BAC Bukit Damansara, Highballs & Bar Bites

BAC Bukit Damansara

Words: TJay
Photos: Rich Callahan

BAC in Bukit Damansara focuses on highballs, spirits and tonics. Ten highballs or a beer. That’s it. 

That is confidence.

BAC as an acronym stands for everything and nothing: Before Any Covid, Blood Alcohol Content, Beef and Cocktails, etc. It’s used repeatedly throughout the experience. But what does it mean?

Entering BAC is like being unplugged from the matrix. You wake up to find a world you once knew; a space less draconian or Kafkaesque. To me, BAC is an attitude. It is a mindset. It is a place I have missed. 

BAC is unadulterated fun and drinking with people you like. People you actually want to talk to. There is a semi-private space near the back adorned with a painting of Pulp Fiction monkeys. And a small private room with a mild Star Wars theme.

The bar is built up, meaning, it was designed so that everything is in guest view. All the shrubs, tonics and syrups are on display. The cocktails are built in front of you. It kind of levels the playing field across the bar.

BAC Bukit Damansara Menu

As mentioned, there are ten highballs on the menu. And, it just so happens that we begin with what turns out to be our favourite. It takes two weeks and one day to create the Americano (RM38). The cocktail is a modernized and more sophisticated Boulevardier. Campari and Mancino vermouth are barrel-aged and then mixed with Michter’s bourbon and carbon dioxide to create a lightly fizzed highball. The drink is rich and intriguing, with hints of oak. The bittersweet play between the Campari and vermouth is a constant. 

Have you ever encountered the Green Beast in the wild? I am reminded of the Saturday brunches held in Dubai. Typically, beautiful British women all dolled up for brunch would turn into bedraggled hags only two hours later, completely obnoxious, makeup slightly smeared, and hair askew. The aforementioned absinthe centred cocktail-inspired The Green Glutton RM38. Devilishly strong and deceptive in nature, this highball could wreck a good woman or a man. The aniseed flavour of the absinthe improves and mellows out when mixed with sour syrup, citric acid, lime, sugar and cucumber. This is an advanced cocktail for the one that sips with style.

Highball Bar KL

I find that the bartenders I like hold reverence to a very similar list of cocktails. This list almost always includes Dark and Stormy and Jungle Bird. BAC’s Tropical Thunder (RM38) is the offspring highball of the two. Diplomatico Mantuano and Planas rum, Campari, pineapple syrup and East Imperial Ginger Beer create a foamy cocktail rich in caramel notes and a spicy bite of ginger.

On the lighter side of cocktails, Wire to Wire (RM45) is made with Michter’s bourbon, white peach and mint shrub and Chang soda. Shrubs, also known as drinking vinegar, have become quite popular in recent years. The tang of the shrub is undoubtedly present in this cocktail, and the peach and mint accentuate the bourbon.

The most adventurous cocktail on BAC’s menu is DTF @ BAC (RM45). Toasted rice and miso fat-washed Mackintosh whisky, seaweed and wakame kombucha blend, garnished with a nori sheet brushed with glucose and lemon zest. It is a mouthful – literally. The rice is roasted in fat and blended with the whisky. Afterwards, the mixture is frozen in order to separate and remove the fat. It tastes like smoked sushi and rice. It is definitely a must-try.

Oh God Help Me – I’m Still Drinking

My first impression of BAC to Black (RM45) was that it tasted like Kool-Aid for grown-ups. But after a few sips, I believe it also could be compared to a liquid salad. Michter’s rye whisky (a special treat) is crafted with a strawberry and basil, balsamic shrub and Chang soda. Every element can be tasted in harmony with a lingering draw on the shrub.

Lastly, and another of our top picks, the Paloma Picante (RM38), features a racing stripe of smoked paprika, salt, and lime zest down the side of the glass. It’s a cool refreshing glass of jalapeño-infused Arquitecto tequila, Machetazo mescal, saline solution, sour lime syrup and East Imperial grapefruit soda. The smell of the smoked paprika heightens the mezcal. The salt and the lime accentuate the jalapeño, and the grapefruit lingers at the end.

If ten highballs are not enough for you, there might be a secret we’ll let you in on. Ask for one of the bartenders to illuminate the menu with their “magic light” for the big reveal. I will say no more… (it is supposed to be a secret, after all.) 

Food Menu BAC Bukit Damansara

Much like the drink menu, BAC’s food list is compact, well thought out and bursting at the seams with flavours. I was told to think of the menu in three parts: pre-drinks, during drinks, and oh God help me – I’m still drinking.

We’re impressed with the quantity and quality of plant-forward recipes on the menu. We learn a little classified knowledge that Makissa from The Hungry Tapir had a role in consulting. This is not your usual bar bites menu. It’s much more gastrobar in style and a drawcard in itself, even without the booze.

Plant-forward Bar Bites

Corny East (RM15) was our first sample – fried baby corn, Sarawak pepper hollandaise lime. The corn was al dente and nori-flavoured salt created harmony. The seasoning is Asian, but the feel reminded me of Mexican street corn. 

Room for Shrooms (RM15) is a simple plate of tender, braised shitake mushrooms stuffed with crispy leeks. The meatiness of the mushrooms is a satisfying chew. 

Both Mon and me loved the Habibti Crumble (RM14). Shaved carrots threaded onto skewers were grilled lightly. A carrot juice reduction brushed on adds depth of flavour. A sauce made of yogurt, pumpkin and miso adds umami and character.

The Token Healthy Salad (RM18) pairs well with the Wire to Wire highball. In fact, the food is designed to pair with cocktails. In this case, the warm mustard vinaigrette slightly wilts the kale allowing the crunch of the pears to be the star.

Something Heavier to Fill the Tummy

While we’d be perfectly happy with the veggie options, the animal dishes are pretty darn delicious too. The cincalok-fried chicken called Atas Ayam Goreng (RM25) is served with pickles and lacto-fermented habanero mayo. For an additional kick, ask for Kim’s mom’s special chilli sauce. The chillies are dried in the sun, baked and smoked. Dipped in the sauce, the chicken is sour and smoky with nuances of fish sauce.

XXX (RM60) – Goulburn grass-fed sirloin, dashi butter, black vinegar, soy and udon noodles – offers a little something substantial as you move into the deeper end of the drinking night. The noodles have a nice chew and the sourness in the finish is addictive.

18+ (RM15) are thin stir-fried noodles with garlic, cabbage, spring onion oil and crispy tofu skin. It is simple and delicious. The noodles are slippery and ripe with onion. The cabbage gives a pleasant crunch. It’s another great one to line your stomach before heading home.

When you reach, “Oh God, I’m still drinking?” It is time to order the Soup for the Soul (RM18). Soup for the soul! It’s a fatty, beefy wagyu broth with leeks, spring onions and eggs. I was told by several that the fat gives “gradual release” to the shots. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it seems to have a cult following at BAC. Are you ready to play with the cool kids?

To cleanse the palate, there is a single dessert offering. One is all you need when there is the Sweet Thang (RM15). Soy panna cotta with caramelized honey, bruleed pear poached in kombucha and kombucha granita provide a gently sweet and satisfying conclusion.

Reasons to visit BAC Bukit Damansara: a loud and raucous atmosphere bursting with personality; an intentional food menu that pairs with the drinks; cocktails crafted with intelligence and passion without being pedantic. Our fave highball is the Americano, and we love the Habibti Crumble and XXX from the food menu. To me, it’s the perfect blend of artisanal craftsmanship and a down and dirty bar vibe.

BAC Bukit Damansara
73-1 Jalan Setia Bakti, Bukit Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
+6 010-2870731
www.facebook.com/highbac.kl

BAC Opening Hours
Daily: 5 pm-midnight

Find more KL bar recommendations here, and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia here and here.