LA's most innovative cocktails are at a Japanese-inspired speakeasy behind a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach

To find the city’s 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.

Inside, you’ll find a cozy, dimly lit room where cocktail lovers sample crafted, Japanese-inspired drinks to the sounds of ‘90s and 2000s hip-hop.

Handcrafted with an eye toward Japan

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

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.

"Techniques are tools — there isn't a wrong way if there's intention," Lee said.

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.

A perfect example is the Astroboy, named after the famous Japanese anime character, 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.

The Dirty Soba cocktail riffs on the classic noodle dish with a dashi broth base and layers of ultra-umami flavor.

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Mario Gorman

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Courtesy Tokyo Noir

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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.

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.

"There are no bars that are carving ice like we do when it comes to volume," Lee said.

Why Long Beach made sense

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 Mexican restaurant located in front of Tokyo Noir and known for its modern menu.

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

Inside Tokyo Noir in Long Beach, where the checkerboard floors, red lantern glow and back-alley entrance set the mood for Japanese-inspired cocktails and SoCal cool.

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Wonho Lee

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Courtesy Tokyo Noir

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Tokyo Noir’s entrance glows quietly down a Long Beach alley — an homage to Japan’s backstreet bars, filtered through Southern California grit.

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Wonho Lee

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Courtesy Tokyo Noir

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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.

"There's a realness here — people are open, less performative," he said.

The city also draws patrons who travel from Los Angeles and Orange County, making it a true crossroads for all people.

Kevin Lee at work behind the bar at Tokyo Noir, hand-carving the ice that defines his cocktails’ texture and clarity.

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Wonho Lee

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Courtesy Tokyo Noir

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After years away, Lee says retaking his place behind the bar felt like a true homecoming. The work is still relentless — the prep, the carving, the testing — but now it’s in a place that reflects who he is.

“I wasn’t fulfilled outside the industry,” he admits. “This filled a hole.”

In Long Beach, he found the space to build again, one clear block of ice at a time.

Tokyo Noir
1731 E. 4th St, Long Beach
Reservations here