Where the Kodama opened in late April 2022 is a speakeasy, the Bootlegger. course and style, because here we do not come to hide, but to discover what Asia offers us to change in terms of flavors and alcoholic beverages.

Indeed, three Asian enthusiasts joined forces to open this pretty bar on the banks of the Saône. Julie Cétan, the bartender, fan of Gibli studio films, Charles Nikolob, musician and sound engineer passionate about martial arts and the Japanese way of life, and Sébastien Ah-Yane, manga and Japanese cuisine devourer.

Sake, soju and makgeolli

Julie Cétan thought of her cocktail menu as an invitation, even an initiation, to the world of Japanese and Korean alcohols. If the star of cocktails is sake, this enthusiast also wanted to introduce the soju : a flavored alcohol, the most consumed in the world it seems, which is drunk raw, in a cocktail or in a shot dipped in a lager.

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But also the makgeolli, cloudy rice wine, Korean cousin of sake, and a myriad of alcohols coming directly from Asia, which we only see at home. To accompany this, in the kitchen, Sébastien Ah-Yane concocts a small menu of Asian street-food: onigiri vegetarian, with beef or tuna, whose recipes change with each season, and takoyaki (octopus dumpling), specialty of Osaka.

Jazz and groovy playlists

Finally, in terms of atmosphere, Charles Nikolob is in charge. “We want to offer an invitation to travel without leaving Lyon, trying to work on the five senses, including taste, sight but also music. » Indeed, Charles has developed playlists “jazz, groovy, with a hint of funk”by looking for Japanese or Korean bands.

Sometimes a little K-pop rhythm for a few moments of the evening, to please regulars fond of this musical style. And on some Saturday evenings, DJs specializing in Asian music come behind the decks. A complete sensory immersion, offered in a good mood by three fans of Japanese culture.

Kodama means “echo” or “spirit of the forest” in Japanese. The logo on the front of the bar, a fox mask, was chosen by the trio because it is the protective animal of the Japanese goddess of prosperity and rice. A nod to sake (rice alcohol), which is found in the majority of cocktails created by Julie.

113 Quai de Pierre-Scize, Lyon 5^e. 06 13 65 26 14.
Tuesday to Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Prices. Cocktails: 9 euros. Soju: 3 euros per shot. Makgeolli: 4 euros per bowl.

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