October 24, 2024 • 18 mins
Columbus’ food scene has been making headlines in recent months with articles in Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, Essence and more. Cobra is one of Columbus’ hottest restaurants and they’re celebrating their one-year anniversary. Join us for a conversation with Alex Chien, co-owner/operator of Cobra.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes Columbus, an Experienced Columbus podcast keeps you in the
know of what's happening in the art city Columbus. The
number one soccer team, the number three beer city, a
top ten culinary destination with the largest concentration of fashion
professionals in the US. Join us each week with special
guests for an inside look at a destination that invites
(00:23):
visitors and locals alike to explore. By the end of
each episode, you'll be asking yourself, can all of this
really exist in one city? Yes Columbus. Welcome back to
our fourth episode of our new season and the Yes
Columbus Podcast. I'm one of the co hosts, Boxer long
(00:44):
from Sarah here from Experience Columbus. Sarah, welcome back, Thank.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
You, and this week's episode is all about Cobra, one
of the hottest new restaurants in Columbus's Brewery district. But
before we get into this week's interview, let's chat about
the headline. For any listeners who are new this season,
our headliner segment covers a recent story or accolade about
Columbus Boxer. A few episodes ago, we talked about Conde
(01:10):
Nast traveler naming Columbus one of the best big cities
in the US as part of their twenty twenty four
Readers Choice Awards. This week, we have another accolade from
the same awards program, and it's all about our culinary scene.
Columbus was ranked by readers as having one of the
best food scenes in the country.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Agreed, Yeah, any.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Guesses what spot we came in at.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Oh boy, the pressure here of the pressure, I'm gonna say,
do you want me to be specific or can I
just say like top five? You can? Yeah, okay, I'll say,
how about number three?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Number three? So we actually came in in the top ten.
So we're eighth, which is amazing when you consider that
this is a nationwide Reader's Choice eight and we're alongside
cities like New Orleans, Chicago, and Detroit. So we are
so proud of this ranking.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I'm just going to say, I think we should be
higher than that, but maybe I'm just a little by,
you know what.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
To even make it on the list at this point
is phenomenal and we will always strive to get higher
in the future.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I could not agree more. Absolutely all right, So Sarah,
let's stick with culinary in that theme for a second,
as we hop in our behind the Buzz segment as
a reminder for those that are listening like yourself. During
the segment, we talk with a special guest and learn
about the newest restaurant opening, the newest exhibition at one
of Columbus's museums, attractions or galleries, or the latest retail
(02:38):
experience too, maybe a festival or other things to do.
But today we're excited to have Alex Chen with us,
who's the co owner and operator of Cobra in the
Brewery District. Alex, it's a pleasure, welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Thanks for having meniel So.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Alex, as I shared with you previously, we absolutely love Cobra.
We've had the opportunity to go in not only personally,
but we've brought travel writers in and influencers and others
from the community, and people cannot believe how amazing and
creative everything from the cocktail program to the phenomenal dishes
(03:12):
you have there. So Cobra is an Asian American neighborhood bar.
And for those who haven't been, tell us more about
what Cobra is all about.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, so that's kind of it in the nutshell, which
is we call it an Asian American neighborhood bar because
we're trying to highlight not necessarily be traditional in the sense,
but kind of some of our upbringings what it's like
because I'm actually a Columbus native, so just kind of
tye in what it was like to grow up in
Midwest America, but also you know, Asian roots for specifically
(03:41):
for my background. So yeah, we wanted to create something.
Not everyone knows the word izakaya, but it's kind of
just much more of like a Japanese neighborhood bar that
also has fantastic food that's warm and inviting. So that's
kind of what we're aiming for as a fun, relaxed
atmosphere where you can get amazing late night food, dinner
to great cocktails.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Wow. Alex Chen is our latest guest on Yes Columbus.
He's the co owner and operator of Cobra and the
Brewery District. How did Cobra start?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, so Cobra started because there's a few of us
that have worked together quite sometimes. So me and our
chef partner, Jack Bennett. He was the Sioux chef over
at Watershed, and I was the opening bar manager at Watershed.
David who is also one of our partners, and he
and I oversee the bar program over there. He also
(04:33):
worked over at Watershed as well, and Josh Spear is
one of our general managers and partners too, So we
just kind of came together. We wanted to create something
unique in Columbus that kind of highlighted what we're excited about,
because I think that's super important to creating a business
is doing something that you're excited to do every single day.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So well, it sounds like with people that you really
love to do it with too, given that you guys
have chosen to work together and partner together.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So what is the focus at Cobra day to day?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, the focus for me personally day to day is
you know, just trying to do a lot of storytelling,
so whether that's marketing content, everything like that, but also
looking over you know, programming with lots of fun events.
We've had a ton of takeovers with some nationally recognized
and internationally recognized bars and restaurants, and you know, just
(05:21):
constantly trying to create better cocktails and more exciting food
every day.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I love that the social media component of this, I
would imagine this day and age for a restaurant. Food
pictures and video do really well. Have you found that
to be true with your social media?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah, definitely. So our social media, we try to keep
it as fun as possible. So it's actually almost like
a family affair. It's me and my brother. I haven't
taken photos in ten years, so I've had to pick
it up and learn really quickly. But yeah, so we
try to have a great time and you know, do
goofy photo shoots that kind of like it highlight our
(05:57):
you know, personalities.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
By the way, congratulations open for a year now. Yes,
that's in the culinary world. I don't have to tell
you that's that's a big accomplishment. That's a milestone and
there's no stopping you now. But in the past year,
is there a couple of memories one or two that
is fond that you'll never forget?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Yeah, yeah, I'll focus on the fun ones, not the
demolishing era. No, I'm I think the Lunar New Year
that was such a highlight for us. So that's coming
up again in January twenty ninth, I believe next year.
But yeah, we had a traditional Lions in so a
lot of people got to engage in the cultural background
of Lunar New Year, but also just lots of our
(06:39):
pop ups and having people, our friends from across the world,
you know, come in and really share what they do too.
So that was kind of the mission behind Cobra's to
highlight lots of different people in our community too.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That is awesome. So one great thing about Cobra is
it's open late, so you don't have to sacrifice quality
if you want a bite at midnight or later. Why
was being a late night spot important to your team?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Honestly, it's kind of selfish too. We wanted some great
food that was also late night because, especially for our
service industry, you know, family, it's really tough to get
a good bite, especially fresh made food after ten eleven.
So there's another bar that's in the area, Club What
eighty five. That's where we used to go after we
got off work, and their kitchen shutdown after midnight now
(07:28):
after COVID, so we we just felt like we had
something to offer that we could do that. I think
a lot of people miss So our kitchen's open till
one forty five am every single day except for Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So yeah, just trying to highlight.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
The time you wake up.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, yeah, two am gone and I look at too.
All right, Alex, can I be selfish? Can we talk
about the menu? You have some amazing dishes, Mama Chen's dumplings,
for example, the bacon dog, even the what the fried
baloney sam which I've heard numerous things about. But how
do you come up with these dishes? Do you have
(08:05):
a typical brainstorming session? How does that work?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah? So definitely our chef, Chef Jack, he tries to
take influence and kind of go into our theme with everything.
So the mum Chins dumplings, that one's actually a family recipe,
so lots of R and D. I think that was
during COVID that I was trying to lock down my
mom's dumpling recipe and wanted to share it with everybody
in Columbus because it is something that's really unique. When
(08:31):
we're talking about like the kimchi bacon dog or the
fried balooning sandwich, it's taking the small Asian twist, like
the Vietnamese sausage we use in the fried baloney sandwich.
We are kind of Bologney sandwich officionados. So we always
go to bars and try to find like the best
boloney sandwich, so we just wanted to put a little
twists on it. One of our SWO chefs, she's Vietnamese,
(08:52):
so wanted to highlight a little bit of the Asian culture,
but also sticking true to our dive bar roots.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
That is awesome and the cocktails are also fantastic. I
know I've mentioned this a few times, but tell us
more about your cocktail program and what makes them so special.
And then there is a Best New Cocktail Bar award
that Cobra was nominated for in April. Can you tell
us a little bit about that as well.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, totally. So the cocktail program is something that me David,
and it's actually my partner Kayla, who's our head Bard Center.
We work really hard on in fiercely too, which is
that we try to create cocktails that are both approachable
and cost efficient in this sort of way. I think
that like our cocktail price ceiling is thirteen dollars, which
(09:40):
is starting to become unheard of at this point, especially
in like larger cities. Yeah, so we're trying to create
amazing cocktails that don't break the bank, that are also interesting.
So it's honestly a challenge every single day to do so.
But our cocktails are usually a little bit Asian themed,
So we have an especial martini that is extremely popular.
(10:02):
Our stuff kind of makes jokes to say, I'm just
an espresso martini machine at this point, but one of
which is we call it the Copico espresso martini, and
Copico is actually like an Asian candy I had growing up,
So it's like java, It's like hazelnut and coffee. So
we use fra Angelico Calu as well, gray Goose vodka,
(10:24):
fresh made espresso and like a dark sugar syrup, and
then it's garnished with a little vanilla wafer on top,
so it's like a sweet treat with a sweet treat.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And then probably our most popular cocktail is the above
Ground Pool. So that one is Patron Tequila. It's got mango,
cilantro and serrano peppers as well as lime juice, so
it we call it above ground Pool because it looks
like whenever you forget to clean out your pool during
this summer, so it's a little cloudy.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah yeah, So.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
It's a little ectoplasm green, but it has Sishwan peppercorn alone.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I love.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, yeah, we sell so many of them a week.
So in regards to the accolade that we got, it's
honestly a dream come true. Whenever we set out to
create Cobra, we were like, if we made the top
ten nationally, that would be a dream come true, you know.
But making top four were the very first bar in Ohio, Michigan,
(11:22):
and Indiana in the Midwest outside of Chicago to be
nominated for Top four in the US.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Congratulations, you know, Alex, You're becoming more and more known
also for your cool collaborations. Tell us, I know what
Tuesday takeovers for example, tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, yeah, so our Tuesday Takeovers we kind of reach
out to a lot of our friends. We've done quite
a bit of traveling in a previous role before we opened,
I was a national brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire, so
I got to travel the world, got to go to
London a lot, got to see what the world has
to offer in the cocktail scene. So we wanted to
bring that to Columbus. So recently we had Takoi James
(12:03):
Bear nominated restaurant, an also amazing cocktail bar from Detroit
that came down and then we also had Katana Kitten,
which was I don't know a nominated Top five World's
Best Bars multiple multiple times. But those are friends of ours,
so we wanted to bring them to Columbus because frankly,
they wouldn't come if we didn't have such a great
connection to them.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So yeah, and what are some of the ways that
our listeners can learn about some of the programs and
things that you're doing, like Tuesday takeovers?
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yeah, so we always post about them and promote them
on our website and also on our Instagram, which is
a Cobra Columbus and then the website's Cobrabarcolumbus dot com.
So we'll always advertise it in advance because we want
so many people to meet these amazing folks that we're
friends with.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
What a cool opportunity. And speaking of events, so you
talked a little bit about Lunar New Year and what
a cool event that was, and you're bringing it back
in January, which we're all excited about. What are some
other events that you're considering or thinking about in the
future for us to get excited about as we're thinking
about twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Yeah, so we are going to hit our one year
anniversary this Friday. So this Friday, we decided it Halloween's
on Thursdays, so we must just combined forces. So we're
actually doing a pink pony club themed Halloween. So starting
starting Friday through the end of the month, we will
all be dressed in pink and having great time. And
(13:27):
I love drinks.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Okay outside of pink, anything else that we should be
thinking about for this I need I need some costoom
ideas already for Halloween. So maybe I could, you know,
kill two birds of one stone, go to the pink party.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yeah, pink party, cowboy hats all that suff Oh my.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Gosh, I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Cobra is located in the Brewery District in the strip
of some of the best restaurants and bars in Columbus,
alongside Agne Labbard and Antiques on High. There's been so
much excitement for the city's food scene lately, with outlets
like Bona Petite and Conde Nass. Traveler taking your ties
to the culinary scene go way back. What do you
(14:04):
think makes Columbus such an amazing food city.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
I think the reason why we also decided to open
Cobra and Columbus is there's so many passionate people in
the city. I was talking about this earlier with that Ashley,
which is that all of us are friends, you know,
you know us in avashar Ani over a lawbird and
Luke and you know Jen and Colin over at antiques
on High. It's such a small community, and I think
(14:29):
that a lot of people usually end up leaving the
city and trying their hand in larger cities. And the
reason why we want to come back is because there's
so many talented and passionate people in Columbus. So just
trying to rally together and build a community and show,
like as we're now getting the accolades, that Columbus does
have so much talent and we are one of the best,
you know, culinary scenes in America.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Absolutely, we're we are so fortunate to have you all
that whole lineup. I know, every district is amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
You know, as Alex is talking, I couldn't help but think,
because not just the culinary industry, but many industries. You think, oh,
I need to go to a bigger city and that's
where I can make it big. But you can make
it big right here and do so well, probably even
better than the bigger cities.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean that's that's kind of the thing.
I mean I did leave the city because I wanted
to learn more and grow more. Yeah, but then I
just you know, had such a yearning to come back
to Columbus because it is my hometown. I grew up
in Gehana, and yeah I lived there. And then our
chef Jack Bennett, and he also went to Gahana as well,
So it's we just you know, wanted to come back
(15:37):
home and create something special here with amazing passionate.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Oh that's great. Well, I look, Alex. Our next segment
is called Columbus Classics, and this podcast is all about
just uncovering what's new, but we also love to time
travel and go back to the true and the tried
and true places and experiences. Can you tell us a
classic Columbus experience that you love. Maybe it's a neighborhood,
(16:03):
maybe it's a restaurant. What is it for you?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, it's for me. It's I know it's getting really
popular now, but it's so funny because I remember being
a kid and every Saturday going to a Kaihana, so
that little area with the tensk mar kids and everything
like that. That was like my treat. So I used
to go to Chinese school on Saturdays, so I went
to school six days of the week growing up. But
that was always my treat. So that's always my classics. Yeah,
(16:28):
I love a Kaihana. Even though it's changed hands a
few times, it's still amazing, traditional and beautiful.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I love that too. I live really close to there.
And Bell's Bread, oh yeah, one of my favorite bakeries
in Columbus. If people have not checked it out, it
is gorgeous and so delicious. So Alex, before we close
today's episode, we have one more segment. It's what are
you saying yes to in Columbus this weekend or it
could be this fall season. I'll have you and box
(16:57):
are both answer.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
All right, let's start with you.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
What are you saying yes to?
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I'm saying yes to any of the metro parks, but
specifically even driving out to the country a little bit,
a little bit outside of Columbus and experiencing the fall
foliage year.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yes, it is at you. I'm going to say yes
the more family time. And I know I was saying
that like sometimes you might get in an argument with
that uncle Virs. You haven't talked to you. I think
it's worth it. I think it's just, you know, spending
more precious family time and creating memories. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yes, Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Can't beat that one, Alex, can't beat that one. Alex,
thank you so much for joining us on today's episode.
If you haven't already been, you have to get it
over to Cobra and grab a bite a drink. As
Sarah would say too.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I feel like I'm really promoting alcore that at all.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I want to try those. The cocktails are amazing. Rectate
your time, Alex, take care of.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
That's a wrap on this week's episode of Yes Columbus
and Experienced Columbus Podcast. Tune in next week as we
take you on a tour of what's new, what's hot,
and what makes Columbus a city on the rise.
Yes Columbus, an Experienced Columbus podcast keeps you in the
know of what's happening in the art city Columbus. The
number one soccer team, the number three beer city, a
top ten culinary destination with the largest concentration of fashion
professionals in the US. Join us each week with special
guests for an inside look at a destination that invites
(00:23):
visitors and locals alike to explore. By the end of
each episode, you'll be asking yourself, can all of this
really exist in one city? Yes Columbus. Welcome back to
our fourth episode of our new season and the Yes
Columbus Podcast. I'm one of the co hosts, Boxer long
(00:44):
from Sarah here from Experience Columbus. Sarah, welcome back, Thank.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
You, and this week's episode is all about Cobra, one
of the hottest new restaurants in Columbus's Brewery district. But
before we get into this week's interview, let's chat about
the headline. For any listeners who are new this season,
our headliner segment covers a recent story or accolade about
Columbus Boxer. A few episodes ago, we talked about Conde
(01:10):
Nast traveler naming Columbus one of the best big cities
in the US as part of their twenty twenty four
Readers Choice Awards. This week, we have another accolade from
the same awards program, and it's all about our culinary scene.
Columbus was ranked by readers as having one of the
best food scenes in the country.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Agreed, Yeah, any.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Guesses what spot we came in at.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Oh boy, the pressure here of the pressure, I'm gonna say,
do you want me to be specific or can I
just say like top five? You can? Yeah, okay, I'll say,
how about number three?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Number three? So we actually came in in the top ten.
So we're eighth, which is amazing when you consider that
this is a nationwide Reader's Choice eight and we're alongside
cities like New Orleans, Chicago, and Detroit. So we are
so proud of this ranking.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I'm just going to say, I think we should be
higher than that, but maybe I'm just a little by,
you know what.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
To even make it on the list at this point
is phenomenal and we will always strive to get higher
in the future.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I could not agree more. Absolutely all right, So Sarah,
let's stick with culinary in that theme for a second,
as we hop in our behind the Buzz segment as
a reminder for those that are listening like yourself. During
the segment, we talk with a special guest and learn
about the newest restaurant opening, the newest exhibition at one
of Columbus's museums, attractions or galleries, or the latest retail
(02:38):
experience too, maybe a festival or other things to do.
But today we're excited to have Alex Chen with us,
who's the co owner and operator of Cobra in the
Brewery District. Alex, it's a pleasure, welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Thanks for having meniel So.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Alex, as I shared with you previously, we absolutely love Cobra.
We've had the opportunity to go in not only personally,
but we've brought travel writers in and influencers and others
from the community, and people cannot believe how amazing and
creative everything from the cocktail program to the phenomenal dishes
(03:12):
you have there. So Cobra is an Asian American neighborhood bar.
And for those who haven't been, tell us more about
what Cobra is all about.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, so that's kind of it in the nutshell, which
is we call it an Asian American neighborhood bar because
we're trying to highlight not necessarily be traditional in the sense,
but kind of some of our upbringings what it's like
because I'm actually a Columbus native, so just kind of
tye in what it was like to grow up in
Midwest America, but also you know, Asian roots for specifically
(03:41):
for my background. So yeah, we wanted to create something.
Not everyone knows the word izakaya, but it's kind of
just much more of like a Japanese neighborhood bar that
also has fantastic food that's warm and inviting. So that's
kind of what we're aiming for as a fun, relaxed
atmosphere where you can get amazing late night food, dinner
to great cocktails.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Wow. Alex Chen is our latest guest on Yes Columbus.
He's the co owner and operator of Cobra and the
Brewery District. How did Cobra start?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, so Cobra started because there's a few of us
that have worked together quite sometimes. So me and our
chef partner, Jack Bennett. He was the Sioux chef over
at Watershed, and I was the opening bar manager at Watershed.
David who is also one of our partners, and he
and I oversee the bar program over there. He also
(04:33):
worked over at Watershed as well, and Josh Spear is
one of our general managers and partners too, So we
just kind of came together. We wanted to create something
unique in Columbus that kind of highlighted what we're excited about,
because I think that's super important to creating a business
is doing something that you're excited to do every single day.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So well, it sounds like with people that you really
love to do it with too, given that you guys
have chosen to work together and partner together.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So what is the focus at Cobra day to day?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, the focus for me personally day to day is
you know, just trying to do a lot of storytelling,
so whether that's marketing content, everything like that, but also
looking over you know, programming with lots of fun events.
We've had a ton of takeovers with some nationally recognized
and internationally recognized bars and restaurants, and you know, just
(05:21):
constantly trying to create better cocktails and more exciting food
every day.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I love that the social media component of this, I
would imagine this day and age for a restaurant. Food
pictures and video do really well. Have you found that
to be true with your social media?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah, definitely. So our social media, we try to keep
it as fun as possible. So it's actually almost like
a family affair. It's me and my brother. I haven't
taken photos in ten years, so I've had to pick
it up and learn really quickly. But yeah, so we
try to have a great time and you know, do
goofy photo shoots that kind of like it highlight our
(05:57):
you know, personalities.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
By the way, congratulations open for a year now. Yes,
that's in the culinary world. I don't have to tell
you that's that's a big accomplishment. That's a milestone and
there's no stopping you now. But in the past year,
is there a couple of memories one or two that
is fond that you'll never forget?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Yeah, yeah, I'll focus on the fun ones, not the
demolishing era. No, I'm I think the Lunar New Year
that was such a highlight for us. So that's coming
up again in January twenty ninth, I believe next year.
But yeah, we had a traditional Lions in so a
lot of people got to engage in the cultural background
of Lunar New Year, but also just lots of our
(06:39):
pop ups and having people, our friends from across the world,
you know, come in and really share what they do too.
So that was kind of the mission behind Cobra's to
highlight lots of different people in our community too.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That is awesome. So one great thing about Cobra is
it's open late, so you don't have to sacrifice quality
if you want a bite at midnight or later. Why
was being a late night spot important to your team?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Honestly, it's kind of selfish too. We wanted some great
food that was also late night because, especially for our
service industry, you know, family, it's really tough to get
a good bite, especially fresh made food after ten eleven.
So there's another bar that's in the area, Club What
eighty five. That's where we used to go after we
got off work, and their kitchen shutdown after midnight now
(07:28):
after COVID, so we we just felt like we had
something to offer that we could do that. I think
a lot of people miss So our kitchen's open till
one forty five am every single day except for Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So yeah, just trying to highlight.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
The time you wake up.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, yeah, two am gone and I look at too.
All right, Alex, can I be selfish? Can we talk
about the menu? You have some amazing dishes, Mama Chen's dumplings,
for example, the bacon dog, even the what the fried
baloney sam which I've heard numerous things about. But how
do you come up with these dishes? Do you have
(08:05):
a typical brainstorming session? How does that work?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah? So definitely our chef, Chef Jack, he tries to
take influence and kind of go into our theme with everything.
So the mum Chins dumplings, that one's actually a family recipe,
so lots of R and D. I think that was
during COVID that I was trying to lock down my
mom's dumpling recipe and wanted to share it with everybody
in Columbus because it is something that's really unique. When
(08:31):
we're talking about like the kimchi bacon dog or the
fried balooning sandwich, it's taking the small Asian twist, like
the Vietnamese sausage we use in the fried baloney sandwich.
We are kind of Bologney sandwich officionados. So we always
go to bars and try to find like the best
boloney sandwich, so we just wanted to put a little
twists on it. One of our SWO chefs, she's Vietnamese,
(08:52):
so wanted to highlight a little bit of the Asian culture,
but also sticking true to our dive bar roots.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
That is awesome and the cocktails are also fantastic. I
know I've mentioned this a few times, but tell us
more about your cocktail program and what makes them so special.
And then there is a Best New Cocktail Bar award
that Cobra was nominated for in April. Can you tell
us a little bit about that as well.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, totally. So the cocktail program is something that me David,
and it's actually my partner Kayla, who's our head Bard Center.
We work really hard on in fiercely too, which is
that we try to create cocktails that are both approachable
and cost efficient in this sort of way. I think
that like our cocktail price ceiling is thirteen dollars, which
(09:40):
is starting to become unheard of at this point, especially
in like larger cities. Yeah, so we're trying to create
amazing cocktails that don't break the bank, that are also interesting.
So it's honestly a challenge every single day to do so.
But our cocktails are usually a little bit Asian themed,
So we have an especial martini that is extremely popular.
(10:02):
Our stuff kind of makes jokes to say, I'm just
an espresso martini machine at this point, but one of
which is we call it the Copico espresso martini, and
Copico is actually like an Asian candy I had growing up,
So it's like java, It's like hazelnut and coffee. So
we use fra Angelico Calu as well, gray Goose vodka,
(10:24):
fresh made espresso and like a dark sugar syrup, and
then it's garnished with a little vanilla wafer on top,
so it's like a sweet treat with a sweet treat.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And then probably our most popular cocktail is the above
Ground Pool. So that one is Patron Tequila. It's got mango,
cilantro and serrano peppers as well as lime juice, so
it we call it above ground Pool because it looks
like whenever you forget to clean out your pool during
this summer, so it's a little cloudy.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah yeah, So.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
It's a little ectoplasm green, but it has Sishwan peppercorn alone.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I love.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, yeah, we sell so many of them a week.
So in regards to the accolade that we got, it's
honestly a dream come true. Whenever we set out to
create Cobra, we were like, if we made the top
ten nationally, that would be a dream come true, you know.
But making top four were the very first bar in Ohio, Michigan,
(11:22):
and Indiana in the Midwest outside of Chicago to be
nominated for Top four in the US.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Congratulations, you know, Alex, You're becoming more and more known
also for your cool collaborations. Tell us, I know what
Tuesday takeovers for example, tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, yeah, so our Tuesday Takeovers we kind of reach
out to a lot of our friends. We've done quite
a bit of traveling in a previous role before we opened,
I was a national brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire, so
I got to travel the world, got to go to
London a lot, got to see what the world has
to offer in the cocktail scene. So we wanted to
bring that to Columbus. So recently we had Takoi James
(12:03):
Bear nominated restaurant, an also amazing cocktail bar from Detroit
that came down and then we also had Katana Kitten,
which was I don't know a nominated Top five World's
Best Bars multiple multiple times. But those are friends of ours,
so we wanted to bring them to Columbus because frankly,
they wouldn't come if we didn't have such a great
connection to them.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So yeah, and what are some of the ways that
our listeners can learn about some of the programs and
things that you're doing, like Tuesday takeovers?
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yeah, so we always post about them and promote them
on our website and also on our Instagram, which is
a Cobra Columbus and then the website's Cobrabarcolumbus dot com.
So we'll always advertise it in advance because we want
so many people to meet these amazing folks that we're
friends with.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
What a cool opportunity. And speaking of events, so you
talked a little bit about Lunar New Year and what
a cool event that was, and you're bringing it back
in January, which we're all excited about. What are some
other events that you're considering or thinking about in the
future for us to get excited about as we're thinking
about twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Yeah, so we are going to hit our one year
anniversary this Friday. So this Friday, we decided it Halloween's
on Thursdays, so we must just combined forces. So we're
actually doing a pink pony club themed Halloween. So starting
starting Friday through the end of the month, we will
all be dressed in pink and having great time. And
(13:27):
I love drinks.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Okay outside of pink, anything else that we should be
thinking about for this I need I need some costoom
ideas already for Halloween. So maybe I could, you know,
kill two birds of one stone, go to the pink party.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yeah, pink party, cowboy hats all that suff Oh my.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Gosh, I love it.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Cobra is located in the Brewery District in the strip
of some of the best restaurants and bars in Columbus,
alongside Agne Labbard and Antiques on High. There's been so
much excitement for the city's food scene lately, with outlets
like Bona Petite and Conde Nass. Traveler taking your ties
to the culinary scene go way back. What do you
(14:04):
think makes Columbus such an amazing food city.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
I think the reason why we also decided to open
Cobra and Columbus is there's so many passionate people in
the city. I was talking about this earlier with that Ashley,
which is that all of us are friends, you know,
you know us in avashar Ani over a lawbird and
Luke and you know Jen and Colin over at antiques
on High. It's such a small community, and I think
(14:29):
that a lot of people usually end up leaving the
city and trying their hand in larger cities. And the
reason why we want to come back is because there's
so many talented and passionate people in Columbus. So just
trying to rally together and build a community and show,
like as we're now getting the accolades, that Columbus does
have so much talent and we are one of the best,
you know, culinary scenes in America.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Absolutely, we're we are so fortunate to have you all
that whole lineup. I know, every district is amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
You know, as Alex is talking, I couldn't help but think,
because not just the culinary industry, but many industries. You think, oh,
I need to go to a bigger city and that's
where I can make it big. But you can make
it big right here and do so well, probably even
better than the bigger cities.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean that's that's kind of the thing.
I mean I did leave the city because I wanted
to learn more and grow more. Yeah, but then I
just you know, had such a yearning to come back
to Columbus because it is my hometown. I grew up
in Gehana, and yeah I lived there. And then our
chef Jack Bennett, and he also went to Gahana as well,
So it's we just you know, wanted to come back
(15:37):
home and create something special here with amazing passionate.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Oh that's great. Well, I look, Alex. Our next segment
is called Columbus Classics, and this podcast is all about
just uncovering what's new, but we also love to time
travel and go back to the true and the tried
and true places and experiences. Can you tell us a
classic Columbus experience that you love. Maybe it's a neighborhood,
(16:03):
maybe it's a restaurant. What is it for you?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, it's for me. It's I know it's getting really
popular now, but it's so funny because I remember being
a kid and every Saturday going to a Kaihana, so
that little area with the tensk mar kids and everything
like that. That was like my treat. So I used
to go to Chinese school on Saturdays, so I went
to school six days of the week growing up. But
that was always my treat. So that's always my classics. Yeah,
(16:28):
I love a Kaihana. Even though it's changed hands a
few times, it's still amazing, traditional and beautiful.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I love that too. I live really close to there.
And Bell's Bread, oh yeah, one of my favorite bakeries
in Columbus. If people have not checked it out, it
is gorgeous and so delicious. So Alex, before we close
today's episode, we have one more segment. It's what are
you saying yes to in Columbus this weekend or it
could be this fall season. I'll have you and box
(16:57):
are both answer.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
All right, let's start with you.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
What are you saying yes to?
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I'm saying yes to any of the metro parks, but
specifically even driving out to the country a little bit,
a little bit outside of Columbus and experiencing the fall
foliage year.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yes, it is at you. I'm going to say yes
the more family time. And I know I was saying
that like sometimes you might get in an argument with
that uncle Virs. You haven't talked to you. I think
it's worth it. I think it's just, you know, spending
more precious family time and creating memories. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yes, Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Can't beat that one, Alex, can't beat that one. Alex,
thank you so much for joining us on today's episode.
If you haven't already been, you have to get it
over to Cobra and grab a bite a drink. As
Sarah would say too.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I feel like I'm really promoting alcore that at all.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I want to try those. The cocktails are amazing. Rectate
your time, Alex, take care of.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
That's a wrap on this week's episode of Yes Columbus
and Experienced Columbus Podcast. Tune in next week as we
take you on a tour of what's new, what's hot,
and what makes Columbus a city on the rise.
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