Long Beach’s most exciting new cocktail den doesn’t feel like many other bars around Los Angeles—and that’s just the way Tokyo Noir owner Jesse Duron and bar director Kevin Lee envisioned it.
“Most American bars are fast-paced, and you don’t get to enjoy the cocktails being created,” Duron, an experienced restaurateur, says. “We wanted Tokyo Noir to be more intimate and give customers a more immersive experience, like you get in Japan.”
Tucked behind Mexican spot El Barrio Cantina, Tokyo Noir does small plates like okonomi corn dogs and bluefin tostadas. The bar is more on the level of a sushi bar in terms of its height “so that customers can be eye-level with the cocktail process,” Duron says. It’s sultry with a lot of black marble, dark wood, and hanging red lanterns.
The cocktails, naturally, are the superstars and the work of seasoned bartender Lee. He adds lots of housemade ingredients and special flourishes, letting the spirits and ingredients shine in the process. “We’ll layer in other flavors, but we really want the ingredients to speak for themselves,” Lee says.
On that note, here are four cocktails you need to get at Tokyo Noir, and you can make a booking on OpenTable to try them.
For decadence seekers: get the Truffle Fashioned
Made with yoichi (malt), Okinawan rock sugar, and housemade bitters, Lee’s take on the classic old fashioned ups the ante with a truffle fat wash and a shaved sliver of white truffle as garnish. And don’t miss the diamond-shaped ice cube. “The Old Fashioneds really showcase our love of hand-carving ice,” Lee says, noting that bartenders will often be carving ice during service.
For kimchi enthusiasts: try the Drunken Tiger
If you’re craving a refreshing drink, look no further: This zippy creation has Japanese whisky, umeshu, Japanese cucumber, and housemade amaro. It’s garnished with rhubarb marinated in Korean red pepper for an herbal, bright finish with a little kick. “It’s based off cucumber kimchi,” Lee says.
For farmers’ market fanatics: go for the Juice Theory
“On paper, it sounds kind of weird, but this cocktail is so easy to drink,” Duron says of the Juice Theory. The foundation of the drink is a cordial made with amaro-fermented tomatoes and watermelon. “We partnered with California farms to make our amaros, because the ones you can buy are too sweet,” Lee says. And the drink gets its vibrant finishing touches from tequila and umeshu.
For dessert lovers: ask for the First Love Kakigori
The Kakigori was a labor of love for Lee. “We wanted the cocktail to hold up and look like a homemade whipped cream,” he says. Made with Daiyama shochu (unfiltered Korean rice wine), guava, and grapefruit, the combination of tropical flavors and shaved ice all comes together to look like a gorgeous confection. “It’s a showstopper for sure,” Lee says.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. She is the former editorial director of Tasting Table, and her work has appeared in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and many other publications. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
