Fri, 2010-07-16 13:40 — admin

One-of-a-kind concepts on two floors of fun made three members of the Malaysian Today team four kinds of happy: The happiness that comes from good food, amazing company, great drinks and an ambience of just plain cool.

By PAULINE WONG

The street is lined with clubs of every kind and it practically blows your mind. Choosing one is about as easy as choosing from 16 pairs of grey socks - until you find a sock that pops out in red, for instance.

This metaphor clearly makes no sense now, but wait till you hit the infamous Changkat Bukit Bintang - you'll soon see exactly what I mean: How do you choose where you can chill, hang out, and grab a meal and drinks with friends? How do you choose a place that will offer you two totally different kinds of experiences, all in one place?

So many questions; so how about Reggae Bar to answer all your queries?

Reggae Bar Changkat is our pick for a great spot to have a night out with friends, for three very simple reasons.
The first: The food, which is a combination of local cuisine and Western cuisine, and just pretty darn good - a very pleasant surprise in a bar, since food is not the focus in such places.

We started with the Canadian Cod (RM 55), a generous helping of silky smooth, fresh and milky white cod, pan-fried to perfection and served with mashed potatoes. I don't like cod much, but this one definitely hit the right notes with me.

After that, we tackled the Rib Eye (RM 40), which was a modest sliver of tender, rib-eye beef and a fantastic way to eat your blues away with a cold mug of beer. Thanks to my non-existent photography skills, it was slightly cold when we dug in, but it lost none of its' rich, meaty flavour.

We moved on eagerly next to the Prawn and Pesto Pasta (RM28), which is definitely my favourite of the meal - the nutty, savoury flavour of pesto on pasta, lightly tossed in olive oil, won my heart over.

If Western cuisine isn't up your alley, give the Assam Laksa and Curry Laksa a go (both RM 12.90 only). These large bowls of familiar local dishes is served up with gusto; both tantalise the tastebuds and delight the palate. I could wax lyrical, but I'd much rather let your tastebuds do the talking, since these two are the most popular dishes at Reggae Bar.

Throw into this sumptuous meal a pint of ice-cold beer or a delicious cocktail and you're good to go!
The second reason to go to Reggae Bar: Its one-of-a-kind concept of having two different experiences over two different levels. On the ground level, one can feel the reggae experience, where the music is groovy and the atmosphere is down-to-earth, rustic and just plain cool.

Upstairs is a whole other ball game - a more acoustic feel comes to mind, and there are tables beautifully laid out for a true dining experience. Take your pick depending on what you want - Reggae Bar has thought of everything you may possibly need, down to a nice balcony view of the lights, sounds and sights of KL city.

And the third: The Pina Colada. Yes, we were served generously with other very delicious cocktails, but the summery, coconut-ty and sweet cocktail made me feel like I was at a beach, despite the smog of the city.

My final verdict? Taking all these experiences and stirring them altogether made for an amazing night out with colleagues and new friends, as only Reggae Bar can. 

Reggae Bar - Changkat
31, Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur