Perched on the fourth-level rooftop of Bangsar Village, Mantra's calling card is its exclusive bird's-eye perspective of the neighbourhood, viewed from a sleek, starry setting; this is the sort of watering hole that socialites will throng to see & be seen - but thankfully, beyond the superficial glitz, there are shimmering glimpses of potential in both the food & the cocktails.
Mantra's menu exudes a contemporary sense of worldly confidence - commence with warm, golden Chinese mantou sliders, packed with Indonesian-inflected pulled beef, richly succulent & subtly spiced to evoke dendeng belado, with caramelised chillies & kaffir lime - a sumptuous snack that goes down real easy (RM8+ per piece). Also addictive: Crispy whitebait, smeared with a textured Malaysian sambal & Japanese onsen egg for a unique combo (RM18+). Other items may be an acquired taste; it's rare to spot Brussels sprouts on a bar menu, but Mantra serves them, char-grilled with soy vinaigrette, smothered with shallots, baby anchovies & peanuts (RM30+). Another vegetable that receives the guilty-indulgence treatment is broccoli, thickly battered & strapped with Korean flavours, testing your tolerance for deep-fried calorie bombs (RM15+).
Cocktails are of the smooth, easy-drinking variety - classics revitatlised with Eastern twists, constructed with quality liquor & engaging flourishes. The Dynasty (RM35+) is presented in an Oriental teapot & cup, a mellow medley of Tanqueray No. 10 gin, grapefruit juice, jasmine tea & demerara sugar - a cocktail a grandmother could love. Tonique No. 10 (RM32+) boasts a house-brewed tonic infusion of cinchona bark, allspice berries, lemongrass, citrus zest, lavender & seltzer, topped with Broker's gin; the Bloody Mary (RM32+) relies on the bar's own BBQ mix, with Russian Standard vodka & a striking skewered garnish of beef bacon & cherry tomatoes. Also notable: the Bentong Buck (RM28+), aka Moscow Mule, but with spicy notes of Pahang's Bentong Ginger, plus the Pulau Panjang (RM38+), a wise & witty variation of the Long Island, masquerading as a kopitiam beverage, harbouring an intoxicating blend of Russian Standard, Bacardi, Don Julio Reposado & Tanqueray.
Mantra Rooftop Bar
Rooftop Level, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur. Use the elevator at the centre of Bangsar Village II.
Open Tues-Sun, 4pm through late. Tel: 0173448299
The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.
Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long.
In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.
For every transaction, at least RM0.10 will be channelled to a charity of the month.
Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link:
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter may be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.
Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for Jan-Mar 2016. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook
Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!
If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:
1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.
2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.
3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).