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Lun Wah, Roselle, NJ (restaurant) |
donhonyc
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2003
Posts: 1173
From: The Quiet EAST Village
|  Posted: 2004-04-19 10:19 pm Permalink
Name:Lun Wah, Roselle, NJ
Type:restaurant
Street:587 Raritan Road
City:Roselle
State:NJ
Zip:07203
country:USA
Phone:908-254-0656
Status:operational
Description:
Like it's Jersey counterparts, Chan's Dragon Inn, Lee's Hawaiian Islander (both locations), and Jade Island (actually on Staten Island, NYC) Lun Wah is a Chinese Restaurant in the Polynesian style. Located in a rather bleak looking shopping center (like Jade Island), you would not know that Lun Wah was pretty amazing inside. Like Chan's, etc. it has several Bamboo Hut's and Tikis-a-plenty. In fact I thought it should have maybe been rated a notch or so higher on the Tiki Road Trip 'TiPSY Scale'. A very well maintained goldfish pond and waterfall is in the center of the space near the restroom. The bar was more impressive to me than any of the other NY/NJ tiki places I have been to, and I have been to most of them at this point. The bar is sectioned off from the dining room and has more of a secluded hut feel to it. I wish this place was closer to my house simply for the bar alone. I would hang out there pretty often! If I was to build my own home Tiki bar, I would want it to look like the one in Lun Wah.
There was music playing, but it seemed more Asian than Hawaiian with sounds of gongs and kotos (even though that is a Japanese instrument).
I can't really speak for the food because I ordered a steamed dish (dieting), but I did order an egg roll which was no big deal. Pretty average actually. I had a Mai-Tai and it was very similar to the ones served at Chan's. More on the fruit juice tasting side of the spectrum, but still very tasty and was served in the same dragon motif Mai-Tai glass that Chan's uses (both places probably order their glassware from Dynasty Wholesale). More evidence of Dynasty Wholesale was evident at the cashiers booth where they offered a few hula girl mugs and Scorpion and Volcano bowls for sale.
Lun Wah has been around for 30 years, and they just celebrated their anniversary which they advertise on the free business card-sized refrigerator magnets. No tikis on the magnet, just a palm tree and a drawing of a Chinese take-out container and fortune cookies (why no tikis on there?) The actual business card they have is a little more Polynesian looking with a big red palm tree on it.
If you have a car and live in central Jersey, Lun Wah will be easy for you to get to. For us city dwellers, that is still to be determined, I rented a car for the day to do some family visiting so it was easy. It's seems like it may be a bit more of a project to get to commuting from the city. Chan's is an easy ride, because a bus can be hopped from Port Authority and basically takes you to the front door. When I asked the gentleman at Lun Wah about public transportation, he said the nearest train was in Linden. I got the impression that the train wasn't that far, but not in walking distance either, so a local cab would probably be required to get to the restaurant from the train station.
Overall I found Lun Wah to be the most well kept establishment out of all of the NY/NJ tiki joints. Chan's is very cool, but compared to Lun Wah it seems a little rough around the edges. I guess the same could be said about Lee's Hawaiian Lyndhurst location. Great places but a little ramshackle compared to Lun Wah. I would love to go back. If you're in that area I highly recommend it.
[ This Message was edited by: donhonyc on 2004-04-20 09:40 ]
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Tiki Chris
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1543
From: London
| Posted: 2004-05-22 12:03 pm Permalink
Thanks to the elusive & mysterious donhonyc for the accurate description of Lun Wah. However, I'd still have to rank Chan's a little higher in my book (they get points for vintage waiters in vintage aloha shirts - chan's feels 'nookier' too).
WARNING: Tiki Emi had a chicken dish & suffered not quite extreme nausia for at least the whole next day. However, I washed my sweet & sour pork down w/ a pretty decent mai tai & felt fine.
Enjoy these pics from my recent visit:
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donhonyc
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2003
Posts: 1173
From: The Quiet EAST Village
| Posted: 2004-05-22 12:38 pm Permalink
Hey Chris!
Sorry Tiki Emi got the "Curse of Lono" (just made that up) from the food at Lun Wah. Good thing I got something steamed. Eesh. Good to hear at least, that my review was somewhat accurate. Yeah, I gotta make it back to Chan's soon. My last visit was early in April. The summer excursion is coming up soon!
P.S. I'm 'mysterious and elusive'? COOL! 
[ This Message was edited by: donhonyc on 2004-05-22 12:41 ]
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NJtikiboy
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jul 21, 2004
Posts: 15
From: nj
| Posted: 2004-07-22 7:40 pm Permalink
I visited LW today and was delighted. Yes, it’s a bit rough around the edges and it needs a good dusting, but with the lights down low and my Pu platter aflame it did the trick.
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Suffering Bastard of Stumptown
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 09, 2005
Posts: 648
From: PDX
| Posted: 2005-05-09 6:31 pm Permalink
Hey! My first post on the board! Woo hoo!
Anyway, I have been to Lun Wah and found the food and drink to be pretty good. For a small place in a strip mall in North Jersey, it's not too shabby.
--SBiM
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Suffering Bastard of Stumptown
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 09, 2005
Posts: 648
From: PDX
| Posted: 2005-05-24 6:56 pm Permalink
It turns out I have some photos from a visit to Lun Wah that include the vessels they use.
Stephanie and Gordon with The Volcano.
Myself and my wife Traci.
Traci getting a little tipsy.
--SBiM
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donhonyc
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2003
Posts: 1173
From: The Quiet EAST Village
| Posted: 2005-05-24 7:29 pm Permalink
Looks like you guys had yourself a blast SBiM. I gotta get my ass back out to Jersey to go to either Chan's or Lun Wah.
Been a while.
Cheers
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elpao
Member
Joined: Jun 17, 2007
Posts: 1
From: NYC (via Roselle, NJ)
| Posted: 2007-06-17 3:32 pm Permalink
Having grown up just around the corner from Lun Wah, my family and I have been eating there for about 25 years. FYI, no one has ever gotten ill. The dining room also used to be a little more secluded, but they redecorated about 10 years ago I think. My favorite memories as a kid were the blowfish lantern lights hanging over the tables and tossing pennies into the goldfish fountain. Ahh, the memories!
[ This Message was edited by: elpao 2007-06-17 15:33 ]
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Rockpup
Member
Joined: Aug 01, 2008
Posts: 2
From: New York
| Posted: 2008-08-01 7:55 pm Permalink
This is my first post! My boy and I have been going to Tiki places for a few months now; we've managed to go to 8 so far in NY, NJ, and MA. We thought it was time we start contributing to the Tiki sites we love so much! Anyway the pictures of Lun Wah wouldn't show up on m computer so we went here sight unseen and this is what we found!
Food was fine, on par with Chan's, and Jade Island. Personally I like the food at Lee's Hawaiian Islander better. My drink was great, some vodka and coconut milk concoction; However the Lun Wah Special drink wasn't all that great. Zombie was also good but didn't come in a glass.
The wait staff was great. Super friendly, and asked a lot about how we found them, being that they could tell, we weren't from there. They had matchbooks, but nothing exciting on them.
Drinks came with better garnishes, but I think you can tell we drank them BEFORE we took pictures 
[ This Message was edited by: Rockpup 2008-08-01 19:57 ]
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2008-08-01 8:54 pm Permalink
Way to come out of the gates swinging, Rockpup! Welcome to Tiki Central.
How did I miss getting Lun Wah into Critiki? Well, it's there now:
Lun Wah Restaurant in Critiki
Great pics, this place has some spiffy features -- love all that bamboo. What's with the tragic white walls & ceiling, though? Imagine how much nicer it would look if it weren't painted to look like a tiki bar in a hospital.
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Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2677
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2008-08-01 9:28 pm Permalink
Maaaaaaan, nothin like an old school Chinese/Tiki restaurant...East coast, no less, so I KNOW the food is probably better than anything Chinese here in LA.
Great post....I LOVE places like this. Welcome to TC. keep em comin !
Humuhumu, like 10 posts today from you...Glad to see you posting more regularly again. 
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Rockpup
Member
Joined: Aug 01, 2008
Posts: 2
From: New York
| Posted: 2008-08-02 1:48 pm Permalink
Glad you liked the pictures! Here's one from in the bar that I forgot to post. The bar was more cozy than the rest......BUT the wall was inches thick with a huge collection of police patches. Strange.
We're heading to King Yum tomorrow in Queens, don't expect to find over the top tikiness or anything but I hear it's the oldest Chinese place in Queens. Have a good weekend!
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sneakyjack
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 988
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2008-08-02 4:13 pm Permalink
Although I have not yet been there - I am told Lun wah place has the best Shrimp toast ever>
Next one to go please confirm. Maybe Dr Franken Tiki (since he lives near by it)
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velveteenlounge
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 13, 2004
Posts: 324
From: Velveteen Lounge, NY
| Posted: 2008-08-02 4:18 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2008-08-02 13:48, Rockpup wrote:
We're heading to King Yum tomorrow in Queens, don't expect to find over the top tikiness or anything but I hear it's the oldest Chinese place in Queens. Have a good weekend!
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Rockpup, King Yum has one room that is much more tiki than the rest. Hopefully you can get seated in there, but, if not, you'll have a good view of it from the bar.
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rugbymatt
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Jun 03, 2005
Posts: 1201
From: Sacramento
| Posted: 2008-08-02 4:41 pm Permalink
The drinks at King Yum run the gamit but we felt their Gold Cup was the most noteworthy! You can check out the photos we posted on TC from our ohana gathering there this spring.
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Moai in the house!
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