When Nohm shuttered its doors a few years back due to covid-related stressors, the whole city gave a collective “le sigh.” Chef David Chon, mastermind at Nohm, would go on to moonlight at kitchens throughout the city, treating our taste buds with his culinary flair, but it wasn’t really the same. So when grumblings about Nohm’s revival started to spread, we knew we were in for something good. Teaming up with his Water Witch neighbors, Chon’s Nohm has become Bar Nohm. It was worth the wait.
David Chon joined forces with Water Witch’s Sean Neves and Scott Gardner to transform Bar Nohm into a chic yet casual dining space with a snazzy semi-hidden feature—a door inside to permanently connect Bar Nohm with Water Witch (think Bar X and Beer Bar’s connecting walkway, but even more discreet). Sean Neves says the decision to jump in seemed second nature. “We already had a spiritual affinity with what David was doing in Nohm before,” he explains. “We just thought there was a tremendous amount of potential here.” Together, the crew brought Bar Nohm into a new (er) age, creating more of a gastropub than a sit-down restaurant, complete with a curiosity-driven cocktail menu and Asian fusion sharing plates. Think of it as Salt Lake’s first Izakaya restaurant, the Japanese word for an informal bar that literally translates to “stay-drink-place.”
With a portal now forever intertwining Waterwitch and Bar Nohm, another challenge arose: How do you get two totally different concepts to speak the same language? “That’s where our design comes in,” Neves points out. Inside Bar Nohm, tall wood partitions segment the dining room into intimate spaces that accommodate both large parties and solo diners. “It’s a really ‘vibey’ space,” says Neves. “We want people to come back multiple times and have a different experience in each zone.” You’ll also see a few subtle nods to Water Witch in Bar Nohm’s artwork, like the canvases overhead displaying some witchy familiars. On a technical level, Nohm’s kitchen was completely upgraded with added prep space and shiny new bells and whistles. Most notably, a binchotan charcoal grill was installed at the chef’s counter, which makes its presence known with the omnipresent scent of wood smoke throughout the dining room.
As an Izikaya concept, guests are encouraged to share three or four plates during their visit, but you’ll likely be tempted to order the whole menu. “I centered the menu around Chinese, Japanese and Korean food,” says Chef David Chon. “But I’m not limiting myself to Asian produce, I like to play with American and European dishes as well.” Chon’s cultural infusions are a treat to the senses, like the Kimchi Rice dish that puts a zesty spin on a cajun classic (kimchi, rice, shrimp, sausage and sesame). Chon puts his beloved charcoal grill to good use to offer a skewered a la carte menu and of course, plenty of raw bar items.
The cocktail offerings at Bar Nohm showcase similar adventurous techniques and surprising flavors found at Water Witch, but owner Scott Gardner and beverage director Clifton Reagle took care to create a menu that stood on its own. “We wanted a very unique program from Water Witch so guests can visit both spaces and get two unique experiences,” Gardner says. “A lot of our vision was based on David’s theology of food—clean, contemporary, but socially driven.” Like the experimental menu, drinks at Bar Nohm utilize elevated culinary techniques, like clarifications. Expect the cocktail menu to fluctuate with the seasons, at the time of this writing, drinks flaunted summertime flavors like strawberry, snap peas and mint (The Strawberry Sanders). The “Ghost Daq” was a particular delight, combining rum, clarified pineapple, clarified lime and Gomme syrup to riff on the classic daiquiri (for more daiquiri spins, walk over to the Witch where a daq is almost always on the menu).
Bar Nohm’s menu and ambiance are unmistakably the stars of the show here, but there’s definitely a certain thrill that comes with the ability to walk between businesses with a cocktail in hand. While it might seem silly to big city folk, that little door between Bar Nohm and Water Witch is a sign of perseverance in the face of often stifling liquor laws. It’s a symbol of a community that lifts each other up and celebrates collaboration. It’s an indication our salty city is growing up.
If You Go
165 W. 900 South, SLC
barnohm.com / @bar.nohm
