Hospitality News (Malaysia) – May 2022

[Hospitality News]

Bar Trigona at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur Wins Best Cocktail Menu Award

For the fourth year in a row, Bar Trigona at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur has been awarded a coveted spot among Asia’s 50 Best Bars. The renowned bar was honoured with the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award 2022 and is ranked at #29 in this year’s edition of the prestigious list, which was revealed at a glittering ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand on 28 April 2022.

Known for its hyperlocal ingredients and creative approach to sustainability, Bar Trigona has played an instrumental role in putting Kuala Lumpur on the global cocktail map. Besides being named The Best Bar in Malaysia for three years, it has won the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award multiple times. It was also among the top five contenders for the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award, announced by the World’s 50 Best Bars 2021.

“We are thrilled and humbled to receive this recognition yet again. A big thank you to the panel and to our valued guests for their continued trust in us,” says Bar Manager Julian Brigget. “Our global success would not be possible without our local partners. It is a privilege for us to work with Malaysian farmers and food artisans who take such pride in their ingredients.”

The bar’s distinctive cocktail menu is updated at regular intervals, and takes patrons on a liquid journey through Malaysia’s abundant flora. Under the team’s root-to-shoot philosophy, every part of the ingredient is put to good use: fruits and flowers, leaves and stems, seeds and roots.

“Our motto is reuse, recycle, repurpose,” says Julian. “The aim is to utilize the entire ingredient through its life cycle. Not only does this minimize waste but also paves the way for original and unexpected flavour profiles.”

The bar’s strong local partnerships have grown from the long-running “Adopt a Beehive” program to the more recent Tree-Volution, a reforestation initiative that plants fruit trees around Malaysian farms. Along with refortifying the soil and restoring biodiversity, the project aims to provide employment and support local communities.

Bar Trigona sources organic, artisanal honey made by stingless trigona bees, native to the lush countryside of Malaysia. Known for its distinctive citrus notes, trigona honey serves as the inspiration behind the bar’s name, concept and design, featuring hive-style interiors and trademark honey-infused cocktails. There are even honey flights available for those who wish to try (Ed – Trigona honey is delicious!).

Bar Trigona aims to showcase the best of Malaysian produce, and recently unveiled a storied new cocktail collection, highlighting five local farms and the people behind the scenes. .

Each signature drink celebrates a specific ingredient, and patrons are introduced to inspiring cultivators such as Dino, stingless beekeeper and founder of Dino Kelutut Organic Farm, which supplies Bar Trigona with small-batch trigona honey. Also on the menu: Malaysian cocoa cultivated by Ning of Chocolate Concierge, and Mutiara figs, sustainably farmed in Shah Alam, Selangor, and cocktails crafted with chemical-free Boom Grow herbs, grown in indoor farms.

Guests also have the opportunity to sample flavours from the Trigona Farm. As part of the Tree-Volution initiative, Bar Trigona has transformed an empty plot of land in Pahang into a flourishing patch of fruit trees, herbs and spices – several of which are now making an appearance on the menu.

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Sustainable Dining at Marriott Bonvoy Hotels and Resorts

Marriott Bonvoy Hotels and Resorts is embarking on a journey to sustainability and have implemented a few ways to facilitate sustainability and eco-conscious business practices – starting with food and beverage offerings at selected Marriott Bonvoy Hotels and Resorts, where restaurant chefs and team members have integrated sustainable elements into their menus and packaging – all while still offering both healthy and scrumptious culinary experiences.

“At Marriott, we are incredibly optimistic and involved in the future of sustainability through social impact. Through Serve 360 and guided by our 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals, we are committed to creating positive and sustainable impact wherever we do business,” said Rivero Delgado, Area Vice President, Malaysia, Singapore, and Maldives, Marriott International.

“We are in tune with our customers’ needs and conscientious of how F&B directly impacts the environment and economy. Across our portfolio and areas, we are working towards ensuring that by 2025, we will locally source 50% of all produce, in aggregate. These are some of the steps we are taking to ensure a better future for the next generation.”

The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

Executive Chef Keith Hooker’s plant-based vegan menu is specially curated using 90 per cent farm-fresh Malaysian produce for a wholesome, hearty, and healthy meal that’s appropriate for the entire household.

The culinary team at The Brasserie, St. Regis Kuala Lumpur focuses on supporting local farms and the economy by not incorporating plant-based meats, omni pork or any other mock meat in their menu, as this significantly contributes to carbon footprint, air miles, and energy usage. Instead, high-quality Malaysian ingredients are used to bring freshness and wholesome flavours to the table.

At The Brasserie, the idea of ‘fat means flavour’ is replaced with only locally produced sustainable ingredients. Not only are the accompaniments and garnishing locally sourced, but even seasonings such as soy and its derivatives are plant-based – instead of the usual easily-sourced dairy, butter, cheese and cream. This might come off as a challenge for some, but The Brasserie believes that a challenge in the development of this menu improves creativity in keeping it a delicious yet healthy and sustainable one.

The eight-course plant-based vegan menu is available every Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday at The Brasserie and is priced at RM388+ per person.

The Westin Kuala Lumpur

The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s ‘Tiffin To Go’ features a novelty infusion of savoury and sweet delights in its Hi-Tea Set menu which consist of savoury, hearty creations and desserts, and is complemented with an infused water bottle.

This tiffin concept is aimed at encouraging sustainability as the container may be reused and comes in handy to transport food, while reducing the unnecessary waste associated with takeout meals. Priced affordably at RM128nett for two people, Tiffin To Go is available every day from 10.30am to 10.00pm for walk-in(s) and pre-order at its all-day dining restaurant, The Living Room on the Upper Ground Floor. The Living Room also accepts bulk Tiffin To Go orders for business meetings or events.

Tiffin To Go’s menu will vary depending on the occasion and be specially crafted to cater to festive seasons such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Christmas. At the moment, the Raya ‘Tiffin To Go Kampung’ with its festive menu and latest Tiffin design is available until the end of May 2022.

Element Kuala Lumpur

Located on the 40th floor of Element Kuala Lumpur which provides a panoramic view of the Kuala Lumpur city skyline, TRACE Restaurant and Bar will be introducing diners to a new sustainable menu in June 2022. With a mission to reduce its carbon footprint while staying true to its wellness brand ethos, TRACE Restaurant and Bar brings a carefully considered and balanced sustainable menu that features an appetizer, two main courses, one soup, and one dessert.

Starting with the Element Green Salad – a local adaption of the Greek Salad, the vegetables are sourced from locally-grown organic vegetables and herbs such as Pegaga (Centella Asiatica) and Ulam Raja (Cosmos Saudatus). With two variations on the main course, protein-centric guests can opt for the Charcoal Herb Crusted Free Range Chicken with Green Peas Puree, Caramelized Carrot Sticks, and Buttered Peas (the free range chicken is sous-vide and pan-seared; then served with a Sarawak Black Pepper sauce) or the Vegetarian Mee Mamak, an all-vegetarian variation of local Mee Goreng Mamak. The sustainable menu will be available for dine-in and takeaway from 12:00pm onwards, starting 1 June 2022.

Photos courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Marriot International

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