Meet the alchemist behind Reka:Bar, Malaysia’s most innovative cocktail laboratory

In a nondescript building tucked away in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent Damansara Heights neighbourhood, Nick Choo is redefining the boundaries of mixology. His establishment, Reka:Bar, recently recognised as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, looks more like a laboratory from a science fiction film than a traditional cocktail lounge. But that’s precisely the point.
“If I were to encapsulate the inspiration for Reka:Bar in a word, it would be ‘journey’,” said Choo, seated in his establishment’s futuristic interior that evokes what he calls a “spaceship cantina.” The genesis of this innovative concept came during an unlikely confluence of circumstances: the depths of the pandemic and a period when Choo was bedbound from an injury. “Perhaps almost naturally, I conceived with the team a place where we could take guests on an adventure of the senses,” he reflected.
The name “Reka” itself embodies this spirit of exploration. Derived from the Malay word for “create” and serving as an abbreviated nod to the Greek “Eureka”, it captures both the creative process and the joy of discovery that defines the establishment’s ethos. This duality is evident in every aspect of the bar’s operations, where scientific precision meets artistic expression.
The location choice was surprisingly practical. “To be perfectly frank, the location was chosen because it was very close to where I used to live at the time.” Choo admitted with characteristic candour. Yet this seemingly mundane decision has become part of the bar’s charm. “I do still get a little thrill when we welcome a first-time guest in, and their eyes open wide at what lies behind the door of an otherwise nondescript building in the neighbourhood.”
At first glance, what catches the eye isn’t the typical array of bottles and glasses but rather an impressive collection of laboratory equipment. A rotary evaporator hums quietly in the corner, performing low-temperature distillation. Ultrasonic homogenisers stand ready to introduce novel textures to cocktails. Yet Choo insisted that all this technology serves a single purpose: “First, foremost and last: The drinks must be delicious, the food must taste great, and the guest must have an amazing experience.”
This philosophy is perhaps best exemplified in one of their signature creations, the Dusun, a cocktail that Choo describes as “a walk through a Malaysian orchard.” The drink’s development showcases the bar’s innovative approach: durian, Malaysia’s notorious king of fruits, is lacto-fermented for 60 days to tame its polarising intensity while preserving its creamy essence. This is then masterfully combined with house-made chilli tequila distillate and tuak (a local coconut spirit) before being clarified through soy-jackfruit milk. The final touch? A tomato foam that adds texture and a subtle umami note.
Another standout from their current signature menu, The Domino Effect, is the Liquid Ambra, which shares ingredients with the Dusun in a clever nod to sustainability. Such thoughtful integration of ingredients across different cocktails reflects the bar’s commitment to both innovation and responsibility.
Reka:Bar’s pledge to local ingredients runs deep. Choo works closely with Malaysian artisanal producers, including A Little Farm on the Hill, run by Pete Teo, which supplies herbs for their creative concoctions. “Malaysia has a bounty of amazing produce that is increasingly being grown with care and love,” Choo noted. “And we try to highlight both the product and the people behind them as much as we can.”
Leading the execution of this vision is head mixologist Joel Poon, whom Choo credits with bringing “flavour creativity to the drink ideation process”. The menu development is a collaborative effort, with Choo typically conceiving the themes while the team collectively riffs on drink ideas and flavours. “Every good idea or flavour will then go through many tastings, tweaks and alterations before final recipe approval” Choo explained. “Some drinks haunt my dreams for weeks!”
The success of Reka:Bar relies on a carefully assembled team. Richard Ong and Shawn Samuel, part of the founding team, manage the crucial backend and operational work. Head bartender-in-training Xun Tan ensures smooth daily operations, while chef Daniel Wong has been developing an increasingly prominent food programme. “Every single team member is critical to the bar’s success,” Choo emphasised. “We’ve got a young but great team and everyone’s really been growing and contributing to the bar.”
Despite its high-concept approach, Reka:Bar maintains a decidedly unpretentious attitude. “One of the key tenets of our approach to hospitality is to meet our guests where they are at with warmth and friendliness,” Choo said. “While we are, of course, excited to geek out and explain our process and the stories behind the drinks, we’re equally happy to make a simple gin and tonic or crack open a good beer for our guests and share a laugh and a smile.”
This philosophy has helped shape Kuala Lumpur’s evolving cocktail scene. When Reka:Bar first opened, it represented a dramatic departure from the prohibition speakeasy and Shanghai noir aesthetics that dominated the local bar landscape. “Perhaps when we first opened, we went so far ‘out there’ in our vision that maybe we helped others to chase their own ideas and creativity without fear,” Choo reflected. This influence extends beyond just cocktails – the bar’s interior designer, Port25, has since gone on to design many top local bars, spreading Reka’s clean, functional aesthetic throughout the city.
Looking ahead, Choo sees texture and aroma as the next frontiers in experimental mixology. He cites influences ranging from modernist cuisine pioneer Nathan Myhrvold to contemporary bar innovators like Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez of Sips, who have shaped his thinking about the role of aroma in flavour perception. He also credits Mike Capoferri at Thunderbolt for lessons in precision dilution and Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone for demonstrating the beauty of perfectly executed simplicity.
But perhaps what’s most striking about Reka:Bar is how it views its ultimate purpose. “Hospitality and hospital share the same root word,” Choo observed thoughtfully. “As hospitals are places to salve the body, so food and beverage establishments ideally are places to salve the soul.” He recounts a poignant story of a regular guest who would visit several times a week, often alone, and who passed away suddenly. “While mourning him, we took some comfort that perhaps we provided him with some good times and memories in his last months.”
Their recent recognition among Asia’s 50 Best Bars validates this approach. “It’s certainly an amazing honour to be recognised by our peers and guests for the quality of our programme,” Choo said. “And definitely a huge encouragement to the team that we’re on the right track in our mission to provide an extraordinary experience to our guests and take them on a fun flavour journey.”
It seems that in this spaceship cantina of the future, the most advanced technology still serves the most timeless purpose: bringing people together over a perfectly crafted drink.