New cocktail bar will open in KC’s Columbus Park next week. See the menu

A Columbus Park teahouse will transform at night into an Asian craft cocktail bar beginning next week.

Saranya and Zachary Hubbard, the wife-and-husband duo behind Tian Tea House, are finally debuting Moon Bar, a Japanese-style bar that will be the livelier — but still meticulous and hospitality-focused — sibling to the teahouse that’s been part of Columbus Park since December.

“We’re trying to serve the customer as if they were our friend,” said Saranya, who spoke back in December about Moon Bar’s dedication to omotenashi, a Japanese hospitality philosophy that she learned from her bartending days in Thailand.

Moon Bar’s soft opening date is Wednesday, May 20 to Saturday, May 23, opening at 5:30 p.m. after the tea shop closes at 3 p.m.

Some Kansas Citians may already be familiar with the lineup of signature cocktails that utilize ingredients from Thailand, Japan, China and other Asian countries. The Hubbards brought their cocktails to popups at restaurants and bars across the city before opening the teahouse.

That includes the Green & White, made with plum whiskey, matcha and white chocolate and topped with jasmine rice. The tequila-based Tiger Ear, mixed with tiger ear leaves, fresh pineapple juice, honey, and topped with a lemon, is also making a comeback.

Moon Bar also does riffs on the classics, like using its tea from Tian to make an oolong version of a Manhattan or an umami-flavored Old Fashioned that uses a house-made miso, shiso and honey syrup.

It’s hard for Saranya to pick her favorite — “I love every drink that I make,” she said — but if she had to choose, it’d be the Kaffir Lime Soda. A more savory cocktail, it features a House of Suntory gin, the Kaffir lime from Southeast Asia, some herbs, liqueur, citrus then topped with club soda and garnished with capers so “you can snack when you drink, too.”

The menu features a total of 13 signature cocktails, each $15 to $16.

There’s also a dedicated section of the menu to highballs and gin and tonic cocktails, and Moon Bar will also offer at least three mocktails. As well as cocktails, there will be some beer, infused spirits and a Japanese soju.

Moon Bar will serve food as well, mostly bar snacks that, similar to the drinks, utilize some Asian ingredients. For example, guests can order deviled eggs topped with tamarind, fried onions and cilantro.

Saranya also pointed to the “Local Bites,” which is basically a Kansas City charcuterie board: cheese from Carollo’s Italian Grocery & Deli, chili oil from Chef James Chang, nuts from Alhabashi Mart and pickled fruits and veggies.

Food ranges from $6 to $13, and Saranya said she will likely add more items to the bar snack menu. Guests should also keep an eye out for food popups and trucks — one night, there may be a kitchen takeover by Chef Chang, or patrons may see GOCHEW Burger & Sandwich, the Korean American cuisine food truck, parked out front.

If guests miss the soft opening period, Saranya said Moon Bar will open back up the following week on Wednesday, May 27. Normal business hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday.

A reason to snag what’s left of those soft opening reservations is that the first 100 or so guests get free swag from both Moon Bar and their partner, House of Suntory, a Japanese spirits brand that makes gin, vodka and whiskey.

Speaking of reservations, Saranya recommended that guests make one since Moon Bar is a 30-seat, no-standing-room bar. Each reservation guarantees guests 1.5 hours of service. Walk-ins, however, are welcome.

Moon Bar is located at 911 E. Fifth St.