Cabinet 8 KL bar offers cocktails with a unique take on local flavours

The KDD Martini is one of the standout drinks at Cabinet 8 Kuala Lumpur, a cocktail bar in Chinatown. — Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star

The Chinatown area is fast becoming one of the go-to places in Kuala Lumpur for those looking for a night out with good cocktails.

While Penrose may be the most famous bar in the area at the moment (thanks to its No.8 placing in last year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars list), there is also a great variety of other outlets to visit around the area.

One bar you should definitely check out is Cabinet 8 Kuala Lumpur. It officially opened its doors last October, but I only managed to try its full cocktail menu recently.

Located along Jalan Sultan just a stone’s throw away from RexKL, Cabinet 8 is a hidden bar located inside a “neighbourhood cafe” serving coffee and cocktails on tap during the day.

The main draw of its drinks is the use of local ingredients like kedondong and pineapple, from carefully selected farms around Malaysia.

Cabinet 8 is a hidden bar located inside a “neighbourhood cafe” serving coffee and cocktails on tap during the day.

The menu has two parts – Signature cocktails, and a “Tea to Classics” section.

To make it easier for you to decide, the Signatures are also divided into four sections, according to the style and alcohol strength – Gentle, Refreshing, Richful, and High-Proof – with four drinks in each section.

The drinks in the Gentle section is a great way to start the night. Yes, they are “gentle” and light but the drinks are full of complexity and flavour, thanks to the way Cabinet 8’s bartenders create their drinks.

Ang Ang Politan

Ang Ang Politan was a surprisingly memorable one, balancing roselle with coffee for a uniquely floral riff on a Cosmopolitan. 

The rye-whiskey based Americornut was also an example of how Cabinet 8 manages to balance its flavours well, with Majung corn from Cameron Highlands and peanuts forming a sweet, nutty take on an Americano.

Guava Paloma was the standout here though – a refreshing, tasty and oh-so-easy guava-led take on the classic Paloma cocktail. Meanwhile, the smoky mezcal-tinged Berry Mary was a “berrylicious” riff on the Bloody Mary.

Guava Paloma

The Refreshing section does exactly what the name suggests – offering refreshing tall drinks with layers of flavour. The drink that best encapsulates what this section is about is the Limau Fizz, which marries Malaysia’s famous limau ais drink with a gin fizz.

Green Day stood out for me with its green vegetal herbaceous notes; Marcurryta is an interesting curry leaf twist on the margarita; while the floral, peppery, pineapple-led Jungle Nanas was another highlight.

Richful is where things get really interesting though, with lots of, yes, rich flavours to play around with.

Double Special

The Ramly burger-inspired Double Special is probably the most famous of Cabinet 8’s cocktails, with the cute little bak kwa burger slider garnish on the side, and a flavour that incorporates instant noodle seasoning in it.

Cacao Island is another one worth trying if you like strong drinks with chocolate notes.

For me, however, the standout is Wild Colada, a rich, creamy take on the Pina Colada that is full of mango lassi goodness. 

The Wild Colada is a creamy Pina Colada riff that reminds me of mango lassi.

If you’re still hankering for more tropical flavours, check out Jack And Torch, with its jackfruit and ginger torch flavours.

Last but definitely not least, is High-Proof. We started strong (literally) with the fig and elderflower Vesper twist Whisper, followed by the excellent kendondong-laced KDD Martini.

The bourbon-based Take Your Thyme is a herbaceous Old Fashioned that is hardly old fashioned at all, while if you like ginger, Bentong Highland is the one for you.

Bentong Highland

Though Cabinet 8’s Signature drinks are a great showcase of Malaysian produce and flavours, its Tea To Classics section is arguably the most unique aspect of this menu, allowing guests to customise their drink according to their tea and cocktail style.

The concept is simple – first, you pick one of four featured teas – Oolong, Pu Er, Lapsang Souchong, and Jasmine. Each tea is infused into neutral spirit for two hours with the sous vide method, then strained and re-distilled to get a tea distillate.

Lapsang Souchong Old Fashioned

Then, you pick a Style – Tonic, Sour, Fizzy, Negroni, Old Fashioned, or Martini. This gives you a choice of 24 different drinks, all of which are unique in their own right.

My personal favourite was the Pu Er Martini, as the tea notes went really well with gin; and also the tequila-based Lashang Souchong Old Fashioned, which really enhanced the richer notes of the tea.

With its focus on local flavours and also the innovative Tea To Classics section, Cabinet 8’s cocktail menu is definitely one that warrants repeated visits to try them all.

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Michael Cheang can’t keep up with the number of cocktail bars opening in Chinatown. Follow him on Instagram (@mytipsyturvy) and Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy).