2 days ago
This neon LIC cocktail speakeasy is an ode to Asian pop culture
Where one speakeasy quietly closes, another loudly opens—the Long Island City space formerly occupied by Chinese cocktail bar 929 (and hidden inside Taiwanese restaurant Gulp) has been reborn as a similarly numerically-titled sister spot: 56709. No, it's not named after a zip code, though the retro-futuristic, neon-laced barroom certainly transports you to a place that's decidedly not Queens.
Rather, the drinks den takes its title from Japanese singer Junko Ohashi's 1984 hit "Telephone Number," and it echoes those eighties-pop nostalgia by reimagining "the sounds, sights, and textures of Japan's Showa and Heisei eras—when neon lights, telephones, and upbeat City Pop melodies defined a generation," per the bar team.
Continuing 929's mission of "celebrating music, cocktails and Asian pop culture," the new concept is tricked out with vintage Japanese posters, collectible records, and a curated display of retro telephones from the owners' personal collections. Neon lighting and chrome details nod to futuristic Tokyo skylines, while warm wood accents and soft seating beckon you to linger.
Cocktails, too, take influence from Japanese musical legends: There's the Junko's Old Fashioned (flavored with persimmon and chestnut), Ryuichi's Negroni (a yuzu-and-sencha sipper named for Luna Sea frontman Ryuichi Kawamura), Mariya's Whisky Sour (a savory tribute to the Queen of City Pop, made with barley tea and kombu) and a genmaicha-honeydew daiquiri in honor of the "Eternal Idol," Seiko Matsuda.
Several drinks will also pay tribute to beloved Japanese anime characters, including the Pokémon-inspired "Pika Pika," the "Arale" cocktail named after the main character in the 1980 classic Dr. Slump, and the "Ranma" cocktail paying homage to Ranma 1⁄2.
'When we create a cocktail, we don't just think about flavor—we dive deep into the story behind the inspiration,' said beverage director Chaoyi Chen. For the "Pika Pika," which is made with rum, tomato, mango, sunflower seeds, cheese, and topped with soda, " the sunflower seeds and cheese nod to Pikachu's Rodent-Pokémon classification, while the tomato references his well-known love of ketchup from the anime," Chen explained. "Mango brings in Pikachu's iconic yellow hue, and the soda's fizz evokes his electric energy.'
The folks over at Gulp will continue to take care of the food, with new menu items like a baked sweet potato with miso butter and meat floss (a reimagining of the Taiwanese street snack), fried oysters with yuzu tartare sauce (a night-market favorite with a Japanese twist) and ochazuke, a traditional Japanese rice-and-broth dish, here topped with salted and dried mullet roe.
Set to open its doors on Friday, June 12, 56709 is located at 4245 27th Street and will be open Tuesday to Thursday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight.
