Zouk KL - Phuture,Velvet Underground is a fixture in Klang Valley nightlife as it brings in big-name DJs, hosts indie beloveds Twilight Action Girl, and consistently gets voted as Best Party Venue in KLue's annual readers' survey. Zouk Cafe and Bar is opening early this year. When and where?. Guess you have to read further. This preview was proudly brought to you by KLue.

Now, having staked out the 10pm - 3am market, the Singapore club is branching out. Zouk Café Bar arrives at the The Gardens @ MidValley, come early 2010. Marketing head Adam Mathews describes this new venture of theirs as a marriage between dining and drinking cultures -- an amalgam of a nice sit-down dinner with a booze-up at the bar.

Here's a sneak preview of some highlights

The kalbi we are typically familiar with are either beef or pork. Zouk's take on this Korean fixture is lamb: succulent meat, served on skewers with a sesame-and-honey dip.

What with the focus on minum, a large part of the planned menu consists of skewers and tapas. The Dungeness Crab Cakes (a pineapple chutney dip offers a nice contrast) and Wild Calamari (squid rings fried to perfection) particularly salivating.

Zouk's seafood Asian Paella is served in a clay pot (instead of in the traditional Catalan pan) with basmati rice and liberal amounts of turmeric. It's fascinating because of the uneasy fusion, though, the dish is tad bit dry and lacking in overall "bite".

And, of course, there are the Italian mainstays. Zouk's Fettucine Carbonara is just right, with (surprisingly) adequate beef bacon. All in all, a solid entry. (That's the crab cakes in the background, if you're wondering.)

Once again, Zouk is still tweaking their menu as such, there isn't much use in publishing a full list as yet. Expect prices from the low to mid-RM10s (for the tapas and skewers), and entrées to hover around the RM20 to RM30 range.

Zouk Café Bar is slated for a January 2010 opening date. Watch out!

For those who are unaware of this awesome cafe - here's a short teaser on what to expect =)

Zouk plans to open Zouk CafeBar, their first venture into the F&B line. Set to open at The Gardens, Mid Valley City, the project is is described by Zouk KL’s Head of Marketing & Communications, Adam Mathews, as a “100% Zouk labour of love”. Everything, from its menu to the interior décor, was created based on feedback, opinions and creative input from Zouk employees, DJs and friends.


The 184-seater establishment has nods to the club, as seen in the LED-feature on its walls and its music, programmed by their resident DJs. But it’s not just about a cool vibe, they’re serious about the food too.


Expect items like chili crab claws, marmite chicken wings, Asian chorizo and Nyonya pate served tapas-style, along with mains like Vietnamese beef noodles and seafood tomyam noodles. And since this is Zouk we’re talking about, expect alcohol and a Reverse Happy Hour, where the drinks get cheaper the later it is!

Check out www.zoukclub.com.my for updates.

*fyi - The Zouk Cafe and Bar, The Gardens is now open for business !!*