Once, a speakeasy might have required a whispered password and a face appearing at a small window. Rewind has even more curious conditions for entry. Finding your way into this Long Island City eatery is a small adventure involving elevators and buttons. Spot the retro boombox, press “rewind,” and a hidden door opens.
Beyond the playful entrance is an elegant, immersive lounge. Soft lighting brings out the room’s layered finishes and Asian artwork, while the ancient Chinese concept of Five elements is brought to life by Beverage Director Min-He “Ken” Chen. Ken’s cocktails express the different elements — Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth — by design.
Rewind caviar service (Image: Courtesy of Erik Bernstein)
For Chef and Partner Alexander Lee, Rewind is reminiscent of his favorite childhood dining experience. He grew up in a restaurant family, and his father’s long hours made evenings together rare. When everyone did gather, dinner was simple: steamed egg, vegetables, whatever was at home.
“I don’t really remember the individual dishes as much as I remember the feeling of that table,” Lee says. “Everyone together, sharing food, talking, and having nowhere else we needed to be.”
Lee carries that reflection into Rewind’s menu, furnishing familiar foods with fresh flavors to recall, and create memories.
Hummus with scallion pancakes and Lao Gan Ma (arguably the world’s favorite brand of chili oil) makes an inviting start. Taiwanese fried chicken calls for sharing, while truffle mushroom congee offers cozy warmth in a bowl.
For a celebration, Bubbles and Pearls brings champagne and caviar to the table. Lee’s Toro Uni Caviar captures the anticipation of a treasured final bite at an omakase meal — but here, guests can enjoy that moment whenever they wish.
Chen serves memories in a glass. His Night Roast is inspired by Hong Kong’s yuanyang, which brings coffee and milk tea together. Whisky, rum, Taiwanese Oriental Beauty oolong, coffee, osmanthus, and cranberry give this cocktail layers of roasted, floral, and fruity flavors. A torched dried longan adds a smoky finish to complete the fire element, which inspires enthusiasm and transformation.
Night Roast (Image: Courtesy of Erik Bernstein)
The wood element — connected to growth and creativity — is represented by Past Lives, a drink derived from Taiwanese Hakka Sour Citrus Tea, whose ingredients gain complexity as they are preserved and aged. Chen turns that relationship into a dry cocktail of gin, Earl Grey, kumquat, and verjus, served with homemade tangerine jelly.
Beyond the lounge are eight private karaoke rooms, each with its own thoughtfully devised setting. One recalls a recording studio; another draws on 1990s Hong Kong cinema; a third is lined with vintage Mandopop records. Guests can settle into a room of another place and time, and make the evening their own.
Lee hopes that a dish might remind someone of childhood — or, years from now, bring them back to a birthday or a night spent here with people they love.
“If our food can become part of someone else’s memory,” he says, “that means much more to me than simply creating a great dish.”
At Rewind, a tapestry of memories — woven from complex flavors, profound concepts, and tasteful whimsy — is found through a hidden door.
The Lounge (Image: Courtesy of Erik Bernstein)
Visit Rewind:
45-57 Davis St, Long Island City, NY 11101
(917) 558-8000 www.rewindnyc.com@rewind_nyc
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 6:00 PM–1:00 AM, Friday: 6:00 PM–4:00 AM
Saturday: 4:00 PM–4:00 AM, Sunday: 4:00 PM–1:00 AM
Closed Tuesdays
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