Eat Drink KL: Ril's Restaurant & Bar @ Telawi, Bangsar

Monday, December 31, 2012

Ril's Restaurant & Bar @ Telawi, Bangsar

A year after first making its mark in Chinatown, Ril's has unveiled its second branch, bringing stylish soulfulness to a two-level restaurant & bar in Bangsar.

Ril's street-level fine-dining eatery captures a sense of classic elegance long lacking in Telawi, while the curtain-cloaked bar upstairs boasts sexy theatricality that forms a luxurious backdrop for bartender Danny Winter's flamboyant concoctions.

The a la carte food menu here wasn't available in time for our visit, but since Ril's recently bagged Time Out KL's "Best For Meat" 2012 accolade, expect to bite into succulent steaks like the ones we've savored at Ril's original steakhouse outlet.
Entries for Ril's @ Chinatown's Warehouse: Sept. 30, 2011Oct. 4, 2011 & Nov. 13, 2011.

Other Ril's stalwarts that might find favor in Bangsar: sweet potato & corn croquette with spicy beetroot compote, lemon creme fraiche & fried quail egg, as well as crispy chicken stewed with white wine & served with potato pancake.

Ril's seafood specialties: prawn cocktail with revamped marie-rose sauce, scallops served sweet, sour & salty, plus lobster tails with truffled macaroni & cheese.

Tuna steak, prepared medium rare, alongside a tomato & red onion salad tossed in red wine & parsley vinaigrette. Rest assured there'll also be fresh entries on Bangsar's menu not found at the Chinatown outlet.

Signature touches like this staircase to the bar ensure this branch remains unmistakably Ril's.

Plan your next rendezvous here: Ril's Bar could be a game-changer for this neighborhood, a shadowy, breathtakingly beautiful hideaway complete with Chesterfield sofas, timbered ceilings, marble-topped bar, smiling servers in bow ties & even a stuffed parrot somewhere.

Cocktails curated with candy floss or swirling with smoke will be available by this coming week; the best time to sip them might be on Fridays & Saturdays, when live jazz performed by the likes of Karen Nunis Blackstone will cast its spell on customers.

Chief bartender Winter can whip up cocktails to suit personal preferences; try this mix of tequila, lime, agave nectar & raspberry compote for something sweetly fruity.

Classic cocktails with charisma: New York Sour & The Old Fashioned.

Ril's was meant to open in early December, but it's been beset by everything from plumbing problems to a nighttime burglary. Let's hope smoother sailing lies ahead; this could turn into one of Bangsar's brightest stars for years to come.

Ril's currently opens only in the evening but will start serving lunch very soon (knock on wood!).

Ril's Bangsar,
30, Jalan Telawi 5, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2201-3846