After an early morning fire destroyed Bazaar Sonoma’s Forestville location in September, owners Sean Quan and Jenny Phan didn’t miss a beat. Just weeks later, they were back in cooking action at nearby BaSo Annex at 6536 Front St., offering a streamlined menu of fan favorites, including Zhong dumplings, Taiwanese beef noodle soup and tofu pudding with five-spice caramel. The Annex is open from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Last week, they added a new Sunday lunch service from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for clay pot rice, dumplings and congee.
On top of that, they’re hosting weekly fried chicken pop-ups at Sonoma Pizza Co. (6615 Front St., Forestville), popping up at Healdsburg and Oakland venues and adding one more project to an already full dance card: a new Korean pop-up in Sebastopol.
On Nov. 25, Quan and Phan soft-launched their upcoming project, Anju Club, with a test run at The Barlow’s Acre Pasta (6751 McKinley St.). They’re now working on a longer-term, off-hours collaboration with owner Steve DeCosse. According to Phan, it’s just one of several projects in motion.
The menu at Anju Club focuses on comforting, shareable bar bites — true to the meaning of “anju” — with soju as the drink of choice.
Like their Matriarch and Second-Staff pop-ups, Anju Club will be a traveling show, appearing at venues throughout Sonoma County. Want a peek at what to expect from Anju Club? Here’s the first-draft lineup…
Banchan: A soothing trio of water kimchi, grated chile radish and creamy mini cucumbers with sesame seeds, plus a cup of soybean sprout broth. Banchan are meant to be little side dishes for the often-spicy entrees. Consider this the warm-up.
Garlic chive and carrot pancakes: Savory pancakes filled with shaved carrot and chives — simple, snackable and gone fast.
Mix-Mix buckwheat noodles: A DIY tangle of cold noodles, daikon, lettuce and a soft-boiled egg heaped onto a pool of chile paste. Mixing is not a suggestion.
Spicy chicken with fried peanuts: Not technically on the menu, but this lip-burning pile of chicken will absolutely put you in your place.
Tableside hot pot and fried rice: Food gets more fun when it’s a little dangerous. A boiling skillet of beef, mushrooms and broth arrives with a tabletop gas stove. Ladle out the hot pot and the reward is full tableside fried rice service.
While there’s no firm date for a full Korean concept launch, it’s clear that even as Bazaar Sonoma rebuilds, Quan and Phan are already chasing their next act.