Tokyo Noir Verified listing

Tokyo Noir is far more than a speakeasy concept from the crew behind El Barrio. Tucked into a space where one enters through the alley way of the popular 4th Street Mexican restaurant, it brings SoCal cocktail master Kevin Lee back to his game in a stunningly beautiful way. And yes, it is also the most exciting cocktail concept to reach Long Beach since Spirited-recognized Baby Gee opened its doors down the street. And yes, it opens today, with seatings only available through Open Table.

The sounds of ice carving—be it into squares via serrated blades or into balls for Kevin’s wonderfully whiskey-forward Hibiki old fashioned—are the common. Throwing cocktails an art displayed on the regularly. ’90s hip-hop and R&B likely to be playing through the speakers. A perfectly restrained array of food offerings from Chef Ulises Pineda-Alfaro. (Get the fries.)

It is hard not to love Tokyo Noir, let alone easily dismiss its growing accolades. The Los Angeles Times had them on a succinct list of just seven bars they recognized as among the best, while also asking them to attend this year’s 101 reveal event. A spot at their counter is still a hard grab. And with it, the space has evolved, hosting bartender collaborations with other bars while also being invited to spaces beyond Long Beach.

Head barman Kevin Lee continues the space’s evolution with his latest menu, evoking a love of the esoteric unapologetically while remaining firmly accessible.

From savory-tinged wonders, like the “It G Ma,” a cocktail where Kevin is at his finest: the fragrance of radish and Asian pear on the immediate nose, followed by the intensity of kimchi and Lillet Blanc. It is, simply put, a wondrous cocktail.

Or—showcasing a constant lack of hesitation to explore the limits of umami—his “Yari Mango” creation. Acids abound—mango, fermented tomato, peppery sudachi—make this refreshingly bright cocktail a sister of one of my favorite creations of Kevin’s, his still-on-the-menu “Juice Theory” cocktail. Or “Kyoto Drip,” a riff on the classic Irish coffee gone iced…

For Brian Addison’s latest feature on Tokyo Noir, click here.