The moment you step into Châm Pang Lanes you’re completely transported from the Old Market into a striking scene that combines all the best parts of the 1980s’ neon world with a ritzy Japanese nightclub. In the middle of all that is duckpin bowling.
If you’re not familiar with duckpin bowling, it’s a miniature version of traditional bowling with shorter lanes, hand-sized bowling balls and smaller pins. It’s a fun alternative to traditional bowling, but It’s much harder to knock down all the pins.
Châm Pang Lanes duckpin bowling
So far, bowling strikes at Châm Pang are relatively rare. I managed to bowl one – I have witnesses. Those same witnesses will correctly tell you it was a fluke.
Châm Pang Lanes first opened in Phoenix just after the pandemic when a Phoenix restaurant chain, The Punch Bowl, lost funding. The Punch Bowl owners approached Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group and sold them on the concept. From there, Flagship finished the project and made it their own. In September, Châm Pang Lanes, and their popular speakeasy Ghost Donkey, opened their doors in downtown Omaha.
Châm Pang Lanes bar
As a speakeasy, you can’t get to Ghost Donkey without passing through Châm Pang. It’s an agave spirits-based bar with a heavy mezcal focus. Menu offerings include various nachos, tacos, quesadillas and similar fare.
Running both establishments is general manager Reba O’Neal, who spent 16 years as a bartender before working her way to assistant general manager at JJ Hooligan’s and later Blue Sushi – both in Lincoln. She feels like she’s found a home with Flagship.
“It’s an amazing company.” O’Neal said. “They really went above and beyond for their employees. They care a lot about work life balance and stuff like that.”
O’Neal went through a great deal of training during her tenure at Blue.
“I went and trained here in Omaha at the Old Market Blue for six weeks, learning every single position of the restaurant, from sushi rolling to prep,” O’Neal recalled. “Their training program is very, very good.”
Jennifer and I visited twice. The first visit focused on Châm Pang Lanes, while our second visit was all about Ghost Donkey.
Châm Pang Lanes peach fuzzy
At Châm Pang, we had three cocktails and champagne: the peach fizzy, the roku press, the kegged mai tai and Ruffino ‘Lumina’ prosecco. We also tried the sushi nachos and a few sushi rolls.
The peach fizzy is a tasty play on the fuzzy navel. It’s a mix of haku vodka, peach, lime, cranberry and faire la fête brut (a sweet, yeasty brut). It is all at once peachy and refreshing. If you like a fruity drink, it’s a wonderful selection.
Châm Pang Lanes roku press
With the roku press, the juniper from the gin is pleasantly prominent. It’s made with roku gin, sparkling yuzu, soda and citrus. The yuzu gives it a sweet and sour finish. It’s a clear cocktail, resembling sparkling water, and should please any fan of gin cocktails.
Châm Pang Lanes kegged mai tai
The kegged mai tai is made with a Bacardi rum blend, dry curacao, orgeat and lime. The orgeat gives it a unique nutty profile. It also has a unique presentation: it’s served in a Chinese takeout box. It’s an inventive way to serve this concoction, though holding it took a little getting used to as the box is quite flexible. Still, the takeout box held up well and it was a delicious cocktail.
Châm Pang Lanes sushi nachos
The sushi nachos are a blend of napa cabbage, avocado, cilantro, green onion and red radish. They’re served with wonton crisps and topped with sesame tuna. Wonton crisps are either done right or not, either crunchy or chewy. Here they’re perfectly crisp and capably hold a hefty scoop of the nacho toppings. The sesame tuna is fresh; the aioli on top gives it a tangy finish.
The sake maki is a simple salmon roll made well. The rice held up very well to the chopsticks and survived the dip into my wasabi and soy sauce mixture. You’ll find this sushi roll on the happy hour menu.
We ordered our negi yellowtail roll with the spicy yellowtail, but you can select the regular option. It’s rolled with scallions and crispy shallots. Like the sake maki, it is well made, and the slight crunch added a welcome texture.
Châm Pang Lanes santana maki
Santana maki is a complex sushi roll. Inside is shrimp tempura, cream cheese and a crab mix. The outside has torched spicy salmon, chili aioli, scallion and sweet soy sauce. Every ingredient works together to make this a memorable sushi roll, but the perfect crispness of the tempura, combined with expertly cooked shrimp was the hero here. You’ll find this delicacy on both the regular and the happy hour menu. It’s a must try.
Châm Pang Lanes picante maguro
The picante maguro is a fun roll, both in appearance and taste. Inside is spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber. The outside is rolled in crispy rice crackers (miniature crunchy rainbow dots) with serrano, chili aioli and sriracha. The ingredients work together to give you a perfect bite. I didn’t dip this roll in my soy sauce wasabi because it simply stands on its own.
Ghost Donkey interior
Our visit to Ghost Donkey took us through a journey of two cocktails each: the pistolero, the Oaxacan old fashioned, the burro tropical and the killer bee. For nourishment, we tried the guacamole, chips and salsa, a sampling of tacos and a quesadilla.
Ghost Donkey pistolero
The pistolero is an advanced spicy margarita. It’s a mix of Tres Generaciones plata tequila, ancho reyes verde (a poblano chile liqueur), roasted poblano and pineapple sherbet and lime. Fans of spicy margaritas will find this a welcome distraction from the standard jalapeño.
The Oaxacan old fashioned is a smoky spin on the traditional old fashioned. Mezcal replaces the traditional whiskey and is mixed with simple syrup and bitters. Mezcal can be a divisive spirit as I’ve found people have strong preferences for it one way or another. For those who enjoy a smoky cocktail, this old fashioned makes a dominant-but-delicious statement.
The Oaxacan old fashioned no longer appears on the official menu, replaced by the moda antigua, but O’Neal said they can still make it if you ask. I recommend you do.
Ghost Donkey burro tropical
The burro tropical is made with terralta blanco tequila, kasama Philippines rum, chinola passion fruit, calpico (a Japanese beverage known for its mango, melon and lychee flavors) and lemon. It’s a nice play on the traditional rum punch. The passion fruit and calpico pay a tasty homage to the menus of both Châm Pang Lanes and Ghost Donkey.
Ghost Donkey killer bee
The killer bee is made with MG mezcal gin, mandarin soju (a mandarin liqueur fortified with Korean apple), Licor 43 (a citrus-forward liqueur with notes of coriander), damiana (a sweet, minty and woody liqueur), bee pollen, lavender and lemon. There’s an excellent complex balance of flavors in this cocktail. This is one I’d order again in a heartbeat.
Ghost Donkey guacamole
The guacamole is fresh and vibrant with just the right notes of acidity from the lime. The kick from the onions and the hint of cilantro make it an excellent dip. I don’t think I’ve had guacamole this good outside of Cabo San Lucas.
The chips and salsa come with red and green salsas. The red has a delicious smokiness to it that really brought out the pepper flavors. It hits at a medium-hot spice level, which I appreciated. Of the two, the green was my hands-down favorite. There’s an essence of garlic that brings out the peppers. I found it to have a smooth, delicate texture that took it to a new level.
Ghost Donkey mushroom and roasted corn and chicken tinga tacos
It’s hard to choose among the three taco offerings. There’s chicken tinga, carne asada, and mushroom and roasted corn. Each comes in a street-sized warm corn tortilla with onion, cilantro and lime.
The chicken tinga taco has shredded chicken in an adobo sauce blended with tomatoes and chipotle chiles. The chicken was cooked just right; the tinga was a welcome addition.
The carne asada taco is a really good street taco. The beef was tender and its seasoning was just right.
Ghost Donkey carne asada and chicken tinga tacos
As someone who typically favors the carnivorous side of a menu, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the mushroom and roasted corn taco. The mushrooms were cooked and seasoned well, bringing out their robust flavor. They balanced beautifully with the roasted corn.
All three tacos are great, but I’ll order my favorites: 1. mushroom and roasted corn; 2 chicken tinga; and 3. carne asada. Your preference order will likely differ.
Ghost Donkey chicken tinga quesadilla on patio table
The chicken tinga quesadilla is made with oaxaca cheese, caramelized onion, cilantro and crema. Served piping hot, the combination of melted cheese, the savory sweetness of caramelized onions with the tanginess of the chicken tinga took this beyond the standard quesadilla. Not only was it delicious, it also reheated well later at home.
Ghost Donkey’s décor stands in stark contrast to Châm Pang with a seductively dark swankiness. The ceiling is lit by tiny lights that resemble a starfield and change color. A speakeasy should be dark and sexy. That’s Ghost Donkey.
Ghost Donkey patio
Ghost Donkey also boasts a spacious outdoor patio area that is romantic, vibrant and warm in tone. They plan to have this opened year-round with screens and heaters installed for the cold season.
“Our chefs at Flagship have an amazing test kitchen and developing the menu took quite a bit of time because our kitchen here is quite small,” O’Neal said. “So we wanted something that could be universal and speak to our Ghost Donkey parts as well as Châm Pang having that Japanese flair.”
Private and community events were a big consideration in how both venues were created.
Châm Pang Lanes VIP Night
“We host a lot of private events as well as trying to get the community involved,” O’Neal said. “Any chance that we get to have an experience and go above and beyond for a customer is so important. Our main focus is trying to create memorable experiences for people who come in.”
It is abundantly clear that a great deal of thought and planning went into developing these joints. They stand in stark contrast to one another, yet they complement each other incredibly well. In one evening, you can do sushi and bowling and then head to the Ghost Donkey patio for agave cocktails and tacos.
This is another big win for the Flagship team, which seems to know no bounds in developing memorable experiences, innovative design and culinary excellence.
I mentioned my duckpin strike to O’Neal to which she replied, “You know, I have yet to knock down a single pin. I’m not even kidding. It’s so easy to gutterball on that.”
While O’Neal may have yet to hit a duckpin, she and Flagship are bowling consistent strikes with memorable experiences.
Châm Pang Lanes / Ghost Donkey
