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.

Willamette Week

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Matthew Korfhage

Matthew Korfhage

Matthew Korfhage has lived in St. Louis, Chicago, Munich and Bordeaux, but comes from Portland, where he makes guides to the city and writes about food, booze and books. He likes the Oxford comma but can't use it in the newspaper.

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