Palate Palette & Malones

Almost six years old & still going strong, Palate Palette sets an excellent example for F&B outlets.

The food menu here is as memorably quirky as the decor, with mainstays like "asparagyu," "minimalist burgers" & "chicken lollipops," but we tend to gravitate toward the terrific drinks.

Lines on a mirror from the flavor cartel: Bangkok shooters _ Sauza tequila & lime wedges with lines of crushed chicken bacon (!!!), salt, pepper, herbs & spices.

Snort it up, slurp 'em up: Bermuda shooters _ Matusalem Classico rum & orange wedges with brown sugar & cinnamon powder.

Feisty, fiery flavors: Spicy Jacky (cili padi-infused Russian Standard vodka, milo, milk) & Wassup B (vodka, wasabi, lemon juice, simple syrup).

Caffeine with booze help to keep us awake a little longer; try the Jamaican Coffee, featuring espresso, cruzan aged rum, coffee liquor, cream & brown sugar.

Palate Palette,

Jalan Mesui, Off Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Less than a kilometer away, at Pavilion shopping mall, another success story: Malones has truly thrived in the Klang Valley, opening four branches in two years.

Entry on Malones @ KLCC: Nov. 3, 2009.

Southeast Irish-style seafood chowder, with clams, salmon, mussels & white fish. The food here is hearty & tasty; not extraordinarily memorable, but worthwhile.

Seared beef stewed in Guinness for four hours with root veggies. Something that Irish pubs across the world might serve.

The Irish theme persists in the cocktails: St Patrick's Sangria (red wine, Jameson whiskey, fruit juice, soda) & Irish Martini (absolut, vermouth, Irish whiskey).

Malones,

Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.