Bar Gaya's welcoming atmosphere enhances customer experience (All photos: Genie Leong/The Edge)
Of all the F&B and nightlife hotspots in Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar is the only one that seems to get better with time. For industry veterans such as bartender David Hans (of Three X Co fame), the neighbourhood is hard to leave behind once you get used to it. Hence, it made sense that he chose a second floor unit on Jalan Telawi 5 to open his latest venture, Bar Gaya.
If the name (the Malay word for “style”) did not already give it away, local influences are at the core of Bar Gaya. It starts from the moment you find the stairway entrance — plastered on the top right corner is the bar’s red logo, the letter Y stylised to reference a hibiscus bloom with a stigma peeking over the top as if it were a paper parasol or garnish pick in a martini glass.
Once up the steps, the decaled message on the front door — “Yesterday’s Moments Continue Alive”, arranged acrostically to form “YMCA”, although we have no reason to believe there is any affiliation with the youth organisation — offers a more direct hint at what awaits. Hans’ memories from youth play a big role in the curation of the menu, which is a walk down memory lane for all lucky enough to have grown up in Malaysia.
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The vibe inside is warm and somewhat tropical, pulled together through touches of torched-orange and the odd potted plant in a corner. In the tiled terracotta-hued foyer, a small cluster of shrubs greets you alongside a figurine of the Guinness Toucan, frozen mid-squawk next to a pint of the black stuff. The cheeky beloved icon of the Irish stout brand since the 1930s reappears in one of the first drinks you would be enticed to try — Burung Malaya — a take on the tiki classic known as the Jungle Bird.
The beaming avian printed on the glass announces itself with the grassy-vanillic perfume of a scorched pandan leaf. The house-made Guinness Amaro — a combination of beer and a bittersweet herbal liqueur traditionally of Italian origin — is a highlight heavily recommended by the staff. It might be all this puffery that makes the first sip more disenchanting than anticipated — the malted, coffee-like expression of stout is hardly present, and it is mainly the molasses of dark rum intermingled with a timid zing of pineapple that washes the tongue. For a drink with such a fantastic presentation, it falls short of expectations.
Another odd choice is Grasshopper Pie, a play on the classic Grasshopper tipple. A long-stemmed coupe glass arrives liberally coated with matcha, in place of the original’s chocolate rim. The use of corn, nuts and egg yolk is based on apam balik, or so we were told. This is all fabulous in theory until you bring the glass to your face and take that first sip, only to be met by a mint note so obnoxious that it encroaches on toothpaste territory, especially when matched with the bitterness of green tea. With this flavour profile, a viscosity that would normally be considered luxurious and silky becomes awfully reminiscent of your morning swish-and-spit. Maybe we are just not mint dessert people, but even so, some restraint could make for a more balanced result.
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Luckily, things start to pick up with Fairy Tales and Butterfly Effects, inspired respectively by fantasy books from younger days and the concept of small decisions made today having significant reverberations come tomorrow. The former takes its name seriously, coming in the form of a milky potion topped with an edible bloom and housed in an adorable wooden cup — melon, yoghurt and green apple similar in taste to green Vitagen or fluorescent hard-boiled candies. Meanwhile, the second cocktail, a simple combination of gin, butterfly pea flower, pandan and coconut evokes images of the translucent, cherry red agar-agar commonly devoured at open houses.
Next, Eastern Poem echoes the medicinal cordials that made us retch as children but we now find comfort in when feeling under the weather. The Chinese herb-infused gin has an earthy, floral quality similar to that of chrysanthemum tea. Pei Pa Koa — that thick, blackish syrup used to relieve sore throats and phlegmy coughs enhances the nourishing herbal tone. For a moment, imbibing it actually feels as if it could heal more than just issues of the heart. The effervescence of tonic water keeps things light and almost too easy to drink. Topping the porcelain mug depicting court ladies in a blooming garden is a curly ginseng rootlet.
Yet another love letter to home manifests as Balik Pulau, a clarified milk number that pays homage to the northern haven that is Penang island. Appropriately named after the George Town suburb famous for its plantations and fruit farms, it highlights the warm, clove-like flavour of white nutmeg. Lemon and saline help balance out the juice with their salty-sweet profiles. Garnish that adds to the experience is always a bonus, and the basil leaf boat carrying small slivers of candied nutmeg passes the test with flying colours. When nibbled on between sips, it unleashes an additional aromatic facet that takes the beverage to a whole new level.
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In terms of proper bites, Bar Gaya does an okay job of satiating tipsy peckishness. The chicken satay nachos are basic corn chips jazzed up with minced satay, peanut sauce, cheese, shredded cucumber, bunga kantan and chillies. Perhaps it is the excess moisture from the toppings (which, for a dish nicknamed “nachos yang bergaya”, are a little on the meagre side), but we find the chips go soft quicker than ideal. If a more substantial crunch is what you are after, the karaage with Nyonya acar is decent — while the pickle could benefit from more acidity and heat, the chicken is fried to golden perfection and is well seasoned.
If there is one thing you must order, though, let it be the century egg and tofu, apparently Hans’ grandmother’s recipe. Cubes of silken tofu are served still warm, their jiggly whiteness encased in a thin, crispy skin. A sticky soy vinaigrette surprises with a slight tongue fuzziness, so you know Sichuan peppercorns were used at some point in the cooking process. The abundance of shallots and bonito flakes counter the fishiness of the century egg pieces, which have gelatinous whites and creamy yolks. Each bite is a textural heaven, zero pai seh remnants guaranteed.
At RM50 per cocktail, the bill at Bar Gaya adds up quickly if you are in the company of steady drinkers. However, the service is attentive and generous (Want an extra basil leaf to finish up your Balik Pulau, or a detailed explanation of each drink? Simply ask away). While some of the current offerings could be refined, the familiar influences and welcoming environment are pillars few other places have the foundational creativity and expertise to nail, especially at just a couple of months old. Hans and team are reportedly set to introduce a reworked menu, and we are intrigued to see what is in store.
11A Jalan Telawi 5, Bangsar, KL. Open Mon-Sat, 5pm-1am. Contact (6011) 3941 3019 for reservations.
This article first appeared on June 1, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
