Midnight Oil has quickly turned over the former Rosemallows haunt into an entirely different vibe, concept, and space. Opting out of owner Leonard Chan’s original decision to operate as Rosemallows for the first few months of operation, the humble and amicable restaurateur and bar owner decided to go full steamed bun ahead with his dims sum concept.
The result? A genuinely good, definitively different space that avoids cuisine redundancy in the Downtown and actually engages with the community—we’re looking at you, El Viejón—on a level that is both welcoming and refreshing.
Why Midnight Oil is an important cog for not just DTLB but the entirety of Long Beach’s food scene.
The Chinese food gods know all too well how sadly porous the food scene is in Long Beach when it comes to the vast array of Chinese cuisine. Surely, EA Seafood has fulfillled a Cantonese-shaped hole with its traditional wonders and Northern Cafe has taken the cue that it needs to mimic and live up to its other locations. But Szechwan? Uyghur? Hunan? All terribly missing.
So Midnight Oil—with many recipes from Leonard’s own Chinese family—fills a void while not overcomplicating things. Even more, it does two things that only enrich our hospitality industry. For one, Leonard largely kept those from the Rosemallows staff who wanted to stay while also bringing in new talent for a fresh set of eyes and creativity.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it brings in Leonard himself, someone many in Long Beach know but whose business presence has been largely relegated to Orange County. Affable and absurdly kind, Leonard has already begun the self-appointed task of touching as many Long Beach spaces as he can: Visiting bars. Tasting their menus. Learning their concept. Connecting.
To speak even more to his character, there is a reason he went with a Chinese concept rather than his original proposal to go izakaya. After hearing about local Japanese legend Yoya Takahashi opening his own izakaya space in DTLB, Leonard shifted gears out of respect and boundaries. That type of class in personality and character is precisely what strengthens our food scene.
It also brings on one of the most intriguing bar programs—further adding to Long Beach’s bourgeoning cocktail scene.
While Long Beach has long been home to spaces that foster both reverence and respect for classic cocktails—The Stache was one of the first places to offer proper old fashioneds, The Ordinarie has long had a program that is dedicated to tailored classics, Marlena is home to Long Beach’s cocktail historian…—recently, it has exploded in cocktails that push the boundaries of contemporary drinks.
Spaces like Baby Gee Bar—the Gianna Johns-led 4th Street space that has garnered recognition by the Spirited Awards while giving the city an entirely new palate for drinks—and Tokyo Noir—the Kevin Lee-led speakeasy that re-introduces showmanship to cocktails that can be as esoteric as they are dreamy—have come to add another layer of what our cocktail scene looks like under a new generation of bartenders.
Which is why the appointment of Peter Ross as Midnight Oil’s cocktail program leader is clutch. Peter is no stranger in the bar world: From leading Le Loup at Nashville’s much-loved The Optimist to training at New York staples like NoMad, Manhatta, Mace, and more, he has created a dedication to drinks and exploration that put him on the level of the aforementioned.
Even better? On the space’s east-facing side, Leonard is building out a room that will “play like a secret opium den ran by the Chinese mafia”—and that space will be home to Peter’s future, far more arcane concoctions.
A look at Midnight Oil’s inaugural food menu…
Properly wok-fired shrimp fried rice (yes, using day-old rice). Stellar shrimp shumai and happily delicious har gow. Wonderfully crunchy, outright thick double-fried wings. Five spice-doused popcorn chicken bites. Midnight Oil’s food is worth exploring. Here’s a look at some dishes…
Shrimp Fried Rice: Wok’d | Shrimp | Egg | Green onion | Soy
Chicken Wings: Double-fried | Butter | Garlic | Bell pepper | Chili oil
Shumai: Pork | Shrimp | Soy
Har gow: Shrimp | Oyster sauce | Pleated wheat and tapioca wrapper
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken: Fried chicken | Five spice | Fried basil
Pork Steam Bun: Char siu | Steam bun
And what about those drinks?
Peter’s impressive inaugural menu toes the line between accessible and obscure—and, if we’re being honest, the menu is entirely accessible for Peter. But for those that might have been used to the corporate-y, saccharine vibe of the cocktails at Rosemallows, it is a perfect segue into the balanced world of Peter’s palate. (And yes, they are also participating in Long Beach Last Call.)
Orange Matcha Negroni: Gin | Suze | Lillet Blanc | Orange liqueur | OJ | Matcha
Melon: Rum | Tequila | Mezcal | Honeydew cordial | Midori | Acid | Calpico float | Mochi
Fried Rice: Ming River Baijiu | Gray Whale gin | Rice punch | Rice syrup | Pineapple | Soy | Acid | Basil eau di vie | Sesame oil
Whiskey Highball: Nikka Days whiskey | Absinthe | Mint bitters | Angostura bitters |Green chartreuse | Soda water | Lemon
Calvados Sour: Old Forester Rye | Calvados | Fino | Lemon | Cinnamon-methocel syrup
Midnight Oil is located at 255 Long Beach Blvd.
