is also a must-have. The hummus is so insanely flavorful that you’ll want to dip everything in it.
Two sushi rolls are also on the menu. They’re similar — both include snow crab, shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, unagi sauce and tobiko — but the Godzilla roll ($23) features salmon, while the Geisha roll ($23) includes tuna. The bite-sized pieces are easy to share.
If you want something heartier, go for the smashburger ($25), which features a 6-ounce beef patty with American cheese, coleslaw and teriyaki on brioche.
You’ll also notice facts about lei and lei-giving on the menu, which is something intentional for the business’s owners.
“We’re only a few miles away (from Chinatown), but this (location) definitely skews more toward tourists,” Tsuji says. “On the menu, we incorporated little factoids about lei giving and the history of lei. The menu is going to expand with elements — we’re going to include more pictures, more history. There will be some stories behind the names of the drinks. Because there’s a lot of visitors, we’re helping to educate them about what our drinks are and what it means to give a lei in Hawaiʻi.”
Speaking of lei — individuals will be able to buy custom lei from a cooler located outside of the cocktail bar. The Lei Stand currently works with 37vp and Island Boy lei makers, and will continue to work with various artisans.
“I’m super excited that we have our own lei fridge; it’s so hard to buy lei in Waikīkī,” says Sanders. “I want The Lei Stand and our lei to be a gift of love back to Waikiki and to all the people that come — locals or visitors — to stay here, to just come and enjoy the experience.”
The Lei Stand Waikīkī is open to walk-ins, but reservations are highly encouraged. Every evening, Romer House Waikīkī’s hotel guests will have priority access to the bar.
“We’re trying to bring a different vibe here into this area,” Tsuji says. “It’s been great — we’ve been talking with the team at the Green Lady Cocktail Room, The Laylow and Secret Spot Honolulu; I think we’re building a new kind of local corridor down here. Our course, we want people to come here, but you can support other local bars and establishments that have a similar vibe. We’re excited to be a part of the community.”
CONTACT
The Lei Stand Waikīkī
Romer House Waikīkī
415 Nāhua St., Honolulu
808-795-8012
Getleid.co
Instagram: @theleistand
Open 5 p.m. to midnight Sundays to Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
