The new Junglebird KL bar is bigger, better, and brighter with more than just cocktails on its menu.
New year, new place, and a new menu — Junglebird KL is taking 2021 extremely seriously and we’re here for it. After three months, the former Asia’s 50 Best Bars winner is opening the doors to its brand new home in another part of Bukit Damansara. This time, there is light.
Regular patrons of the “rumah rum” will remember its former location as a dim and cosy spot. However, sunlight prevails at the new location. “When we were informed of the sale of our previous location, and with a move looking certain, having a new space with daylight was one of our priorities. Our vision was to create an all-day dining and drinking atmosphere for JungleBird,” said co-founder Lolita Goh.
(L-R) Founders Divyesh Chauhan, Lolita Goh, and Joshua Ivanovic.
Getting tiki with it
The good thing about JungleBird 2.0 is that guests won’t totally feel like they’re entering a brand new bar. Much of the style and interior remains the same, including the tropical leaf motifs on the wall and throw cushions, bamboo materials, and the Tiki bar.
“We didn’t just have to build the new outlet, but we had to take apart the old one, not just to restore it to its original condition but also so we could conserve a lot of materials to use in this outlet,” said the other founder Divyesh Chauhan. “All the bamboo that you see here came from the original (Jungle) Bird. The process of preserving the materials through this build was important as it also resonates with our philosophy of reusing, recycling and upcycling. We don’t like waste!”
All about that rum
Rum cocktails were prevalent in the old menu, but JungleBird wants to up the ante by getting its cocktails to focus on important rum-producing nations around the world. “Taking into consideration the new design and
look of the space, the new menu promises to offer sleek, modern serves using contemporary techniques, whilst maintaining the iconic flavour profiles our guests would expect from the likes of a Piña Colada or a Ti’ Punch,” said the third founder Joshua Ivanovic. “Ask for a Brazilian Quentão or a Haitian Cremas, we’ll happily introduce you to what it is!”
But other than cocktails, the new bar is expanding its offerings to include food too. After all, you can’t have all-day drinks without some food to keep you going. We’re pretty excited to hear that the menu comprises Asian, Britannia, and Caribbean-inspired dishes.
“To give a few examples, we have Albondigas Guisadas from the Dominican Republic, a cheeky twist on Curried Crab & Dumplings from Tobago and a pretty special Cubano sandwich,” shared Goh.
Deliveries taking flight
Of course, with the current MCO still in full force, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to visit JungleBird for a firsthand look at the new place. Thank goodness for food delivery services. You can order food and bottled cocktails from the bar via Umai, or pick it up from JungleBird KL yourself. Go on, you deserve a nice cocktail treat.
(All images: JungleBird KL)
