Latest news with #BackdoorBodega
The Star
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
4 Malaysian bars on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list, Penang bar wins best menu
Malaysia's cocktail scene enjoyed one of its best showings on the annual Asia's 50 Best Bars list, as four bars made it into the Top 50, with one bar in the Top 10. — Photos: 50 Best Bars Malaysia's cocktail scene enjoyed one of its best showings on the annual Asia's 50 Best Bars list, as four bars made it into the Top 50, with one bar in the Top 10. Petaling Street cocktail bar Penrose retained its title as the Best Bar In Malaysia, ranking No.10 this year, dropping just two spots from its No.8 placing in last year's list. Bangsar bar Three X Co made a stunning return into the Top 50 at No.15, its best placing on the list since making its debut at No.47 in 2021. Two other Kuala Lumpur bars were also listed – Bar Trigona (No.39) and Reka:Bar (No.47). The tenth edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars, was announced at a live awards ceremony in Macau on July 15, in collaboration with destination partners Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace. Penang's Backdoor Bodega won the Best Cocktail Menu Award at the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. Penang bar Backdoor Bodega pulled off a surprise when it won the Best Cocktail Menu Award 2025 for its 'The Backdoor Bodega Guide to Penang' menu, which "surpasses the traditional drinks list idea to create an all-singing celebration of its unique locality". While it didn't make it into the Top 50, Backdoor Bodega did place No.64 on the extended 51-100 list which was announced last week, together with Bangsar favourite Coley at No.92. Hong Kong's Bar Leone topped the list for the second year running. This year's list featured bars from 20 cities across Asia, including 20 new entries. Hong Kong's Bar Leone was crowned The Best Bar in Asia for the second year running, with Seoul's Zest at No.2 and Singapore's Jigger And Pony at No.3, an exact repeat of last year's Top 3. Chinese bartender Andrew Ho of Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame won the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award 2024 for his role in elevating Mainland China's drinks scene to new heights. The Asia's 50 Best Bars list is voted upon by a region-wide Academy comprising a gender-balanced group of bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados, all of whom place independent and anonymous votes for what they believe constitutes a 'best bar experience'. Penrose By maintaining its Top 10 position, Penrose continues to fly the flag for Malaysian hospitality, with its on functionalism and simplicity, while providing an intimate atmosphere that allows for engaging conversations between bartender and customer. Founder Jon Lee and his team recently opened a new outlet called Lavantha, also located around the city centre. Three X Co The big Malaysian story of this year's list is the reentry of Three X Co at its highest ever position, at No.15. Located in Bangsar Shopping Centre, the bar been one of mainstays in the KL bar scene since it was founded in 2017. It made its debut at No. 47 on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2021, and this year, it stormed back into the Top 50 on the back of a strong cocktail programme by Head Bartender Amanda Wan, and a reputation of being one of the most hospitable bars in town. Bar Trigona At No.39, Bar Trigona continued its strong presence on the list for the sixth year running. Located at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the bar was the first Malaysian bar to make it on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2020. With head bartender Darwin Ng at the helm, the bar sets the standard for sustainable bar practices by focusing on Malaysian produce. The bar is currently celebrating its seventh anniversary with a look back at some of the best cocktails it has created over the last seven year. Reka:Bar Reka Bar, which had broken into the Top 50 last year the first time at No. 41, placed at No.47 this time around. A self-styled 'post-modern flavour lab' located at Damansara Heights, the bar is like a cross between a chill out lounge club and a space-age laboratory. Led by head bartender Joel Poon, the bar team creates unique and complex, yet clean and flavourful drinks through a myriad of techniques, including infusion, clarification, distillation and more.
Malay Mail
03-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Two Malaysian bars in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 extended 51-100 list: Backdoor Bodega ranks No. 64, Coley No. 92
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Two Malaysian bars have been included in the 2025 edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars' extended 51-100 list: Coley in Kuala Lumpur comes in at No. 92, continuing its streak of being named on the list every year since debuting at No. 46 in 2018, while Backdoor Bodega in Penang returns at No. 64, after first making the list at No. 97 in 2022. A veteran of both the list and Malaysia's cocktail bar scene, Coley recently marked its 9th anniversary with a month-long celebration featuring numerous guest shifts. Founded by CK Kho, the bar is named in tribute to Ada 'Coley' Coleman, the Savoy's iconic inventor of the hanky panky, a classic cocktail made with gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca. In addition to riffs on classic cocktails, the small neighbourhood bar has become a Bangsar staple for its contemporary Malaysian creations and playful food programme. It gained wider renown after being named the best bar in Malaysia when it was ranked No. 27 on the 2019 list. The team at Backdoor Bodega. — Picture via Facebook/Backdoor Bodega Backdoor Bodega, located in the heart of George Town, Penang, is one of the original pioneers in the city's burgeoning cocktail scene, having been around since 2016. Fashioning itself as 'an overpriced pin shop', guests purchase lapel pins at the bar to 'redeem' cocktails. The 1–50 list for Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 will be announced on July 15, 'live' from the Wynn Palace in Macau.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
2 Malaysian bars listed among Asia's 100 best bars, in 50 Best extended list
Kuala Lumpur's Coley, a convivial neighbourhood bar in Bangsar, came in at No.92. — Photos: Two Malaysian cocktail bars have been named in the extended 51-100 list by the Asia Best 50 Bars. Kuala Lumpur's Coley came in at No. 92, while Penang's Backdoor Bodega was listed at No.64. Kuala Lumpur's Coley is a convivial neighbourhood bar in Bangsar that recently celebrated its ninth anniversary, the bar has been a mainstay in the list since it made its debut on the 2019 list at No.27. Penang's Backdoor Bodega, which was listed at No.62, has also been a regular on the list since became the first Penang bar to be listed in 2022. Located in the heart of George Town, Penang, Backdoor Bodega is a bar with a unique concept. Calling itself an 'overpriced pin shop', patrons purchase lapel pins at the outlet, which come with a complimentary cocktail. Penang's Backdoor Bodega has been a mainstay in the list since its debut in 2022. This year's 51-100 list comprises bars spanning 23 different destinations across Asia, with 14 new entries, including debut entries by bars from Bars from Shenzhen (Obsidian Bar, No.51), Phnom Penh (Sora, No.65), and Kaohsiung (Maltail, No.75). Singapore has six bars on the list, while Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo have four bars each. The main Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022 awards ceremony will be held on July 15 in Macau, in collaboration with destination partners Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace. The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on 50 Best's YouTube channel, starting at 8pm (Malaysian time). The full ranking of Asia's 50 Best Bars 51-100 list 2022 and video can be accessed here.
