Market Street is about to get a whole lot darker – and more flavorful – as Eater reports the opening of Dark Bar, set to debut on February 17 inside the LINE SF hotel. Chef Joe Hou and bar expert Danny Louie team up again to deliver a menu centered on preserved and fermented treasures along with a slew of Asian spirits.
The pair aims to redefine the cocktail game, planning to regularly switch up the offerings in tune with the changing seasons. Louie has decided to somewhat reinvent the wheel, choosing to "have this whole rebirth of everything; it’s how we can transform these ingredients where we can use it year-round," he told Eater. Expect to see winter produce comeback with a spring zing through the art of fermentation.
Don't be fooled by the complexity, though. The duo focus on crafting "crushable" cocktails that promise both innovation and drinkability. With a nod to the charm of SF's iconic House of Prime Rib, the bar will serve up a side of showmanship with a roving highball cart, offering tableside concoctions made from a curated selection of Japanese and Taiwanese whiskies paired with flavored carbonated waters.
But it's not all about the drinks. The food menu, created by Hou, favors fun with a refined twist. Expect dips into Asian flavors with twists on classics like a stuffed quail and a Hanoi beef dip that gives the French dip sandwich a wagyu makeover. All this comes with a side of seasonally interchangeable ingredients, because, as Hou puts it, "We just want the food to be delicious," according to his statement to Eater.
The design of the space complements the offerings with a dark, intimate setting underscored by a black-on-black palette. Patrons can expect to lose themselves in the thoughtfully curated ambiance, which includes a striking art piece of birds in flight. While classics are available upon request, the back bar prominently showcases the Asian liquors that star in the unique cocktail selection discussed on The LINE Hotel's website. Dark Bar invites patrons to an intimate journey that revels in Asian culture and the art of flavor transformation, from Thursday through Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. to the witching hour of midnight.
