While some lament the loss of Rosemallows—Jimmy Han’s second concept at 3rd Street and Long Beach Boulevard following Beer Belly—lament not. Leonard Chan, the man behind restaurant and bar group The Alchemists, is moving in.
Like a true industry champion, he’s holding onto existing staff and trying to reopen as soon as possible to keep them paid. He is coming with a Chinese apothecary-meets-rotating speakeasy with family recipes from Northern China and late-night dim sum.
The transition to Midnight Oil won’t be immediate—and, in fact, will act as Rosemallows in the interim.
The ultimate goal is simple: Reopen under the Rosemallows moniker as soon as possible while slowly transitioning into Midnight Oil. Some minor cosmetic changes, particularly shrinking the sizes of the booths, will be the changes that will arrive as soon as possible. This means the space will slowly become more pushed in, intimate, and not as open.
“We were trying to open on the Jan. 8 but we’re unsure if that is going to happen unless we can get better support from the City,” Leonard said. “We tried to retain everyone—we’ve only lost a barback in this situation—and not have them not have work for weeks on end.”
This includes hanging onto Sherwood Souzankari, who helped open the country, back bayou-centric Roadkill inside the speakeasy space on the west end of Rosemallows with James Squire, which will remain open until the new concept has a better footing. Sherwood was also the very man who created TikiTiki inside Rosemallows back in 2018 in the space Roadkill was converted for—which makes the new endeavor a bit serendipitous: Leonard and his Alchemists crew are no stranger to speakeasies or tiki bars.
It is that very space that will likely see the first significant alteration, beginning with a new cocktail program from partner, Long Beach native Peter Ross. 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.
Plans for Midnight Oil are simultaneously ambitious and approachable.
“Conventionally, we’re gonna let Roadkill run its course”—I’m sure there’s an excellent joke in there somewhere, Leonard—”and then, at first, we’re going to make the space have a ‘Creature of the Black Lagoon’ vibe. We’re hoping, after that, to rotate the space at least every six months, hopefully every quarter of the year. Make it some type of seasonal space.”
On top of the rotating speakeasy—meaning they’ll keep the bones, flip the design and cocktail menu occasionally—the main space’s plans are wonderfully welcoming and ambitious. Initially wanting to start as an izakaya space, word of sushi and yakitori chef Yoya Takahashi opening an izakaya space in the former Mitaki Space space next to Milana’s altered that plan.
“Yoya is a friend, and the last thing I want to do is step on toes,” Leonard said. “This is about building on the community Jimmy [Han, former owner of Rosemallows] built. If he is going to do proper izakaya, it was a reason to pivot—and I think we pivoted to a solid concept.”
Think Chinese apothecary bar complete with late-night dim sum and family recipes from Leonard’s family. (That family deserves a story of its own: Leonard’s parents had to flee Communist China as his mother’s father was a four-star general under revolutionary army leader Chiang Kai-shek. This forced his mother to first emigrate to Taiwan, followed by the United States. Before meeting his mother, his father fled from Guangdong to Hong Kong before coming to the States.)
“We’re doing some Northern Chinese dishes because my Mom is from Hebei,” Leonard said. “Some Taiwanese recipes. And then some late-night dim sum so we can just steam what we’ve been prepping all day to make the night run a bit smoother.”
The importance of the space in the larger discussion surrounding Downtown Long Beach.
Leonard even uttering the words “late-night” in reference to a Downtown eatery is essential—because as of right now, only a handful of spaces are holding down the late-night scene in DTLB. While businesses along The Promenade coalesced in the hopes of having a late-night corridor alive, it has primarily been The Ordinarie who has kept the late-night food scene alive within that space, with The Auld Dubliner holding down the fort south of Ocean. And then, of course, bars like The Stave, Blind Donkey, and House of Hayden holding down the watering holes.
But, indeed, hope lies ahead.
Sonoratown has extended hours into the night on Fridays and Saturdays. Broken Spirits has thankfully maintained its late-night hours even as Toma, across the way, will likely face closure following its controversy. Recreational Coffee has scored its beer and wine license, promising upcoming late-night hours. And now, with Midnight Oil literally hinting at late-night-ness in its branding, the neighborhood east of Pine Avenue could find a new, much-needed uplift in its patronage.
Midnight Oil will be located at 255 Long Beach Blvd. Rosemallows is expected to reopen Jan. 8, though that date could change given city requirements and permitting.
please let this dimsum place be food centric and makes us Taiwanese Americans proud. We need less pizzas and more substance.