Rejoice! The vaunted Ponce City Market food hall has sprouted a new wing with new retail and food stalls to try. One of the new entrants
is the all-new fast-casual Umbrella
Bar, an homage to Korean street food served at night.
Seven
Chan, the guy behind poke bowl/sushi burrito concept Poke Burri launched Umbrella Bar
which whimsically hangs dozens of umbrellas from the ceiling around its two
parallel bar areas which form what feels like an intimate, colorful alleyway that
you might find in an Asian night market.
Belly up to the counter and order away.
The menu features
creative takes on street food classics like bulgogi beef tater tots, bulgogi
beef nachos, Korean fried chicken bites, bibimbap, japchae dumplings, and hulking
Instagram-worthy "K-Dogs" or Korean corn dogs coated in sugar and stuffed with
sausage or mozzarella cheese. They are
still waiting for their liquor license but soon adult beverages will include
Korean beers and spirits like Melona slushies made with soju (the national
spirit of Korea). For dessert,
strawberry or lemonade Melona fruit-flavored ice cream bars or a Samanco Fish
Ice Cream Bar, a packaged sweet pastry shaped like a fish and filled with refreshing
vanilla ice cream and strawberry cream.
There is bar seating or tables
near the stall but you might be best served to order up Umbrella Bar treats and chow down somewhere along the nearby Beltline. I am once again astounded by Ponce City
Market's ability to curate one of the most unique, dynamic, and diverse assemblies
of restaurants anywhere and Umbrella Bar only further cements that mystique.