Justin Chong -Co-founder of Conti’

Justin Chong

In this interview, Justin Chong, co-founder of Conti’ cocktail bar in Taman Desa, shares a little about life behind the scenes.

What do you do?

I make drinks at Conti’ during the night! 

How did you get into the industry?

An unhealthy hobby (the love for binge drinking) turned into healthy passion (the love for quality and controlled drinking).

Share with us a story from behind the scenes.

The idea to start a cocktail bar began when my circle of friends started visiting cocktail bars instead of clubs. During then, my partners wanted to open a new cafe. They asked if we should also operate a cocktail bar at the same location. Maximising the space at night made sense by converting the cafe into a cocktail bar. This way, with operating costs lowered, we can bring in more spirits to be made into cocktails while maintaining a reasonable price point.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The best part of the job is that I get to keep drinking on the pretext of experimenting with a lot of spirits and ingredients, which I didn’t have the chance to do before the job (and also sneaking away the remaining egg tarts from my partners’ cafe).

What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?

Pizza and mezcal.

What’s one of the most outrageous things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

The most outrageous thing is how difficult it has been to purchase alcohol over the past months. They are always out of stock, even the cocktail glasses! 

The perfect day off would be…

Catching up on all the Netflix shows I missed for the past six days. 

A day in the life of a bartender is…

Really just prepping and tasting (more to drinking).  

What does Justin Chong do for fun?

Definitely still drinking! 

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Conti’?

We strive to perfect classic cocktails and then elevate the classics through different forms and flavours.

How have you grown in your profession? What are your key learnings from your start in the industry until now? Any misconceptions?

Before Conti’, my partners and I preferred very spirit-forward drinks. We thought that the taste of alcohol must be very apparent (perhaps up to the point of being overpowering) in a drink and that all other “lighter” drinks taste like fruit juice to us. Now, we have learnt a lot about the different flavours and types of spirits involved in making a cocktail and how they each play a role in creating a well-rounded drink.

What do you want people to know about being a bartender as a profession?

Taste is very subjective. Although we want to please everyone, someone’s yuck, maybe someone else’s yum. We are always striving to please your palate. So do let us know what you prefer or not, as we can only anticipate what you like if you tell us. 

What’s your view on the cocktail bar scene in KL?

I think the cocktail scene in KL is not as mature as the other countries. Cocktails seemed to be a niche market here and I hope it grows and that people would start to appreciate the drinks and the work put in behind them. 

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?

At Conti’, we are trying to be sustainable. At the moment, we try to minimise waste, such as not using eggs in our drinks, so as not to waste the egg yolk before we can find a more sustainable way to use the egg in its entirety. We use whole fruit with fresh juices, whereby the citrus peels are also utilised instead of discarding them. 

What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months?

Guests can look forward to our Q3 menu. We are also looking to expand our spirits inventory with more unique items so that we have more off-menu options for our returning customers.

Read more interviews similar to this one with Justin Chong here, and stay up to date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations here and here.