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Kahala, Nashua, NH (restaurant) |
Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
|  Posted: 2012-01-11 8:10 pm Permalink
Name:Kahala
Type:restaurant
Street:350 Amherst
City:Nashua
State:NH
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
I decided to post the Kahala restaurant and Paradise lounge located in Nashua, New Hampshire, after seeing a few folks comment on a Hukilau restaurant that was also located in Nashua.
Here is a matchbook I have with a nice Tiki/volcano graphic
And a link to the Hukilau thread.
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=41891&forum=2&1
Interested to see if anybody remembers this one as well. Maybe the same place with a change of names?
DC
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The Granite Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 786
From: Nashua, NH
| Posted: 2012-01-11 8:33 pm Permalink
I remember the Kahala which only closed down and auctioned off their stuff about 10 years ago or so. It was right before I started collecting and a local antiques guy told me how I just missed the auction. I never knew of the Hukilau the other thread speaks of but I'll ask the locals. The Haluwa, which is just one exit away is still open but they don't have any Tiki decor left.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-01-11 10:02 pm Permalink
Granite Tiki,
Thanks for the info. Have not been able to find anything on the Hukilau in Nashua.
The Kahala opened in 1977. The second ad shows a pic with a nice A-frame out front.
And was run by the Louis and Chan families.
Looks like in closed around 1992 and had a few run ins with City officials!
Looks like Nashua had some other Chinese/Polynesian places like the Singapore
And Cathay Island.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-01-11 10:32 pm Permalink
OK one more post for tonight. Everything you wanted to know about Nashua but were afraid to ask.
The Kahala added the Paradise Lounge and claimed to have "the most exotic decor in New Hampshire".
The obviously had never been to Keene to see the Keentiki!
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=39090&forum=2&hilite=keene
The Cathay Island and Singapore restaurants look like they were more oriental and less Tiki.
DC
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The Granite Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 786
From: Nashua, NH
| Posted: 2012-01-11 11:18 pm Permalink
Nice stuff! My brother used to play gigs at the Singapore. There's a Barmakian jewelers roughly where it used to be, but the access road to the nearby mall they put up is called "Dan Chan Way" after the owner of the Singapore.
The Kahala was gutted and replaced with a China Buffet with no character at all.
[ This Message was edited by: The Granite Tiki 2012-01-11 23:23 ]
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The Granite Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 786
From: Nashua, NH
| Posted: 2012-01-11 11:26 pm Permalink
And yeah they had troubles. I used to play gigs at the Haluwa up the street from there, and I remember when the Kahala closed, and their clientele started coming to the Haluwa, it was rough.
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CarvingBike
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Dec 14, 2011
Posts: 13
From: Jacksonville Beach, Fl
| Posted: 2012-01-12 4:28 pm Permalink
It's awesome to see the matchbook cover and other info about this place! Dustycajun & The Granite Tiki, thanks so much for solving this mystery for me!! Kind of sad to see how it looks now, it was pretty cool in it's day!! Should I make a correction in my previous post?
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Dr. Coruba
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 02, 2008
Posts: 84 | Posted: 2012-04-20 06:19 am Permalink
Dan Chan opened his first restaurant (Dan Chan's) in the early 1960's in Fitchburg, Mass. Some time in the 1970s he sold "Dan Chan's" to create a larger much nicer restaurant on the Fitchburg/Leominster line - "Singapore" which featured a large bar and lounge as well as the restaurant. Though I know it was the same Dan Chan who opened the Singapore in Nashua, I don't know if he opened the Nashua one before or after creating the one in Fitchburg.
A fire claimed Dan Chan's on December 26, 1996 and the Fitchburg Singapore is still going strong (though no longer owned by the Chan family).
Though tiki in drinks only, Singapore is well worth a visit should you be passing by on Rt. 2 (I think it is Exit 30). Very good classic New England style Polynesian food and a very good Mai Tai. Bonus, there is a supermarket sized Kappy's liquor store practically next door which has a superior rum selection.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-12-16 11:49 am Permalink
Grand opening, August 5, 1977.
DC
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