FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — If you're looking for authentic Polynesian cuisine and culture, you don't have to travel to the South Pacific, just to Fort Lauderdale.
Since 1956, the Mai Kai restaurant has captivated guests with a unique dinner and show experience.
The Finding Florida crew checked out this storied destination where visitors can experience the warmth and magic of the islands.
From the moment you walk in the door, you'll feel like family, greeted by the customary "Aloha"
"Aloha has three different meanings...it means hello...it means goodbye...it also means I love you, and if you go to Hawaii, it's a big culture that they want to continue," according to Kern Mattei.
Mattei is now the general manager at Mai Kai and grew up here at the restaurant, jumping up and down on the rocks and climbing the trees.
"So my parents both worked here, and they met here, and that's how I was born, so I actually grew up here," says Kern.
While South Florida is an international melting pot, Polynesian culture isn't widely represented.
"We are so far away from the Pacific, you see a lot of that on the California side - over in South Florida, it's mostly the Caribbean culture that is infused in here," according to Kern.
The iconic establishment offers an immersive experience.
"This is our main stage where our dancers perform and do Polynesian review. It's a 45-minute show that showcases dances of Hawaii, dances of Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand. My mom came here from Tahiti as a Polynesian dancer, and now my son has followed in her footsteps."
Kern's son Nick showed us some of the moves he uses on stage.
"Hawaii is easy we got our Cohollo, our steps, and we've got our omni of course - our most famous one of the circle. It's fun, it's my culture, says Nick Mattei.
The dining room has three sections: New Guinea, Hawaii, and Tonga.
"When you're in each room, there are artifacts that come from those different islands. Right here on the wall in the corner is a Yen mask that comes from New Guinea. If you pick up the table lamps, they are actually designed like a tiki that you find in the islands of New Guinea," says Kern
The Molokai bar features props from the 1962 movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" with Marlon Brando
"We got in touch with them and bought actual set pieces from that movie and used it to design the interior of this bar so it looks like the inside of a ship," explains Kern
Creating an intimate place for a Plantar's punch or Mai-tai outside, you'll find lush gardens where you can soak in the tranquility.
"So come on out here and you'll see our giant waterfalls. This is our giant Hawaiian Kou, which is a tiki that originates from Hawaii," says Kern.
It's hard to believe that the restaurant is just a stone's throw away from busy downtown, urban Fort Lauderdale. Making it the perfect place to escape for just the night.
We got a sneak peek at the food being prepared in the kitchen.
Then we tasted some of their signature dishes, including the drunken lobster pad Thai. It's a tantalizing treat for your taste buds.
Kern explains the secret sauce behind the restaurant's long-standing success, "it's the people that actually work here - if you treat them like family, they're going to treat the guests - customers like family - and that's the key. It takes a whole team, a whole family to make the magic happen here."
