For the uninitiated, Troika Sky Dining is located on the 24th floor of The Troika (along Persiaran KLCC) and is popularly known for its insanely gorgeous view of the KL twin towers and fine dining restaurants. It houses 3 restaurants which are segregated by cuisines: Cantaloupe for French, Strato for Italian, and Fuego for South American.
There are tonnes of reviews out there on its food and breathtaking views which Google can ply you with. But with me, you know we'll be paying particularly close attention to (or geek out at) the liquid side of the business, right? So let's get to it, shall we!
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| Bonjour Cantaloupe Bar! |
Our first #TroikaCocktailsCruise stop was at Cantaloupe. Situated a little further down the right from the main entrance, it has a corner cozy bar for pre-dinner drinks or even a digestif or 2 after dinner. We tried:
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| L to R : Jungle Bird, Negroni, Tommy Margarita @ Cantaloupe Bar (Credit: Troika) |
Jungle Bird: This Malaysian cocktail is made with rum, campari, lime and pineapple juice. In Cantaloupe they use freshly blended Sarawak pineapple making the drink extra fresh and fruity! While the Jungle Bird is usually served in a rock glass, it's in a tall glass here. I'm not complaining - it's strong enough and there's more for me to enjoy. :)
Negroni: I'm not usually a big fan of this classic but they made it very well with Tanqueray gin, Campari and Carpano Antica Formula vermouth. Balanced, not overly bitter, it's a great aperitif to get the juices flowing before dinner.
Tommy Margarita: I won't be surprised to see this as a fast moving order simply because it's so easy to drink. A good balance of sweet and sour, it's refreshing and it sits so elegantly in a coupe glass.
As you may have guessed, the Cantaloupe Bar focuses on reviving classic cocktails but for those wanting something a little stronger, there is a decent range of whiskies too. Cantaloupe Bar opens daily from 12pm. Classic cocktails start from RM30++
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| Ciao Claret! |
Our next #TroikaCocktailsCruise stop is Claret - which gets the most face time thanks to its prime location of being right at the entrance. More popularly known for its vast collection of wines, what you may not know is that it also prides itself for its innovative, Italian-inspired cocktails - using a lot of Italian aperitif and liqueurs.
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| L to R: Rossini, Occio D'oro, Spicy Belluci (top), Bella Boom Boom (bottom) @ Claret (Credit: Troika) |
We were greeted with a lovely Rossini, made with fresh strawberries, Prosecco and (surprise!) white balsamic vinegar. It's a nice refreshing twist to the Bellini, Mimosa (or any other sparkling wine + fruit combination). When I asked why strawberries? The answer is because they rather serve something with fresh fruits than canned ones. Nice!
3 brand new cocktails were introduced to us that night. It was so new, we were even tasked with naming them!
Occhio D'oro: Made with Amaro Montenegro, lemon juice, prosecco. Refreshing and light, this was my favourite of the 3, mostly because I have a penchant for sour-ish drinks.
Bella Boom Boom: Gin, Campari, fresh grapefruit, basil. It kinda reminds me of thai food (lol) from the basil. It's stronger tasting than the Occhio.
Spicy Belluci: Vodka, Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, ginger syrup, ginger beer. It has a strong herbally scent and bitter flavour from the Fernet. Makes a great digestif but I would personally recommend it only to those with a seasoned, hardened, European palate
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| Italian bar bites from Strato (Credit: Troika) |
One can also order bar bites from the Italian restaurant upstairs, Strato, while chilling out at Claret's spacious, plush lounge. There's even Stella on the tap, should you prefer having your liquid rice. Opens from 4pm - 1am. Cocktails start from RM30++
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| Hola Fuego! |
The last #TroikaCocktailsCruise stop was Fuego. It's a restaurant-bar which features south american inspired cocktails & cuisine (they're very proud of their guacamole) so expect a lot of rum and tequila in tiki-esque cocktails. We tried:
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| L to R : Dark N Stormy. Rum Rhapsody (Credit; Troika), Reversed Pina Colada @ Fuego |
Rum Rhapsody: Rum, pineapple juice, secret P7 syrup (a house made syrup made using secret ingredients!), chocolate. Tastes? Just like cendol! YUM!
Dark N Stormy: Typically made with spiced rum, lime, syrup and ginger beer; Fuego turned it local with calamansi instead of lime, gula melaka instead of plain syrup and even made their own ginger beer, then topped it up with Gunpower Bitters. An excellent interpretation of a classic.
Reversed Pina Colada: This is a new one on the menu and quite brilliant. Pina colada is usually made with pineapple juice, coconut cream and rum. Fuego used coconut juice and pineapple syrup instead, thus, reversing the density of the mixers. Delicious but unfortunately only available for the month of August. :(
These 3 drinks are on promotional prices for the entire month of August, priced at RM30++ onwards. Fuego is open for dinner at 6.30pm and 8.30pm and only via reservations which can be done here: http://www.troikaskydining.com/#reservation
For more on all 3 bars and restaurants: www.troikaskydining.com
Thanks for the excellent liquid cruise, Troika Sky Dining! I had a whale of a time.
Can't wait to come back soon! #hic
