Hawaiian Tropic Zone

Open daily, 11 :30 a.m. - 4 a.m.

• Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Dinner: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Two words: cheesecake lollipops.

Delicious, original and a lot of fun, they embody all the qualities of Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood.

From its creative menu to its innovative design, this New York import provides a tasty and enjoyable venue for lunch or dinner … or even just dessert.

At the entrance, a waterfall feature greets guests, while Olympic style flame torches dot the patio. Bamboo, a wine wall and lighting features designed to look like burning flames decorate the dining area. The bar is flanked by a video wall and offers 40 fine wines by the glass and several signature cocktails such as Espresso Martini, Grapefruit Fizz and Bikini Punch.

Though classier than a day at the beach, patrons at Hawaiian Tropic Zone may feel like catching a wave as spunky waitresses, or “table concierges,” dressed in bikinis and floral sarongs designed by Nicole Miller, attend to their every dining need. They also participate in nightly beauty pageants.

The menu features creative dishes, some familiar and some more exotic, from world-renowned chef David Burke. The presentation of each dish is impeccable. Even the onion ring appetizer looks almost too good to eat. Almost.

The lunch menu includes black pepper seared tuna sandwich, the huge meatloaf or barbecue pork sliders. Dinner includes a filet mignon, crackling Asian spiced pork shank, veal chop, pan seared scallops and swordfish Benedict.

The pan seared salmon, served at both lunch and dinner, comes garnished with greens and served atop an olive tapenade, with a beet puree and mustard vinegarette dressing up the plate. Try it with a side of asparagus, which comes served in a light basil oil and is spiced to perfection.

Diners with a discerning palate can pick from a special prix-fixe menu.

A visit to Hawaiian Tropic Zone wouldn’t be complete without dessert. The aforementioned cheesecake lollipops are truly a site to behold, served in a metal holder that resembles a tree. Each pop, including strawberry, chocolate/vanilla and double chocolate is garnished with a mint leaf. The dish is served with a side of bubble gum whip cream dip.

Another noteworthy dessert is the banana split, which is practically an entire meal of its own. The ice cream sundae is loaded with walnuts, strawberries, bananas and Reeses pieces, and topped with chocolate, caramel and whipped cream. Delicious!

Other choices include a warm flourless chocolate souffle cake and vanilla bean crème brûlée.

The dining experience at Hawaiian Tropic Zone is as enjoyable as it is mouth-watering. There are, however, a couple disclaimers:

First, when dining at Hawaiian Tropic Zone, be prepared to see a lot of skin and a lot of tattoos.

Second, the saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” may not apply at Hawaiian Tropic Zone. Several web cams are placed throughout the dining areas and bar, beaming images from the restaurant onto the internet for anyone to see.

So when you break your diet to bite into those yummy cheesecake lollipops, don’t expect it to go unnoticed!

-- Review by Aleza Freeman