Santa Barbara

American Bar Bar Food Booze Cocktails Convenience Food Eat & Drink Korean

Jackie McMillan
August 14, 2013

Ousting trainee shock-jock Sandilands and his colourful Kings Cross mates, The Piano Room replacement is somewhere you might actually want to drink. The crowd’s young, but mostly attitude-free; the booths are fast to fill. The Drink’n’Dine crew (responsible for The Norfolk, Abercrombie and Forresters) have gone for another low-key Michael Delany refit; this time suiting a loose (bordering-on-tacky) Hawaiian-meets-L.A.-Korean vibe. So kick things off with a Bloody Korean ($10/Sundays) – it’s spicy so a TsingTao ($8) chaser is good idea – then chill as the sun sets over William Street, and bright lights start to rise. Perched (as you are) practically inside the infamous Coke sign, Coke Can Chicken ($20) is clearly a must-do. Round it out with bings – stretchy ‘Chinese tacos’ or pancakes – with toppings like Peking Duck ($5.50) or Korean Short Rib ($5.50). Throw in a bowl of pineapple/bacon flavoured Maholo Popcorn ($7) and you probably won’t fit much more in. With much menu left to cover, I returned for some healthier eats – pretty Kingfish Poke ($16) (it’s Hawaii’s answer to ceviche); Sesame Slaw ($7) and a balancing bowl of tasty Sweet Potato Fries ($9). It’s cheap, fun, and they do Downtown Iced Tea ($30/jug) by the jug full – do you really need to hear more?