Fueled by a couple’s love of date nights, Champagne and cultural connection, a new bubbly bar is set to uncork in Woodinville.
Bong Bong Bar, owned by Andy Phan and his wife, Brooke, will open at Harvest this summer.
Harvest is a 20-acre mixed-use development combining retail, dining and entertainment. At its center is a public plaza called “The Yard.” The project also includes apartments and townhomes, along with the recently opened SOMM Hotel & Spa.
“It’s a very sought-out area. We’re very excited to be a part of that. The SOMM Hotel, I’d say, is about 100 ft away from our restaurant. The area is a destination spot where you can spend the weekend rather than just a one-stop shop,” Phan told What Now Seattle.
With Woodinville known for wine and often called the “Napa of Washington,” they saw an opportunity to expand the region’s offerings and build a Champagne-focused audience.
“We absolutely love bubbles. I know there’s a big need for it because there’s only one other Champagne-focused place in the area,” he said.
The logo plays a key role in introducing the concept.
“Woodinville’s known for hot air balloons. Our logo is a Champagne flute in the shape of a hot air balloon. Historically, hot air balloons were used as a spy mechanism. As a symbol of peace, you hung a Champagne bottle over your hot air balloon. That would signify that you’re an ally and not an enemy,” Phan said.
The name “Bong Bong Bar” also carries a special meaning.
“Bong Bong means bubbles or balloons in Vietnamese, so it’s a Champagne bar with Vietnamese bites. I’m Vietnamese, and my wife is part French. We didn’t realize how closely the two went hand in hand. The French were heavily influenced by Vietnamese cuisine; there’s a lot of crossovers. All these little things tie together. Everything is very intentional about what we’re doing,” he said.
Bong Bong will serve bites designed to pair perfectly with the bubbles.
“Instead of charcuterie, we’ll have a banh mi board. It’s a deconstructed banh mi and charcuterie board style. We’ll also have woven noodles and Vietnamese spring rolls. It’s just nice to have little bites you can construct together with a large party, a large family, or even a table of two,” Phan said.
The bubbles will be served as flights.
“We’ll have three flights. One flight will be a Champagne flight, one will be a bubble flight, meaning things like Crémant, which is made in the same style as Champagne, and then we’ll also have a local flight, something locally within Woodinville,” he said.
In addition to champagne, they’ll offer cocktails like Vietnamese coffee, a variety of mimosas such as lychee and calamansi instead of just orange juice, and their take on a French 75.
“A French 75 is typically made with gin, but historically it started with cognac, which makes sense because cognac is also from France and Champagne is from France. That’s why French 75 was a thing. We want to bring it back with the cognac,” Phan said.
Phan is eager to introduce Bong Bong Bar to the Woodinville area.
“We just love hosting friends and family. We’re just really excited to host the Woodinville community and visitors as friends and family. We want it to be that date-night spot where you take your spouse or your family to celebrate events and moments. We just want to be a part of that, making it very special for you,” Phan said.
Bong Bong Bar is set to debut in June or July. Once open, it will stay open later than a typical tasting room, operating from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Follow along on Instagram for the latest updates on the build-out and grand opening. Stay tuned!
