Bar 109 (Los Angeles, CA)

Bar 109 at Corridor 109
641 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
www.corridor109.com/bar/
Tue 11/11/2025, 09:30p-12:00a





Regular readers might recall that I reported on a dinner I had at Corridor 109 back in March 2023. I was impressed by Brian Baik's seafood-centric, Japanese-Korean cooking, and had been keeping my eye on him ever since. At the time, the Chef was working out of a questionable storefront in Chinatown, but those scrappy, pop-up-ish dinners allowed him to connect with the investors needed to fund a proper restaurant. News of an upcoming permanent home for Corridor 109 dropped in September 2024, and the place soft-opened just recently in October.

Unsurprisingly, I've been trying to secure reservations, but figured that it'd be appropriate to give the attached bar/lounge a try first, as Bar 109 grand-opened on July 29th with Kayla Garcia (Night on Earth, The Maybourne Bar under Chris Amirault, Kumiko in Chicago) behind the stick. GM duties were initially handled by Kogane alum Jon Tran, who's since decamped. He's been replaced by Jennifer Shundo-Maeda, who actually comes to us from the Scratch Restaurants world (tonight was actually her first official night).


Bar 109 is located in the Larchmont neighborhood, at its convergence with Hollywood, Melrose Hill, and East Hollywood, across the street from Bar Etoile, in a structure attached to the Morán Morán art gallery. The bar takes over the former digs of Melrose Home Furnishing (and Bellagio Furniture Gallery before that), and features a cozy-minimalist aesthetic penned by the folks over at Montalba Architects. A fun fact: at one point, this space was slated to become Color Club, a nightclub proposed by a team that included Kevin Willis of Silver Lake's Cha Cha Lounge, but those plans obviously fell through.


The menu at Bar 109 features schmancy bar bites paired with Asian-y cocktails, a handful of sakes, and a small Old World-leaning wine list reportedly compiled by Master Sommelier Michaël Engelmann. Corkage is not offered, which makes sense here. Click for larger versions.


Mixed Cocktail Nuts [$3.00]
I ended up running the gamut and ordering everything on the menu. Things got started with the mixed nuts, perhaps the most prototypical bar snack of them all. I quite liked the disparate array of tastes and textures present, with the toasted corn being particularly enjoyable.


Marine Layer [$17.00] | Gin, Manzanilla, Dry Vermouth, Saline, White Kelp
Libation-wise, I commenced with a crisp, dry, apéritif-y cocktail that really showcased the drink's nutty, briny elements, juxtaposed against gin botanicals and undergirded by a smidge of fruity sweetness.


Torres Chips [$4.00]
Potato chips from Spanish producer Patatas Torres were more elegant than most, both in terms of crunch and salt.


Veggie Sticks [$7.00] | Sesame Soy Vinaigrette, Furikake
Crisp vegetable batonnets paired a bevy of bright, bitter flavors against the nutty, umami-laden smack of the Japanese seasoning mix.


Ichigo Punch [$17.00] | Vodka, Mezcal, Junmai Sake, Strawberry, Basil, Clarified Milk
In my second cocktail, notes of strawberry matched up with the cool, creamy qualities of sake, milk, and vodka, with just a touch of bitterness thrown in for good measure. Pretty neat.


Smoked Salmon Dip [$18.00] | Sashimi Grade Salmon, Dill, Crackers
The rich, savory, oceany character of salmon married effortlessly with herby, spicy nuances of dill, all while those crumbly crackers served as the consummate medium for consumption.


Additional crackers were provided when I was about to run out--a thoughtful touch.


Oolong Boulevardier [$18.00] | Bourbon, Oolong, Campari, Rosso Vermouth
My next cocktail was surprisingly easy-going, bringing together bittersweet, fruity, and medicinal nuances with the complexities of wūlóng tea.


Fried Fish Sandwich [$22.00] | Potato Bun, Tartar Sauce, Pickle
Growing up, I was a big fan of the Filet-O-Fish, and I have to say that this really did remind me of that childhood favorite. The fish itself was spot-on with its crisp exterior and juicy, saline insides, and linked up perfectly with the sandwich's creamy, pickle-y components, with everything set against the toastiness of that bun.


Wagyu Beef Dog [$12.00] | Pepper Relish, Dijon
My hot dog featured a firm, dense, gratifyingly-textured sausage that ate hearty and well-seasoned (though I wouldn't have minded more "snap" to the casing). The tubed meat was paired with both an aggressively tangy mustard and sweet peppers, while the bun helped keep everything in check.


Mikan Old Fashioned [$19.00] | Whiskey, Orange Umeshu, Szechuan, Cocoa Bitters
Here we have the heftiest cocktail of the night. Think boozy and bitter, but with a brown sugar-esque sweetness joined by the spiciness of Sichuan and a bit of a citrusy kick from the satsuma-enhanced plum wine.



Bar 109 Burger [$22.00]
Back in August, the kitchen introduced an off-menu Australian wagyu hamburger, only available Tuesdays after 10:00 PM. Cooked over binchotan charcoal (ostensibly by Chef Baik himself), the patty showed off a loose, gritty, juicy consistency, along with a well-charred exterior and a healthy dosing of smoke to go along with the sheer meatiness of it all. The beef worked hand-in-hand with the lusciousness of the cheese while pickles proffered up some piquancy, and I liked how it all integrated with the bun, too. I think it's safe to say that this was the best burger I've had all year, though I must caveat that claim with a warning that I'm not a huge burger guy in general.


Pictured here is a taster of the Steep LA Oolong Cream Soda used below. Interestingly, due to its sweet astringency, it really reminded me of the grass jelly drinks I used to consume in my younger years.


Oolong Gin Fizz [$16.00]
Given that Bar 109 lacks a dessert menu, I requested a dessert-y cocktail from Garcia, and she delivered. Essentially a gin fizz with the usual soda replaced by the oolong soda above, the drink demonstrated some delightfully candied, fragrant, bittersweet, tea-boosted flavors, all rendered in a rather creamy package.


At the end of the evening, one of my fellow imbibers offered me a pour of the El Jolgorio Tepeztate mezcal that he'd brought to share. It was quite something, offering up a plethora of sweet, earthy, floral, citrusy, peppery, and vegetal flavors that came together in an unquestionably complex, cohesive manner.

All in all, the team delivered a superb bar dining experience tonight. The cocktails were all on point, and the food displayed a precision that one typically doesn't encounter with bar fare, while I had no issues with service, either. Although Baik and company tend to describe this place as a "neighborhood bar," which I can understand, it's one that's also a bit of destination. Now I just need to secure that Corridor 109 reservation...