Spring 2009 - Issue 5

The Silversword: Home > Arts and Entertainment > Smoke It Up!!

Smoke It Up!!

Erica Gaines, Staff Writer

The Burning Tree is a new hookah bar located right down the street from Chaminade at 3613 Waialae Ave. next to the Azteca Mexican restaurant.

This is the only hookah bar on the island and possibly the only one in the entire state. Hookah originated in India but it is very popular in the Middle East and is gaining popularity around the world.

At the Burning Tree, people are able to purchase shisha for their hookah. Shisha is known by a number of names and is a mix of tobacco and either honey or molasses. Remember, marijuana is illegal in Hawaii and this is not a place to smoke it. The initial charge is $20 to rent a hookah and then you buy your choice of shisha. There is a 10 percent student discount so bring your student ID with you.

They have around 20 flavors of shisha to choose from. I smoked Potion 9, Pink Lemonade and Mango. They were pretty fruity but Potion 9 tasted a bit chemically at first.

The Burning Tree is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to about midnight. It’s 18 and over and BYOB for those who are 21 and over. You can also order food from Azteca next door and eat it inside, or any food you want.

The bar is decorated with surreal art by local artists. They have live music performed on the loft most nights, mostly reggae and island beats. They also show eye-catching daredevil sport videos on the television behind the counter (surfing, base jumping, rock climbing, etc).

The hookah bar includes a kava bar. Kava is the root of a plant that is native to the Pacific Islands and is used to make a drink that has mild sedative properties.

Overall, this is a comfortable environment for some carefree fun.

The Burning Tree
3613 Waialae Avenue
(808) 626-5694

For some very informative websites about shows, art, and entertainment happening on the island throughout the week check out the following sites:

www.808shows.com
www.nonstophonolulu.com
www.dosomethingtonight.com

 

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