It's Friday night and we're in the mood for music, paired with a pleasant meal and plenty of drinks to unwind after the work week.
Perched on the mall's fourth floor, JIN Gastrobar is clearly visible and conveniently accessible from the upper levels of The Gardens.
To get to JIN Gastrobar, we just followed a passageway inside, filled with minimalist posters of popular films - an artistic way to look at classics from a different perspective. Is that Faye Dunaway from Bonnie and Clyde?
When we visited on a Friday, the Julian Chan Trio strolled into the spotlight for three sets, starting 8pm till 10pm. Their instrumental saxophone-led renditions of iconic songs from decades gone by were a blast of nostalgia for folks with fond memories of Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You and You Are Not Alone.
Bringing on the crunch, the Crispy Ko Ebi Shichimi (RM38) is a confident starter that's addictively deep-fried, featuring ko ebi shrimp seasoned with shichimi and served with spicy mayo - this could belong in a contemporary izakaya, putting JIN's playful twist on bar snacks.
The Chef’s Charcuterie Selection (RM35) is a brilliant pork-free take on cold cuts - a threesome of turkey chorizo, beef cecina and turkey ham with rich, robust flavours, made extra-punchy with capers, cherry tomatoes and black olives.
The Trio of Fries (RM25) is the one for potato enthusiasts, elevating typical fries with tasty flavours - you'll find regular-cut fries with smoked paprika; shoestring fries with Parmesan, truffle oil and rosemary; and sweet potato fries with Cajun spices, rounded out with truffle sauce on the side. That might seem like a lot of fries, but it's moreish enough to polish off fast.
What better companion for fries than these Mini Wagyu Burgers (RM35 for three)? This charming triple threat of sliders is super for sharing, with chunky wagyu beef patties layered with cheddar, tomatoes, lettuce and gherkins.
Prefer a hearty hot dog? The Hound Dog with Crispy Fries (RM28) was conceived as a promotion for this year's Elvis movie, but it has since become a popular permanent fixture.
Feeling stylish? You can even have a three-course contemporary European dinner at JIN Gastrobar - start with the Omega Egg with Truffles (RM50), which resembles an egg in a nest. A panko-breaded egg reveals a soft-boiled creaminess within, topped with fragrant truffles and lined with shaved foie gras, cushioned with crispy leek and beetroot for a textural treat.
Pasta enthusiasts can select from the Primavera Spaghetti (RM28), a lip-smacking vegetarian creation tossed with zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and broccoli in tangy tomato sauce, or the Truffle Carbonara Pasta (RM38), aromatic with an organic egg in truffle jus, heaped with turkey bacon and mushrooms in a lusciously loveable egg-based sauce.
The Pan-Seared Herb-Crusted Salmon (RM48) is fresh, flaky and flavoursome, everything we'd want of salmon, made upliftingly nuanced with its crisp herb crust, plus mentaiko mayo and a potato salad that evoke yoshoku-style inspirations.
We might be stuffed by the end of the evening, but JIN's desserts shouldn't be skipped, spanning Spanish and Austrian influences. You won't go wrong with both the Churros (RM25; a scrumptiously indulgent ensemble with strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream) or the Apple Strudel (RM19; baked to order, served hot with vanilla ice cream and berry coulis).
With a full bar, JIN is worth visiting for cocktails alone.
JIN's non-alcoholic beverages also turn out to be great stuff, keeping the night sparklingly mellow with the Elderflower Fizz (RM28; elderflower cordial with lemonade and apple juice) and Peach Sunrise (RM28; peach puree with passionfruit juice, grenadine and ginger ale).
JIN After Dark is all the entertainment we need for a Friday night, but it's only a short walk from JIN Gastrobar to Aurum Theatre's assortment of auditoriums, from the timelessly refined Comfort Cabin Hall to the top-flight Getha Lux Suites with their motorised luxury recliners and premium plush cushioning, meticulously sanitised so that the air feels spectacularly fresh.
Aurum's various Escape Studios-themed halls are so visually engaging, we'd almost want to leave the lights on for the movie. These comprise Escape Studio 1 (the Hygge Hall with a Scandinavian simplicity), Escape Studio 2 (the Diptych Hall that's a tribute to Andy Warhol with bright colours and neon lights) and Escape Studio 3 (the Tenenbaum Hall, a royal nod to Wes Anderson films, with neat, pastel sense of symmetry).
JIN Gastrobar
Fourth Floor, The Gardens, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Reservations: Call +6018-390-6042
Facebook: facebook.com/JINGastrobar
Instagram: instagram.com/jingastrobar