Located off Santa Monica's Main Street, Cobi’s offers pan-Southeast Asian cuisine and natural wines in a cozy, chic setting. Run by the eponymous Cobi Marsh and former E.P. & L.P. chef Lance Mueller, Cobi's now occupies a space that once housed Dhaba, a longtime area Indian spot. Inside, you'll find a cozy indoor dining room decked out with houseplants, floral wallpaper and antique furniture, plus a lush outdoor patio.
Beyond its en vogue cottagecore aesthetic, however, Cobi’s all-around excellent Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian-inspired dishes set the restaurant apart by far. Here, you'll taste Mueller's years of experience, including his tenure as the executive chef for Wish You Were Here, the hospiality group behind nearby Élephante and West Hollywood's Eveleigh. A raw kampachi in coconut dressing imparts the nuanced island flavors of a Polynesian 'ota 'ika, while a jungle curry arrives at the table full of baby corn, miniscule Thai eggplant and green peppercorns. If you please: Save room for the black sugar boba-topped Thai tea pudding.
