The name conjures impressions of a Japanese restaurant, but Omakase + Appreciate is actually a cocktail establishment, piloted by two topflight Malaysian bartenders.
Omakase + Appreciate operates like a speakeasy, concealed in an office building basement behind this forbidding-looking, locked entrance, with no other signboard to guide customers here.
Patrons of this small, intimate space, which seats roughly two dozen, should nonetheless be perked up by the talents behind the bar: Karl Too, formerly of The Intermark's Tate, & Chong Yi Shawn, familiar to fans of KL Hilton's Vintage Bank & Taman Tun's Hoofed.
True to the bar's name, folks can trust Karl & Yi Shawn to whip up palate-pleasuring concoctions priced at wallet-placating prices starting from RM25 nett.
Beach Bum (bacardi, orange, coconut, bitters). Potent & complex, these beverages are a testament to the skilled dedication of both Karl & Yi Shawn, instantly making Omakase + Appreciate one of our Top 10 places to order a cocktail in KL.
Elderflower Martini (tanqueray, elderflower, white wine). The bar's business hours are now 5pm-1am, Wednesdays through Sundays, but that could still change.
Breakfast Martini (beefeater, marmalade, triple sec, lemon juice). The music here is eclectic but easy on the ears in the early evening, spanning the entirety of Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox to what sounds like a Shanghai Divas tribute album.
Jalisco Espresso (Don Julio Reposado, Kahlua, sugar, espresso). How to get here? Unfortunately, Karl & Shawn have requested that the exact location be left unwritten for now.
Sidecar (Hennessy VSOP, lemon, sugar). But here's something hopefully helpful: the bar isn't more than a 10-minute walk from Masjid Jamek, & since it's not centuries-sunken Ming Dynasty treasure, it won't be impossible to locate, even without a treasure-hunting guidebook annexe.
Vodka Collins (Smirnoff 21, lemon, sugar, soda). One of the enticements at Omakase + Appreciate is a cocktail menu that's constantly evolving; what's available tomorrow might not necessarily be found today, & so forth.
Our favorite of this bunch: Johnnie Nut Crusta (Johnnie Walker, hazelnut syrup, lime).
Food isn't served for now, with the exception of crackers to ensure tummies aren't totally empty.
All in all, this is one of 2013's most intriguing new watering holes, sure to spark some thrills.
Omakase + Appreciate,
Somewhere near Masjid Jamek, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
