Ari X Gato Tea & Dining Bar: Superhero statues set the scene for Japanese meals & matcha, coffee, cocktails & craft beers

A unique coffee and craft beer bar, filled with polystone statues of Marvel, DC and Transformers icons: Gato has freshly launched in The Club @ Empire Residence, completing the concept of Ari X Gato Tea & Dining Bar in Damansara Perdana.

Admire a private collection built over 10 years, displaying dozens of superhero statues and busts in a spectacular showcase, crafted by collectible makers like Japan's Prime 1 Studio, China's Queen Studios and Singapore's XM Studios. A selection of stunningly detailed statues can be ordered for purchase next year in an in-house gallery!

Come for Gato's hand-brewed coffee and craft beer, stay for Ari's Japanese-inspired meals, matcha and cocktails, set beside a spacious, soothing garden for a distinctive destination.

For fans of hand-brewed black coffee, Gato's pour-overs are a patiently prepared pleasure, relying on a careful curation of beans, such as the China YunNan TianHao, cultivated in high mountain altitudes for bright fruitiness, and Liberica Sun-dried Natural, expressively clean with unique notes of jackfruit, dried longan and black tea.

Also check out the craft beers from around the world, perfect for after-work hangouts. Favourites might be Moon Dog’s easygoing Australian cans and Sunmai’s award-winning Taiwanese ales, plus other well-travelled bottles with plenty of personality.

While exploring Gato, customers can also enjoy Ari, with a glass-walled garden scene that evolves elegantly from day to night, setting the stage for bright brunches to romantic dinners, centred on soulful Japanese fare, creative matcha concoctions and cocktails.

The Signature Chazuke Sake (RM32) channels a Japanese comfort classic of salmon, unagi or shiitake mushrooms over rice, gently heartwarming with hot tea broth, garnished with roasted sesame and crispy seaweed for delicate depth from land and sea.

Hiyashi Somen with Tempura promises cool, silky noodles to combat summertime temperatures, rounded out with crisp mixed tempura, sharpened with wasabi dipping sauce.

Stir-Fried Udon with Tiger Prawns springs up with slick udon, scrumptiously chewy in a lightly savoury glaze, succulently aromatic with tiger prawns and vegetables.

Irresistibly addictive snacks like Mini Japanese Gyoza Pizza (topped with tiger prawns or salmon) and Hanpen Fish Cakes keep us merrily munching all evening long.

For matcha enthusiasts, Ari's flagship tasting flight is the Signature Matcha Journey, brewing three different stories from the same leaf, travelling from soft whispers to sparkling laughter. 

The YuzuPine Matcha Tonic vibrantly soars with matcha, zesty yuzu and pineapple; Coconut Matcha Cloud is layered with a fluffy matcha cloud top, cushioned with rejuvenating coconut water; the Mini Hot Matcha Latte is creamy-velvety, finishing with grounded earthiness.

Charming cocktails ensure an enchanting experience.

Whack-a-Wasabi Prawn is playfully indulgent with a vodka-infused tiger prawn, torched and perched on a wasabi-rimmed glass, lime-finished for sip-bite-squeeze fun, bold and bracing.

Rising Sun blends Jim Beam whiskey with orange, lemon, yoghurt and sweet basil leaves, balancing a citrus-herbal lift with probiotic richness.

Midnight Matcha Rum runs temptingly into tropical twilight, pairing the vegetal clarity of matcha with the lively lusciousness of yuzu, pineapple and rum.

Ari X Gato Tea & Dining Bar 
Ground Floor, The Club@ Empire Residence, Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 8am-1am. 

Tel: 013-553-6800