Nine Bar is behind Moon Palace restaurant in Chinatown, a family-run dim sum spot that the Wang and Briglio families have operated since 1995. The bar entrance is a nondescript door that doesn't broadcast what's behind it, which was partly the point.

Inside it runs like a Blade Runner set built in someone's basement: neon accents, floating umbrellas, a DJ setup, and cocktails made with matcha, Sichuan peppercorns, calpico, and lemongrass that reflect the neighborhood rather than generic craft bar sensibility. The Ma Po Hot Fries and McKatsu Sandwiches are the food order. Eater Chicago named it Bar of the Year and Imbibe put it on their 75 Best New Bars list. It's the first cocktail bar of its kind in Chinatown, which in retrospect seems obvious.