Double Dragon

By Matthew Korfhage

Unobtrusively cool nighttime hang Double Dragon, one of very few decent bars on Division despite being a restaurant, started as a $9 fancy pork belly and slow-cooked pulled-pork banh mi shop. It still serves them, and they're still pretty good, as are happy-hour combos such as the $10 Szechuan burger and pint of beer, and $8 hot dog and tallboy. But the unbridled masterpiece on the menu, as it turns out, is the kimchi Kobe beef hot dog ($7). The toppings are maybe unimprovable—a festooned drum-line parade of texture and flavor—with a beautiful point-counterpoint of fat and acid from light aioli and kimchi, brightened by cucumber and the herbal lilt of cilantro erupting from a bun so toasted it has the texture of garlic bread. The bar makes a mean summertime $5 happy-hour daiquiri ($8 otherwise, still worth it), and while the Baby Ketten Karaoke is sadly gone, the darkwave and post-punk DJ nights are still in force.

Happy hour: 3-6 pm Monday-Friday. $4 wells, $2 tallboys, food and drink specials.

Entertainment: DJs, Double Dragon video game.

1235 SE Division St., 503-230-8340, doubledragonpdx.com. Noon-midnight Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday; noon-1 am Friday-Saturday.

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