Review: White Star

There used to be only one reason to trek into the depths of Chinatown: the infamous Fung Wah bus. Like all of our fellow travelers, we put up with crowds and disorienting streets for a $15 trip to our destination. With some recent additions to the nightlife scene, we are pleased to see that the neighborhood is moving beyond its reputation as a jumping off place. If bars like the newly minted White Star continue to open shop in the area, you’ll end up skipping the Boston bus for an absinthe soaked trip to Drunktown.

This tiny haunt is the latest addition to Sasha Petraske’s NYC alcohol empire (Milk & Honey, Little Branch). Much like the grit-filled neighborhood, White Star comes without the pretentious trappings that can be found at his other locations. You won’t have to hunt down a secret phone number to get in and there is no rule book that prohibits talk between tables. What you will find is a laid-back den for serious drinkers. Even if you still plan on “making” that bus (it’s easy to be optimistic before a sip of the hard stuff), a stop in here will make that ride go by much more smoothly.

Don’t expect to be handed a cocktail menu upon sitting down in the narrow, well-lit space. The barmen won’t say it, but it's certainly implied that mixers are for sissies. The focus is on drinks meant for sipping, i.e. top notch spirits poured straight or on the rocks. They do offer a nice selection of beers on tap and some champagne, but if you saddle up to this bar you should be prepared to try the ultimate libation – absinthe.

Their specialty is the green stuff. They offer an intricate service with water poured slowly over a sugar cube into the awaiting glass of sin. When we visited, it was clear that wormwood’s reputation preceded it. A gaggle sat around the bar and exchanged words:

“I heard it makes you see goblins.”

“I’m not going to go near it, but you should try some!”

“Is that stuff even legal?”

When we swaggered up to the bar and said “one absinthe please!” everyone fell silent and watched as the barman slowly prepared the poison. We sipped, survived, and became a hero (always our pleasure) to the other patrons. Some of them even got up the nerve to try a glass themselves. 

The “sipping” progressed into the wee hours of the night and we were thoroughly charmed by the bar, the crowd, and even the neighborhood. It turns out that two reputations were changed that night: Chinatown is a place worth visiting and absinthe is a pleasant spirit to sip. Yes, 3 glasses - and 7 hours- later we found ourselves waking up in Washington DC, but when we figure out how to get back to New York, we’ll certainly be making our way back to White Star.

Review: White Star – 21 Essex Street

Fairy that convinced us to get on the bus to DC – 2 olives – It’s all a bit hazy, but we don’t think it had anything to do with the wormwood. We are positive that she was real. The other patrons just weren’t able to see her, what with her trickery and all that sparkly dust.

Countermeasures against going “absinthe-cuckoo” – 4 olives – Although it didn’t work for us (damn you, fairy!) the bar does a good job of balancing out the potency of the spirit. They serve chilled casks of water alongside your drink and provide tasty finger sandwiches to help soak up the hooch.

Barhopping Possibilities in Chinatown – 4 olives – With White Star and Apotheke within a few blocks of each other, you can have a Sophisticate’s night out. Start with some sipping at the Star, then get some mixtures at Apotheke, and top the night off by drunkenly eating 17 egg rolls.

Trendy New Bar that doesn’t require a ticket to entry – 5 olives - We’ve become tired of the “secret-bar” craze. Yes, it might be fun to locate the hidden door in the back of Build-A-Bear, but sometimes we just want to drink.

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