{"id":87363,"date":"2025-10-25T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=87363"},"modified":"2025-10-24T16:32:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T23:32:41","slug":"las-most-innovative-cocktails-are-at-a-japanese-inspired-speakeasy-behind-a-mexican-restaurant-in-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/food\/las-most-innovative-cocktails-are-at-a-japanese-inspired-speakeasy-behind-a-mexican-restaurant-in-long-beach","title":{"rendered":"LA’s most innovative cocktails are at a Japanese-inspired speakeasy behind a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article was originally published by LAist on Thursday, Oct. 23.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find the city\u2019s most inventive cocktails, look for the red paper lantern hanging above a small alley off Fourth Street in the Retro Row neighborhood of Long Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside, you\u2019ll find a cozy, dimly lit room where cocktail lovers sample crafted, Japanese-inspired drinks to the sounds of \u201890s and 2000s hip-hop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Handcrafted with an eye toward Japan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Owner and head bartender Kevin Lee says he fashioned Tokyo Noir <\/a>as a hybrid, blending classic Japanese bar aesthetics with a gritty urban Californian beach city edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the physical space, Lee says the seasonal menu is dictated by “vibes,” using specific herbs and spices to ensure a year-round source of abundance rather than a strict farm-to-table mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Techniques are tools \u2014 there isn’t a wrong way if there’s intention,” Lee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee and his team craft all bitters, meaning they are made from scratch, along with about 10% of their vermouths and amari, while using select commercial products to maintain profitable volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfect example is the Astroboy, named after the famous Japanese anime character<\/a>, made with shochu aged from sweet potatoes, blended with Japanese Haku vodka, bergamot citrus and Calpico (a Japanese yogurt-based soft drink) for a light, milky and subtly tart finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hand-crafted cocktail Astro Boy at Tokyo Noir on Nov. 20, 2024. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the more adventurous side, the Dirty Soba features two types of shochu, gin, dashi broth and yuzu, served with a large ice cube topped with shaved daikon radish. Its complex umami profile pushes boundaries for those seeking to challenge palates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ice itself plays a crucial role. Imported from Kanazawa in Japan’s Kansai region, known for its denser, cleaner and slower-melting profile, which helps prevent dilution, each piece is hand-carved to fit the glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There are no bars that are carving ice like we do when it comes to volume,” Lee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Long Beach made sense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lee admits he wasn’t immediately sold on opening a speakeasy in Long Beach after being approached by chef and his longtime friend Ulises Pineda-Alfaro, who also is co-owner of El Barrio Cantina<\/a>, a Mexican restaurant located in front of Tokyo Noir and known for its modern menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the height of the pandemic, Lee had just sold off his portion of The Wolves<\/a> in downtown Los Angeles, and he was debating whether he was done with the bar and hospitality business for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Okonami Corn Dogs at Tokyo Noir. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A few years later, Lee and his wife visited Heritage, also in Long Beach, and were struck by its refined yet welcoming atmosphere. It was the inspiration he needed to give a new venture another try. For Lee, Long Beach offers unique creative freedom, along with its own distinct edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There’s a realness here \u2014 people are open, less performative,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city also draws patrons who travel from Los Angeles and Orange County, making it a true crossroads for all people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kevin Lee, co-owner of Tokyo Noir, on Nov. 20, 2024. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After years away, Lee says retaking his place behind the bar felt like a true homecoming. The work is still relentless \u2014 the prep, the carving, the testing \u2014 but now it\u2019s in a place that reflects who he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t fulfilled outside the industry,\u201d he admits. \u201cThis filled a hole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Long Beach, he found the space to build again, one clear block of ice at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tokyo Noir<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1731 E. 4th St, Long Beach<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reservations\u00a0here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kevin Lee’s Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":84346,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[25208],"class_list":["post-87363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87363"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87368,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87363\/revisions\/87368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87363"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=87363"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=87363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}