Knowhere, Bangsar
We recently dropped by Knowhere in Bangsar. You can't really miss it because it is facing the main Jalan Maarof road and its logo kind of stands out, welcoming everyone to give it a try. Also it’s hilarious when Waze announces that you’ve arrived at “Knowhere”. And I can imagine conversations going: “Where are you going tonight?” “Knowhere.”
Quirky name aside, I love the interior of the place. The string fairy lights give it a dreamy feel and we love the keyhole wall mural that makes the whole restobar a whimsical atmosphere.
The concept of the food here at Knowhere is tapas and bar bites. Consider it a collection of international dishes with a Malaysian twist because of its combination of flavours and spices. I love places that serve tapas because you can order so many dishes and share them with your friends. The more the merrier here!
We got to sample some delicious bar bites. For four of us, this was plenty and it kept us full all night. We started off with a plate of nachos (RM25.80). The Knowhere nachos are served with pulled roasted chicken and a special Knowhere sauce that had us going back for seconds and thirds. You can choose to have this with the guacamole they serve (or not). It’s delicious either way.
The burnt butter steak (RM26.80) is cooked to medium perfection and is soaked with the most sinful burnt butter sauce. I loved the juiciness of the steak and though the burnt butter was not super evident, it definitely brought an extra layer of flavour to the dish.
Next is my favourite dish of the night - the duck confit pizza (RM38 for two flavours in one pizza) paired with the seafood Malaya pizza. The duck confit pizza to me is hands down one of the best unconventional pizza flavours I have ever tried. The flavours of the duck with the cheese and the cream just blend so well together, I couldn’t help myself from taking another slice. The seafood Malaya was the perfect contrast to the duck confit. It was spicy, punchy and delicious. If you’re going to try both, go for the duck confit first as the spiciness from the seafood Malaya pizza might overpower your tastebuds for a while.
A definite must to try here is the sharing platter (RM48.80). Enjoy your choice of surf and turf (and carbs) from this platter with their wedges, deep fried baby shrimp, grilled calamari and their flightless wings. The sharing platter also comes with two dipping sauces. One is a sambal belacan salsa, a signature house-made sauce, and the other is a classic honey mustard. We couldn’t get enough of the sauces!
Finally, we tried the lime cured beef tongue (RM26.80). Normally, we are wary about beef tongue. If not properly cooked, it can have a rather uncomfortable texture. But this beef tongue was cooked perfectly and melted in our mouths. It is served with a side of baguette with onion jam on it. Our personal take on this is to eat the toast separately as the onion jam may overshadow the flavours of the beef. Overall, both a good pairing.
Of course, being a restobar, 50% of our meal consisted of us enjoying cocktails! Let me just put it out there - not many bars in KL actually hit the mark with their drinks for value, presentation and taste, but Knowhere not only hits the mark, but surpasses it! You can get affordable, beautiful and delicious drinks here at Knowhere without a doubt.
We tried their Osmanthus Breeze (RM40) which is made with the famous spiced gin, Opihr, and as you can see, is served in the takeaway cup with two bamboo straws that is meant to look like Chinese takeaway with chopsticks. The cocktail is made with the gin, apple juice, sours and a citrus cream cheese foam at the top. You’re meant to savour the drink from top to bottom to get the different textures and flavours. It’s not just a cocktail, really, it’s an adventure for your tastebuds. I loved how refreshing this drink was and it was easily one of my favourites for the evening.
Next, we tried a Bacon Milo (RM30) cocktail. Now, you might be thinking, bacon AND milo?! Well, if they’re your two favourite things to have for breakfast, why not put it in a cocktail, right? And that’s exactly what the mixologist had in mind when creating the drink. The savoury bacon flavour is prominent when you first sip it, then you’re left with a lingering aftertaste of the milo. It may sound like an odd combination but it works.
Next is another take on a classic snack - PB & J. If you love peanut butter and jelly then you’re going to love their PB & J (RM30) cocktail. The first thing you’ll notice about the cocktail is that despite its bright orange appearance, the drink is rather thick and creamy from the peanut butter. The alcohol base of this drink is whiskey, so if you’re a whiskey lover, you’ll want to try this too.
Finally, we also tried their Sirap Setan (RM32) and It’s Nangka Thyme (RM30). Sirap Setan is absolutely what you might guess it to be - a twist on our local sirap limau ice. It’s a blend of lemongrass and pandan infused gin with homemade rose water, cherry blossom and sours. What’s not to love about this drink?? It was definitely my favourite drink of the night. It’s Nangka Thyme was also delicious, if you like jackfruit. Surprisingly, it was not an overpowering flavour and turned out to be light and refreshing.
The cocktail menu is dynamic and will continue to wow its patrons with new experiences. In fact, you can expect a whole new experience from February onwards!
Knowhere is not just a place you can go to enjoy your food and cocktails just because. It also strongly believes in sustainability and zero waste. On top of it being a strong supporter of the tak nak straw movement, sourcing their bamboo straws from The Usuk Initiative (@bamboo_straws), it also tries to practice zero waste by sending their organic waste nightly to compost at KEBUN-KEBUN BANGSAR.
It is also worth noting that they have amazing happy hour deals. Come from 4pm-9pm to enjoy a selection of cocktails for only RM24 or beers from RM10. During happy hours 4pm-7pm, you can also order from a selection of tapas for only RM18 per plate! Ladies night, which falls on Wednesday evenings, treat women with free tuak shots and wine. Men are also pampered here with free flow whiskey on Thursdays for only RM59!
Soups, pastas and mains will be added to the menu from the end of January 2019. And Knowhere will be open for brunch on Saturdays & Sundays from 16th Feb onwards! Yay!
It’s been a while since a place has impressed us as much as Knowhere has in terms of their vision and mission (and the superb execution of it through their food, drinks and operations). You can absolutely tell that Shalini, the owner of the place, has found her ultimate creative outlet and drives her passion in every aspect of the business.
We can’t wait to be back again to try more of their offerings in the future.
Knowhere
50, Jalan Maarof,
Bangsar Kuala Lumpur
59100 Wilayah Persekutuan
Open Sundays to Tuesdays from 4PM-1AM
Wednesdays to Saturday from 4PM-2AM Soon to open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays (From 16 Feb onwards)
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