We just found your next favourite cocktail bar in Vancouver — here's what to order
Vancouver’s Nomo Nomo feels like the type of cocktail bar that your cool friend would take you to with the promise that they “know a place.”
Tucked away on the corner of Commercial Drive and Charles Street, the 24-seat cocktail bar is a tiny space consisting mostly of bar seating. The concept is brought to us by co-owners Benedict Lim and Wayne Chow and dubs itself as a yoshoku dining bar and cocktail club, with yoshoku being a style of Western-influenced Japanese cuisine.
Here you’ll find a rotating selection of dishes crafted with seasonal ingredients that are meant to be enjoyed alongside its inventive cocktail program (or with beer or sake if that’s more your vibe).
Upon sitting, we were quickly swept into the magic of this place while our bartender talked us through the menu. It’s clear to see that the team is passionate about the cocktail menu, and for good reason, as on our commute home, we struggled to choose a favourite.
Marco Ovies/Dished
You might be nervous to order the Vietnamese coffee-based Karudamon depending on how late you visit (we’ve definitely been the victim of sleepless nights lost to Vietnamese coffee in the past). But the flavours make it well worth it. Described to us as a carajillo meets a green coconut iced coffee, this cocktail is topped with a warm white chocolate foam and is sweetened with kokuto (a.k.a. Okinawa black sugar). We delighted in not only the sweet coffee flavour but also the contrast in temperature from the cold drink and the warm foam.
Those looking for a more refined beverage in line with an Old Fashioned should steer towards the Mango, a drink made with hojicha Suntory Toki, mango cordial, and angostura served with an ice cube imprinted with the Nomo Nomo logo.
Mango (Marco Ovies/Dished)
But what visit to a Japanese snack bar would be complete without… well, snacks. Thankfully, there is plenty to indulge in.
Our foray into Nomo Nomo’s food started with the Hen of the Woods — cold soba noodles served with a lightly poached egg and mushrooms presented three ways. Pickled shimeji perfectly contrasted crisp tempura, all served with the star of the dish, the maitake gomae.
Hen of the Woods (Marco Ovies/Dished)
Following that, we were presented with the Red Crab, with heaping mounds of tamago salad and red crab served on crisp pieces of milk bread. During our visit, they offered us an add-on of these tiny fried crabs that topped the already highly stacked toast. While a little inconvenient to eat purely from the impressive height of the dish, the creamy crab and tamago perfectly contrasted the crunchy crabs.
But our favourite handheld of the night was the Wagyu Sliders. Soft and fluffy King’s Hawaiian rolls are served with melt-in-your-mouth Carrara wagyu tsukune and plenty of “secret sauce.” Adding the foie gras for the additional charge is a bougie but delicious upgrade.
Red Crab (Marco Ovies/Dished)
Our second round of drinks arrived, comprising the Ume (umeshu, sochu, lemon, honeydew, burlesque bitters, egg white, and soda) and the Suika, a clarified Hokkaido milk cocktail that reminded us almost of a watermelon margarita. Both would be repeat orders for us.
But there was one menu item that both folks before our visit and our bartender informed us was a must-order: the Ibérico Pork Coppa.
Also known as the “money muscle,” this cut of meat comes from the upper collar of the Ibérico pig. Here, the team has seasoned it with five spices and served it with a side of apple kimchi and mustard tare, all to create this mouthwatering bite of tender meat that we’ve been thinking about ever since our visit.
Ibérico Pork Coppa (Marco Ovies/Dished)
But as we always say, no dinner out is complete without a little bit of dessert, and Nomo Nomo delivered the perfect sweet treat in its Ice Cream Sando. This dessert changes seasonally, and during our visit, it consisted of a crisp chocolate chip and strawberry cookie topped with black sesame gelato and yuzu whipped cream. Yum.
Nomo Nomo can be summed up by just one word: fun. The food is delicious, the drinks are inventive, and you can just tell that the team in the kitchen and behind the bar are having a blast. Next time you’re in the area, stop by for a drink or stay for a while and chow down on some tasty bites. We have a feeling it might be your next favourite cocktail bar in the city.
Nomo Nomo
Address: 1268 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
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