Despite social media’s viral videos directing us to secret bars, telling someone you know a spot as you descend into a mysterious space down a dark staircase is still a thrill. The colder months call for a hidden and cozy bar where the drink and food menus live up to the hype. Yawning Cobra is among our favorite bars this season. The 42-seat speakeasy located in the heart of NoHo knows how to keep you warm by serving you a cup of miso soup as soon as you sit down. According to their staff, a nutritious and hydrating soup helps to line the stomach before you move onto cocktails. This type of care for their customers alone makes this cocktail bar a winner.
To find the bar, look for a dark staircase in the middle of Bowery and open the serpent-shaped handle door. There is a small sign with a snake above the stairs but it is easily missed. The small but sleek interior allows for an intimate atmosphere, one where you can easily have a conversation without shouting. Yawning Cobra’s beverage program is being led by Sota Kandaka, who is known for working in high-end cocktail bars in Tokyo and Beijing before moving to New York. Watching Kanada at work you can be certain he is a professional who takes his work seriously. The creative menu of fun and complex cocktails do not remind us of anything else, and that is a good thing. We were especially enamored with the bar’s Japanese whisky glasses, which were used for cocktails like the very refreshing A Scene At The Sea.
Among the cocktails we tried, the clear stand-outs were Say Cheese, which uses Parmigiano Reggiano as garnish, and Green Grass of Home, topped with an Edible Gold Flake. The memorable cocktails take you on a journey of exploration and leave you wanting more. To complement the experience we tried items from Yawning Cobra’s food menu, like the Cobra Fried Chicken and Tater n’Cauliflowers, which came with baby potatoes. The most welcomed highlight of the evening were the very flavorful Wagyu Wontons. We are still thinking about it and strongly advise you to end your night with this very memorable dish.
Yawning Cobra is an innovative cocktail bar that is women-owned, by Ying Li and Claire Li (no relation), who are longtime friends and hospitality industry veterans. We can certainly use more of those in the city. Bring a friend who enjoys adventurous menus, or pick this spot for a foodie date.
Yawning Cobra, 356 Bowery (betw 4th/Great Jones St), Lower level, NoHo
Photography by Hanlin Mu
