After a dismal dinner at Quivo restaurant at Mid Valley Southkey shopping mall, my girlfriends and I were contemplating whether to head back to Capri Hotel or squeeze in one last activity before calling it a night. One of them suggested this very interesting cocktail bar that she saw on Instagram, so here we are to see what it’s all about!
- Our order:
- Earl grey (MYR50+) x2
- Shui (MYR50)
- Seaweed (MYR50)
- Spent: MYR212
Initially, when we got off our ride, we had trouble locating it as there was no sign anywhere indicating that this place existed. After combing the area and inspecting each entrance, we finally found the super discrete entryway, which was through a door to one of the shophouses. Once inside, we took the lift up to level 3 and found it!
Housed in a relatively compact space, it was certainly giving off serious speakeasy, hole-in-the-wall vibes. The interiors were fully covered in black with a single long table in the centre and a shelf packed with a fascinating selection of disillates. Apparently, the owner of this bar was inspired to get into this trade nine years ago when he was served a crystal clear drink that blew him away with its well-balanced flavours. Now, he and his team create clarified cocktails that boast complex layers of flavours using distillates of different ingredients.
As our visit was impromptu without a reservation, there were no seats available, only standing room at a narrow table behind. Every customer with a seat needs to buy a drink (understandably so given the limited seating) but if you’re standing, then it’s not compulsory. Thankfully, we did eventually get seats after a short wait as some customers left early. At the table, we got to watch the bartender prepare the drinks right in front of us.
When we first arrived, we were approached by a staff (possibly the co-owner) who was very friendly and recommended various drinks to us based on our preferences. From what I gathered, it seems like their menu changes fairly frequently depending on where their inspirations or collaborations take them. We ended up ordering two Earl Greys, one Shui and one Seaweed.
For someone who doesn’t enjoy the taste of alcohol, I actually really liked my Earl Grey cocktail. It was sweet, smooth, fragrant and very easy to drink. The fig foam on top added to the sweetness as well.
The Shui cocktail was definitely stronger and straighter. I felt I had to take smaller sips with longer pauses in-between to recover 😛
I completely didn’t fancy the Seaweed cocktail that was supposed to taste umami. My friend described it as herbacious, probably from the basil oil in it. It basically tasted like a whole load of strong and sharp flavours coming to you all at once, not particularly pleasant.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. I thought it was pretty cool that they distill and create their own clarified cocktails with such intricate, unique flavours. It is truly a pity that my husband and I don’t drink, so we couldn’t fully appreciate the artistry (and science) behind it or sample the range they had to offer. Despite the compact space being packed with customers, noise levels were very manageable and we didn’t have to raise our voices to hear each other. In addition, the cocktail prices were quite reasonable and the lady staff we interacted with was lovely. An intriguing experience for sure!
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
Dania Experiences 