Ojos Bar is one of the many unique speakeasy bar in KL. Push through that heavy wooden door and you will be treated to an amazing journey to cocktail making.
Ohos means “the eye” in Spanish. The founders behind Ojos Bar believe that cocktail making is all about stimulation of all 5 senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.
There are a lot of Taiwanese influences to the bar too, as it is being managed and run by Cindy, a Taiwanese expatriate who has lived in KL for years.
Every 2 weeks, a Taiwanese mixologist is invited to become a guest mixologist in Ojos Bar. He will work along with David, a Malaysian mixologist to serve the best concoctions to customers.
A dark and sexy looking lounge with plush leather seating, dark polished wood, billiards and a full bar, Ojos Bar makes for a relaxed and saucy scene for locals and tourists alike who would like to have a drink or two.
Food menu is very simple, with less than 10 types of Taiwanese snacks.
For mains, there’s Braised Pork Belly Rice (RM33) that consists of white rice topped with braised pork belly, Taiwanese sausage, egg, vegetables & served with soup too. I like how Ojos’s version of pork belly is springy to the bite, instead of the usual soft and melt in mouth texture. The 5 spice gravy was really delicious too, we requested for extra gravy to go with our white rice.
Taiwan Bento (RM33)
Taiwan is famous for 鹽酥雞 so we were happy that it find its way into Ojos Bar’s menu. However the fried chicken steak was a tad too dry for my likings.
Our first cocktail was prepared by David, a Penang born barista.
Summer Tea
Ketel One Vodka, earl grey tea, apple juice, rose syrup, lime juice, cucumber (muddle).
This refreshing and scented cocktail was inspired by his afternoon tea experience in one of the hotels. I love the light hint of earl grey tea and rose very much.
The guest mixologist of the month is Azeroth from Hualian City, Taiwan. He owns Azeroth Bar located at 七星潭, one of our favourite tourist attraction in Taiwan.
He is really chatty with great charisma. Watching him making our drinks is really entertaining.
Spring
Gordon Gin, butterfly pea infused, rose water, peach liquor, lemon juice, syrup, apple slice, homemade Hibiscus Flower.
Spring is in the air with this beautiful ombre coloured drink. He also prepared caramelised apple slices as a side dish and a beautiful flower wet tissue for us to wipe our hands after that. It is a fruity cocktail with floral note, but at the same time it was quite potent.
Jungle Rules
Bacardi gold Rum, 30ml milk, passionfruit puree, mango puree, caramel syrup.
David made us his signature drink – a fruity alcoholic concoction topped with a a beautiful “fruit basket” made with pulled sugar. Such a beautiful piece of art.
Summer-Bourbon
Homemade Hibiscus syrup, Bourbon, lemon, homemade hibiscus flower.
Let’s welcome summer after a beautiful spring season. Azeroth brought with him these organic hibiscus flowers from Hualien, Taiwan. Bourbon works so well in a refreshing cocktail such as this. The punch of hibiscus syrup counters the rich oak flavor from the bourbon.
Let’s play with some fire shall we? David demonstrated a very technical method of preparing his signature cocktail.
Crescent Moon
Wild Turkey 101 Whiskey, barspoon tie kuan yin, white wine, honey, grapefruit juice.
This oriental looking cocktail was inspired by Mid Autumn Festival, when David was sipping his cup of chinese tea while admiring the full moon. The tea flavour was prominent, and there were many layers of flavours from other ingredients, very nice!
Cococabana
Smirnoff vodka, creme de cassis, ojos ginger syrup, lime juice, top up ginger ale.
This cute looking cocktail uses a cocoa powder coated glass and topped with a homemade cotton candy. Now who says that you can’t drink dessert? I really like the lime and ginger flavours too.
I really enjoy my cocktail drinking experience in Ojos Bar. I like that there’s interaction between the mixologists and the patrons who sit by the bar. Prices are not cheap though (a cocktail costs like RM 40+ to RM 50+), but you are paying for the quality and thoughts that go behind every single drinks.
If you are interested in cocktail making, remember to join the Ojos Cocktail Workshop!
Now you can learn to make your own cocktail. The class is being held on very Sunday (4pm – 7 pm) for only RM168++ per pax. Please call for reservation: +03 7931 8715 or +017 624 4768
Ojos Bar
H-99-G, 72, Jalan Universiti, Jaya One,
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
(Same Row as Wendy Burger)
Phone:+603 7931 8715
Operating Hours Daily: 6pm–2am
