The Bars to Watch in 2014: Asia

The Asian bar scene has grown to rival some of the best in the world, finds Francesca Martin in the Asian Bars to Watch 2014.

Premiumisation is big across Asia, providing plenty of bars to keep an eye on

Asia’s drinks scene is undoubtedly at an all time high. With more bars, hotels, clubs and restaurants opening in more cities across the region than ever before, it’s proving hard to keep up.

Identifying an overall trend for a region so diverse is near impossible. What’s setting the tone for 2014, however, is a clear focus on top quality, premium drinks with a twist.

Highly trained professionals at bars across the region are battling it out to bring unique experiences to an ever more discerning clientele.

These top picks are just some of the places going that extra mile to ensure constant surprise and delight.

Click through the following pages to discover Asia’s Bars to Watch 2014.

Asia Bar to Watch: Ku De Ta, Bangkok, Thailand

Ku Dé Ta cordially invites you to “a lifestyle less ordinary”. Visit a Ku Dé Ta anywhere in Asia, be it in Bali – where the original beach club made its name and built its unique reputation – Singapore, whose stunning rooftop opened in 2010, or the latest addition, on the 39th and 40th floors of the iconic Sathorn Square development in the heart of Bangkok’s buzzing Sathorn district, and you are intended to encounter a “lifestyle revolution”.

The first of its kind and certainly one of the most exciting things to hit Asia this year and next, restaurant, lifestyle and entertainment concept Ku Dé Ta, has just launched its latest venue in the City of Angles. With two clubs, three restaurants and seven bars, each with their own unique concept, Ku Dé Ta Bangkok is worth a visit, whatever your particular taste and preference for food, drink, music, dancing and otherwise.

The spirit of Asia is at the true heart and soul of this operation. Guests are expected to sit back and relax, to enter a space completely removed from the hectic madness of the city streets far below.

Asian influences and flavours are seen throughout, from the décor – mainly tropical-Balinese with contemporary twists – to Asian-inspired cocktails such as Hi Thai Tea (Belvedere Vodka, tea blend, Tahitian limes) and Osaka Noodle Market (Tanqueray gin, shiso leaves, cucumber, honey and limes).

Senior beverage manager Karol Ansaldi, formerly of Zuma and local Bangkok hotspots Oskar’s and Gossip, looks to the roots of any cocktail, preferring lighter, purer, more elegant styles.

“When cocktails are too complicated, with too many flavour combinations, you drink one, then move on to a G&T,” says Ansaldi. “At Ku Dé Ta the focus is on experimenting, on trying a number of cocktails over the course of an evening. We keep our cocktails crisp and fresh so guests can do just that.”

A distinct effort is made to encourage drinking cocktails with food, not something often focused upon in this newly wine-crazed part of the world. Cocktail pairing menus have been featured successfully in Singapore and are likely to come into play in more depth in Bangkok.

With such a wealth of entertainment on offer, designed to give a unique experience every time you visit, plus a new opening in Hong Kong set for early next year, it’s hard to imagine where else people in Asia will be spending their time in 2014.

Ham & Sherry, Hong Kong

The theme of Jason Atherton and Yenn Wong’s newest bar, the duo behind Wanchai’s hugely successful modern tapas bar 22 Ships, is self-evident. What’s exciting about it is that it’s a first, and currently only for Hong Kong – by no means an easy task in this city of constantly newly opening bars and restaurants.

With a unique selection of Sherries on offer, including an aptly named own label The 22nd Ship by the legendary Gonzalez Byass, this bar is set to be another raging success, not least of all because it will act as a welcome nearby watering hole for the hoards of diners who queue patiently for a seat each lunchtime and evening outside 22 Ships.

Once dinner is over, another surprise, in the form of a secret speakeasy, will be in store for night-owls eager to continue their fun. Bespoke cocktails made to guests’ personal taste and preference will be the order of the day; reserved strictly, however, for those who can seek it out.

Griffin Bar, JW Marriott, Seoul, Korea

JW Marriott is on a mission. With recent openings in Hong Kong, Chengdu, Tianjin and Seoul this December, and hundreds more just around the corner, the group is setting a precedent when it comes to drinks in Asia.

Blake Walker, new beverage and bar director for the group, has his work cut out for him, starting with Griffin Bar on the 11^th floor of the Dongdaemun Square hotel.

Guests can relax and sip an extensive range of over 100 single malts and handcrafted signature cocktails either at the bar, at tables inside or on the roof terrace, or even take one of the four private VIP rooms.

If whisky’s not your thing, there’s the lobby’s Martini bar, and the top wines and cocktails served at the steakhouse. Walker’s aim is simple: “To be able to get a great drink throughout the hotel, whether that be a cocktail, a gin and tonic or even just a well thought-out soft drink option served correctly.” We’ll certainly raise our glasses here in Asia to that kind of service.

Soefar & Co., Yangon, Myanmar

From the team behind renowned Union Bar & Grill, which opened in April this year and has already proved an outright success, comes a new Yakitori concept in downtown Yangon. Set in a beautiful heritage building constructed in 1906, with a seemingly endless list of sake, shochu and Japanese whiskies to choose from, this place is set to create a stir when it opens in January.

Original steel beams and exposed brick walls will surround the open kitchen with its yakitori grill on full display. The highly attentive bar team will be managed by founder Nico Elliott, who trained in London and works closely with other top bars such as Singapore’s secret speakeasy 28 Hong Kong Street, sharing expertise and knowledge to improve hospitality across Asia.

Plans are afoot for more locations later on in the year but for now we’ll have to watch this space.

The New Bars of Tras Street, Singapore

There’s no doubt that Tras Street in Singapore’s Chinatown is the place new bars want to be. With several openings in the past couple of months and no doubt more on their way, this hipster part of town is going from strength to strength when it comes to quirky cocktails and premium spirits.

Jekyll & Hyde, run by a strong lineup of local bartenders led by Jeff Ho, formerly of Bar Stories, is located in a very cool, loft-like space that features a nail salon run by the people behind local beauty parlour Manicurious.Expect artfully blended, hand-crafted drinks with a twist of adventure.

House of Dandy opens in a couple of weeks and although the concept isn’t fully revealed yet, we’re expecting a molecular focus. With painstakingly handcut walnut parquet flooring and handpainted interiors, the attention to detail here is second to none. It’s already been dubbed by some as Singapore’s new High Temple to Hedonism.

Café Gavroche opened a couple of months ago and as one would expect is bringing a bit of neighbourhood Paris to these Chinatown streets. With one of the best pastis selections in Asia, this is a great spot to grab some delicious French fare and chat over a tasty aperitif.

Cirque Le Soir, Shanghai, China

Shanghai’s most exclusive and talked about nightlife experience has just hit town. Located on The Bund, an area central to the city’s premium luxury drinking and dining scene, in the historical Bund 22 Building, this late night circus hangout is set to give guests a spectacle they are unlikely to forget.

With roaring successes in both London and Dubai and a host of smaller parties thrown in glamorous spots around the world, Cirque Le Soir has evolved into one of the most talked about global nightlife concepts. The group’s internationally renowned hospitality is unquestionable and its mission to deliver the best drinks Shanghai has to offer is evident in its appointment of head barman Ivan Sun, previously ranked amongst the top five barmen in China with the Diageo World Class competition.

Be welcomed by the Ringmaster, led to your seats by a Champagne Thunder Drummer, and be awed by the aerial acts and burlesque dancers along the way; the fun has well and truly commenced.