The regular makeover of Colonial Drive near Mills Avenue continues. Last year we saw Tasty Wok cross the street to make way for Korean Chicken Bb.q. Japango and Dochi brought a little Japanese flavor to the band. And this year, Sampaguita Filipinx Ice Cream + Bakeshop and Haan Coffee Roasters will share a space next to Tasty Wok which once housed a nail salon.
But across from Tasty Wok, at the intersection of East Colonial Drive and Shine Avenue, an upscale late-night social lounge serving Asian-inspired tapas and craft cocktails will change the complexion of the Strip. .
Le Moderne, from Maki Hibachi’s Michael Nguyen, will open this fall with a strip that has long focused on home cooking and humble digging. The restaurant’s Art Deco/Art Nouveau styles are striking to say the least, and if the layout bears a slight resemblance to Tori Tori, that’s because the visual concept is from a local architectural firm. gdpdesignbuild – who, in addition to Tori Tori, has also worked on Domu, Bento, Mamak, Light on the Sugar, Frosty Fox, Golden Hour Wine and other local aesthetic hangouts.
Nguyen says he’s been working on The Moderne since before the pandemic, but now that things have reopened, construction of the space (it used to be a mattress store) is in full swing.
“We’re excited to bring a concept like this to Mills 50,” he says, but he’s coy about the menu.
“We are not yet ready to release details of the food program,” Nguyen said. When asked if yakitori or kushiyaki will be part of the offerings, he says he won’t rule it out completely.
” Who knows ? Maybe a skewer or two will make it onto our menu.
Look for The Moderne to open at 1241 E. Colonial Drive in late summer/early fall for dinner only.
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