bartender Martini Bar, Singapore

Diaz Lim, Head Bartender, Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Martini Bar

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
I am the Head Bartender at Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Martini Bar. I was first introduced to the mixology scene by my uncle, David Lim, who had his very own cocktail bar at home where I had lived with him. He is still in the industry and is now VP Operations of IHG West China.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.
I see it as my duty to develop young talents and give them opportunities to showcase their creativity. Hence, we have a monthly martini-making competition amongst ourselves to create the most inventive martini. The winning martini will get a spot on the menu for one month.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part of my job is to meet new people, create new experiences, and learn from my daily interactions. As with anyone in the industry, the worst part of the job is the post-party clean-up, which can get messy sometimes.

What’s one of your favourite gourmet experiences?
I love Thai Food, especially the Crab Omelette from Jay Fai in Bangkok, who had just been awarded a prestigious Michelin star.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
That would be when I witnessed a lady down an entire bottle of Tequila in 5 minutes and she still kept standing the whole night!

The perfect day off would be…
… spending time with my family, my wife Sara and my two kids, Eva and Evan, cooking a nice meal for them and catching a movie together.

A day in the life of a Head Bartender is…
…to rock the show during operating hours, and making sure every guest is well taken care of by my team and myself.

What do you do for fun?
I love the thrill of Cliff Jumping, which I indulge in whenever I’m back in Thailand.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about the Martini Bar?
The Martini Bar is all about discovering a new level of fun with our 30 plus inventive martinis, which are served in 45ml martini glasses instead of the industry-standard 30ml.

What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
A4 SAGA (medium rare) with a glass of Hibiki 17 years served neat .

What’s your view on the bar scene in Singapore?
It is very refreshing to witness the drinks scene evolving at such a pace in Singapore, and encouraging to see that tipplers are also open to discovering new drink options beyond the traditional options of wine, beer and whiskey (which are also changing). This gives us greater reasons and impetus to create new martinis, and it is always a delight to see our guests’ expression of joy and surprise thereafter!

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
There will certainly be new martinis for 2018, and the best way to find out is to visit us in Singapore!

Read about our experience and find some of Diaz’ creative concoctions here.

One Comment

  1. I’ve to try the Thai crab omelette. Dunno if we have it at our Thai places here.

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