BLIND DRAGON
SEXY & CHIC TIKI BAR ON THE SUNSET STRIP

In this city, most things once hot become hot again. Reinvention and reimagining is what it’s all about so it should be no surprise that Blind Dragon, which was hot a couple of years ago as a hidden, star-studded Asian-inspired nightclub, is back again. A little more loungy this time around, the nightclub is now a sexy and chic space offering exotic small plates, Asian Tiki themed cocktails and karaoke.

The h.wood Group in partnership with Innovative Dining Group has come up with a karaoke lounge and supper club, replicating their recent international expansion last year in Dubai. A brand new Blind Dragon will open later this year in Scottsdale.

“We have created a space to accommodate the new supper club atmosphere of Blind Dragon,” says designer John Sofio of Built, Inc.

Walk into the dark lounge and you’ll notice large booths with cocktail tables so customers can socialize in a relaxed and intimate way.

The h.wood Group’s Food and Beverages Specialist, Adam Koral (The NICE GUY, Delilah) together with ROKU’s Creative Head Chef Roger Lee curate the program to deliver their own Asian twists to the new food plates, and teams up with Blind Dragon’s Head Bartender Daniel Torres on the new Tiki drink menu.

During our recent visit, we started our night with an order of delicious Truffle Crispy Kale Chips before moving onto the heartier Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice. A surefire favorite of mine is the Miso Glazed Baked Cod—absolutely delicious. Other solid dishes include the Soft Shell Crab Sliders with kimchi coleslaw and the Short Rib Bao with pickled cucumber carrot and cilantro.

But to me Blind Dragon is all about the tiki drinks. It’s no secret that I love tiki so I couldn’t wait to start my night with classic Mai Tai made with light and dark rum, Mandarin Napoleon, orgeat, pineapple and lime. I would have preferred classic tiki glassware but the drink was solid.

Likewise, the Fu Manchu with Chinese 5 spice old fashioned, Chivas 12, yuzu and angostura bitters comes off as a tasty Old Fashioned. It’s legit.

If you’re looking for just one drink for the night, make it the Get Lei’d with Elyx, Cocchi Americano, strawberry, lemon and rosemary. This one has great presentation and at $25 a pop, it’ll get the job done. But if you want more bang for your buck (all other cocktails on the drink menu are $16) you may want to go with the Rickshaw made with Jack Daniels, Amaro Nonino, ginger beer, agave, lime, and angostura bitters or the Tiki-La-La made with Herradura reposado, prickly pear, agave, and hibiscus-oak bitters.

While I’m not a big fan of karaoke, all singing is done in private booths so if you’re not down with watching and listening to perfect strangers sing, it’s not an issue here. Instead you can relax in a swank setting enjoying savory small plates and indulging in fine tiki cocktails. Sounds like a pretty good time to.

Blind Dragon is located at 9201 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood. Open Monday through Saturday from 7pm to 2am. Call 310-595-1091.

Cocktails Photos By: Miki Ash

Interiors Photos By: Elizabeth Daniels

Story By: Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy Of: Blind Dragon