Sitting in the dimly lighted dining room of Mai-Kai, watching Polynesian beauties in grass skirts whirl their hips at high speed, holding our breath as brave fire dancers twirl flaming torches, we might as well be 7 years old again. Wide-eyed in the dark.

Proust had his madeleines. But for generations of Fort Lauderdale vacationers, it's the dinner and floor show at the landmark. Mai-Kai restaurant that bring memories flooding back. Mai-Kai has been serving pupu platters and fantasies of island paradise to tourists and locals since 1956.

As schoolgirls, my sisters and I gasped at the spectacle of Polynesian Surprise ($10.25), chunks of fruit embedded in a smoking, sparking ``volcano'' made out of a mountain of crushed ice and a few lit sparklers. Last week, the 43-year-old gimmicky dessert thrilled my young niece - and me.

Some childhood attractions age badly. Revisited, they disappoint. The carnival looks gaudy and sad, the circus cruel to animals. But Mai-Kai (``the finest'' in Hawaiian) retains its magic.

Not much changed

Maybe it's because not much has changed since brothers Robert and Jack Thornton - dreamers, bartenders, businessmen - opened Mai-Kai. It's bigger now. But the thatched huts, wooden totems, lush gardens, waterfalls, dim lanterns and flaming torches still create the splendid illusion of a Polynesian village. Peking Duck ($48 for two) is still a house specialty. And Robert's Tahitian-born widow still choreographs the sensual and athletic dance numbers for the floor show.

Or maybe it's just because Mai-Kai delivers some of the best service of any restaurant in South Florida. Everyone from the busboy to the gift shop clerk is extraordinarily helpful and friendly. The sarong-clad waitress with flowers in her hair volunteers information about the menu. A waiter in a Hawaiian shirt appears, unasked, to replace a fork that a child dropped in the dark, seconds before the floor show was to begin. The maitre d' remembers people's names. Here, refreshingly, tourists are treated as honored guests, not suckers.

The food alone is certainly not what makes Mai-Kai unforgettable and successful. The Cantonese-influenced cuisine, with several dishes cooked in wood-burning Chinese ovens, is consistent. But it's neither spectacular nor a bargain. Entrees run from $15.50 to $32 for market-priced lobster. Cover for the floor show is $9.95 for adults, free for children 12 and under.

Tropical drinks range from $4.50 for a nonalcoholic frozen peach daiquiri to $9 for the mood-altering Barrel O'Rum. And of course, every child wants to order the Chocolate Typhoon ($4.50) in the scary Mara-Amu mug, which costs an extra $4.25 if you want to take it home.

You may run up a big bill here, but odds are you won't feel cheated.

Finger food

Among the many attitude-adjusters at Mai-Kai are appetizers designed to be eaten with the fingers. Tables aren't initially set with silverware. Instead, servers deliver hot, moist finger towels.

Crab-filled fried won tons called Crab Rangoon ($6.95) are sweet, crunchy and delicious, with just a hint of curry.

Shanghai chicken ($5.45) are basic but can't-miss tidbits of marinated chicken wrapped in bacon and baked. Even the fussiest young eater will devour these.

The festive Pupu Platter ($13.95) includes one egg roll, and four each of the crab-filled won ton, the Shanghai chicken bits, and gooey warm fried-cheese rounds called ``tangs,'' flavored with ham and mushroom.

``Nams,'' rice-paper rolls filled with crab meat and ground pork ($7.95), are crunchy and fresh-tasting, served with sprigs of mint and cilantro and lettuce for wrapping.

All the entrees, while not as memorable as the floor show, are pleasant. Hawaiian chicken with tropical fruit ($16.50), a special, is fried crispy in a tempura-style batter and tasted like the familiar sweet and sour chicken.

Barbecued pork tenderloin ($19.95) is perfectly done until smoky, yet moist and tender. The generous serving of pork, however, was lonely on the plate. Ordering accompanying sides cost us: $3.50 for a baked potato and another $3.50 for a nicely cheesy creamed spinach.

Beef and lobster

Szechwan Surf and Turf ($29) features fresh vegetables and chunks of beef and lobster in sweet-and-hot sauce that tasted strongly of garlic. While the pea pods, carrots and cornichons are nicely crunchy, the beef and lobster are a little tough.

For dessert, splurge on the Polynesian Surprise. So what if it's only a few dozen chunks of cantaloupe, pineapple and honeydew melon speared with toothpicks and embedded in a ``volcano'' of crushed ice? This dessert smokes. It erupts. Sparks fly. Sisters squeal.

That's a recipe for priceless vacation memories.