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.
