By Chinese script-engraved lanterns hang from the ceiling, casting light on the herb filled jars that line the bar’s top shelf.
An old Shaw Brothers kung fu film plays on the projector as laughter and chatter radiate through the 3,000-square-foot space. Behind a hidden door, guests mingle in a Western-Tiki-style speakeasy.
A new restaurant in Downtown Long Beach, Midnight Oil had its soft opening on Feb. 5 and is already used to busy nights.
“Our main goal is to provide high-quality products, but in a very approachable manner, and then in an escapist kind of environment,” owner Leonard Chan said.
Leonard Chan (left) owns over 10 restaurants in Orange County. On open nights at Midnight Oil, you can find him meeting new people, interacting with guests and serving drinks. Photo Credit: Angela Osorio
Twenty years ago, Chan left a tech career to start a bar.
After facing repeated rejections, he secured a partner and opened California Shabu in Costa Mesa in 2009. The restaurant’s success led to numerous Orange County spots and in 2024 Chan seized the opportunity to take over Rosemallow’s, the restaurant that became Midnight Oil.
Chan partnered with friend Peter Ross to open a izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub – until they found out a chef was opening one down the street.
“We just felt like, ‘Hey, why? Why battle with the same type of concept, but we can pivot and do something really fun,’” Chan said.
Instead, a new idea came in: three spaces, three experiences – all in one.
Guests can enjoy a Chinese apothecary-themed bar, a country-tropical speakeasy adapted from Rosemallow’s and a soon-to-come third space consisting of an opium-den-inspired lounge offering hand-crafted cocktails.
“This one’s going to lean more into high-end cocktails,” Ross said of the third space. “With a pointer environment, more one-on-one engagement with the bartenders and attention to detail.”
Guests mingle at a Western-Tiki style speakeasy bar adapted from Rosemallow’s at Midnight Oil on March 7. The entrance to the speakeasy is through an unmarked door blending in with the back wall of Midnight Oil. Photo Credit: Angela Osorio
Chan hopes the three options give customers a “fluid” space to flow between throughout the night.
Chan’s family roots trace back to 1949, when his father fled Guangdong, China for Hong Kong and his mother left Hebei for Taiwan.
Growing up, he recounts family gatherings as large, centered around Cantonese seafood restaurants or home-cooked meals featuring dim sum, noodle soups, dumplings and scallion pancakes.
At Midnight Oil, Chan and his chef partners seek to reimagine comforting family recipes, even offering Chinese-inspired drinks like a fried rice cocktail.
Ross, born and raised in Long Beach, is Midnight Oil’s bar director, responsible for the drinks menu. He said around half of the beer lines at Midnight Oil are draft.
“When building a menu, I want to have enough different flavor profiles to offer something fun for any type of drinker or anyone, everything from low ABV, non-alcoholic to more booze for drinks,” Ross said.
The country-tropical style speakeasy in Midnight Oil, pictured on March 7, is adapted from the previous owner, Rosemallow’s. The speakeasy was previously called “Roadkill.” Photo Credit: Angela Osorio
Reviving a scene
Downtown Long Beach, once a food scene hub, has struggled to regain its footing since the pandemic.
“At nighttime, even on the weekends, you just don’t see people walking around as much anymore, especially after maybe like 10:30, 11:00 [p.m.],” Chan said.
Brian Addison, food writer and founder of Longbeachize, said for the past 15 years Downtown Long Beach has been on a kind of “rollercoaster.”
“It feels like right before the pandemic it was like totally on its way up…and then the pandemic just kind of threw a really rough wrench into it all,” Addison said.
With newer establishments in the area, including Sonoratown and Broken Spirits, local experts think the coaster is on its way up.
“I think the addition of Sonoratown and Midnight Oil is going to make that corner really hot,” food writer and founder of lbfoodcoma James Tir said. “It’ll encourage a more diverse food scene.”
The main bar at Midnight Oil uses a draft system for its drinks, which is a more sustainable approach as it leads to reduced waste. Bar manager Peter Ross said they also use acids to mimic fruit juices to avoid using the actual produce. Photo Credit: Angela Osorio
Next for Midnight Oil
Besides finalizing the third space and loading the kitchen, Chan and Ross have plans to expand the food and drink menus, adding more items including beef noodle soup and Taiwanese pork chops.
Chan also hopes to extend hours – with Saturdays and Sundays open at noon and potentially opening on Tuesdays.
For now, guests can walk in Wednesdays through Sundays and join the waitlist on busy nights, like Fridays and Saturdays.
