double chicken please, new york city.
when eater released this video last year about a new york city cocktail bar opened by two taiwanese immigrants and the insane “culinary-driven” cocktails they were creating, we just had to go! we were already heading to the east coast to see my family in the fall of 2022, so i tacked on a few days in new york city and priority number one was snagging a reservation for the back room (aka the coop)! we went in november of 2022, and they have since been named best bar in north america (and 6th in the world) by the 50 best list!
the front room.
the coop bar.
place setting.
if you watch the video, you’ll see that they take days to prep all the ingredients that go into their cocktails. this means that the cocktails themselves are relatively quick to put together, but it’s no less fun to watch the process and assemblage in person. especially if you are able to get a bar seat!
japanese cold noodle: bacardi carta blanca, pineapple, cucumber, lime, sesame oil.
waldorf salad: dewar’s 15 year, laphroaig 10 year, apple, celery, ginger ale, walnut bitters.
koji cucumbers, shio kombu, sesame, thai chili; popcorn chicken, ginger, white pepper, five spice.
while we were there, we did a 3 rounds of drinks and a couple rounds of bar food. i absolutely loved that we could order taiwanese popcorn chicken to go with our drinks. i associate taiwanese food so much with my childhood, and thus, rarely alcohol. i love experiencing something familiar in a different setting. and let me tell you.. the popcorn chicken was gooooood.
red eye gravy: teeling small batch irish whiskey, coffee butter, corn, walnut, wild mushroom, microwaved coppa.
mango sticky rice: bacardi ocho, mango sticky rice pu’er tea, wakame, cold brew, coconut.
and of course, the drinks were absolutely delicious. lots of complexity and interest and balance and there was enough variety to cater to our very differing palates when it comes to alcohol. the food was great as well and kept us grounded since three cocktails in 2 hours is a lot!
chicken liver mousse, caramelized shallots, ruby port, coffee butter with toasted sourdough.
baby gem lettuce, green goddess, toasted almonds, shaved parmesan.
sazerac: old overhold rye, chateau montifaud vieux pineau, st. george absinthe, peychaud’s bitters, angostura bitters.
americano americano: campari, vermouth blend, st. george nola, branca menta, soda.
115 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
