Inside Leah Cohen’s Asian American Pub in Jersey City

Jersey City’s increasingly hot dining scene is getting a new addition from Pig & Khao chef Leah Cohen. Opening Thursday, September 21, Piggyback Bar is a casual Asian American tavern with a whimsical menu and killer Manhattan views.

Since Piggyback is a bar, the food is appropriately light-hearted, with mash-up dishes like a mapo chili dog, disco “phories” that include a pho gravy, and a kimchi pulled pork sandwich. Cocktails are similarly Asian-inspired, like one with Thai chili-infused tequila, watermelon juice, and manzanilla sherry. There are 12 beers on tap and 12 wines by the glass. The full menu, with some hits from Pig & Khao, is below.

The 6,000-square-foot space itself is colorful and casual with 150 seats, but the real draw is the view across the Hudson River. When it’s nice out, a 100-seat outdoor patio looks directly out onto Lower Manhattan. Piggyback is a part of Harborside, a 4.3 million-square-foot network of office and apartment buildings alongside shops and restaurants.

The view from Piggyback Bar

Piggyback is Cohen’s second restaurant, which she opened along with partner Ben Byruch. Cohen is the second Top Chef alum to tackle Jersey City — Dale Talde’s Talde has been downtown since 2015. It’s an interesting move for Cohen, but one that makes sense considering Jersey City’s hot restaurant scene, which still offers comparatively lower rents than nearby Manhattan.

Hours to start are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Jean Schwarzwalder

• Pig & Khao’s Leah Cohen Journeys to Jersey City for Asian American Tavern [ENY]