Halloween in KL 2020 – The Deceased
Words: Kitty Noble
Photos: Rich Callahan
With Halloween 2020 just around the corner, what better place to get into a spooky mood than a visit to the eerily named bar, The Deceased? It’s one of the many hidden bars dotted around Jalan Petaling, and with thrilling, haunting, funereal sounds and terrifying décor, it’s easy to get right into the All Hallows’ Eve spirit. The blue entrance door can be found next to Mingle Café (run by the same team) with a secret passcode to enter. You’re only given the code at the point of booking – but it’s one you’ll remember for sure.
Halloween in KL 2020 – The Deceased
As we enter the scary venue of The Deceased in Chinatown KL, we are greeted by a not-so-friendly skeleton in a wheelchair. We make our way past him, up the stairs, with all-seeing eyes following our every step. The bar and outdoor patio is nowhere near as sinister and is actually a welcoming place to sit. A cool rooftop breeze assisted by industrial fans, the canopy of a tree and the roofscape of Chinatown shophouses makes for a pleasant setting.
Halloween in KL 2020 – Drinks Menu
Tepache
Mariam is the homebrew master and has created a variety of fruity tepache at a whopping 8% alcohol. The fruit is fermented with sugar and yeast for four to six days and in theory, can last in the fridge for up to four weeks. I’m pretty sure that if it even made it back to my fridge, it would be gone a lot sooner than that! They remind me of fruity ciders, popular for a sunny afternoon.
MCO has allowed Mariam to experiment with a variety of flavours. In the current 700ml bottle offerings there are ghoulish pale, fresh mangosteen; scary dragonfruit with honey (RM 52) with a deep purple hue and a lovely viscosity; mixed blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (RM 52); pure raspberry (RM 52); soursop with honey (RM 52), having a slightly earthy palate to it and finally; the more masculine spiced pineapple (RM 45), flavoured with star anise. For the take-away version, the fruity beers are served in an elegant, 700 ml glass bottle with a hessian top (there’s a RM 5 surcharge for the bottle, which will be cancelled if you bring your own).
Each of us had different preferences. Mon loved the mangosteen and I was hard-pushed to decide between the blood-red mixed berry, raspberry and slightly savoury spiced pineapple. Besides the whole bottle, you can also have them served by the half-pint glass with ice (RM 15 – 18). I can tell you, it won’t take long before you are feeling squiffy! Mariam quotes Scarface, “Don’t get high on your own supply.” That theory, however, proved not to hold water as she took one for the team and joined us on our boozy afternoon. Whatever you do, don’t drive here and expect to drive home… who doesn’t like being told they are loved by their friends?
Liqueurs
Besides the fruit beers, Mariam has been working on liqueurs. All are designed to serve over ice or with soda water. The interesting options are Cempedak (jackfruit); Organic Fig with very fresh fruit flavours which would be equally amazing over a vanilla ice-cream; and finally the very fashionable superfood, Acai Berry, providing a very cool slightly savoury taste with a chocolate aftertaste. The takeaway prices for these are RM 48 for 300 ml bottles. Drinking in will cost you RM 25 a glass. The beauty with these is their true-to-nature for with the deliberate decision to not over-filter, giving authenticity.
If your idea of Halloween is to stay safely cooped up at home then you will be pleased to hear that you may order their home-brews and liqueurs for delivery directly to your home, via their shiny new website: app.theother.kitchen/thedeceased
Risque Cocktails
* Warning: Risqué material ahead. Read no further if your cheeks are likely to flush with a few lewd references.
Adding to a blood-curdling cocktail list, Steven, one of four undead partners in The Deceased, tells us about their new risqué cocktails.
We begin our saucy expedition with Hantu Tetek (RM 45), where Malay legend tells of a ‘booby ghost’ (hantu being ghost). Be sure to ask the bartender to fill you in on the full story! Bourbon is combined with spiced dark rum, milk, macadamia syrup, and home-made orange bitters. Whilst it has a great flavour, with the slight woodiness of the whisky being rounded out by the blend of other ingredients, the joy is in the presentation, with suggestively placed half lemons, adorning the milky drink for the full mammary experience.
Hantu Kang Kang (RM 45) is a play on another cheeky tale, this time from Indonesia. The Citadelle gin-based drink is super refreshing and tastes of slightly alcoholic calamansi, combining cucumber syrup, lime and passion-fruit juice. Suffice to say, even I was shocked by the presentation, where no imagination is required to interpret the inspiration for this cocktail. Another interesting folklore, this time involving steamed rice. This was my personal favourite, despite the cucumber, which was ‘barely there’. Speaking of ‘barely there’… check out the picture!
The Deceased’s original lecherous cocktail is the Hantu Kunji (RM 45), where a fountain of foam bursts forth from the phallic centre-piece of the glass. Spiced tequila is mixed with vodka, banana syrup, chrysanthemum syrup and tonic water. Designed to highlight the banana notes, this is very suited to those with a sweeter disposition!
Halloween 2020 in KL – Go To The Deceased!
With the description of the cocktails and home-brews, it might sound somewhat “style over substance”, but that is certainly not the case here. There are some original ideas and flavours and they work well together. If you are having a socially distanced group of friends at home for Halloween 2020 in KL, make sure you order your supply from The Deceased! Otherwise, get booking now as I’m sure they will fill up quickly for Saturday night.
Reasons to visit the Deceased for Halloween 2020 in KL: atmospheric surroundings; cheeky cocktails with shocking presentation; imaginative and delicious home-brews – really, you have to try these!; focus on fun; take-away options
Halloween 2020 in KL – The Deceased
55, Jalan Sultan, City Centre,
50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+60182000262
https://app.theother.kitchen/thedeceased
The Deceased Opening Hours
Daily: 2 -10 pm
Find more on KL’s hot cocktail bar scene here and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia here and here.
Those cocktails look so refreshing and I think I’d like to get tipsy too on Halloween
with these gorgeous looking cocktails.
Your stories are nice, something to get a little scared this Halloween.
Ann
Very interesting names, the drinks. Happy Halloween! Going treat or trick? Better not, #staysafe #stayhome
Perfect Halloween drinks ❤