accompaniment for drinks
肴 centers on food served alongside alcohol: a snack or dish meant to accompany drinks, not a main meal.
肴 combines 肉 (meat, simplified to 月 in the modern form) with 爻 (crossed lines), suggesting prepared meat or food. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character has long been associated with side dishes for drinking.
The top 㐅 looks like crossed skewers, and the bottom 有 suggests possession. Imagine holding skewered morsels as the perfect accompaniment for your drink.
For コウ, picture a cozy pub where you call out 'koo!' to order another round of drinks and snacks: koo -> コウ.
appetizer or snack served with drinks
food and (alcoholic) drinks; food eaten with an alcoholic drink; accompaniment to a drink
delicacy; rare treat; good-eating fish
one cannot understand even a holy man's teachings without study; one cannot know the abilities of a great man without putting him to use; one cannot know the delicious taste of fine food without eating it
side dish served in order to encourage the consumption of alcohol (kaiseki cuisine)
rare delicacies; rare treat
uncommon and delicious meal
accompaniment to a drink served at celebrations (such as New Year)
cheap wines and unpalatable dishes (a modest (self-deprecating) way of offering a meal to a guest)
delicacies; epicurean dishes
fine wines and prized delicacies
to have as a side order (with drinks)
appetizer or snack served with drinks; accompaniment to an (alcoholic) drink
vinegared appetizer