First Look: Cobra Lily

'First looks' are initial sneak peeks at a new venue. Unlike reviews, which are strictly anonymous and paid for by Time Out, 'first looks' may be based on press trips or other non-anonymous visits. Look out for the full review coming soon.

What is it? Cobra Lily is one of the latest eateries to wiggle its way in amongst the slew of brand name restaurants that occupy Xintiandi’s upscale food street. Now, don’t yawn yet – this modern Asian eatery is a displaced hipster in a crowd of commonplace dining chains… and that’s a stellar thing.

The space is kind of like a Brooklyn-meets-Hanoi warehouse apartment boldly dressed up in street art and old school embellishments. Its theme is centred on the mysterious fictional spy Cobra Lily, whose portrayal is actualised in bits and pieces of imagery and text placed throughout the restaurant and its menu.

What’s on the menu? Creative takes on some of East and Southeast Asia’s defining dishes and flavours. Starters include Teahouse Smoked Duck Pastrami Salad with a tangy yuzu marmalade mixture and crispy wontons (98RMB). The Love Me or Hate Me Edamame is all dressed up in a baijiu, truffle and black bean dressing (48RMB) while your standard beef tartare gets a Vietnamese twist with a side of pho broth, spicy sriracha and fresh herbs (98RMB).

Joining these appetisers are small plates of finger foods like the drool-worthy Mini Lemongrass Carnitas Banh Mi with house pickles and chicharron dripping with a tantalising tamarind aioli (78RMB)... two more please! Other interesting bites include Siam Crispy Calamari with red curry (98RMB) and Fresh Prawn Cake Spring Roll with tobiko, avocado and kewpie mayo (98RMB).

And then, there are the big meat and fish dishes – roasted and grilled selections like BBQ Sambal Turbot (248RMB) or Beach Holiday in Hanoi, a sweet-and-sticky dish of smoked pork neck with lemongrass caramel, to be wrapped up in an aromatic leaf from a fresh green plate of mixed herbs (108RMB).

Or take your pick from stewed and smoked dishes like their hearty lamb shank, braised for 20 hours and slathered with a Malaysian Rendang and coconut cream (168RMB) or Phat Hongshao Smoked Brisket served with daikon and mini steamed buns (98RMB).

For veg and starch options, try a whole head of roasted cauliflower with turmeric and yogurt (78RMB), to the rich Foie Gras ‘Fatty’ Sticky Rice (68RMB) and Straight Outta Shanghai Scallion Noodles (68RMB).

To finish off the night, there's a quirky selection of desserts. The ‘Feng Li Shu’ Taiwanese Pineapple Cake with Chinese almond ice cream, pineapple IPA compote and salted duck egg powder (68RMB) is nothing short of heavenly, while Godzilla Meets Bangkok is a slightly strange but satisfying mix of pandan curd with coconut sorbet, puffed rice and the Japanese seven-flavour chilli blend togarashi (58RMB).

You thought we forgot about the drinks, eh? We didn’t. There's a big focus on cocktails here and Cobra Lily’s drinks of note fall a few notable groups: first, signature cocktails like Tokyo Lights, with kaffir-infused gin and matcha syrup (75RMB); and the Tom Khallins, a delightful concoction of lemongrass-infused gin, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaf (75RMB).

Then there are twists on some classics, like the Min-Tea Julep (75RMB) and the Same Same, but Different Mojito with Thai basil, lemongrass rum and pineapple IPA reduction (70RMB). Finally, they’ve got a range of gin and tonics, with choices such of combos like strawberry and rosemary, Meyer lemon and hibiscus petal and curry leaf, coriander and cucumber (all 80RMB).

We say If you're looking for alternative eats in the Xintiandi area, you'll be hard-pressed to find something more worthy than Cobra Lily, who's without a doubt off to a strong start. Like the lovely but nonetheless carnivorous plant that is her namesake, we're thinking Cobra Lily will grow to be quite the femme fatale – after this first meeting, we think might be falling for her... and it could prove to be quite dangerous.

See full venue details below.