Hooray for HOOKA
Tobacco dens provide flavored respite for college crowd
By Montie Martin
Published: Wednesday, July 6, 2005 12:05 AM EDT

At times it seems like the sweetly scented smoke is dancing to the Arabic music vibrating off the landscape-painted walls. Overlapping conversations about movies and politics, mostly among college and high school students, are barely discernible as patrons share sweetened tobacco through jeweled-toned hooka water pipes.

One of the lesser-known slices of Washington's nightlife, hooka bars have become increasing popular among the not-yet-legal crowd.

"The hooka bar is the last remaining social environment for college students under 21," said Fred Jacksier-Chasen, of Clifton, a sophomore at UCLA. "Too old for the malls and movie theaters, too young to go to bars - and kicked out of pool halls, music shows, lounges and many clubs - our generation has rapidly welcomed the hooka bar as the place to chill."

Similar to the caterpillar's pipe in Lewis Caroll's "Alice in Wonderland," hooka pipes or shishas have a distinctive lampshape through which flavored tobacco is filtered and water-cooled before passing to the user through a hose.

Patrons order a pipe and one of dozens of fruity or herbal tobaccos. Delicious Egyptian tea, Turkish coffee or extravagantly decadent iced drinks usually complement the smoking experience.

Authentically brainy

"We import drinks from Middle Eastern countries for authenticity," said Bassem Beshir, manager of the Prince Cafe in Tenleytown. "However, the main attraction is the shisha. It is the center the store revolves around."

"The college intellectual thing to do is smoke hooka," said George Washington University senior Bess Guliver. "People will sit around puffing and discuss philosophy."

Open all night

Mohamed Mousa, manager of the Oasis Cafe in Falls Church, also cites the limited availability of things to do on late night ventures. "Everybody is off looking for a place to [go]. Sometimes people go clubbing, and when they finish they look for a place to go. We are open 24 hours, so that helps."

"Four years ago hooka bars became really popular," said Dane, 19, a longtime D.C. resident who declined to give a last name. "If I wasn't at a hooka bar right now, I'd either be sleeping or drinking."

What makes hooka bars even more appealing to students on summer break is the chance to meet other people.

"On more than one occasion I have met new people who go to my school in California, and people I haven't gone to school with since I was 5," said Jacksier-Chasen.

While the final bill can sometimes be pretty steep - between $7 and $10 for a hooka, plus food and drinks - students are more than willing to pay for the relaxing atmosphere and chance to lounge for as long as they like.

"As a restaurant, we are very well-done, reasonably priced," Beshir said.

"[hooka bars] are a nice place to chill," Mousa said. "They give people a new look into the Egyptian world."