When fire meets ice: Magic happens when chefs and bartenders get together
Chefs usually work with fire. Bartenders work with ice. But when both elements and professions decide to collaborate, the results can be electrifying.

One of the more fascinating aspects of the recent Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week 2024 was its cocktail pairing dinners, in which prominent restaurants and chefs partnered with acclaimed bars and bartenders to create exclusive dinner menus paired with specially curated cocktails.

I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of these dinners, and was pleasantly surprised by not only the food and drinks that were served, but also by how much thought both the chefs and bartenders put into curating their menus.

There were six cocktail pairing dinners in total, featuring famed KL restaurants such as Jwala, Jus, Terra Dining, Yellow Fin Horse, BarKar and Waig By Chipta11. Each of these were paired with a specific brand of spirits, while some also collaborated with bartenders from acclaimed bars such as Penrose, Three X Co, Reka:Bar, and Rakh to curate the menu.

One of the dinners I attended was at BarKar, with a menu curated by restaurant co-founder chef Lee Zhe Xi and Penrose head bartender Jon Lee.

Opened by the same people behind the highly acclaimed Eat And Cook, BarKar is a restaurant that focuses on cooking methods using wood flame or fire, while also “reimagining or reconfiguring Malaysian food using these cooking methods”.

Penrose, meanwhile, is arguably one of the hottest cocktail bars in KL right now. The relatively small but sophisticated bar on Petaling Street has made a name for itself with a classic-inspired menu as well as a focus on craftsmanship and hospitality above all else. Within a year of opening, the bar made its debut at No. 50 on the 2023 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.

The cocktail pairing dinner at BarKar was curated by Zhe-xi and Jon.

For the KLCW collaboration, the two Lees worked together to create one of the best cocktail and food pairings I’ve had in recent times.

This was one pairing where the drinks were curated to be as much a part of the experience as the food itself, and not added in as an afterthought to “sort of” pair with the dishes.

Here, Jon went with a more aperitif approach to his cocktails, using Remy Martin 1738 cognac and The Botanist Gin as the base to some flavourful yet light, wine-like cocktails that complemented the intensity of BarKar’s open fire twists on familiar Malaysian dishes.

The meal started with a platter of snacks, comprising BarKar’s signatures, the Wagyu Beef Toast and Signature Kaya Toast, which were delectable local-flavoured snacks.

For this pairing, Jon concocted a drink using Remy Martin 1738 Royal Accord cognac, apple, Fino sherry, basil, Telmont Champagne, and a touch of truffle, a delicious potion of herbaceous yet fruity flavours that first helped activate our tastebuds as we began our meal, while also giving us a refreshing, fizzy drink to cut through the heavier flavours of the snacks.

For the appetisers (Signature Smoked Century Egg With Caviar, and Grill Squid & Kangkung), Jon went with a juniper and grape combo of Botanist Gin, Lemon Balm, Mango, Saffron, and Chardonnay wine, which again, formed a fascinatingly sharp and citrusy contrast with the rich, savouriness of the two dishes.

BarKar’s signature snacks. An aperitif was served to pair with these delectable bites.

The main courses were Char-Aged Pomfret, Char Lobster, and Char Siew Beef Rice. With “char” being the, well, main word here, it was essential to have a drink that would not be overpowered by the smoky, fiery influences of the cooking method, while still complementing the flavours of the fish, lobster and the rice.

This was perhaps the most creative pairing of the lot, with a drink that combined the elegant base of Remy Martin 1738 cognac with savoury umaminess of a dashi stock and the sweetness of local kelulut honey, and also some citrus notes of yuzu at the same time.

The juniper/grape combo of Jon’s drink went really well with the rich, savoury flavours of the appetisers.

Each of these components worked with each of the three mains. The cognac base and honey notes contrasted perfectly with the fat from the char siew and claypot rice. The umami flavours worked well with the lobster and fish, while the citrus notes helped to add a tanginess to the burnt flavours.

The fact that it was still not a very spirit-forward drink was also a bonus, as it worked as a perfect digestif-style after-meal tipple to help wash down the richness of the food, especially the rice.

After that high point, the dessert was almost an afterthought, but BarKar’s team came through with a delicious Pineapple Alaska full of tropical fruity goodness.

For this, Jon came up with a drink made with Cognac, Banana, Tamarind, Tonka Bean, and Pimento Berry – a little tipple that was desert-like and almost too sweet to have by itself, but paired wonderfully well with the tropical notes of the desert.

I even tried pouring some over the whole thing, and to my surprise, it added an extra layer of complexity to the dish, making for quite a pleasantly unique end to the evening.

The drink created for the desert added a layer of complexity to the dish.

In the past, I’ve interviewed chefs about how they look at drinks, and whether they put any consideration into the drinks that guests should have, when planning a new menu. The answers were ... disappointing, to say the least. Some said they do, but only went with obvious choices like red or white wine etc. One was outright dismissive, saying that guests should just drink water with their dishes.

Being a “drink first, eat later” kind of guy, I tend to put a lot of stock into what drinks are being served with the food I’m eating. Considering how a drink might change one’s palate, which in turn might alter one’s perception towards a dish, I’d argue that it should be an essential part of a restaurant’s preparation.

Now, I’ve had some decent meals where food is paired with drinks, but this particular dinner at BarKar got me really thinking more about pairing drinks with food. It also got me asking the question, “Should bartenders and chefs work together more?”

Well, judging by this collaboration between Zhe Xi and Jon, the answer, for me at least, is a resounding YES.

Michael Cheang is looking forward to more bar/restaurant collaborations in the future. Follow him on Instagram (@MyTipsyTurvy) and Facebook (fb.com/MyTipsyTurvy).
Tipsy Turvy,cocktails,Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week,BarKar,Penrose
Should chefs and bartenders work together more? A collaboration between a top Malaysian chef and an acclaimed bartender proves that they should.