Get cozy in the neon lit alleyways of Electric Pawn Shop. Taking you back to 70s Chinatown New York, with an ultra-contemporary groove, this resto bar located on the back side of The H Dubai Hotel, will do the rest.
The laid-back nostalgic atmosphere hints at the social nature of pawn shops, one of the oldest far eastern businesses brought to New York, a staple of the community that allowed immigrants to thrive. Electric Pawn Shop fuses an intimate street bar vibe reminiscent of Hong Kong, or New York Chinatown, with state-of-the-art Dubai’s multiculturalism. The concept was imagined by two like-minded friends and entrepreneurs, lifestyle creator and bar mastermind Lynn Lin and cultural innovator and music professional, Lobito Brigante. Roaming through the concrete red lit island bars and fluo yellow acrylic wagon seats of this dystopian space, will take you back to the welcoming vibes that were trademark at Electric Bing Sutt, Lynn’s previous venture in Beirut, which was devastated during the August 2020 explosion. ‘Bing Sutt literally means "ice room" which stands for the ubiquitous neighborhood Asian diners in Hong Kong. It has been on a decline and replaced by modern but soulless eateries. Following the same ideology, we found Pawn Shops, once a cornerstone of Hong Kong community, as our new inspiration.’ The friendly, funky, hip atmosphere is back with Electric Pawn Shop, a space where counter-culture, underground music, contemporary design, and innovative drinking and dining converge.
We could have started by mentioning the homey creative food. Lynn once told us, back in Beirut, that recipes were inspired by her grandmother and her favorite street foods. That same passion was poured into the menu at Electric Pawn Shop, working with the chef to prepare a selection of dishes served in porcelain plate ware with gold color metal chopsticks. Best savored when shared, the journey will take you on an exploration of Asian flavors; Thai style seafood ceviche, Korean beef tenderloin with kimchi fried rice and Japanese soy butter scallops set on fire. Electric Bing Sutt’s aficionados will re-experience the island chicken bomb with house made sriracha, or go for comforting sizzling muay thai ducking noodle presented in a piping hot clay. Inventive cocktails featuring ingredients from cacao to yuzu, papaya and house fermented radish gin; High Roller Sake Martini, King of Kowloon or Java Jungle Boogie each tell a pop culture story, alongside natural wines and uncommon grapes such as grüner veltliner. The duo’s signature attention-to-detail is found all the way into the glassware, ice cube shapes and mixing techniques designed to perpetuate flavors. Lobito Brigante, is the resident DJ of Electric Pawn Shop. From old school hip-hop, funk, soul to underground New York beats, he will get you grooving every night of the week. You will also catch friends and international guests of Electric Pawn Shop spinning some nights, including legendary turntablist Kid Koala, Europe’s acclaimed DJ Lefto, disco and house pioneer Danny Krivit. Next up, a curated vinyl set and pop up record store by renowned record dealer Victor Kiswell, on October 30.
