Cocktail Bar Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur

Cocktail Bar Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur – Bar Trigona

Words: Matt Brown
Photos: Monica Tindall

After exactly five years at the top of the KL bar scene, where its reputation for quality, style and innovation is impeccable, Bar Trigona is in the next stage of its unique journey. Under the skilful and creative leadership of Bar Manager Rohan Matmary, the exciting Foraged Malaysia launched a few months ago and further enhances Trigona’s reputation as not only an elegant place to wine and dine but one with a sustainable focus and commitment to promoting the best of local ingredients and flavours.

Cocktail Bar Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur – Bar Trigona

The Foraged Malaysia menu has been designed with the help of four of the resident bartenders at Bar Trigona, each from a different Malaysian region and tasked with creating locally-inspired cocktails that capture the essence of their hometowns. After much brainstorming and experimenting, the menu was released four months ago and will last for the rest of 2023. This forms the first step in the transformation of Bar Trigona into a natural cocktail bar – supporting local, promoting sustainability, and listening to what is available in nature to direct what they create next.

Rohan strongly believes that sustainability starts with empowering his team so that innovation can truly become a foundation upon which everyone bases their work. Upon reading the new menu, guests will notice that each region showcases four ingredients famous from that part of Malaysia. The only difficulty you’ll face is making a choice about where to visit using this alcohol-based guidebook.

Foraged Malaysia Menu – Sarawak

Known for supplying 90% of the pepper in Malaysia, it’s inevitable that one of the four choices from the Eastern region features this signature ingredient. The Salt and Pepper (RM70) is a twist on a classic martini, with black pepper-infused Hendricks gin, Oolong vermouth, Kaluga Amur caviar and pickled cucumber brine, adding the salt in a strong and mature sip. It also comes with a show-stopping dry-ice presentation, so get your phones set ready to record.

Also available on the Sarawak list are the Bunga Raya, Mangoism and Sarawak Bubbles. The bar staff are all eminently reliable experts if you’re overwhelmed by choice, so do ask, and they’ll happily guide you through.

Sabah

A more refreshing and lighter-balanced drink is the Kunyit Royale (RM65), with Monkey Shoulder Whiskey, turmeric leaf, and four types of ginger, including galangal and bunga kantan with prosecco. Monica and I were in instant agreement that this was the drink of the night – exceptionally well mixed and a combination of fresh flavours that you could almost fool yourself into thinking were part of a healthy, nutritionist-recommended drink. Surely turmeric and ginger in any form are still incredibly good for you, right? This is delicious.

Peninsula

Onto the mainland, and what else could possibly be a more suitable representation of the traditional dishes in this part of Malaysia than the Bak Kut Eh (RM70)?. Jura 12 Year Old Scotch, sweet vermouth, brown butter, bak kut teh and cendawan kukur (splitgill mushroom) creme are served in a set where the pot holds the spiced blend, while the teacup with a butter biscuit on top holds some oolong to sip after tasting the main event. This serving allows guests to participate in a small ritual with their drink and control the flavours themselves by controlling their consumption of both drinks.

Foraged Malaysia Menu – Islands

Sweeter and more tropical flavours complete the journey around Malaysia with offerings from the islands, where ingredients such as pandan, coconut, candlenut orgeat and pineapple hold centre stage. We try Goin’ Bananas (RM65), which combine in a surprisingly subtle blend considering the exciting name Michter’s Bourbon, Diplomatico Planas Rum and banana. There’s a gorgeous edible garnish of a tiny banana as well, made in-house by someone with an eye for detail I only dream of possessing.

Trigona Classics and Honey Flights

Off the Foraged Malaysia menu, Bar Trigona offers creations from Four Seasons around the world, who share their favourite recipes with each other in what sounds like the world’s most elegant and boozy pen pal set-up. Created by Sarath Nair from the bar at Four Seasons Bengaluru comes a fine twist on a Negroni – Kaffir-O-Kopi (RM 65). The classic ingredients of Widges gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari are elevated with the inclusion of kaffir lime leaf and coffee beans. Besides tasting darn good, it’s also served from a striking round bottle, catching the signature deep-orange hue with the fading light.

Bar Trigona’s connection to and support of the bee population in Malaysia is best exemplified in the Honey Flight (RM70), a trio of cocktails that utilise the bar’s Malaysian honey sources to delicious effect. Guests will sample a Trigona Spritzer (Remy Martin, Sweet Vermouth, Soda), Bees Knees (Hendricks Gin, Citrus) and Old Fashioned (Michter’s Rye and Bourbon, Cynar, Bitters). All feature seasonal honey, and your server will be able to illuminate you further on the type they use each day.

You can learn more about the work that Bar Trigona does to support local beekeepers just by asking – the staff are passionate about explaining their inspiring Adopt a Beehive program, where patrons will receive bottles of local honey as a part of their support. The opportunity to taste the daily honey offerings that are beautifully displayed at the entry of the bar is another unique and impressive aspect of visiting Bar Trigona.

Food Menu – Cocktail Bar Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur – Bar Trigona

The Foraged Malaysia inspiration continues with the food available, all designed with local ingredients and traditional flavours, providing modern twists on international classics. The Taro Root Arancini (RM78) is stuffed full of smoked chicken, water celery, and coconut milk gastrique and served with curry leaf aioli and salted egg chips. The sauce is a wonderful standout for these bite-sized portions of hearty flavour.

Fried Fish Skins (RM86) is a generous serving of perfectly crispy, wok-fried skins in dry chilli, with garlic creme Fraiche, ikura caviar, raw purslane leaves, and micro’d sakura shrimp powder. I kept coming back to these for the excellent crunch and not-too-fishy flavour.

For a more filling menu item, look no further than the Lobster Tacos (RM108), a pair of soft shell tortillas almost bursting with grilled Sabah lobster, smoked chilli mole, salak fruit salsa, pickled cabbage and coriander. These took both hands to control and results in quite a few full-mouthed ‘mmmm!’s from myself and Monica.

Reasons to visit the cocktail bar in Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur: this superlative bar never rests on its laurels, which is why year after year it amasses more accolades and awards for its creativity and commitment to excellence. That alone would be enough to visit, although once you realise that you can participate in the incredible local honey tasting, hear the stories of the origins of ingredients for each drink and begin to work your way through the thoughtful menu in gorgeous surrounds, you will find yourself returning time and time happily again. Oh, and Monica loved loved loved the Kunyit Royale.

Bar Trigona – Cocktail Bar Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
Level 6, Four Seasons Hotel
145, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, 50450
Instagram: @bartrigona

Bar Trigona Opening Hours
Every Day: 5:00pm – 1:00am

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