The Hawaiian, Salt Lake City 1970s

Born in Canton, China, Johnny Quong (1923-1999) came to America as an 11-year-old during the Depression. As a restaurateur he realized people wanted more than just food when they went out to eat – they wanted an experience. Hence, his ‘masterpiece’ called the Hawaiian.

This fabulously colorful menu was handed to customers who came to dine in his Tiki-style establishment, which flourished from the mid- 60s to the mid-80s in eastern Salt Lake City, Utah.

Customers adored the ‘tropical storm’ that erupted three times a night with rain pitter-pattering on the roof along with flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, a floor that vibrated and even a palm tree that crashed to the ground.

There was the usual Tiki décor - anchors, fishing nets, teak furniture – as well as tiki torches in the entryway and garden to add to the feeling of an escape -even for an evening – to a South Seas paradise.

Fancy drinks were served in the Yum Yum Room (we love the name) and the dishes on offer in the dining room - marketed as Exotic Food - were a mix of Hawaiian, Chinese and American cuisines.

The Hawaiian remained a place for date nights and family celebrations for a remarkable two decades.

Quong’s over the top sense of fun created was also evident in his other themed restaurants. There was an animatronic gorilla at King Quong and a ship's deck and moving waves at Papa Quong's Pier 54.

‘He didn't want his restaurants to look like the typical Chinese restaurants, which were all mom-and-pop shops at the time,’ his daughter Becky Quong Greer told the Salt Lake Tribune in 2014. "He wanted to give diners more than just food — he wanted to give them an experience.’  Sounds like eating out at Johnny Quong’s was a lot of fun.