The area surrounding West Spring Mountain Road has garnered plenty of justifiable attention in recent years as a hotspot for Asian cuisine. But really interesting Asian restaurants continue to flourish in other neighborhoods. My most recent discovery is 21 Restaurant and Lounge, a Korean restaurant on West Sahara Avenue. While the place feels more like a nightclub than a restaurant, it offers a nice variety of Korean cooking done quite well.
21 is located in the rear of a small strip mall, fairly hidden if you just happen to be driving down Sahara. But it’s actually an extremely large space. The centerpiece of the room is a large bar that boasts a handful of beer taps. Don’t get your hopes up for a draft, however; the place is still relatively new, and my server quickly informed me it hasn’t installed any kegs yet. Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to indulge, including bottled beer, premium sake, specialty cocktails and several varieties of soju, the Korean liquor. Show up between 6-8 p.m., and they’re all half-price.
Frankie’s Tiki Room has revised its cocktail menu? If your first thought (like mine) was, “Jesus, will I still be able to get a Fink Bomb?!” allow me to put your mind at rest. All of the Frankie’s classics and their attendant exotic drinkware remain in place and you may order tiki bandits in their Mula Mula slot machine glasses to your heart’s (and liver’s) content. The new additions are still distinctly tropical, but many have an unexpected twist in the flavor.
The Savage Flame has a name like an old-time burlesque star and, as a peach-tinted, slightly bubbly concoction served in a champagne coupe, it does seem like something Tempest Storm might sip. But along with the rum, Cointreau and guava, there’s also a splash of allspice dram, which gives the drink a slightly smoky kick. Also on the slightly fruity tip is the Tangerine Speedo, a sweet mix of amber rum, Chambord and Campari; the most popular new addition is the Scurvy, so named because it will supposedly keep the old sailor’s ailment at bay with rum and citrus; and the Tonga Reefer gets a hit from four rums, lime and guava.
