Modern European Restaurant KL – Evoke

Modern European Restaurant KL – Evoke Gastrobar

Words: Stephen Reid
Photos Rich Callahan

In 1961, the late architect Datuk Kington Loo, one of the first generations of Malaysian architects following independence, designed the Taman Tunku apartments, nestled among the trees and beautiful parklands of the exclusive area formerly known as Bukit Kenny or Kenny Hills. Three years ago, the building underwent an extensive redevelopment and became ‘The Stories of Taman Tunku’.  

Celina Wu, the founder of Evoke Gastrobar, had returned to Malaysia due to the pandemic, and on her first day released from home quarantine, she was out walking and felt the need for a draught beer. She passed by just as ‘The Stories’ was nearing completion and admired the fact that the developers had managed to retain the charm of the old building whilst bringing it up to date. Seeing the potential for a new restaurant and not being one to pass by business opportunities, she immediately made some enquiries. She reached out to her old friend Head Chef Ryan Teh. 

Celina exudes youthful energy and enthusiasm, which would seem incompatible with the fact that she has been working in the world of food, beverage and hospitality for an incredible 23 years. During this time, she has worked for many five-star hotels and resorts, including as Director of Food and Beverage for The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi and the Shangri La in Cebu.  

Ryan is himself no amateur in the restaurant world, having 11 yrs experience under his belt, including time training at AT- Sunrice Culinary Academy in Singapore and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before returning to Kuala Lumpur to work at the now-shuttered and sadly missed Drift restaurant, in Bukit Bintang.

With Ryan onboard with the idea of opening a restaurant with his friend, Celina developed the concept for an up-market gastro bar. They assembled a mood board for the style of food, mostly Spanish, Italian and French and how they wanted the business to look. The finished interior design of the establishment uses polished concrete, white painted brick, steel shelving around the bar, and a long communal table made from an enormous slice from a tree trunk. 

The use of honest, exposed and unadorned materials results in an uncluttered contemporary space which gives space for the food and drinks to shine. Al fresco seating is available outside amongst the lush greenery of Taman Tunku as well as a more intimate space inside for those who seek respite from the heat with air conditioning whilst consuming cooling beverages and tasty food. The resulting restaurant proved a success, with regular customers returning time and time again for their favourites from the menu.

To celebrate the second anniversary of the opening of the restaurant Chef Ryan Teh has created what they call ‘Evoke Gastrobar version 2.0’. An evolution of their previous menu, whilst retaining foundations that remain in the cuisines of France, Spain and Italy, he has included an Asian twist or thread which runs through some old favourites. There is an increased emphasis on small sharing plates, tapas style, on the menu. When dining with a group of friends, this allows you to try a little of all the delicious dishes, adding more dishes or even repeating one if it is a favourite, which I’m certain you will do. 

Evoke Gastrobar Drinks Menu

First and foremost this is a place where the drinks and the food have equal stature. If you love gin, this is the bar for you, as at the time of our visit, there were 42 different types available, which is forever increasing. Check how many are available when you make your visit. All the gins served are a generous 45-ml pour and served in a large balloon glass, perfect for Malaysia’s warm climate. The stem prevents your hand from warming up the drink. Each drink contains a beautifully clear glass-like sphere of ice made with juniper-infused water, enclosing differing edible flowers and botanicals depending on your choice of cocktail. Together with premium tonics, the bar staff make their own tonic infusions, as well as spritzers which can be made with little or no sugar if you require. 

It is worthy of notice that here at Evoke Gastrobar, all the still and sparkling water is filtered, chilled, carbonated and bottled to order on the premises. This prevents the environmental damage which results from plastic and glass bottles being shipped across the country and the world. Celina also mentions that this cuts down on the need for large chillers to store all the bottles and cool them 24hrs a day. Similarly, they employ a state-of-the-art CO2 machine which, in a few seconds and with a dramatic puff of gas, chills and sanitises each glass before use, again cutting down the need to store glasses in chiller cabinets.  

Given the wide range of gins available, Celina told us that she always encouraged her customers to try something new that they may not have experienced before. Popular on the menu is ‘Gin Flights’ of a tasting trio of drinks along a similar theme or distiller. We tried the Floral Power Gin Flight, consisting of three different floral gins. Sorgin Rose Gin, distilled from the wine with hints of grapefruit and cranberry as well as roses, is served with a pea flower-infused tonic along with an ice ball containing tiny red edible rosebuds. This was followed by Secret Garden Apothecary Rose Gin with their own rose-infused tonic, which had tasting notes of Turkish delight and brown sugar. Finally, we had the Secret Garden Apothecary Lavender Gin, which was accompanied by their own lavender-infused tonic. This had a refreshingly light floral aftertaste 

As well as gin-based drinks, there is an extensive list of cocktails made with other spirits alongside mocktails for those who prefer their drinks without alcohol. There is also a range of locally produced Kombucha, I sampled the Jujube and Wolfberries flavour, which was so refreshing I wished that it was available in retail stores, but alas, this is an Evoke Gastrobar exclusive. 

Modern European Restaurant KL – Tapas 

We only had time to sample three dishes on what is an expansive tapas list, starting with their signature dish, Ratatouille Arancini (RM 20). Perfectly crisp golden spheres bursting with charred eggplant, roasted zucchini, tomato and rice, dusted with a generous layer of parmesan sitting in a pool of Romesco sauce. A squeeze of lemon before dipping one in the sauce produced an incredibly moreish mouthful. I recommend ordering two of these dishes if you don’t want to start an argument with friends right at the beginning of your meal!

Next, a sizzling plate of Gambas al Ajillo, sauteed prawns (RM 38) was set down in front of us. Celina whispered that the owners of a well-respected Spanish bar in town had stopped by recently and given this dish their seal of approval. I have to say that Monica and myself agreed and were glad that our photographer Rich doesn’t eat seafood, meaning more for us. Monica drew attention to the very generous size of the prawns which had been used, and I remarked that they had been cooked perfectly and retained a soft succulent texture. We eagerly dipped the accompanying sourdough toast into the remaining garlic and chilli oil, which was far too good to waste. 

This was followed by Albondigas, lamb meatballs (RM 35). Tender minced lamb, blended with garlic and parsley, came in a wonderfully concentrated pomodoro sauce, perfectly complimenting the meat. 

Modern European Restaurant KL – Salad

Our next dish, Nicoise Salad (RM38), was one of the dishes where a classic French dish had been given an Asian twist. Crisp leaves of lettuce are scattered amongst slices of tuna tataki, which had been marinated before being perfectly seared on the outside whilst remaining pink, tender and almost translucent towards the centre. Ginger, lemon and soy notes came through from the dressing. These glistening slices sat beside ajitsuke tamago, jammy ramen eggs, salty and rich with plenty of umami flavour from their being marinated overnight in soy sauce and spices. These were mixed with chiko tomatoes, anchovies, crushed olives, boiled potatoes and French beans. This was my personal favourite on the menu and one I will return for. 

Main Menu Evoke Gastrobar

Next, we tried the Smoked Duck Four Cheese Pasta (RM 58). Here linguine has been cooked perfectly al dente and tossed in a mix of three kinds of cheese-smoked diced duck breast with a topping of crumbled feta. Monica remarked that this hearty flavoursome dish would be almost equally delicious without the duck. Chef Ryan confirmed they would be happy to prepare it this way if requested, making it an additional meat-free option to the many others on the menu. 

We tried another veg recipe, the Veggie Cheese Burger (RM 42), which has a plant-based soya patty produced off-site for the restaurant. It’s supported by plant-based cheese and mayo, sandwiched between two slices of delicious sourdough that had been lightly toasted. This is served with perfectly cooked crispy french fries, which started to disappear even before we managed to take any photographs! Although we enjoyed the sourdough and the texture of the burger, we felt that Chef Ryan would produce a better patty himself, given the quality and flavour he managed to imbue in his own dishes.

We had no reservations about our final dish from the main menu, however, which was the Poached Tiger Grouper (RM 98). It came in a piquant fish broth, made from their own Evoke XO sauce. Although it’s a secret recipe, Chef Ryan said that amongst other things it contained dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp and anchovies (a pork-free recipe). The fish flaked away into the clear tangy broth to mix with the baby corn, tomatoes and other sauteed vegetables. This was a healthy dish packed with flavour, which nevertheless did not overpower the hero ingredient, the perfectly cooked delicate Grouper fish. 

Modern European Restaurant KL – Dessert

Regrettably, our Grab car arrived far too soon for us to enjoy more than one of the delicious desserts on the menu. The Sourdough French Toast (RM 25) is accompanied by vanilla ice cream and complemented by berry jam made on the premises. Usually, I find French toast to be a little too sweet for my palate, but here the tartness of the jam perfectly balanced the sweetness, and I could have finished the entire bowl myself.     

Coffee 

There is a wide range of coffees available, but being such a hot day at the time of my visit, I opted for a Chilled Ice Coffee (RM15). This was served in a tall glass, and instead of being diluted by the water contained in ice cubes as you drink, this was served with a tall ‘icy pole’, as I called them as a child. This ice stick is made from an additional shot of coffee, meaning your last sip is even more potent than the first. A neat idea I’m going to try at home. 

Evoke Gastrobar Review

Evoke Gastrobar is surrounded by beautiful green parkland in a newly restored building which is now part of Malaysia’s architectural heritage. The building itself was lovingly restored rather than being torn down and replaced with something entirely new. Founder Celina Wu and Head Chef Ryan Teh together have over thirty-five years of experience in hospitality, and it shows. Taking what was an already successful business, they have reinvented their offering, making improvements here and there and much like the building in which their restaurant sits and have come up with something fresh and new from existing foundations.  

Reasons to visit Evoke Gastrobar, a modern European restaurant in KL: wonderful friendly service, possibly one of the biggest collections of gin in the city, paired with modern European cuisine with an Asian twist. I’ll be back for the Ratatouille Arancini and the Nicoise Salad, perhaps washed down with one of their other ‘Gin Flights’, I might even become a frequent flyer! A special commendation has to be given for sustainability in reducing the unnecessary transportation and storage of bottled water by producing their own on-site, something I’d like to see other businesses adopt.

Evoke Gastrobar
Modern European Restaurant KL
The Stories of Taman Tunku, Jln Langgak Tunku,
Taman Tunku, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
https://evoke.bar/
[email protected]
+60166133288

Opening Hours
Sunday to Thursday: 12 pm – 11 pm
Friday and Saturday: 12.00 pm -12 am

Find more modern European restaurants in KL here and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in KL’s food and beverage scene here and here.