Jon Lee
In this interview, Jon Lee, head bartender/founder of Penrose KL and food and beverage director of Wildflowers KL, shares his journey, views and future plans.
What do you do?
I specialize in all things related to food and beverage, from the front of the house to the back.
How did you get into the industry?
I started as a cook after finishing my Diploma in Culinary Arts. I worked in Fourseasons Langkawi and Google Malaysia and opened my first bistro in 2014. I got a job as a barista in Malaysia and was offered a job at Tippling Club soon after.
Please share with us a story from behind the scenes.
Not knowing how to make a proper cocktail was a challenge. However, Joe Scholfield, my mentor, has taught me everything and anything I need to know. He is the core reason I have strong principles in what I do. An actual human being with an unchallenged level of discipline and compassion moulded me into who I am.
Enormous credit goes to Chef Ryan Clift, who showed me the world of fine food and drink, and guided me with intense tenacity—teaching some incredible molecular techniques behind the scenes.
What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?
Travelling has been the most memorable part of my journey as a bartender. I’ve been to over 13 countries during my time at Tippling Club. The people, culture, and hospitality have moulded me to be more compassionate in how I serve my team. Regarding food, I have a very open palate. I will enjoy anything I believe comes from culture, history, and the heart.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part of the job is meeting incredible people and expanding my palate with new flavours, products, and food alongside the people with some great stories.
What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?
My favourite pairing is with Gin Mare. It’s a pairing made by Chef Ryan Clift and Chef Ayo of the Tippling Club during my Gin Mare global final competition in Ibiza. It was a Gin Mare cocktail with sherry and bergamot, paired with a tomato gazpacho langoustine ceviche with melon. Delicious!
What’s one of the most outrageous things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
It was 2017 in March, just a day before my guest shift. We hit 11 cocktail bars with two shots and a cocktail from each, Basically 30 cocktails in 7 hours. I somehow managed to return to our accommodation in one piece but woke up to find a police cone, a ladder, and 20 litres of filter water in my hotel room. It was scary, outrageous, and memorable.
The perfect day off would be…
… at home, cooking some food and enjoying my own company and some house chores, and lazying around. I have to remember to be human once in a while!
A day in the life of a Jon Lee is…
Exciting, nerve-wracking, learning by mistakes, problem-solving, and managing time to its core. A day in a bartender’s life is the best thing I’ve experienced. It’s, in my opinion, the best job in the world.
What does Jon Lee do for fun?
Go to bars and restaurants to experience the craft and love of my fellow food and beverage family.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Penrose?
We look at our customers as more than just guests. We thrive on conversations and company. We aim to make friends after our guest’s first visit to Penrose. The drink is more of a bonus to enhance the lifestyle experience.
How has the pandemic changed your perspective or the way you operate?
As a bar owner or guest, I’ve learned not to take things for granted. I believe we are at an all-time low during the pandemic partly because of the lack of human interaction, amongst other factors. I make the most of my days and time with quality people whenever I can, and it bleeds over to the bar and how we do core service within the team. It’s no expectation, though. It’s purely based on communication, respect, and acknowledgment of each team member.
What would you like people to know about being a bartender as a profession?
It’s long hours and hard work. There are plenty of mistakes and not knowing what goes wrong during service, prep, or planning. The beauty of the industry and the profession in all F&B sectors make it the least tedious job in the world. Still, it comes with having strong integrity and love for the craft and the people who indulge in the work to stay grounded and consistent.
What do you think about the bartending scene in Kuala Lumpur?
It’s vibrant, passionate, and intense. I’m proud to be back and part of an insanely fast-growing industry in Kuala Lumpur. Top bars such as Three X Co, Jungle Bird, Coley, and Trigona have made this country proud with massive achievements on the global scale!
What practices do you implement or hope to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?
We don’t gate-keep our recipes and techniques. It’s one of the core principles of practice. Sharing recipes and helping out in the process reduces wastage, time, and energy
We do practice a closed-loop system. We turn citrus fruits into a garnish or distillate. We practice less plastic usage in our bar, and reusable bags for our sous vide process. There are plenty of solutions to find.
What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
Guest shifts internationally to spread the love and art we have created and to form new memories with the global bartending scene. We also look forward to big-scale events with my favourite brands and definitely videos and masterclasses.
Read more interviews such as this one with Jon Lee here, and stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.
I wonder what he cooks.
It sounds like he has a lot of fun in his work.