MARIMBAR - Marini's latest concrete tropical retreat in PJ

The Marini's Group has finally ventured out of KL and now holds a high position in Petaling Jaya (PJ) with its latest venture in Marimba. Marimbar (Marini + Rimba - get it?),is located on the 35th floor of Pinnacle PJ Tower A, right next to Sheraton Hotel, PJ.

This latest venture by The Marini’s Group is a nature-themed watering hole that boasts a panoramic bird’s-eye view of PJ city and part of Kuala Lumpur. Similar to Marini’s on 57, guests can expect good music, fun cocktails and the delicious Italian food, all staple signatures of The Marini’s Group.

Signature cocktails:
The Red Rimba, RM40 - Lemongrass infused Gin, raspberry puree, lemon juice, pandan syrup, ginger & egg white
Blue Moon, RM45 - Gin, sweet & sour, pineapple juice & blue curaçao
Pisco Disco, RM38 - Chrysanthemum infused Pisco, lychee liqueur, lime juice, lychee juice & pandan syrup

For more:
https://marimbar.com
https://www.facebook.com/pg/MarimbarPJ

 - Jon

Images from Marimbar.

GinRikSha: A spicy indulgence of indian fusion

The last time we visited Gin Rik Sha was March last year. We’re not food bloggers as you know but what GinRikSha had was also a bar and cocktail menu, which is where we come in.

GinRikSha has gone through a metamorphosis of improvement since its inception last year. Closed for a month recently, the interior, menu and bar has now been revamped.

Their cocktail menu has also been tweaked - while it still features cocktails with Indian spices, there are a few additions (by the way, Fireangel was a little sad that their really awesome resam bloody mary is no longer available...) and there's a new tap for Tiger beer.  I believe a wider range of bottles and wine are now available.

We tried handful of cocktails from the new menu that was curated by their new bar manager - Chan.

Lavender Sour (RM39) - gin, lemon juice, pineapple juice, blue curacao, smoked.
Easy drinking floral sour number to get your mouth watering for food.

Stress Buster Tea (RM33) - Gin, masala herb mix, tamanrind, lime.
A hot soothing cocktail, it has a familiar scent of resam.

Sharabi Lassi (RM45) - gin, mango lassi, baileys.
Your classic lassi with an alcoholic twist.

Bengal Tiger (RM48) - White rum, brandy, pineapple & lemon juice.
Strong and fruity, right up our alley

Start night  - a Christmas special cocktail with warm notes of a myriad of spices.

Of course, we couldn't drink on an empty stomach and got to sample some of their snacks.

There's another secret - the GinRikSha revamp is only half complete. We understand that a cocktail lounge is soon to be opening upstairs, giving the other cocktail joints around the area a run for their money. Can GinRikSha make it on the list for ‘Best new bar’ for Bar Awards 2019? We're keeping our eyes peeled.

For more: https://www.facebook.com/Ginriksha/

- Jon

Mrs Jones' Parlour @ section 17

A little foodie enclave in Section 17 has popped up on radar. There are a few grub-worthy makan places in those tinyrows of old 2-storey shoplots with a variety of choices. Parking availability is notoriously scarce but that has not been a deterrence.

The only thing missing here, was a drinking joint.

Enter Mrs Jones’ Parlour. Opened this October and is at this time, the only cocktail bar in the area. There are no clear signboards to this bar, so look out for Tujoh cafe.

The second you step into the parlour, deja vu. It brings us back to the late 70’s with its furnishing and deco. Ah FA said that it reminded her of her late granddad's home. Very nostalgic and cosy.

This is related to the speakeasy bar in TTDI, the Pawn Room and sister wine bar, The Private Room.

With gins from Australia, the UK,  Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands. Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand and USA, you'll be quite spoilt with choices.

Mrs Jones’ parlour meanwhile, is a gin bar with a small selection of wine. There's also a selection of gin-based cocktails and homemade infused gins too.

4 types of gin infusions.

Drinks and bottles are generally well-priced. Their happy hours are from 5-8pm where you get 2 glasses of gin (and tonics) for RM40 nett.

All the happy hour gin choices you can choose from - not bad.

Schweppes is used for happy hour but there are 2 premium tonic brands you can choose from with various flavours. 

G&T FTW.

There are bites to go with the drinks as well by Tujoh cafe downstairs.

Food is available until Tujoh closes. Creamy (tom yum? spicy?) soft shell crab was DA BOMB. 

I can see people just coming out here to chill with friends, while waiting for queues for the eateries downstairs to clear.

Amoi Melon (RM 35) - Tanqueray, Midori, lemon, agave, watermelon juice, beaten egg white.
There are 4 cocktails to choose from now - easy-drinking sweet gin-based concoctions from RM35-RM45.

As for me, I plan to catch their happy hour G&Ts as frequently as possible.

- Jon

New: Knowhere Bar Bangsar - Eatery, Bar, Cigars.

We had the honour to be invited to check out this fairly new restobar in Bangsar recently.

It wasn't officially launched yet, but we could see that it was already fairly popular with fellow imbibers. I reckon it's because they got the simple recipe for success right - decent pricing for a decent F&B offering in a comfortable setting.

Drinks - expect twists of classics, alongside some of the beverage consultant's (Hello Erik and Vee from Haus!) signatures. Here, they pride themselves of their homemade infusions and fat-washed spirits.  There's even tuak cocktails for the slightly adventurous.

Bacon Milo (RM30) - beef bacon infused vodka with milo 

I've been told that they use at least 50 ml of spirits per drink - so don't be fooled by how easy-drinking they may seem to be.

Kopi Negroni (RM32) - Spiced rum with homemade kopi tongkat ali liquour & kopi hitam

Since it's this place is rather new, drinks menu may change as they are still testing them out.

Sirap Setan (RM32) - lemongrass & pandan infused gin with homemade rose water, cherry blossom & sours

There's also a good range of spirits (there's even pisco and mezcal!) by shots or bottle, wines, beer (tiger, guinness, heineken on draught, and a selected choice of bottles). For those wanting non-alcoholic options, there's mocktails, juices, teas and coffees.

Smoked popcorn old fashioned (RM36) - whisky, popcorn syrup, grapefruit bitters, smoked

For the environmentally conscious - only bamboo straws are used here.

Smokin Luau (RM40) - Pineapple & cinnamon infused vodka, midori, coconut pineapple, smoked

Food - ranging from bar bites to sharing platters. It's pork-free and there's vegetarian options too. There are loads of posts out there about them, so just google it. :)

It's a smoking-friendly (for now, at least) place, with a small selection of cigars offered.

For more: www.facebook.com/knowherebangsar

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/