Blue Dragon Tavern Open for Business

Blue Dragon Tavern & Cosmic Musiquarium opened for business on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, after being shuttered for nearly three years. Photo courtesy of Blue Dragon Restaurant.

After nearly three years, the Blue Dragon Tavern & Cosmic Musiquarium will reopen its doors.

Located across from Kawaihae Harbor, the Blue Dragon will start seating customers again tonight—Saturday, Sept. 28. It will offer live music, dancing, concerts and events. According to a company release, the Blue Dragon offers a family-friendly environment as well as a new casual-fare dinner menu, local brews and house-crafted cocktails. 

Lorenzo’s Army will kick off opening night. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show will run from 7 to 10 p.m. The Blue Dragon will be open until 11 p.m. tonight, and the cost of admission is $10 at the door.

John Keawe plays Sunday, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and the cost of admission will be $5 at the door. Miki’ala will play Wednesday, Mila on Thursday, Johnny Shot on Friday, DJ Maylan on Saturday and Nino Ka’ai on Sunday.

“Evenings at the Blue Dragon are absolutely magical,” co-owner Delphina Dorrance said in a press release. “Once you walk through the doors, you are right back outside again. So, overhead is a canopy of palms, sunset colors during happy hour … then the evening performance and dinner (are) accompanied by the night sky.”

The Blue Dragon is a project by 1Heart, Delphina and Bennett Dorrance’s new parent company. The press release described 1Heart as helping steward community-minded, purpose-driven properties and initiatives that cultivate the health and wellbeing of people and the planet through food, arts, culture and ecology.

“We want to make our decisions with heart,” said co-owner Bennet Dorrance who is currently completing a graduate course in executive sustainability leadership. “For us, this means aligning with nature and land. We’re guided by the principles of sustainability, and our vision is to support ongoing wellbeing for Kohala.”

The Blue Dragon’s house-made pupus, dinners and desserts are made mostly with ingredients from island farms and local fishing operations including Sunrise Farms, Kohala Organic, Sage Farms and the Kohala Mountain Fish Company, the release said. The latter is a sustainably designed, on-land tilapia farm also co-managed by Bennett Dorrance.  

The tavern side of the project is run by GM Jason Sessions who recently returned to the island after nine years on Kaua‘i as Food and Beverage Director at the Westin in Princeville, the release said. The cuisine is presented by Chefs Craig Sharp and Carter Ciu.

To help the mission of supporting island artists, a varying nightly admission fee will directly feed into the production end of the musiquarium side of the club. The musiquarium’s evening entertainment is currently booking today through February, with owner Delphina Dorrance as the artistic director. George Webb Sound will be providing audio/visual service. Entertainment will include eclectic and varied island musical acts, the release said. 

Courtesy photo.

Alongside the business office and sound tech room on the second story of the Blue Dragon, Blue Dragon Bodywork remains open and offers therapeutic “massage with aloha.” Its new sister establishment, HUB’s Kohala Village Bodywork, is now open along Hawi town’s main street. More information can be found at kohalamassage.com.

The Blue Dragon’s hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. until close, which will either be 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the night. Entertainment and door charge will start between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. Regular happy hours will run from 5 to 6 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. The Bule Dragon is not accepting reservations at this time.

A full entertainment calendar with a newsletter sign-up link will be available at the Blue Dragon’s new website, which is expected to go live within the next couple of weeks, the release said. Those interested can follow the Blue Dragon on Facebook at FB.com/BlueDragonHawaii.