This new bar and restaurant in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, is arguably one of the more significant bar openings in the past year. — Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star
The Humboldt Co is a new bar and restaurant in Damansara Heights that is arguably one of the more significant bar openings in the past year, not least because it is helmed by Lolita Goh and Joshua Ivanovic, who are the creative forces behind one of Kuala Lumpur’s top bars, award-winning rum-focused JungleBird.
Inspired by the Humboldt Current which flows from the southern tip of Chile up north through to the Galapagos archipelago (and named after Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt), The Humboldt aims to introduce Malaysians to the rich flavours and cultures of South America, specifically Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, through crafted cocktails and punchy sharing plates.
Upon entering the premises, the first thing you will notice is the striking orange polygonal feature wall behind the bar, which was custom-built to pay tribute to the Sechura and Nazca desert mountains on Peru’s South coast and where the mighty Atacama meets the Pacific Ocean on the North coast of Chile.
Stylised images of penguins adorn the walls, paying tribute to the Humboldt Penguin, one of the current's most famous denizens.
The striking orange polygonal feature wall behind the bar captivates. This was custom-built to pay tribute to the Sechura and Nazca desert mountains on Peru’s South coast and where the mighty Atacama meets the Pacific Ocean on the North coast of Chile.
According to a press release, Ivanovic had became enamoured with the ocean and South America after a number of lengthy exploratory surfing trips in his early 20s.
There, he also got to know more about the Humboldt Current and its major role in sustaining the coastline and shaping the seasons, cuisine and culture of the region.
Together with Goh, his partner in business and life, they decided this would be an exciting new base for a hospitality concept, with him handling the bar programme, and her heading the kitchen.
The Humboldt's main spirit of choice is pisco, with the standout drinks being a great Pisco Sour (left) and the Chilcano.
At a recent media preview, we were served four drinks, each with its own unique selling point.
The full drinks menu will have 14 cocktails in total, and at the forefront is a sensational Pisco Sour that Ivanovic makes with a housemade mistela (a sweet, fortified wine liqueur from Spain), made through a painstaking, envelope-pushing process of ageing, juicing, blending and resting, then clarifying muscat grapes.
I also love that Humboldt is also putting pisco as its main spirit of choice.
Another drink using this grape-based South American spirit is the Chilcano (El Gobernador pisco, triple ginger, apple cider, mustard, citrus, carbonation), an interestingly complex drink that will appeal to those who like ginger-based drinks, such as the Penicillin or El Diablo.
Two must-try cocktails at Humboldt are the Melon Con Vino (left) and the Chocolate Santafereno.
Another highlight was the Melon Con Vino (Belvedere vodka, Midori, China China, Lillet Blanc, melon), a delicious vodka martini with melon undertones.
My favourite is, of course, the Chocolate Santafereno, which I have highlighted in an earlier column as one of my top 24 drinks of 2024.
Made with Chairman’s Reserve White rum with cacao, parmesan, vanilla, lactose and whey for drink, the unique combination of chocolate and cheese flavours makes it one of the most memorable drinks on the menu.
The Antichichos (left) make for great bar bites, while the Ceviche De Camaron pairs really well with the Pisco Sour.
The food is a spread of unique South American flavours and textures. We started with a delicious range of Antichichos (barbecued meat skewers) that make for great bar bites.
You can choose between three varieties – de Carne (beef brisket slow-cooked for up to 60 hours for maximum unctuousness and drizzled with a zingy chile rojo), de Corazon (beef heart) and de Hígado (rabbit liver).
You can also start with the empanadas (a Spanish stuffed pastry), with four types that represent different countries — de Pino from Chile (beef, olives and egg); de Gallina from Peru (chicken and aji peppers); de Viento from Ecuador (cheese and caramelised onions); and de Pipian from Colombia (peanuts and potatoes, accompanied by a spicy peanut sauce).
Empanadas (left) is a savoury Spanish stuffed pastry, while the Toast and Tamarillo makes for a great bar snack.
I especially loved the starters of Toast and Tamarillo (sage & basil tamarillo butter lavash crisp), and Yuca Frita (tapioca, sozón, oji de aguacate), which were great bar snacks; while the Ceviche De Camaron was a nice shrimp and tomato soup that went really nicely with the Pisco Sour.
For the Entrées, the Pescado Encocado pairs barramundi with a savoury coconuty stew; while the Arroz Con Menestra (heirloom rice, lima bean) should satisfy any rice lovers.
The entrees and mains at Humboldt are an eclectic mix of flavours and texture, with the standouts being the Pescado Encocado (left) and Conejo Chactado.
The highlight, though, was the Conejo Chactado – a deep-fried rabbit (served half or whole) dish that takes some unconventional flavours and textures, and pairs them very familiar ones. This is Goh’s take on the infamous Cuy (guinea pig) of South America, and is easily the No.1 must-try item on Humboldt's menu.
With its striking interior, uniquely creative drinks, and some full-flavoured South American cuisine, The Humboldt is one new opening that is worth checking out.
