Bar.Kar in KL
[Pork-free] We celebrated Max’s birthday with close friends recently at Bar.Kar in G Tower.
We enjoyed the food here that specialises in wood-fired cooking – evidenced by the name which combines the words “bar” and “bakar” (which means burn in Malay).
Bar.Kar KL in G Tower
Located in G Tower in downtown KL, Bar.Kar is a fairly new restaurant developed by the folks at Eat & Cook.
However, the kitchen here is led by head chef Kevin Ng, who previously served at Communal Table by Gen 根. We visited the Gen a few years ago – and remained one of our favourite meals in recent years (see our post here).
Come ye, enter the hall of flames
The entrance into Bar.Kar is definitely one of the most dramatic we’ve experienced in a long time.
A long hall-way filled with mangrove wood on both sides leads to the dining area – with full-length mirrors on both ends creating an illusion of an infinite road. And yes – this is a popular spot for wefies.
Once into the dining area, you’ll be greeted by a circular bar counter with the central kitchen in the middle.
These are definitely the best seats in the house. But we preferred a corner table of our own as we wanted to catch-up with friends in a private setting.
Dishes for a communal meal
We started off the meal with the Corny Licking Good, Rendang Mayo (RM25). This was a nice start as the sweet corn was nicely accentuated with the creamy mayo sauce with a bit of heat from chilli powder.
The Grilled Kailan (RM29) was also a highlight as it was served similar to the Chinese ying-yong style – a combination of fried leaves and stir-fried veggies. The fried anchovies give a nice crunch with a tinge of sourness from the dressing.
Malay inspiration comes in the way of the Pucuk Paku Salad (RM29) cooked in the lemak style.
Poultry and fish
Our friend who had been here recommended the Dry Aged Fresh Truffle Corn-Fed Chicken (RM125).
And it was delicious. The dry age process results in a chicken that’s tender and thoroughly-infused with flavours, with skin that is crispy.
The sauce was sweet and creamy, and the fresh truffle slices provided a touch of earthiness.
The Special Seafood of the Day was the grilled pomfret – also dry-aged and grilled to yield a crispy skin and juicy flesh.
The fish is paired with a basil green chilli sauce (refreshing) and a smoked milk bechamel sauce (smoky and creamy).
Claypot Char Siew Wagyu Beef Rice
We were actually most excited to try the Claypot Char Siew Wagyu Beef Rice (RM60) but it was just ok.
While the rice had a nice char at the bottom, we found that the sauce lacked the sweetness from shaoxing wine (that’s used in the traditional Chinese claypot rice dish).
Nevertheless, the beef was exquisitely tender.
Summary
Overall, we did enjoy the food here and the service was also attentive.
If you’re looking for a good place to celebrate special occasions – this is worth checking out.
Bar.Kar KL
Address: Ground Floor, G Tower, Jln Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm (Tues-Sun) 6pm-11pm (Mon)
Phone: 011-2277 3131
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Instagram for the latest food adventures and recipes.
