Cheese, Durian & Horse Milk Baijiu – New Bar Asian Flush

By Heather Millet, August 15, 2025

Located on the same Fuxing Lu-Ruijin Lu corner as award winning cocktail bar COA, Asian Flush recently opened under the reverie of two Dreamsicle co-founders—Amily Chen and Allen Fang.

While that initial owner experience—beloved bartenders’ bar Dreamsicle—was alongside friends, as they honed their skills together (they happen to have been a couple for over a decade), the pair aspired to have their own place.

The duo’s division of responsibilities has landed Chen as the business brains and Fang—who also had a four-year tenure at The Nest—as the cocktail visionary.

Agreeing on a name was simple for the pair—a playful nod to the flushed cheeks often associated with East Asian drinking culture.

Everything in the bar takes inspiration from its East Asia roots, with China as its primary muse. The décor is striking in its contrasts: charcoal-gray walls against crimson velvet and wood accents.

The ceiling canopy is a starlight design of plum blossoms, and their logo is a dual brush stroke in red paint, evoking traditional calligraphy.

Organza textile art crafted by Amily Chen, co-founder of Asian Flush

Careful detailing was taken into consideration for each feature—Chen herself spent hours pinning organza textile to the far red wall to mimic the bold brushstrokes of their logo.

Fang was specific about the layout: a counter top winged by two four-person seating squares, allowing guests to sit inside the bar and watch the mixologists at work, facilitating conversation over a drink.

Asian Flush is packed every night, in their soft-opening phase. Photo by Heather Millet / That’s

Indeed, the bar is already full of laughter, hugging, teasing from all angles—expats, Chinese, industry folks, staff friends, and walk-ins... perhaps even grandmas peeking through the blinds.

Since opening in mid-July, they’ve been working tirelessly to pull off this elopement of a bar opening. And it is paying off: every night has been packed, thanks to strong word-of-mouth and overflow from COA.

Asian Flush has quickly become the talk of the industry, and a must-visit for cocktail enthusiasts.

For the signatures cocktail menu, Fang created the original concept, then encouraged full input from his staff to help refine the recipes.

As a result of this collaborative ethos, they finalized the entire menu in record speed at just a month-and-a-half, with all cocktails priced at RMB95, and mocktails at RMB75.

The menu draws loose inspiration from different categories: wine, rice, tea, and Asian spirits or seasonings like Koji. There is also a "challenging" section for adventurous palates, designed to push boundaries.

On the wine side, Chinese natural wines and creative fermentations take the stage, meeting current trends with a cocktail retort.

Genmaicha Sgroppino Cocktail: Genmaicha Tea, St-Germain, Sijichun (四季春) Oolong Tea Fujian &Taiwan, Eucalyptus, Angostura Bitters, Lemon Sorbet

Starting with a tea-distillate riff on the Italian aperitif Sgroppino, the menu offers the Genmaicha Sgroppino Cocktail.

The aroma carries a slight funk (Fang laughs at how many of the cocktails feature 'funky stuff') balanced by a crispy rice tea; the taste is a palate-cleansing lemony fizz.

The Guts: Horse Milk Spirit, Parmigiano Cheese, Asparagus, Mushroom, Tabasco, Pet-Nat

Toward further funk, The Guts is a truly shocking read of ingredients—from ‘horse milk spirit’ (a special kind of Mongolian baijiu) to asparagus Tabasco, mushroom, parmigiano cheese and pet-nat natural wine.

It tastes like riding wild horses on the Mongolian steppe: sweat-rich and cheese pungent. Not for the delicate disposition.

Where’s My Filthy Martini?: Martin Miller’s Gin, Manchego Cheese, Natural Wine Vermouth, ‘Chicken Soup’ Gyokuro Tea

Continuing down the wine and cheese route (in fact, a third of the menu involves dairy derivatives) Where’s My Filthy Martini? takes us on a fantastical departure from a classic dirty martini.

The cocktail is entirely absent of olive (bar the garnish) replacing the brininess with a ‘chicken soup’ tea and Manchego cheese.

The cocktail also features a natural wine from Ningsha, and for a further push toward luxury, the liquid is infused with black goji berries, giving the drink its imperial purple hue.

It smells and tastes like cheese, finishes dry, and changes tack if the dashi-soaked olive garnish is added.

Durian Gray Gimlet: Durian Distillate, Goat Cheese, White Miso, Coconut, Lemon Cordial, MSG Saline

A sweeter option, the Durian Gray Gimlet underwent some of the most extensive trial efforts—the team tested multiple durian varieties to find the perfect creamy flavor to distill the perfect taste.

The cocktail is not shy on the fruit for durian lovers, balanced by coconut, and goat cheese. The result is unexpectedly moreish.

Bee-Soif: Agave Spirits, Beeswax & Local Flower Honey, Mead, Tangerine

Sweet but bitter (and back to some funk) the Bee-Soif is another Fang favorite. Traditional Mexican ferment tepache meets mead and a beeswax infused tequila-mezcal blend.

Fly-Day China Town: Gochugan Distillate, Lacto-fermented Passionfruit & Pineapple, Yuzu, Black Lemon, Ginger, Sparkling Sake

Also gently sweet, the Fly-Day China Town is one of the only shy cocktails on the menu, offering yuzu as a key flavor and aroma. Sparkling sake and lacto-fermented fruits make for an easy summer beverage.

Mr. Particular: Seedlip 94, Mr.Black Coffee Liquer, Raspberry, Coffee Kombucha, Tonic

Respecting that some lean away from the red face of over-indulgence, the mocktails are dynamic—such as the Mr. Particular, which uses coffee kombucha and raspberry, as well as 0% ABV alcohol, giving it the tastes of the real deal.

Scallop-Cocktail---not-written-about-but-with-ponzu-caviar-Asian-Flush.jpg

Other beverage ingredients we didn't cover in our Asian Flush foray include scallops, Basque cake, ponzu-caviar, and onion. Oh, and they have Guiness on draft.

There will soon be an elevated bar-bites menu crafted by a well-known Shanghai chef—an old drinking buddy of Fang—but we’ve been sworn to ‘hush hush Asian Flush’ secrecy, so go discover for yourself.

As a rarity for high-end cocktail bars, also incoming is an early afternoon drinks menu with open-window seating (or sidewalk drinks! We love those...)