PS150 Hidden Cocktail Bar, Chinatown
Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau
Chinatown’s first hidden cocktail bar remains one of Chinatown’s best cocktail bars — and that’s no ordinary achievement given some of the outstanding competition that’s opened up in this increasingly trendy part of town in the past few years.
But then again, PS150 is no ordinary cocktail bar.
PS150 Hidden Cocktail Bar, Chinatown
It’s a hidden bar in the truest sense of the word—I still have to double-check where the entrance is even after several visits to this place—and never fails to intoxicate, either literally or metaphorically. Slipping behind the antique toy store counter into the narrow hidden corridor, through the old-school opium den-style hideout, and finally, the magnificent main bar always delights, intrigues, and amazes.
If these faded brick walls could talk, they’d make millions with a podcast. This place apparently used to be a brothel, although the official description is “pre-war shop lot.” Yeah, that’s what they all say …
Outside, intimate seating booths with beaded curtains provide seductive settings for private conversation. The cosy outdoor courtyard offers large and comfortable leather chairs to sink into and find solace from the bustling streets outside.
Inside, tradition meets temptation; dark wood and copper fixtures and classic Chinese lanterns are illuminated by neon lights that bounce off the glorious spirits displayed on shelves that soar all the way to the ceiling.
Like moths to a flame, many a customer of old (wink wink), we’re drawn magnetically in.
The menu is unquestionably my favourite of all speakeasies—and bars and restaurants and everything else—in the city. This is not only because of the incredible selection but also because of its genius design as a classic school exercise book (which anyone who went to school in Malaysia will recognise).
It’s page after page of signature cocktails, specialty liquors and beers, handwritten notes, and hand-drawn doodles. There’s also a very useful cocktail map to plot out your drinking journey from light and refreshing to strong and aromatic.
It’s charming, it’s fun, it’s 100% on-brand — and it epitomises the effort put into every aspect of this place to maintain its unique mystique. And it only further fuels my hatred for scanning those bloody QR codes that many places insist on these days.
Rayhan, the bar supervisor, tells us that the concept is to use as many distinct Southeast Asian ingredients as possible in recipes and garnishes, such as calamansi, pandan leaves, and kaya syrup. Of the 21 cocktails on the menu, he estimates around 70% use exclusively regional ingredients. The rest are finished with Japanese ingredients, a shout-out to PS150’s Far Eastern heritage.
They’ve recently introduced the PS150 Monthly Spotlight: Bartender’s Choice cocktail series. Eight creative recipes are developed in-house, but only one makes it to the monthly menu. (Again, extra points for all that additional effort behind the scenes that we don’t see.) I won’t spoil this month’s surprise for you — you just have to go and try it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
Besides, we’re here to sample some of the signature cocktail menu, and it’s time to get stuck in.
Signature Cocktails
First up, Age of Blossoms (RM50), a floral yet earthy blend of chrysanthemum gin, orange liqueur, mixed berry syrup, salted beetroot honey, lemon juice and egg white. The name is apparently a Chinese metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love, and there’s a lot to love about this beautiful cocktail. It’s sweet and punchy, with a nice scent from the burnt rosemary garnish and excellent consistency on the egg white foam.
The fizzy Moshi Moshi (RM50) will be a favourite for many cocktail fans. The menu says it’s the best way to start the evening, and we wholeheartedly agree. This light and refreshing recipe of vodka, mint shochu, yuzu sake, and Japanese cucumber juice goes down very well indeed. We’re told that it technically takes over 50 hours to make this cocktail; 48 of those are spent infusing the shochu with the mint, and the rest preparing the other finishing touches.
Pitcher-sized portions of punch (RM250 for 4-6 pax.; RM400 for 8-10 pax.) are also available on PS150’s signature menu. We try a Kiong Si, a special spirit-forward blend of three rums from Thailand, Trinidad and Barbados mixed with absinthe, sparkling wine, pineapple and calamansi juices, and simple syrup. It packs a tropical punch and a pleasant aromatic finish.
True to The Yum List tradition, we must try the house Negroni. PS150’s variety is the Borneo Negroni (RM55), a Malaysian twist on the classic recipe, featuring black pepper tuak, pineapple bitter aperitif, sweet vermouth, cocoa bitters and pandan leaf, topped with a burnt pineapple-coconut slice. It’s rich and complex, with layers of spicy bittersweetness opening up as you sip through. I don’t typically like Negronis, but I enjoy this, and if this is your vibe, I thoroughly recommend it.
Don’t Say Bojio (RM55) is described as “when Scottish and Southeast Asian cultures” meet. I immediately think of some expat friends who … you know what, never mind. This cocktail is a sweet, sour and slightly spiced recipe of blended Scotch whiskey, ginseng tuak, osmanthus-honey syrup, ginger and lemon juice. It’s brilliantly balanced, and thanks to the ginseng and ginger, practically a health tonic in my eyes.
Five cocktails in, the sixth accurately reflects our mood. Sing Sing (RM50) features the local favourite asam boi (salted, dried plum) in syrup form, with gin, lime and spicy starfruit juice, topped with a dehydrated starfruit garnish. We love the spicy-fruity flavour on this one, and it ends the night on a high.
PS150 Review
From the aesthetics right down to the attention to detail in every last drop of alcohol, it’s easy to see why PS150 has maintained its cherished status on the city’s bar scene. You can even purchase limited edition PS150 pins featuring four designs celebrating childhood nostalgia and Chinatown stories. The cocktails are excellent, the spirits menu is exciting—including powerful rice wines like langkau, one shot of which will put hairs on your knuckles—and the vibes, as the kids say, are immaculate.
When friends from out of town want a tour of KL’s nightlife, there’s a reason—several reasons—why PS150 is at the top of the list.
Reasons to visit PS150: authentic speakeasy bar in Chinatown; unique mystique and alluring atmosphere; expertly crafted signature cocktails with local ingredients; extensive spirits menu with rare and exotic varieties.
PS150 Hidden Cocktail Bar
Ground Floor, 150, Jalan Petaling
City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to PS150 on Google Maps
@ps150kl
PS150 Opening Hours
Daily 6 pm-2 am
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