Jovin Cheong Yen Sin 0328050
BAR MENU
HISTORY OF SPEAKEASY BAR
RM 2
INTRODUCTION OF PETALING STREET
RM 3
LOCATIONS OF HIDDEN BAR
RM 4
TOPIC TITLE
RM 5
SHUANG XI
RM 6
BOTAK LIQUOR
RM 10
THE DECEASED
RM 14
THE BERLIN
RM 19
PS150
RM 23
THE ATTIC BAR
RM 26
CONCLUSION
RM 29
REFERENCES
RM 30
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History of Speakeasy Bar What is speakeasy? This term “speakeasy” came about 1920-1933 which translates into an illicit drinking spot. As during that era which is known as the Prohibition Era, where all the alcoholic beverages were illegal to sell and consume in America, so people started to sell alcohol in discrete locations with the door closed. Those bars were hidden up as they do not have any sign boards or indication of bars showing out to avoid getting caught and they usually set passwords for their customers to make sure they got the right people coming in. Those bars sell their own poor quality ‘bathtub’ gins and moonshine and mask the flavour by mixing the booze with sugar, bitters and juice, then it became the loose form of cocktails that are commonly serving in all speakeasy bars.
But, Prohibition was an old definition of speakeasies bar, it has changed to become a bar with inconspicuous entrance and hard to find, and come with a unique theme, while cocktails will be the main alcohol beverages on the menu. This “culture” has also be brought into Malaysia. 2
INTRODUCTION OF PETALING STREET
Petaling Street, 茨厂街， which is our Malaysia’s Chinatown. It is located in Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Kuala Lumpur. Fake goods and haggling are common sight here and the place is always crowded with locals and tourists. There are also dozens of food stalls that served locals street food, such as pork ball noodle, taufufa, mochi, curry laksa and others. Traders over there are mainly Chinese, but there are also less amount of Indian and Malay, while Bangladeshi traders are increased nowadays and even more than the locals. Morning time over Petaling Street are full with mid-age locals and tourists walking around there. Afternoon time, there will be more workers having lunch over there. While night time of Petaling Street is very different than the morning and afternoon time, especially on Friday night or weekend. There will be full of youngster and family, family having dinner at the roadside restaurants. Then the youngsters are going to the bars in Petaling Street. Bars in Petaling Street are a lot which allow them to have bar hopping there.
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LOCATIONS OF HIDDEN BAR
Reggae Bar Chinatown
The Deceased
Shuang Xi
The Berlin KL
PS150 The Attic Bar
Botak liquor Bar
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How are speakeasy bars becoming a trend for the younger generation and how it is affecting the nightlife in Petaling Street?
The unique theme and elements of bars, hidden entrance and etc are the reasons! These hidden bars boost the nightlife of Petaling Street!
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‘ Shuang Xi ’
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Hong Kong Hip Hop & Collections Talking about Shuang Xi, it is one of my favourite bar in Petaling Street. Shuang Xi is having the most unique theme and ambience than other bars. When you first enter it, you will see a lot of creepy and vintage collections all around, like vintage cashier, Frankenstein the monster’s head figure, ultra man and etc. Basically is like having all different kind of collections in their shop. This make it become a special theme like a collection museum.
Then you will hear the song they are playing, mostly is Hong Kong Hip Hop Rap Song (that are full with cursing) which make them unique because they are the only bar playing this type of songs. While this place is quite dark, with that neon sign board of their name ‘雙喜’ and some dimmer light on the collections table and cabinet to light up the whole space (Photos have been edited to brighter version). 7
There is another reason Shuang Xi is one of my favourite bar, the seating way. They are having the one of a kind seating for their customers, which is sitting on the floor. They also have short chairs and low tables for customer to sit, so the overall seats is low and we have a very spacious head room. This seating way makes me feel comfortable and cozy, like staying at home and drink.
Besides, they are also having all this different chairs, like old barber chairs, vintage chairs, boxes as chairs in their bar and it can be seated! There are so many small elements that I couldn’t finish showing it out, but the best way to experience it is not through my photos, but visit there and feel it!
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While on the walls, they also having a big screen that playing the mv of the songs. So, when we sat down on the floor, we can look at the screen, it makes me feel like a mini cinema.. They also have a lot of old movie posters on their walls. Some of their drink’s name are even come from the movie posters.
*For this bar I won’t be showing the entrance, you have to find it yourself! This is the interesting part of hidden bar!*
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‘ Botak Liquor Bar ’
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Tropical Forest & Vintage While coming to the next bar, Botak Liquor Bar located in a cafe, it is hidden at the upstairs and back of the cafe. For this hidden bar, it have a very specific theme which is Tropical Forest. Not only tropical forest, it also have a lot old furniture. This bar is also one of my favourite bar in Petaling Street. It have this forest feel which make them outstanding than other bars.
This bar and cafe remained the vintage design and initial structure of a hotel, name Lian Mah Hotel. After going up from the stairs, you can see this seating area that is surrounded by potted plants. There are also another two small tables beside the stairs. From here, you can clearly see that this hidden bar still remaining the vintage hotel style, which is the black and white classic mosaic flooring, and rusty railings, even the wooden doors that they make it as decorations. 11
After coming in, you can see that their bar is designed lower than the seating area, which is unlike than the normal bars. It make customers to sit at a lower height and communicate with the bartender easily.
From the photos, it show that this is the really “ Tropical Forest ‘, plants are all around and it make my eyes filled up with green colour which is comfortable.
While the lighting of this bar is brighter, visually it have this combination of green (plants) and purple (artificial lighting), bottom filled with green colour and top part filled with purple colour so that the purple colour wouldn’t catch the attention of plants but still reminding us that this is a bar. 12
The detail part is that they named their drink like a tropical forest drink and make it look like what it is. They will decorate the drinks wit greens or flowers and place it on a leaf cup mat.
Another thing that make them one of my favourite is because the stuff and bartender over here are friendly! Compare with other bars, this bar is more quiet and calm, that allow the customers to chit chat happily, not shouting at each other (loud bgm). 13
‘ The Deceased ‘
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Horror & Contrast The Deceased, one of the creepiest and horror bar in Petaling Street. When I first came to this bar, I was looking for the entrance, then when I got in, I get shocked by this human figure sitting on wheelchair that was behind the door. The entrance place is actually quite dark and you can’t really see what is in there when you first came in. (Photos have been edited to brighter version).
While walking up the stairs, I was so nervous and afraid of getting jump scare halfway. Because the walls of the stairs are paint with all horror mural and playing some creepy children laughing sound or someone whispering sound. This is really a unique experience that you can’t feel it from other bar.
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After the long and horror stairs, you will get shocked again if you are not prepare for this. The entrance of it is full of this horror decorations that might scare the hell out of you. If this is going to be one of your bar hopping station, make it the first station, you wouldn’t want to get shocked in a half drunk situation and pee in your pants.
Then you will get to see the bar that using the vintage chinese medicine drawer to put the alcohol. Not only the entrance, the bar is also decorated with all creepy and horror decorations.
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They really decorate their interior with a lot of this horror decorations. Hanging human face mask above the tables or stick horror poster on wall.
While the lighting of this bar is not very dim, but they are brighten up by red light bulb, it might make you feel uncomfortable sitting under this kind of lighting for a long time. But this kind of red lighting does make the overall ambience to be more horror.
BUT! There is a big contrast of this bar which is the indoor and outdoor. The indoor is creepy and horror, but the outdoor is more to a chill and relax balcony sitting area. And there is a rooftop seating area for a big group of friends to sit.
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The outdoor seating area is spacious, that the proportion of outdoor and indoor have created a contrast. But there is a disadvantage of outdoor seating, if it is a rainy day, this bar can only fit in less amount of customers.
But surprisingly, the outdoor seating area is having a good view! You get to enjoy the different parts of Petaling Street, like the back alley of shoplots, surrounded by big old trees and even old building next to you.
There is also a special and unique part of this bar, which is their drink menu, they named their drink that relate to their theme like ‘孟婆汤’, ‘打小人’, and other. And they serve the drink following its name, as I order this ‘孟婆汤’, it comes with a paper talking about reincarnation and serve it in a classic bowl that we always see in the drama that served ’孟婆汤’.
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‘ The Berlin ‘
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GRAFITI & MONO For The Berlin, compare with others, it seems to be more normal. Same with the others the entrance of this bar is at the opposite of a dark car park. And there is a wall that block the visual connection from outside to inside. When I walk in, I feel that it feel like a normal bar, playing pop songs.
After that, when I sat down, I only notice that it wanted to bring out the messy yet low-key kind of feeling by putting graffiti on their walls, and used black and white, the mono colour on the floor.
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Not only graffiti, they also hang photos on the walls and create the kind of overlapping feel, without making both graffiti and photo overpowered each other.
Besides, they seems to have a DJ there to play songs. They also have a big screen playing the mv of songs, but the ambience and seating over there does not encourage watching the screen also, so I realised most of the people are chatting and drinking.
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But same like most of the bars, The Berlin also used neon light to bright up their mono colour space but adding some red colour. The lighting of the bar is not too dark, it is bright enough for us to read the menu.
But after going so many bars, The Berlin served the cheapest cocktail among them, and you can even choose to have ice blended, ice cube or chill. Compare with all of the bars I think that The Berlin might be the least attracted bar for me.
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‘ PS150 ‘
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Old School & Separate
For PS150, it used to have hidden entrance, but then too many people could not found it so they hang a big board in front of the shop. They have similar collection like what I saw in ShuangXi, the toy collections.
The lighting in this bar is actually quite dark and you barely can see the menu or the environment of the space. (Photos have been edited to brighter version). Even for their menu, they are doing it with the concept of Buku Latihan like we used to use during primary or high school time. It is really special and interesting.
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You need to walk for a distance to reach the bar area that is full of people standing. For their spatial layout, they actually separate the tables into different areas. You need to pass by all this area to reach the bar. It is quite good and efficiently reduce the noise if you choose to sit at the outer seating area. Similarly to all the bars, PS150 also have this big neon light with the Chinese name of Petaling Street, actually all this neon lighting are more likely act as a logo or instagrammable area for us to take photo. People tend to recognise the bar with the neon lighting.
But to be honest, I dont think that the old school concept they used in their menu or toy collection fit the interior design of the bar, The interior design are using a loft style that showing the bare face of the materials.
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‘ THE ATTIC BAR ‘
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For The Attic Bar, I think it is really hidden, it is located at the upstairs of a homestay, Travel Hub. Normally, no one will really realise this bar, because there is not even a single hint or sign board of it from the outside of the homestay.
But the way getting up to the bar is so hard, after entering the homestay, you still have to climb for another 2 storey of spiral stairs to reach the bar. If half way, there is people coming down, either one of you have to let another to go through first to reach. This is what I don’t really like about it. 27
Same goes to all the bar, The Attic Bar also used neon lighting to bright up the space. But the overall lighting of the space is not too dim, but this space of this bar is not big actually, but they placed a lot of tables together, so there is less privacy as the tables are quite near to each other.
For The Attic Bar, it have Tuak (Sarawakian rice wine) in their menu which I found it interesting, cause the others bar is only serving cocktails with gin, vodka, whisky or wine. There is no one selling Tuak cocktails in their menu. However, even though they are selling Tuak cocktails, the journey of getting up this bar basically is just too hard and does not suitable for people who are drunk to walk. And the ambience of this bar is not that comfortable but normal. Compare with others, this bar is not a really good choice of hidden bar.
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Conclusion In conclusion, I think that the reason why hidden bar has become a trend for the youngsters is because of the unique theme and elements that the shop owner decorates for their shops. Especially the neon lighting words that basically showed up in every bar, it is one of the instagrammable element that allow the youngster to take photo and show off in their instagram. Some of these bars are actually fitting in the trend elements well in their shops, but not losing their own unique style with it. But there are still some which is not that unique compare with others, those are more to like a normal bar setting. Thus, all these setting can actually affect the amount of customers to visit the bar. Then talking about how it affect the nightlife of Petaling Street, as you can see from the photos, even the street itself might be quiet during night, but there are all these people inside the bars. There are few food stalls open until midnight because of these bars, it let the people to eat there after drinking from the bars, or eat before going to the bar. So it does boost up the nightlife of Petaling Street, especially on weekend, almost every bar there are full with people, you could not get a seat without any reservations. And you get to see drunk people sitting on the walkways to rest. Last but not least, I think from this project, I get to understand more about hidden bar culture and got the chances to visit all these bar in Petaling Street, and also understand how the architectural part of the bar get to affect the nightlife in Petaling Street. Besides, through this project I even get to find my favourite bar in here, that I could not find it from somewhere else.
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REFERENCES
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5 amazing bars around Petaling Street. Retrieved from : https://www.worldofbuzz.com/5-amazing-bars-around-petaling-street-absolut ely-check/
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The best hidden bars in KL. Retrieved from : https://www.timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/bars-and-pubs/best-speakeasy-and-hi dden-bars-in-kl
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What is a speakeasy? Retrieved from : https://www.star2.com/living/viewpoints/2016/11/05/what-is-a-speakeasy/
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Top 10 places to eat in Petaling Street. Retrieved from : https://klfoodie.com/top-10-places-to-eat-in-petaling-street-kl/
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Food hunting @ Petaling Street. Retrieved from : http://www.choiyen.com/food-hunting-petaling-street-kuala-lumpur/
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