Union (Long Beach, CA)

Union Restaurant at Compound
1395 Coronado Ave, Long Beach, CA 90804
562-735-3555‬‬
www.unionlb.com
Sun 06/09/2024, 07:45p-09:30p





Given my interest in modern Filipino cuisine, a place that recently caught my attention was Union, which opened back in January in the LBC's Zaferia neighborhood. The restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Eugene Santiago, and is set in Compound, an arts/wellness space for the local community. Compound initially opened in October 2020 before closing about six months later, then reopened in July 2021 before shutting down once again in September 2022, then reopened one more time with Union at the start of this year. It seemed like an interesting setup, so I was curious to check it out.

About the Chef: Eugene Fajardo Santiago was born in November 1984 to parents who emigrated from the Philippines, and hails from the city of Rialto, CA. He went to Eisenhower High School, and after graduating, attended the Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, finishing in 2005. Following, he moved to Las Vegas to work at Kerry Simon's eponymous Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel, where he spent about a year. Santiago then returned to Los Angeles to help open SimonLA at the Sofitel, which bowed in July 2006. After three years, he transitioned over to Mar'sel at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, which had just opened in June 2009 under the command of Michael Fiorelli. He decamped after another three years, and then spent time at Elf Cafe in Echo Park and James Republic in Long Beach.

The Chef then teamed up with his old boss again and assisted with the launch of Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas, which dropped in June 2014, and was also involved with Simon Kitchen + Bar at the Hard Rock in Palm Springs, which opened in September 2014. In June 2015, Santiago was named Executive Chef at Carson Kitchen, but only stayed until early 2016. At that point, he came back to Southern California and, in July that year, began working with David Tewasart (of Sticky Rice fame) and Johnny Lee on three concepts at the Westfield Santa Anita mall: Monkey Bar, Side Chick, and Matcha Matcha. He ended up running the kitchen at Monkey Bar, which rolled out in December 2016 and lasted until April 2019. After his departure, the Chef began focusing his attention on his own venture: Baryo.

Santiago had founded Baryo all the way back at the start of 2016, naming it after the Philippine version of the Spanish word barrio, meaning "village." Baryo began its life as a Southeast Asian fusion pop-up, holding dinners in Long Beach initially (Pomona too), and eventually began selling its own version of coconut jam (matamís na báo). When the pandemic struck, Baryo pivoted to providing meals to the community and selling food kits, in addition to catering. Once things got back to normal, Santiago continued popping up, particularly at SALA Coffee & Wine Bar in Long Beach and Melody in Virgil Village.

However, the goal was always to find a permanent home. This was made possible by Megan Scripps Tagliaferri, founder of Compound, interior designer (Flo Design Studio), philanthropist, patron of the arts, and heiress to the E. W. Scripps Company fortune. She had always wanted Compound to have an in-house restaurant, and had initially partnered up with Jason Witzl to relocate Ellie's from its original home in Alamitos Beach. Those plans fell through though, eventually clearing the way for Santiago to operate Compound's on-site eatery. Plans were set in motion in mid-2023, and Union was officially announced at the start of this year, with the grand-opening held on January 26th.



Union resides in an Art Deco-ish building that was once home to Coronado Head Start day care, but of course, the structure has been completely revamped to suit its new purpose. Seating is offered in a capacious indoor dining room-slash-art gallery, as well as an outdoor courtyard area featuring Slow Moon's Rose, an art installation by Anna Sew Hoy.


Here we see Union's menu, which draws from both the Filipino and broader Southeast Asian culinary repertoire. In addition to the dinner menu shown, brunch is also served, and there's even a happy hour offering. Libation-wise, you get a small but fairly interesting wine list, a handful of beers, amari, and some surprisingly venturesome cocktails courtesy of AGM/Bar Manager Stephanie Butchko (Union Square Cafe, New York Distilling Company, Ammazzacaffè, Intersect by Lexus). Click for larger versions.


Roasted Cauliflower [$16.00] | fire roasted cauliflower served chilled, tossed in tamarind dressing with shallot, cucumber, cherry tomato, fresh herbs and crispy onion
Not surprisingly given my fondness for cauliflower, this first dish immediately piqued my interest. The florets were pleasantly crunchy, with both a char and a freshness that was further bolstered by all the herbs, all while a tamarind dressing tied everything together.


The Doctor's Order [$15.00] | coconut washed 1776 bourbon, szechuan pepper cinnamon syrup, sfumato amaro
We started with a rather boozy cocktail, one with a sweet, nutty, vegetal, and distinctly cinnamon-fueled character that worked hand-in-hand with the bitter, smoky qualities of the amaro.


Pork Asado Bao Buns [$14.00] | five spiced braised pork belly, kohlrabi, spicy mayo, cilantro
Five-spice powder lent a familiar, Chinese-y warmth to pork belly, the richness of the meat offset by plenty of herbs and pickles. At the same time, the mayo imparted an integrating sort of heat to the dish, and I liked the slight toast on the buns, too.


The Rum Around [$15.00] | ron abuelo 7 year rum, calamansi extract, lime, demerara, velvet falernum
This tiki-ish cocktail was well-put-together, with the sweet-spiciness of the rum serving as a base to the drink. I also got this almost coconut-like component, along with a nuttiness, perhaps from the falernum, but what struck me most was the persistent zip of that calamansi, which was key.


Pancit +Fried Egg +Shrimp [$17.00 + $4.00 + $8.00] | wok stir-fried noodles with cabbage, carrot, snow peas, leeks, black garlic butter, lemon, soy sauce
A plate of pansít ate comfortingly familiar, its soy-powered flavors reminiscent of the numerous noodles of my childhood. The shrimp and veggies were on point, and of course, that fried egg just makes everything better.


Tea Time [$15.00] | chamomile ford's gin, dolin blanc, suze
Here, gin botanicals were paired with floral notes of chamomile as well as the bitter-sweet nuances of both gentian and vermouth, making for a bracing, yet simultaneously round cocktail.


Shrimp Toast [$18.00] | little coyote focaccia, tom yum paste, celery, spicy mayo, herbs
Santiago's riff on shrimp toast went in a generally sweet, creamy direction, with a touch of heat and a distinctly lemongrass-y zest.


Pastel [$15.00] | maison gautier cognac, guava nectar, lemon juice, ginger syrup, orgeat
This easy-going cocktail combined cognac with a restrained measure of guava, so what caught my attention was actually the drink's ginger and citrus elements.


Double Cut Pork Chop [$32.00] | moo ping style pork chop, kohlrabi and carrot slaw
This mu ping-inspired chop was my favorite dish of the night. The pork arrived tender, juicy, and well-seared, its delectable sweetness and savor offset just enough by the slaw on the side. Yum.


The Slow Burn [$15.00] | arette reposado tequila, ancho reyes verde, don zoilo oloroso sherry 12y, pineapple juice, lime juice, demerara syrup, habanero tincture
Our next cocktail was the spiciest of the bunch, demonstrating this creeping, vegetal heat, evened out just a bit by the fruit. I would've liked to have tasted more from the sherry, though.


Black Cod [$32.00] | sinigang na miso, tofu, tomato, daikon, spinach, kohlrabi greens. classic filipino comfort soup. additional broth served on side.
Flaky, briny cuts of cod were juxtaposed with a tangy broth and some delightfully bitter greens, and I was a big fan of those crunchy shards of daikon, too. Meanwhile, cubes of tofu were an unexpected, but not unwelcomed addition.


Papaya Salad [$7.00]
A green papaya salad was pleasantly refreshing, though more restrained than I would've liked in terms of sourness, spice, and savor.


Cherry Bomb [$12.00] | wheatley vodka, maraschino cherry syrup, naranja triple sec, lemon, piña, sage leaves
The most surprising thing about this next cocktail was the sage, which contributed this herbal pungency that served as an accent piece to the drink's otherwise candied, citrusy notes.


Oyster Mushroom Skewer [$20.00] | grilled long beach mushroom, turmeric dressing, coconut rice, papaya salad
Oyster mushrooms weren't quite what I was looking for texturally, and I could've used some more sear, though I did enjoy the earthy zing of that turmeric. Also quite nice was the rice, which was imbued with just the right about of coconut-y sweetness, making it an apt pair for the 'shrooms.


The Banana Boat [$15.00] | pueblo viejo blanco tequila, grapefruit juice, lemongrass simple syrup, lime juice, giffards banana liqueur, club soda
Our sole long cocktail showed off the advertised banana I was looking for, but in a surprisingly subtle manner, setting it against citrus and prickly lemongrass.


Filipino Style Galbi [$34.00] | grilled bone in short rib, green garlic chimichurri, side of coconut rice
The signature sweetness of LA galbi was definitely conveyed here, along with a healthy dosing of sear and smoke that I appreciated. The meat was also properly tender, and I enjoyed the bit of brightness provided by the chimichurri as well. As for the expected coconut rice, the kitchen had actually run out of it, so we were provided miso garlic mashed potatoes instead. The mash was quite unlike most I've tried, coming out light and almost "watery," which this nearly cheesy funk at first leading to a coconut-type sweetness.


Zestpresso Martini [$16.00] | wheatley vodka, espresso, montenegro amaro, vanilla syrup, orange peel
For the night's final cocktail, the prototypical espresso martini's sweet, roasty flavors were amped up by the multifaceted bitterness of that amaro.


Earl Grey Vanilla | earl grey tea, oat milk, vanilla bean
We finished with a complimentary birthday serving of ice cream from local producer Cold Hearted Gelato. Think super assertive florals, with a nearly cantaloupe-esque sweetness on the back end.

Union is yet another welcomed addition to the Long Beach dining scene, one that I'm personally quite excited to have around thanks to the Chef's vision of Southeast Asian-inflected Filipino fare. That being said, I do think that Santiago could push things a bit more, since it feels like he's holding back somewhat. I imagine that this might be due to the restaurant's location, as well as its general newness, so I'll be looking forward to seeing how this places evolves.