BAR MIZUKAMI
Bangunan Ming Annexe, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 6pm to midnight (Tuesdays to Thursdays) and 5pm to midnight (Fridays and Saturdays)
Reservations: 016-301 6498
Do not expect a menu here as Bar Mizukami takes inspiration from the Japanese omakase dining concept by leaving everything in the chef’s hands.
Owner and mixologist Shawn Chong prepares drinks based on customers’ preference.
Whisky sour without syrup at Bar Mizukami.
Tell him your preferred alcohol base and taste, and he will whip up classic cocktails with a unique twist.
Expect the likes of old-fashioned cocktails like Cosmopolitan or stronger ones like Manhattan or Boulevardier with the mixologist’s personal touch.
The bar, with a nondescript entrance and seating for only 10, is reminiscent of the setting of Midnight Diner — a popular Japanese television series with its cosy, homely ambience.
On Fridays and Saturdays, there are two sessions requiring reservations: 5pm to 8pm and 9pm to midnight.
AVIARY BAR
Lobby, 3, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, KL
Business hours: 5pm to midnight daily
Tel: 03-2264 2264
Positioning itself as the home of the internationally renowned Tiki cocktail – the Jungle Bird – Aviary Bar boasts five variations of the drink.
Jungle Bird was concocted by Jeffrey Ong Swee Teik of Penang on July 6, 1973, as a welcome Tiki drink for hotel guests.
Bartender putting the finishing touch on a cocktail at Aviary Bar.
Made from pineapple juice, rum, Campari, lime and syrup, it gained international acclaim when it was listed in John J. Poistner’s The New American Bartender’s Guide in 1989.
One of Aviary Bar’s signatures is Original Jungle Bird, which is made with pineapple-infused Jamaican dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice and a squeeze of lime for a fruity yet balanced thirst-quencher for the tropics.
Other cocktails in the series include Morning Bird, which blends coffee-infused Campari and dark rum with the unexpected addition of curry leaf.
The American Jungle Bird uses Makers Mark whisky as its base and Aperol instead of Campari, with the added twist of a frothed egg white topping.
THE REBEL PENGUIN OF FUNKY TOWN
Lot 1.24 (1st Floor), Wisma Cosway, No.88, Jalan Raja Chulan, KL
Business hours: 5pm to 11pm (Wednesday and Thursday) and 5pm to midnight (Friday and Saturday).
Reservations: 011-2506 3313 or message via Instagram @therebelpenguin
Inspired by the 1980s, a decade often regarded as the greatest by some but referred to as the “dark ages” by those in the bar industry because of the explosion of bright neon colours and artificial-tasting drinks, The Rebel Penguin of Funky Town gives these misunderstood drinks a modern flair and playfulness.
Permanent Surprise from The Rebel Penguin and Funky Town.
Expect bold colours when you step into the bar and sample all 21 of its cocktails, each with distinctive ingredients, flavours and garnishes.
A must-have is Permanent Surprise, which features bak kwa-infused whisky with peanut butter foam and milk Oolong tea served in a doughnut-shaped cup.
Meanwhile, Somewhere Over The Rainbow pairs mango- infused gin with Indian borage that is served over homemade purple yam ice cream rather than the typical cube of ice.
MAN TAO BAR
No.25, Jalan Kamunting, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 5pm to midnight
Tel: 03-2038 0000
Under the glow of the evening sky, sit back with a cocktail and take in the spectacular city skyline including the fine view of KL Tower from the rooftop and pool bar of Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur.
First on the list of cocktails to try is the Moon Goddess, a combination of whisky, beer, amaretto, ginger, basil leaves, fresh lemon juice, egg white and Blue Curacao, inspired by the unobstructed view of the moon from the bar.
Assorted cocktails from the Man Tao Bar.
Paying homage to the storied neighbourhood below is Kamunting Club, a mix of whisky, beer, sweet vermouth, port wine, creme de cacao, white liquor, bitters and juniper berries.
Other signature cocktails are Rose, Rose I Love You which is a concoction of gin, red wine, beer, grapefruit, elderflower, egg white and fresh lemon juice while the Stripe Tease cocktail is made of gin, beer, creme de cassis, blueberry, cranberry and basil leaves.
For evening nibbles, Korean chicken wings, shoestring fries with shaved Parmesan, spiced golden onion rings and crispy money bags are available.
