Promenading the less-chartered portion of Boystown along Broadway, an ambiguous cranny hidden behind Asian inspired French doors puzzles you, seemingly on purpose. Wang's, a discreet lounge connected to Wakamono Sushi Bar, charms newcomers with a demure Shanghai speakeasy spirit.

Ask frequenters their take on the bar's appearance and they'll suggest everything from Asian dollhouse to opium den. Jim, your bartender for the evening, reckons Wang's a '50s era Chinese dive – Shanghai style. Dragons dance their ways around royal red pillars propping a room fit for 25. They resurface toward back in an elaborately carved-wooden arch before a buffet stand. Sloppily sorted paper pictures of Asian women sleaze floral-patterned wallpaper. And several dark-wood tables and chairs clutter, often times empty, just the way some of the regulars hoping to keep this place their own prefer.

Cradled as it is under the Boystown umbrella, Wang's caters the local gay community, but most won't classify it a gay bar. Numerous straight couples drop in on their first dates, many of whom met on Match.com. Not sure you're his or her type? That's putting it nicely. Want to know if you're hot or not? See if the bartender places a muddle atop the bar, it's the code your date and he created beforehand. And if the muddle never made it, hey, his potent drinks might make your date see differently over time.

Each nifty concoction comes sprinkled with exotic garnishes like orchids, rambutan or lychee. Begin with the detoxifying ginger martini, adorned with a spear of raw ginger planks. Perhaps after, sample the crisp-tasting Grey Goose sakitini with a floating cucumber sliver. Here, with the purchase of a drink ($8-$10), you're granted a free plate of bean sprouts with cilantro, wings or vegetable rolls (5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday).

Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez