KL bar's new cocktail menu highlights 'unseen beauty' of cultures near and far

One of the drinks from Reka:Bar's new Spotlight menu, the Bor-Honey is made with Ocho Blanco tequila, ginger-honey, mint lassi, black salt, and calamansi. – Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star

Reka:Bar in Damansara Heights has risen to become one of the most prominent bars in the Kuala Lumpur bar scene in the last year since it first opened its doors.

The Nomadic Breakfast, a hot buttered rum-like drink inspired by the hot beverages Nepalese sherpas drink in the mointains.

This is mainly due to its unique experimental approach to cocktails, as well as its regular “Spotlight” menus, which are changed every three to four months, and serve to give guests a new experience each time they visit.

The bar recently launched a new Spotlight Menu 4.0, titled Unseen Beauty.

Comprising five drinks and three food dishes, the menu pays homage to “the beautiful cultures of our brothers and sisters from near and far who have come to make their home in Malaysia in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones”, and highlights flavours and ingredients from countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Indonesia and Cambodia.

In a nice meaningful touch, Reka will also be donating a portion of the proceeds from this menu towards supporting a local refugee non-profit organisation.

There are also three food dishes paired with the menu: One is a yummy snacky Pakora (jackfruit seed pakora, green chili pesto), the delicious Lahpet (barramundi fillet with lahpet thoke salsa), and Cassava dessert (cassava cake, burnt miso corn, coconut Ice cream).

On to the drinks!

The Yangon Pale Ale (YPA) is a kombucha-esque tipple with a hoppy IPA-like finish.

My personal favourite was the Bor-Honey (Ocho Blanco tequila, ginger-honey, mint lassi, black salt, calamansi), a perfectly balanced drink of distinct parts that still serves to highlight the mint lassi that is a popular drink in Bangladesh, where one of Reka’s former bartenders is from.

As for the others, the Mocha Java was an interesting Negroni twist with Appleton rum, Indonesian coffee and ginger.

Beer lovers might be interested in trying The Yangon Pale Ale (YPA) was a kombucha-esque tipple with a hoppy IPA-like finish.

The last two drinks were the sweet, yam-y Halo-Hello (based on the Filipino dessert, halo-halo), which I quite liked when paired with the Cassava dessert dish.

The nice warm Nomadic Breakfast, was another pleasent surprise. It is a hot buttered rum-like drink inspired by the hot beverages Nepalese sherpas drink in the mountains, and a great drink to end your journey through the new menu.

All in all, it’s a pretty unique new menu that has the added bonus of letting you drink for a good cause. Well worth a try if you haven't already!

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Michael Cheang is happy to see more and more innovative drinks in the KL cocktail scene. Follow him on Instagram (@mytipsyturvy) or Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy).