"Sophon is a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Bar and it can still be tricky to get a table. But fun fact: There are frequently walk-in seats available at the bar. After you’re set up with a plate of p’set ang (spicy grilled trumpet mushrooms) and sach chrouk (caramelized, star-anised pork belly), what you’re probably looking for is a cheese-flavored cocktail, and you’ll be in luck. The Khlang, made with brie-washed rye, nocino, sweet vermouth, and delicata squash tincture, is a rounder, nuttier, deliciouser take on a Manhattan. And since you’re at the bar, you might as well get a Mekong, which isn’t available to the table sitters — it’s coconut cream, blended rum, ripe mango AND unripe mango, and a bespoke orgeat made from roasted peanuts and fish sauce. These two should be plenty to show newcomers why this vibrant new spot has been so hyped since Day 1. There’s just nothing like it in town. —Meg van Huygen" - Mark DeJoy
