Both Seth Chong and his partner Ray Lim had a vision to start a brand that speaks through food, with the ultimate goal of attaining Michelin stars. You might have heard of their first endeavour, Ribs At The Burgeon, a barbecue-themed restaurant which they eventually closed as they felt it limited their opportunities to venture into more adventurous cuisine. After much thorough research and development, Gastro Bar, By Burgeon was born.
It’s actually more of a concept change, really. Located in what was previously Ribs, the space is now darker and more intimate. The bar takes up an entire wall and is stocked with bottles of whiskies. The colours black and gold are used abundantly throughout the place, with contrasting pops of colour from the cushions. The decorations are kept minimal with hanging lights fashioned out of glass bottles and neon lights that glow on the walls, leading towards the bathrooms and kitchen.
The cocktails on the menu were all created in-house. For the sweet tooths, the Strawberry Cheesecake (RM48) is a cocktail you can both drink and eat. It has strawberry, yoghurt, oolong tea, Scotch whisky and their house-made cheese-infused whisky. It’s sweet and it has crunch – just like a delicious cheesecake. A refreshing choice would be the Genesis (RM42) which has Sarsaparilla, yuzu, cilantro, sour rhubarb liqueur and gin. For fans of the Harry Potter series, Gastro Bar, By Burgeon has concocted their own version of the Butterbeer using whisky. It tastes magical (not just because we’re fans), and we also like that it’s a warm cocktail. Though not listed on the menu, it’s available upon request.
As for food, there is a small menu here that embodies the concept of Gastro Bar, By Burgeon. The star dish here is their Beef Tartare (RM68), which is Black Angus Tenderloin set on an herbed baguette, served with sundried tomato and confit yolk of a quail egg. Take it all in one bite and you won’t be disappointed. The Satay (RM38) is nothing like what you’ll get from the hawker shops. Here they use pork cheeks grilled with an in-house bourbon marinade and topped with spicy pecan sauce. The meat is tender and juicy while the sauce is spicy and sweet – we didn’t want to share!
Gastro Bar, By Burgeon also has over 120 kinds of whiskies stocked at the bar. The variety here ranges from American, Irish, Indian, Japanese, blended and more. The owners have based the selections here on their score in The Whisky Bible. According to the team, the majority of the whiskies here have a score of over 90. You’ll have the pick of the litter when ordering whisky here.
Adding to the premium drinking experience is the iced sphere in your whisky glass. You know a bar takes its whisky seriously when your drink is chilled with a large ball of ice, the proper way to keep it cool. As the sphere melts slower than ice cubes, the whisky won’t be diluted over time.