To celebrate the completion of their new full kitchen, top-ranked banh mi joint Double Dragon will debut a new menu tonight, with free passed plates starting at 6pm. They've also made good on their quietly-held liquor license, and now offer a full cocktail program where once there were just beers (you have to buy the drinks for yourself).

The new menu looks to take chef/owner Rob Walls' creativity in new directions with items like, "...a 5-Spice Bacon Burger with Szechuan Peppercorn Relish, Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Thighs, Mapo Tofu, Yakitori-Style Grilled Squid and bar snacks like Nuoc Cham Chicharrones and Chili-Lime Peanuts." I like that they're just frying thighs - the perfect joint for fried chicken.

I stopped in on Friday to try the Szechuan burger. The Szechuan peppercorn sauce was subtle but distinctly Asian, and nicely in tune with the deeply charred but medium-rare meat, sambal aioli, and generous layer of crisp bacon. It came across as a nicely tuned fusion item: still very much a hamburger, given unique personality with carefully-designed spices.