New: PJ’s Bar & Grill at New World Petaling Jaya

Name me a place in PJ you can go enjoy view the city sights?

Mont Kiara jogging hill doesnt count - that's technically in KL. Gasing Hill? Perhaps, but the view ain’t that spectacular. Also, it's not the safest to be in the day time, let alone at night.

I'll let you in on a soon-to-be-not-a-secret-place: PJ’s Bar & Grill located at the 30th floor of the newly minted New World Hotel that's just behind Paradigm Mall.

With a viewing deck and the hotel’s infinity pool, PJ’s Bar & Grill is the largest and highest rooftop bar in Petaling Jaya that offers a 360° view of the city.

The bar has Guinness and Tiger on tap, a choice of wines and spirits as well as a few signature cocktails. The food menu covers an extensive array of  tapas-style bites, mains, and the open grill serving up the city’s freshest ‘Catch of the Day, alongside its Western and Eastern grilled selections. The kitchen is led by Executive Chef - Alexander Chong, with over 20 years of culinary experience, specialising in Western and Chinese cuisine.

There's even a private Cigar Lounge in the restaurant to puff upon their choice of cigars sourced from Cuba and the Dominican Republic or savour a night cap from PJ’s Bar & Grill’s wine and liquor list.

PJ’s Bar & Grill is opened daily from 11.30am to 12.00 am. For dining enquiries or reservations at PJ’s Bar & Grill, call (603) 7682 0000, e-mail marketing.petalingjaya@newworldhotels.com
or visit petalingjaya.newworldhotels.com.

Make sure FA jio you when she steals away for a pint after work.

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A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Jul 26, 2018 at 6:33am PDT

- Jon

Marini’s on 57 - Introducing the new kid in the bar.

If you are standing in the middle of KLCC shopping or perhaps is in the vicinity thereabouts at 5pm and suddenly thought, "Fuck, i need a drink. NOW!" - Where would you go? Or where would you go for a classy date, get him(or her) decently sloshed with nosh?

We try not to drink on an empty stomach - Marini's food menu is pretty to look at and pretty tasty too.

Don’t look horizontally - look up. One of the best watering holes and acclaimed steakhouse is on the 57th floor of Petronas tower 3.

Brand new cocktails by Roland - a bit of old, a bit of new, a bit of local.

We we recently hosted to sample Marini’s new cocktail creations by the new head bartender, Ronald (his predecessor, Junior, has moved on to the new W hotel). So, the new sheriff in charge has made a stamp of his brand of drinks onto the menu. We sampled 6 of his new signature cocktails and I must say, Raymond didn't disappoint.

Roland sprinkling some gold dust onto his  Pandan Loves Truffles. That chilled gold goblet was so heavy, I felt like a roman emperor drinking from it.

Marini's on 57 sits on a level with one of the best skyline views of KL. Like I said, if you are planning a classy date, I highly recommend it - but either get there early or make a reservation as it gets packed after office hours.

For more:
https://marinis57.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/marinis57/

Cheers!
- Jon

Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant @ ONE KL

Porcinated joy and salutations! I found another porcine-friendly restaurant and bar in KL - or rather, they found me!

Located in Jalan Pinang and just a stone’s throw from KLCC, this nice cozy little hideaway is another brainchild of Cavaliere Modesto Marini’s himself. Now if that name sounds familiar, it's because he is the founder of Marini's and the Marini Group of restaurants.

While Mosto’s Wine and Restaurant Bar is not part of the Marini’s Group but the atmosphere and decor certainly has the same feel. Classy.

Cocktails and tap beers (Heineken Malaysia's triple threat - Guinness, Tiger, Heineken) are on the menu too but Mosto boasts about their extensive wine list. Their wine menu lists wines from all over the globe.

On the menu, Mosto’s signature - Italian themed cuisine and PORK. Pork is served in many ways, from the appetisers to the pastas and main dishes. However, there are also seafood options for those looking for something a little lighter.

Mosto’s is opened for lunch with happy hour wine prices till 9pm and friday happy hours that start from 12pm onwards!

You might like to know that parking is available and free (for now, perhaps as the building as new.).

For more: https://www.facebook.com/mostowinebarkl/ or https://mostowinebarkl.com/

Don’t say I bojio!

- Jon

Images: Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant

Saro Lounge @ Pavilion Elite

There's a new hideaway lounge nestled on the 8th floor of Pavilion Elite - it's actually quite tricky to locate even if I've already told you the mall and floor.

Saro, which is Italian for “I will”, is more than just a name, it's also their commitment to provide guests with a memorable experiences and quality service.

From food to cocktail drinks and beers within a lounge setting, it could transform into a dance club if it wants too. Saro Lounge’s interior highlights is its state-of-the-art light feature that has been cleverly integrated into the ceiling – the first of its kind in Malaysia. The light feature boasts an impressive multitude of configurations to suit any mood, adding to the overall ambience of the main lounge area.

Saro Sour

The bar offers a range of cocktails inspired by Asian flavours. Saro’s signature cocktails bring their own unique twist on the classics, with drinks such as the Saro Sour and the Rum Negroni. A refreshing number is the Signature Monkey 47, which combines fresh and floral flavours into a simple yet flavourful cocktail.

Signature Monkey 47

From the kitchen, Head Chef Nopporn Nutto from Thailand along with Chef Faizal have conceptualised a menu showcasing a contemporary variety of small plates and main course dishes.

Saro Lounge can host private parties and events too. It is equipped with a quality sound system and LCD screens, with the capacity to accommodate events for about 130 – 150 pax. There is also a ‘Saro’s Private Room’, with karaoke facilities and its very own restroom which is only available for private bookings.

For more information on Saro Lounge go to sarolounge.com or its Facebook page.
For reservations, call +603 2110 4080.

- Jon

Images: Saro Lounge

Locker & Loft: 2 years and going strong

Happy 2nd anniversary, Locker & Loft!  Has it already been 2 years? These guys have been so busy!

There's a bunch of new cocktails on its list, such as the special for CNY 2018, Babi Lu Mary, a
twist on the Bloody Mary, with Don Julio agave tequila that's been infused bakwa, among others.

For the fearless, we would recommend checking the KING - their natural durian cocktail with vodka, Baileys, hazelnut liqueur, vanilla ice-cream, almond syrup and cinnamon powder. Absolutely YUM.

There's the low-calorie cocktails for those who wish to get wasted with less guilt, with drinks like LC1, Joozy and Kelapa Rock. Also new: bottled cocktails with fizz, like the K Rock.

For the party animals - there's the new shot 'glasses'  made entirely of ice which you can smash like a proper Asgardian.

They also have a cocktail-catering service where you can request for pop-up bar (can I take it home please) to be set up wherever your party is, complete with L&L bartenders shaking cocktails that you want.

They've also got a new food menu. So you'll see stuff like Tenggiri Quesadilla, Alfredo Catfish Balls, Peanut Sauce Pork Ribs, Sliders, Sardine-Bacon Pasta as well as burgers.

They'll be maintaining their regular crowd-favourite events like Shake N Take (make your own cocktails every Thursday), BBQ Sunday, Sake Sundays and Dames Night so fret not!

Deepak mentioned that they are thinking about opening another outlet... we're keeping an eye out for that.

Get updated with their activities and shenangians here: https://www.facebook.com/lockerandloft/

Tap-it-Out: Malaysia’s First Self-Tapping Beer Bar

Wish you could have the experience of tapping your own beer? Wished you could sample just a bit of a strange new beer you've never had before committing to a full glass of it? Now you can with the launch of Tap-it-Out.

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Nov 22, 2017 at 5:37am PST

Nestled in Solaris month Kiara, this is the first self serving tap beer in Malaysia with 10 types of beer for under RM50 per litre.

The grand opening of Tap It Out was officiated by its founders Ethan Yoon, Ryan Foo and Joltan Ng, in attendance of their key business partner from Carlsberg Malaysia represented by Managing Director Lars Lehmann, Managing Director of Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd Datuk Kenneth Soh, and their shareholders. Image: Carlsberg

Opened in August this year and officially launched in November, Tap-it-Out is a business collaboration between 3 main partners with Carlsberg Malaysia and Luen Heng. Carlsberg Malaysia supplies of course Carlsberg, Asahi, Connor’s and Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc while Luen Heng is the official distributor of Lowenbrau, Erdinger, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois and Leffe.

So how does the self serving tap concept work?

1. Buy an ATM beer pass card (it works like a Touch N Go card BUT BEER). Minimum load is RM50.

2. Choose your poison from the multiple taps on the wall and place your card on the slot.

3. Tap your beer! Note, you can stop at anytime you want, which means you don't have to fill up your whole glass. There is a metered reading that tells you how much (in litres) has been tapped and the remaining value left available on the card.

Sounds like fun, eh? The prices and discount offers will be displayed either on the overhead telly or on the taps itself so you’d know the best buy for your buck. At the time of opening, prices per litre were as follows:

Carslberg - RM33.50
Connor's - RM39.00
Asahi - RM46.50
Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc - RM52.00
Hoegaarden - RM54.50
Lowenbrau - RM56.50
Stella Artois - RM56.50
Erdinger - RM58.00
Leffe - RM58.50

Worth to note that apart from the 10 beers on tap, there's a couple of beer pong tables inside and a selected offering of whiskies.

For a very limited time a free 10% additional credit will be given to all top up reloads. Tap-it-Out opens from 4pm-2am every day. For more information go visit their Fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/tapitoutmsia/

Don’t say I bojio!

- Jon

Tags: #tapitoutmsiagrandopening #ProbablytheBest

21 Years On and Still Souled Out

It's a Black Light 21st Birthday Bash at SOSH! (image: souled out)

I remember a time when Souled Out used to be the few places on the fringes of PJ area for great food, drinks and lepaking with friends...having a difficult time making my mind up from their colourful, thick food menu that offered a wide mix of western cuisine and local-favourites, before finally settling down with my go-to fried beef noodles, sake san pizza or the sinful gosht palak... Then washing it down with their happy hour priced cold pints of beer and their infamous mojitos.

I can't believe it's been 21 years and they have since branched out from Sri Hartamas to five other locations at Ampang, Bangsar South, Kota Kinabalu and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Oct 13, 2017 at 10:23pm PDT

To kick off their 21 years journey, SOULed OUT threw a big party and soon, they'll be rolling out a new menu and all-new outdoor kitchen in the months to come.

Happy Birthday again, Souled Out! You're finally old enough for a drink! :) A big congratulations to Michele Kwok, Freddy Choo and the entire service team.

Here are some pictures of the night:

Giant bowls of Glow G&Ts!

Awesome glow in the dark cupcakes!

Glow in the dark drummers! (image: souled out)

Glow in the dark dancers! (image: souled out)

Locker & Loft's Shake and Take

At one point of his life, Deepak of The Thirsty Blogger told himself, “I’ve had enough of this nonsense” - alcohol prices were going off the charts in prices (no thanks to imposed taxes) which led to too many unscrupulous players in the industry, "cheating" customers.

Then Deepak said FTS and went on to open a bar with his business partner - giving birth to Locker and Loft.

The man himself, Deepak.

Insta Weekly: 44 Bar has moved - KL Oysters Festival - Mortlach launch - Heineken Sundown Party - The Good Batch - Cocktails of 2 weeks -

I know, I know I've been tardy last month. Got too caught up with some crazy offline commitments. But after this week, things will go back to normal again. This I can promise all 5 of you. Without further ceremony:

44 bar has moved!

44 Bar said goodbye The Row @ Jalan Doraisamy and said hello to Dr. Inc @ Bangsar.

Until December 2015, check them out at their new location for your American craft spirits, bespoked gin tonic happy hour sessions and bottle-aged cocktails (truly special stuff) fix. There might be more stuff coming once they have properly settled down - if there is, I'll definitely let you on, on it.

Insta Weekly: Kirin Beer Garden - GAB Oktoberfest 2015 - Free Whisky @ The Bar - Happy 3rd Birthday A&L

1. Kirin Ichiban Beer Pop Up Bar from 1 Oct to 10 Oct at @ Solaris, Publika.

I've mentioned this quite a few times on my FB, instagram and have even blogged about it already, haha. So why haven't you check it out with your friends and gotten hold of your own mini "slurpee" machine already? Hehe.

Insta Weekly : Happy 58 Years old, Malaysia - Keep Your Peels - Arran Whisky Fling - Junior @ #tikitakeover44 - Taps' Better Beer Festival

Long post ahead! So no need for a filler introduction! Just go go go!

1. Jungle Bird for Merdeka #58

I've made the Jungle Bird quite a few times already just to practice. Practice practice practice makes perfect! If you're a true blue Malaysian  then this is one cocktail you should learn to make (and perhaps an Old Fashioned) to impress guests or a date, because if there are only 2 things that we are all unitedly proud of, it's our F(ood) and our B(everage).

Post-event Report: 44 Bar & Taps Beer Bar Presents Beer Bourbon Bacon!

10 August 2015 was the Beer Bourbon Bacon event jointly brought to us by 44 Bar and Taps Beer Bar, held at Tap's Mont Kiara branch.

First up - HOW FREAKING COOL IS IT THAT TWO AWESOME BARS GOT TOGETHER TO HOST AN EVENT?

Sorry about the caps, but this kind of collaboration hardly ever happens in this market, if ever. If you can name me 3 - you win liao loh! But as far as I can remember, ZILCH.  But I digress, as usual.

Anyway, using extensive research methods (Googling), I deduced that this event is inspired by annual festivals of the same name held all over America. Imagine a giant pesta with loads of craft beers, bourbons and all kinds of food with pork.

If you were thinking - Ya right, no way an event where you need to pay RM88 would draw any crowd, it's sooooo expensive. Well, I hate to say this but you're wrong from the sheer fact that Taps Mont Kiara was maximum packed (which is unusual for a Sunday afternoon) with locals and mat sallehs alike. Even the floor upstairs was opened and the seats were filled up!

So what went down that day? Read on!

Insta Weekly: Maruhi Sakaba - The Great Beer Bar - #MyTigerBites - 44 Bar Promos - Neroteca Brunch - DIY Old Fashioned

Last weekend, a good friend proposed that I should consider migrating from blogspot to wordpress, because it's more flexible and the layout allows me to come up with a very sleek, magazine-like feel.

He showed me a test site, which I really like. But I'm not sure if I have the time/energy/intelligence to toggle around with the coding. Wordpress, while is infinitely more moudable than Blogger, requires quite a bit of HTML knowledge to mess around with. I find myself not having enough time to even update this blog more than once a week (which I should because I have quite a few feature posts in the back burner argh!).

But I know that with Wordpress, readers would enjoy my blog more simply because it will look better, plus there are even more awesome, cooler usable widgets that comes with it. Oh man. How do I account for the opportunity cost of time vs traffic?

Let me mull over it for a bit more. I'm a really slow thinker. Meanwhile, here, the weekly update which I make myself to commit to (at least!):

1. Maruhi Sakaba - an Iazakaya that doesn't break the bank. 

Insta Weekly: Cosmo - Nikka Coffey - Asahi - Vom Fass Whiskies - #MyTigerBites - Longrow - Beer Bourbon Bacon - 1K on Insta

Another happening week last week. So much so that I'm already getting a back log of event posts which I haven't  publish... oops! So without further ado:

1. The Best Cosmopolitan I've Ever Made

SATC made the Cosmo super popular way back when. It's actually not too difficult to make. All you need is some vodka, cranberry, cointreau and lime juice and an orange peel for its citrus scent. I prefer to put in a touch of sugar syrup for some viscosity. Also, if you don't have an orange peel around, 1-2 dashes of orange bitters work fine too.

Insta Weekly: Jagermeister remedy - Angostura Fling - Matusalem Rum Party - 44 Bar & BBB event - Beer Day - JW Gold - Singapore Sling

So as soon the the raya festivities ended, the parties came back. I don't suppose a long introduction is needed because last week was quite a happening week, so prepare yourself for a long update ahead:

1. Jager Hot toddy

Cantaloupe, Claret & Fuego Bars @ Troika Sky Dining

In conjunction with Fuego's August cocktails promotion, a few of us were invited for a #TroikaCocktailsCruise  event where we were introduced to Troika Sky Dining's bars by docking at each bar to sample their cocktails before cruising on to the next..... I loved this cruise even before it began. :p

For the uninitiated, Troika Sky Dining is located on the 24th floor of The Troika (along Persiaran KLCC) and is popularly known for its insanely gorgeous view of the KL twin towers and fine dining restaurants. It houses 3 restaurants which are segregated by cuisines: Cantaloupe for French, Strato for Italian, and Fuego for South American.

There are tonnes of reviews out there on its food and breathtaking views which Google can ply you with. But with me, you know we'll be paying particularly close attention to (or geek out at) the liquid side of the business, right? So let's get to it, shall we!

Bonjour Cantaloupe Bar!

Insta Weekly: Homemade cocktails - Launch of Hana @ Sunway Pyramid - 0% ABV beer - Gin Madness.

Last week I had an insightful conversation with a very famous wedding photographer who happened to be a very old friend of mine. He said I should really work on improving my photography skills if I wanted to take this content generating thing seriously. Because more often than not, it seemed that I don't put in enough effort into the composition of my photos - and readers these days, they love a good picture over wall-of-texts posts any day. 

Can't say that he doesn't have a point (double negative!). If it wasn't true, Instagram, Facebook sharing, and Pinterest wouldn't be as popular as it is now. And thanks to Twitter, I'm inclined to think that if a post is > 140 characters, no ones attention span can take it anymore.

Thing is, I'm one of those old-generation bloggers who's used to rambling on and on and on.... and old habits die hard. 

So what I really really want to know from you is this:
1. Do really good DSLR-quality pictures matter?
2. Do pictures matter more than words?
3. Long posts are okay, or just keep it short like Twitter?
4. Do you need a good combination of decently okay pictures with some accompanying drivel?

Because if it's #4, I hope I'm already complying by leaving you with Insta Weekly updates like this one:

Insta Weekly: A Really Special Whisky Tasting Session - DIY Old Fashioned - Troika Sky Dining Bars - Souled Out

The best drinking times are not the ones with the best locations or the best drinks (though those are nice to have) but are the ones shared with great company. It's a privilege to share some good times with old friends and a pleasure of making new ones through such sessions. Bonus is when I get to try and learn new stuff along the way. So here's a shout out to all of you for spending your good times with me at these events below, the ones before and the ones that will be coming our way. Yam seng!

1. Tasting Some Stuff I Can't Afford. :(

We had the utmost privilege of meeting up with Eiling and  Luc Timmermans (of Thosop fame), both of whom are internationally-famous independent bottlers, for a whisky tasting party at their recent Malaysia visit. During these sessions, we bring some of our more down-to-earth stuff to taste and compare with Eiling & Luc's stuff of legends. Our palates get spoilt rotten and our lives are never the same again everytime we see them.  <3

Insta Weekly: 44 Bar The Row - DIY Cocktails: GnT, Manhattan & Jungle Bird - Janice of O+A - Labuan & Kota Kinabalu.

Oops. Last week's insta weekly report's late because I spent the last weekend travelling across Labuan and Kota Kinabalu, which I'll tell you about once you get past my other equally-exciting boozy adventures of the week, hehe.


1. 44 Bar's Found a New Temporary Home @ The Row, Kuala Lumpur

Left: Juicy fruity Tango Mango. Middle: Kick-ass Bottle Aged Cocktails. Right: Potential crowd favourite: Donkey Kick

The 44 Bar that we know and love (previously ex-APW) has popped up at The Row along Jalan Doraisamy. The Row may sound unfamiliar to you - but how about its former name - Asian Heritage Row? That's right, The Row IS a souped up ex-Asian Heritage Row filled with new third wave cafes, quaint eateries and other instagram-genic shops that hipsters would love.

Insta Weekly: World Gin Day, Kampachi dinner feat. Izumibashi Sake, P&C Bar, French Martini, Whiskey Sour

I'd like to share with you something interesting that happened to me last week.

I was at a bar for a quiet drink and bumped into some friends who knew that I enjoyed mixing drinks at home. Everyone was having fun and had quite a bit to drink... eventually I was asked to make a drink at the bar. Much to my reluctance, I did agree, but only after the bartender agreed to it as well.

Thinking back, I wondered how I could have handle that situation better. So many things could have gone wrong (since it wasn't a bar I was familiar with, and I'm actually not a bartender), but thankfully it didn't! Anyway, this experience made me realise a few things:

1. I really do enjoy working behind an actual bar - it's still such a thrill. How do I do something about that which is more feasible for my bank account? :P
2. I need to improve my mixing skills and confidence.
3. I need to learn up a wider repertoire of cocktail recipes.
4. I need to find a secret hide-away bar to drink in. :P
5. Don't get tipsy in a bar, just in case I ever get another opportunity like this again - since my "reputation" is at stake here haha!

That being said. Thank you all for the opportunity. You all know who you are! :)

So what else happened last week?