Celebrity Chef Lauren Lawless, known for her cooking and appearances on Hell’s Kitchen, Masterchef, and other shows, is opening a new tapas concept and speakeasy in the Gaslamp Quarter at 411 Market Street.
The tapas concept will be called Tigerlily, with a secret door that leads to a speakeasy called Nine Sons, inspired by the mythological Nine Sons of the Chinese Dragon King, according to SanDiegoVille. Both concepts are expected to open early next year, offering an upscale, Asian-inspired menu focusing on fusion tapas. Tigerlily and Nine Songs will move into the former home of Madam Bonnie’s. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant closed down earlier this year after only two years in business.
Now, chef Lawless and her husband, Joao Duarte, will transform the space with a lush, floral atmosphere featuring lily flowers suspended from the ceiling and a hot pink bar with matching chairs, according to SanDiegoVille. For food, customers can expect a variety of fusion dishes, such as lobster corn dogs with kimchi and caviar, lamb lollipops, and Wagyu tartare on crispy rice, torched tableside. On top of the delicious food, the restaurant will have plenty of handcrafted cocktails, beer, wine, and other beverages.
The new two-in-one concept will feature a secret door where guests will find the entrance to Nine Sons. Inside, customers will find a more masculine decor with a color palette revolving around black and red, with plenty of Chinese elements like lanterns and dragon-themed artwork. Late last year, What Now reported on chef Lawless working on the nation’s first automated ramen restaurant called Ramen World. The entrepreneur planned to launch the new restaurant in mid-city this summer.
