Unwind upstairs at Uptown’s Lou Shang Bar and Café!

Don’t give up if you can’t find Lou Shang Bar & Café. With a name that translates to ‘the bar upstairs’ in Mandarin, it’s only apt that the bar is located on the first floor, somewhat hidden behind a wooden sliding door. Only a small signboard of a lady and a cup that’s visible from the main road marks the spot. Husband-and-wife team Manfred and Ai Peng wanted to maintain an air of mystery and intrigue about the bar – hence, the discreetness.

Lou Shang is partly inspired by Manfred’s bar-hopping adventures when he was studying and bartending part-time in Sydney. Originally a boutique, the duo changed it up entirely by adding a balcony and converting the back office space into a kitchen. Overall, the bar is homey and inviting. It’s accentuated with lots of wood, from the furniture pieces to the wooden floors, along with the occasional pops of colors. There’s also a DIY light fixture fashioned out of a tree branch from Manfred’s mango tree just above the makeshift fireplace. You’ll also find lots of quirky things around the bar as well, such as a deer head wall mount brought back from the UK and posters from Prague by artist Alphonse Mucha, which are all alcohol themed.

As for cocktails, Lou Shang is best known for their Asian-inspired cocktails. Must try cocktails include the assam laksa cocktail, the lou han guo gin cocktail called Serenity, and the Uptwon Monk which has dark rum, yuzu, plum, calamansi and cognac.

https://www.facebook.com/loushangbar/

 

Loushang Bar & Cafe  

10M, Jalan SS21/58,, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

TEL: +60 3-7731 8870

BUSINESS HOURS: 1700 – 0100

PS150 KL 茨廠街~ Nostalgia for the Past of Petaling Street!

Located in Petaling Street aka Chinatown, what was previously a brothel is now PS150, a cocktail bar headed by famed bartender Angel Ng. PS150 may still maintain much of its pre-war building’s character, making it one of the most worthwhile visiting bar in KL. The entrance is dimly lit, and you'll have to go through a series of creaky wooden doors to finally get to the main bar area which has the theme color of red!

One thing that sets PS150 apart from other bars is its concept. The space is divided into 3 different sections, marking 3 distinct eras in the history of Indochina and cocktails. The first section is called the Opium Den that has more of a vintage look, with dim red lights and private seating booths; second is the Tiki or Post-war space where it’s an open-air courtyard that’s great for bigger groups. Step into the next room and you’ll enter the main bar area where it’s a mix of modern and old. It’s dark but romantic, and this is where all the action happens.

The cocktail menu here is divided into 5 eras: Vintage (1850s-1910s), Classic (1920s-1930s), Tiki (1940s-1960s), Disco (1970s-2000s) and Contemporary (late 2000s-present). Each of these cocktail lists features an original concoction while the classics are given a unique twist. The only drink not given the PS150 treatment is Hanky-Panky, which is served as homage to Ada Coleman, its iconic creator.

Why PS150? Simply because it represents ‘Petaling Street’ @ No.150 as per PS150 billing address!

http://www.ps150.my/

PS150

No.150 Ground Floor, Jalan Petaling, City Center, 50000 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

TEL: +60 3-2022 2888

BUSINESS HOUR: 1800 - 0200 (Monday closed)