From new openings by industry stalwarts to a bar inside a grocer store, there has been an influx of interesting new bars lately. – Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star (left and center), AlcoHall (right).
After the lean, mean years of the MCO, it’s great to finally see more new cocktail bars opening within the Klang Valley lately.
One thing that stands out among the new crop of bars though – many of them are small, unique spaces, with an emphasis on the quality of the drinks and a focus on making sure the guests have the best service possible.
Here are some of the more notable ones that you should definitely check out.
Bar industry stalwart Shawn Chong is finally back with his own bar, and it’s at his old Omakase + Appreciate location.
Located at Ming Annexe, Jalan Ampang Kuala Lumpur, the pioneering Omakase + Appreciate closed its doors in 2020, and since then, Chong has been busy with a project called the Mizukami Collective, which has two locations currently under its umbrella – at OneSixFive and The Chow Kit. This one, however, will be his permanent home, and is called Bar Mizukami, obviously.
Simplicity is key here, from the nondescript entrance to the minimalist design and layout of the bar.
Bar Mizukami is a small bar that only seats 10, and is designed so that Chong can operate it on his own. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael Cheang
The entire bar only seats 10 people, and is designed in such a way that Chong will be able to run the place entirely on his own.
The drinks menu will also follow the same simple concept: two to three drinks on a menu, and Chong’s usual Japanese-inspired ‘omakase’ style.
You can get more information by following the bar’s Instagram (@bar.mizukami).
Penrose has an intimate setting where bartenders can chat with guests to find out what they like. — Photo: MICHAEL CHEANG/The StarThis new cocktail bar is headed by Jon Lee, formerly of Tippling Club Singapore, and according to its menu, “Penrose is a sequence of art through maths. The structure of Penrose comes from the complexity of the 5-fold symmetry.”
Long story short, balance is key in all the drinks here. The core menu comprises some really tasty twists on classics that Lee says are meant to “warm you up to move on to a classic.”
Located at Petaling Street, the bar is a fairly small one (so it’s recommended to make reservations), with a maximum capacity of about 25 people.
However, this in turn creates a quite intimate setting where bartenders can actually chat with the guest so they would know what drinks to make for them.
For more info, follow its Instagram (@penrose.kl).
Alcohall has craft beers on tap and a cocktail menu that will actually tell you how many calories are in your drink. – Photo: Instagram/Alcohall.myA bar inside a grocery store? Well, why not?
Located inside the QRA supermarket at Menara Arcoris in Mont Kiara, KL, this small outlet doubles as a retail space for spirits and wines, with a bar that has craft beers on tap and a cocktail menu that will actually tell you how many calories are in your drink.
The drinks range from classics like the Jungle Bird and the White Lady, to a ‘keto-friendly’ menu with drinks specially-curated for those who are on the keto diet.
You can choose to sit at the bar (which seats about eight to ten people), or enjoy your cocktails in the al fresco area that the bar shares with Qra’s in-house cafe.
Follow @alcohall.my for more information.
Chan’s drinks at Terumi are delicate, soft and have a playful smattering of interesting combinations. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangAfter bartending in some of KL and PJ’s most iconic bars, award-winning bartender Shirmy Chan finally has a place to call her own.
Bar Terumi a.k.a ‘The Tender Bar’ is located at Taman Paramount, Pataling Jaya, and longtime fans of Chan will notice that the bar and drinks are as ‘Shirmy’ as it can get.
From the standing-only long bar to the soft, but not too dark lights, and the adjoining seating area with a pebble path and a little window where guests can watch the bartenders prepare their ice, there were dozens of little touches that gave the outlet a zen and comfortable feel.
The drinks also follow Shirmy’s signature style of very balanced, delicate, softer flavours with a playful smattering of interesting combinations.
For more info, follow its Instagram (@bar.terumi).
Calling itself a ‘post-modern flavour lab’, Reka Bar, located at Damansara Heights, is like a cross between a chill out lounge club and a space-age laboratory.
Reka:Bar is like a cross between a chill out lounge club and a space-age laboratory. – Photo: THE STAR/Michael CheangFronted by bartenders Giovanni Magliaro and Joel Poon, experimentation is the keyword here. There is even a laboratory-like setup at the back half of the bar, where the bar team works their magic through infusion, clarification, distillation and other methods that you wouldn’t commonly see being done at the bar.
The result of their mad scientist methods are drinks that are complex but clean, flavourful but simple, and really, really tasty as a whole. Follow @Reka.Bar on Instagram for more info.
Located at Wisma Cosway, Kuala Lumpur, this little bar fronted by bartender Alvin Au Yong draws inspiration from a much-maligned 1980s era of cocktail making, where drinks had names like Slippery Nipple, Sex On The Beach, and the Blue Lagoon. Yeah, you get the idea.
Anyway, the Rebel Penguin supposedly “pays homage to this era by transporting these misunderstood cocktails to the present with a touch of modern flair and fun.”
If you like a little bit of fun in your drinks, then you got to make a move to a bar that’s right for you, and take yourself to Funky Town.
Reservations recommended as the bar is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Follow @therebelpenguin for more info.
Michael Cheang is just happy to have some new places to have cocktails again. Follow him on Facebook (fb.com/MyTipsyTurvy) and Instagram (@MyTipsyTurvy).
