Orion Bar

Orion Bar, From Chef Irene Yoo, Opens in Bushwick | Eater NY

"Opening in Bushwick at 157 Suydam Street and Central Avenue, Orion Bar is Irene Yoo’s soju-focused bar, launched with her husband Nick Dodge, and it puts soju front and center with a menu described as “highbrow, lowbrow.” They serve soju in a hundred different ways: salty martinis with seaweed and mushroom, frozen cocktails like the Melona (named for honeydew Korean ice cream), and a gochugaru-and-malted-rice-syrup drink meant to taste like Spam. If I were ordering, I’d start with the top-of-menu, “headache-inducing” items — soju bombs, ramen broth shots, and somaek (soju mixed with beer) — since Yoo says, “We’re here to get a little rowdy.” The food is Yoo’s take on Korean anju, designed to be greasy, spicy, palate-cleansing, or carb-forward to help you keep drinking (and, she says, help prevent a hangover): a Korean carbonara she developed as a pop-up chef, a patty melt with kimchi and pimento cheese, and instant ramen served two ways — spicy Shin Ramyun with egg and American cheese or saucy Chapagetti with brisket and truffle oil. Orion Bar is open Thursdays 5 p.m. to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays 5 p.m. to midnight." - Luke Fortney