This Bird is set to soar: KL's first rum bar (charmingly characterised as 'rumah rum') takes flight this month, bringing the beloved beverage of pirates & privateers ashore to this tropical-themed setting in Bukit Damansara, spiked with a soulful Caribbean spirit & overrun by rattan & bamboo flourishes. Yo ho ho indeed!
No fewer than 14 rum-based cocktails headline the soft-launch menu, none higher than the bar's eponymous Jungle Bird (RM40; Diplomatico Mantuano, Campari, fresh lime, pineapple juice), returning to its roots as a created-in-Malaysia concoction after running rampant across the globe in recent years. True to the nature of a contemporary cocktail bar that's worth its salt (rimmed), JungleBird offers its own unique signatures, taking local liberties with Closed on Mondays (RM35; Cimarron Bianco, salted egg, curry leaves, red cili padi syrup & coconut cream), a well-balanced, textured treat whose curious name is cheekily inspired by KL street-food institution Wong Ah Wah & its salted egg sotong (Wong Ah Wah is closed on alternate Mondays).
For eager explorers, JungleBird's key allure rests in its rum flights, each featuring 20ml tasting portions of selected varieties that range from Latin-style rums to premium French Caribbean rhum agricole. Hello Rum! (RM70) introduced us to 'rums of four different styles & expressions,' enthusiastically & elegantly explained by JungleBird's team, showcasing the continent-crossing clarity & complexities of Brugal Extra Dry, Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12-Year, Ron Zacapa 23 & Rhum J.M. VSOP.
JungleBird KL
15 Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Mon-Sat, 5pm-late, Sun, 3pm-late. Tel: 03-2011-7715
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