Ambiance

Bar Trigona is classy! Marble, navy blue walls with golden ornaments, massive tables, again in golden color and same blue comfortable sits. Wait, I didn’t even come to the centerpiece – a large shiny bar. Mirrors and golden plates form a mosaic with a five-tier liqueur shelf, stocked with the finest drinks. The glamour doesn’t stop at the bar. Most of the tables are settled next to floor-to-ceiling windows, from where you can watch nearby Petronas or always busy street with million lights.

Talking about lights, the pillar of every good ambient and here at Bar Trigona, they are aware of that. All shiny décor gets even more exciting and suave feeling overflows the whole space.

Music in the bar is pleasant and the vibe just like it should be – cool and posh. The Bar Trigona is a golden place and they don’t hide that. After all, this is the best side of Four Seasons KL and it should be like this. Anyway, we all know there is not only the ambiance needed to be one of the best bars in Asia, let’s check Bar Trigona Menu.

Bar Trigona Menu

Going through the drinks menu is much more interesting than the word »menu«that applies. In the first manner, the drawings of plants attract the eye. The menu is an art piece by itself. Just by looking them you get to the end without even knowing it and then the joyful moment repeats. So what should I have?

First, there is a short explanation about the name Trigona or Trigona bee to be exact. That is a species of stingless bee, native to Southeast Asia. At Bar Trigona, each cocktail section includes a Trigona honey in the mixed drink.

Cocktail Categorization

Paintings I refer to in the previous lines are based on the key ingredients, whether it is fruit, leaf & flower, stem & seed, or root. The drinks are based on the most important ingredient, with the rest following its lead. Each part includes one drink with Trigona honey and one mocktail.

Wait, There is More

Apart from the house special mixed drinks, there is also a wine and beer section. I believe that at Bar Trigona is the first time I have come across so many wines per glass options when it comes to a bar and not wine bar. In fact, all the available wines are possible as a glass portion as well as the bottle.

The spirits list at Bar Trigona is massive coming from all around the world. From the Gin selection, I want to bring to light the uniquely Malaysian flavors of jackfruit pandan and galangal in De Cort Distillery Gin. These flavored gins are distilled in Belgium in collaboration with the Eiling Lim. She saw an opportunity and combined her childhood memories connected to Malaysia, and launched her first Gin line.

Our Cocktails at Four Seasons KL Bar Trigona

I had a huge dilemma over the Gawky Galangal Gin and Trigona Old Fashioned. When I consulted my dear she quickly sweet talked me into the cocktail. Not only that, she even made sure to get a fair taste of my drink and half of the honeycomb, which comes with it. Women!

Trigona Old Fashioned

Ok, I must admit the cocktail is well executed and greatly enjoyable. The blend of rye whiskey brings woodiness into mind, how wouldn’t it with the presence of the cedar wood essence! Top that with Cynar, the herbal tasting bittersweet liqueur and Orleans bitters dominating in anise, citrusy, cinnamon notes.

It is perfect with sourish sweet Trigona honey. My compliments to the Head Bartender at Four Seasons KL Bar Trigona, Ashish Sharma. I praise him for exploring Malaysia and include its uniqueness to the menu. After all, every artisanal cocktail contains a special ingredient, and here the focus is on honey.

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The Golden Fizz

You can guess Vivi wasn’t in a rush to focus on her mocktail, the Golden Fizz. So I got a good taste of it and stopped complaining. After those mocktails in the Bamboo Bar, I don’t look down at them anymore. As a matter of fact, the booze-less drink can be even more demanding, with nothing to cushion delusion. The name Golden Fizz must capture the turmeric and ginger beer, while cardamom leaf brings the minty, spicy and herbal notes all refreshed by lemon.

Conclusion

Bar Trigona is an extremely well-designed bar with a clear plan – be one of the best bars in Asia. With this approach, they might be there quite soon. All compliments to the head bartender, who took a lot of time and effort before the opening. He traveled around Malaysia in search for the main ingredients that will present the bar. Even the name Bar Trigona is from the local attraction and one of the ingredients for artisan cocktails. Think local, act global!

Bar Trigona Review Card

• 9/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9/10
• 9.2/10
  SERVICE – 9.2/10
• 9.3/10
  DRINK SELECTION – 9.3/10
• 8.9/10
  PRESENTATION – 8.9/10
• 9/10
  OUR DRINKS – 9/10
• 8.9/10
  VALUE – 8.9/10

Bar Trigona Price and Location

Cocktails at Bar Trigona are priced around 13,5 USD for alcoholic and 8,5 USD for nonalcoholic versions. Here is a link to Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur location, in a case you don’t know where it is. Anyway, we haven’t noticed any dressing code policy, but bar like this deserves a nice suit 😉

The post Bar Trigona, Four Seasons KL Review appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

The Ambiance of the Lounge

Once we stepped into an elegant Lounge at Four Seasons KL, we took our time to search for the best seat. The first thing we noticed was sofa-benches in the middle of the Lounge at Four Seasons KL. They not only set the veranda touch but also close the space around the table.

Delivering privacy in an ample space can be challenging and here the design team killed two birds with one stone. Leaving space with more take-it-easy vibe and snug sitting, with plenty of room even for a small group. Is that what makes it one of the best high tea in KL?

Maybe, but there are also flaws. I don’t know about you, but I hate it when I’m so cold that I can’t feel my fingers and toes. Here at Four Seasons KL high tea, it is extremely cold and apparently, they can’t do anything about it. Anyway, I’ll leave this ridiculous South-Asian trend for some other time, but keep it in mind and bring a jacket or Olaf with you.

Four Seasons KL High Tea Menu

Given the upscale luxury brand the Four Season KL represents, it is only appropriate to expect premium loose tea. A brand that rises to the occasion is Harney & Sons, with a decent selection and detailed tea description on the menu.

For this afternoon tea, we chose the Lounge Tropical Signature Blend and the Chai Tea. First is a blend of black and green teas with flavorful additions. Primarily I could taste the strawberry with hibiscus, while the coconut and floral mix rounded the taste with a sweet aftertaste. The second brew, Chai Tea felt right at the Lounge Four Seasons KL afternoon tea.

This ultimate blend certainly warmed us up a little with all the spices. It’s a bold cuppa with noticeable versatile cardamom and sweet cinnamon aroma.

When it comes to loose tea, I get excited about two reasons. Obviously, the quality comes first, but there is also one particular tool, the tea strainer. Yes, I adore beautiful tea strainers, no matter their design style. For our Four Seasons KL high tea, we got a vintage English style silver tea strainer.

Scones

These rustic beauties are just perfect! Both, the plain and raisin scones have a golden-brown crust and soufflé shape. It was a joy to tear them apart, as they were pleasantly crumbly. In addition to that, they also tasted great on their own.

Even so, the addition of zesty orange jam and luscious Devonshire clotted cream scored perfection. It looks like E&O scones got some serious competition, but the title “best scones in Malaysia” still belongs to them. They have earned it with everything that is connected to the scones, the excellent jam offer, and clotted cream as well. At the Four Seasons KL high tea, the orange jam tasted good, but the amount was too small for all four scones. Luckily, in the end, we were left with the Lescure Butter, which is a pure way to finish tasty scones.

Savories

Before I go over the savories, I’d like to present a bigger picture regarding the canapés. The Lounge at Four Seasons KL is a place where light bites embrace multiple ingredients without overusing seasonings. In essence, the ingredients themselves serve their primary purpose.

On top of the middle glass tray, we got four pieces of savory high tea party food for each of us. The most color-popping addition was a red tea sandwich filled with salmon and X.O sauce. I can say that the red colored bread could also serve as a warning for the notable chili addition. Next to the chili, I could also taste the cured radish, fresh cucumber, and parsley.

The most engaging part of the second bite was the creamy combination of egg filling and crisp deep-fried youtiao. Above all, it added flavor and crunch to the Chinese tea egg.

Chinese origins are also in the Bang-Bang chicken salad, referring to the thin chicken slices. Here the chicken was part of a mildly seasoned salad on a mini croissant. My preference in this finger sandwich was fresh butter croissant as a base around which the rest evolved.

The canapé I liked the most was beef shank on baked crostini. Soft meat indicated the sous vide technique, flavored by Chinese influenced five-spice powder. Taste, as expected, wasn’t overpowering but a touch of creamy dip freshened it.

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Sweets

At first sight, sweets here at Four Seasons KL high tea looked promising. The first dessert took me a few weeks back when we were baking Chinese New Year Cookies with our friend. His mom is an incredible cook and her pineapple filling tasted just like this one; pure roasted pineapple with a little bit of star anise. The resemblance ended with coconut custard addition and tart dough. A mere presentation was playful with a shiny orange ball on top of the tart. Even though it was meant to be eaten as one bite, I preferred to eat it in two parts. Mostly because I didn’t connect with the coconut custard and wanted to enjoy the bottom portion.

I couldn’t resist another luxurious looking treat with a vibrant orange tear on top. As it turned out the whole bite was divine. A combination of ginger tea cake with orange cremeux and mandarin on top complemented one another in perfect harmony. I especially liked the light twist on the cremeux, which let the citrusy notes to take the lead. With this bite, I wouldn’t mind having a sip of Cointreau. This dessert is the best here at Four Seasons KL high tea ‘party’.

What at first looked like a chocolate praline with goji berries, it turned out to be something else. It was one more sweet bite that reminded me of our friend; the glutinous rice cake. Yes, we made that from scratch as well. I liked how genuine it was with the playful chewiness and pandan taste.

Egg custard tartlet was just that, eggy. What amused me the most was that it tasted even eggier than filled Chinese tea egg. Even so, it was nothing against the expectations of the premium quality egg tart.

Last treat for our the Lounge at Four Seasons KL high tea was the Macaron with black sesame filling. I loved how buttery and pleasing the black sesame filling was. The addition of strawberry chocolate served as a stand and aromatic extension all at once.

Conclusion

All things considered the Lounge at Four Seasons KL is a great place for afternoon tea from beginning to end. The experience starts with a very kind and professional service that took good care of us. Attentiveness doesn’t stop here; it expands toward the incorporation of local elements into the Four Seasons KL high tea set.

That is a pleasing way to keep bites interesting even with quick changes in the afternoon tea menu at Lounge at Four Seasons KL. Anyway, if you are for a different high tea then check a few steps away – Nobu high tea. There you will experience Japanese clean flavors in thoughtful bites. Hmmm, on the other hand, just check our Best High Tea in Kuala Lumpur (KL) article and get inspired!

Critique

No one is perfect (except Jenifer Aniston, she is perfect) and neither is Four Seasons KL high tea. The first noticeable flaw that can ruin your experience is freezing temperatures. I swear to god we could hear Elsa singing ‘Let it go’, while we were sipping our cold tea. The other downside is a hideous high tea stand, which doesn’t go well in this luxurious afternoon tea bites. In the end, we expected more from one or two bites. I hope Four Seasons KL high tea will fix these flaws and catch up with the intense high tea race here in Kuala Lumpur. I hope you enjoyed our Four Seasons KL high tea blog article. However, for more ideas check our Best High Tea in Kuala Lumpur (KL) article.

Four Seasons KL High Tea Review Card

• 8.5/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 8.5/10
• 9.5/10
  SERVICE – 9.5/10
• 9.5/10
  TEA SELECTION – 9.5/10
• 8.8/10
  PRESENTATION – 8.8/10
• 8.9/10
  BITES – 8.9/10
• 8.6/10
  VALUE – 8.6/10

Four Seasons KL High Tea Price and Location

Four Seasons KL high tea set for two persons will cost you about 60USD. Here is a link to a location for easier navigation. Anyway, the afternoon tea is served at 2:30 – 5:30 pm. Thinking about the dress code? We would recommend jackets 😉

The post Four Seasons KL High Tea Review – Great but Cold appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

The Ambiance of Four Seasons KL

The ambiance of Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur is clean, contemporary and stylish. Basically pastel color theme with no distractions. Grey, white, gold, brown and dark blue will be your company through this chic hotel. The Four Seasons KL hotel is the most common type for new hotels in big cities; the skyscraper.

Sure, skyscrapers have their charm, needless to say, it is entirely different from the heritage hotels like Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Skyscrapers usually have a clean design and straight lines. Anyway, this clean style and open spaces can be from time to time cold and dreary. Luckily you can run from this to the pool or other facilities.

All around Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur we came across the tall and light places with a sleek feel. I like the calm ambiance in Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur, especially the collection of the local art pieces, that are exhibited all over the hotel. It is great to see hotels supporting local art and contributing to the local community.

What about the exterior of this 65-story hotel-residences-shopping mall skyscraper? To be honest, it’s not exciting; glassy straight lines with not so stylish sign on the top. It is similar to the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur across the park, only higher. Anyway, the hotel is now in the first row of the park.

Unfortunately, they aren’t at the edge of the park, like Mandarin Oriental, that raises a question when something will grow in front. Apparently, there was a big rumble around the height of Four Seasons KL in the middle of construction. People were complaining about blocking the main KL’s attraction – Petronas Towers.

Check-In

The lobby of Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur is situated on the 6th floor, and before check-in, you get a great view of the lounge. Natural light brings life to the marble tiles while the glass wall expands an already spacious area. Pass the room and you’ll reach the Lounge bar, where their high tea is one of the attractions.

Check-in is pleasant and relatively fast, plus efficient. Here, the efficiency refers to the luggage, which was in the room waiting for us upon arrival.

Check-out Flaw

Less efficient is check out, though. After more than a month we haven’t received any folio, and the Four Seasons app didn’t help as well. The only remark here at the reception desk is about poorly preserved floors. It is only a few months old hotel and floors have already some awful stains and deep cracks.

Our Room

Rooms at Four Seasons KL are nice. The first image is a big walk-in closet or rather a wardrobe. Unfortunately, it can’t be closed, which bothered Vivi quite significant. Continue to the spacious room, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide plenty of light. Besides that, the KLCC park view is delightful, especially for the evening water show.

Both the king-size bed and sofa are comfortable, with closet-bar and great writing-table at hand. The table has all the plugs you need for your computer work, which makes these rooms great for a business stay.

Spacious Bathroom

We like the spacious Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur’s bathroom with a modern touch. The toilet will satisfy even the Japanese delegation who is used to the squirts, toilet heaters and god knows what else. Anyway, the bathroom had a decent bath and a separate walk-in rain shower.

In our room, we have again noticed floors in bad condition. Even though the room had a feeling of luxury, these stains on the floors spoil the experience.

Cleanliness

The room and the whole hotel, in general, are clean. The air in the room is great, and the only downside is the windows. Windows were dirty and the view didn’t pay out as it should. What can I say? With a glass comes to a lot of cleaning. In Mandarin Oriental Bangkok for example, there was not even one spot on the windows.

Or to make it fairer, we can compare with another glass skyscraper here in Kuala Lumpur – Sofitel Damansara, which had cleaner (not spotless) windows. Anyway, Four Seasons KL is a high-end hotel where the windows are expected to be clear, particularly when you pay more for this park view.

Food and Beverage @ Four Seasons KL

Breakfast

Breakfast was part of Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur that Vivi really liked. As mentioned it is served in a stylish Curate Four Seasons restaurant. She loved the vast healthy options at the salad station and continued with the Arab station. Of course, she can’t miss the cheeses and four different types of honey. I was happier with the Malaysian-Indian and Western dishes.

My must-have includes cold cuts and eggs Benedicts that made me very contempt. All the dishes we had tasted fresh and delicious. Here is our detailed review of this Four Seasons KL breakfast.

Salad Station

In addition to already made salads (Beetroot Salad, Grilled Zucchini Salad, Waldorf Salad, Egg Salad, Quinoa Salad, Kimchi, and Chuka Wakame), the health enthusiasts get to make their own green salad with condiments. After making the desired mix, the dressings are an absolute gem. Vinaigrette alternatives include lemon and balsamic, while dressings varieties are a thousand islands and sesame.

If that doesn’t sound inviting Decadent by Four Seasons condiment with balsamic vinegar of Modena and their extra virgin olive oil must. If even that doesn’t ring a bell, France’s oldest oil and condiment makers, A L’OLIVIER fruit vinegars should.

Middle-eastern station

Vivi especially liked the creamy Labneh, Hummus Beiruti, and Baba ghanoush. But also the beetroot moutabel and Lebanese foul moudammas tasted great. The only thing that was against the expectation was the store bought Arab bread.

Soups

For those who like to warm up the body in the morning with a bowl of soup, the breakfast buffet at Four Seasons KL had a few options. Starting with the healthy Miso soup, beef, chicken and vegetable classics. Condiments for all are provided on site and yours to choose from.

Meat options

As I already mentioned my beloved cold cuts briefly, let me get into detail with my favorite, the smoked duck breast, among the smoked chicken breast and beef roll. Honestly, I wasn’t really satisfied with those, but the beef pastrami at the Western station kept the smile on my face. I also liked the premium quality sausages and beef bacon. At the Malay station were also a few must-try meaty options. To me, the beef rendang and gulai chicken tasted the best.

Meat-free options

Already mentioned salad station and Arab dips are a must try. If that doesn’t fill you up, then stop for a moisty spinach quiche with oatmeal or foul moudammas. The Malay-Indian station also includes a variety of vegetarian options like aloo gobi (potatoes & cauliflower) or sambar (lentil-based stew). For those who like to keep a light breakfast the fruit salad, overnight oats and muesli are a good start as well.

Cheese

Cheese selection includes Cheddar, Edam cheese, Provolone, Tomme de Fermier, Pommery and Cremeux de Bourgogne. Next to them are exposed condiments such as dried fruit and nuts with honey only a step away.

Juice

The only 100% natural juice options were the orange juice and the daily selection of green apple & cucumber juice. While the pink guava, pineapple, and mango were store-bought before poured into glass bottles.

Desserts

A range of sweet treats for breakfast included various puff pastry, muffins, Berliners, doughnuts, and bread&butter pudding. My favorites were jam-filled doughnuts also known as Berliners. Although Vivi’s favorite almond danish pastry was also delicious and fresh.

Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons KL Lounge

The Lounge at Four Seasons KL is a place surrounded by the lavish veranda-style inspired interior design. The high tea itself comes on a futuristic three tier sandwich stand, which in my opinion is not suitable at all. This “rocket stand” looks too futuristic and it is not classy enough for this occasion.

Regardless of the sandwich stand style, the bites are the real reason for an afternoon tea. Or more likely the bites and tea, premium loose tea by Harney & Sons. Both parts are as expected to fit the Four Seasons standard, with the room temperature pointing in the winter direction. Vivi almost froze while clinging to her warm teacup! More about this in our extensive Four Seasons KL afternoon tea review.

Cocktails at Bar Trigona

My favorite part of Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur is the Bar Trigona. For that I have a few reasons, first is the stunning interior design in blue and golden shades. Then there is an inspiring menu and professional service. Lastly and most importantly; satisfying offer. The most special are mixed drinks, but impressive is also the spirits collection. Trigona is a species of stingless bee which produces delicious a special Trigona honey.

On top of that is also the wine and beer section with a great food menu as well. As you know, we are fond of mixed drinks, and at Bar Trigona we tried one mocktail and one cocktail. More about them in the Bar Trigona review.

Facilities and Amenities

In the house, there are six dining facilities, all day dinner at Curate, where they also serve breakfast, a high-end Chinese restaurant called Yun House, Grill by the pool, the Lounge where we had our afternoon tea, excellent Trigona Bar and Decadent café with freshly baked desserts.

If you have a terrible feeling for overeating, don’t worry, in Four Seasons KL is a well-equipped gym with all day trainer assistance. If the gym is not your thing, then you can visit a swimming pool. Here I was disappointed because when we were at the Nobu afternoon tea, we could see a beautiful swimming pool with a lot of greenery.

However, that swimming pool is on the other side of the hotel and is only for residents of the apartments. The hotel’s swimming pool is not that exciting, though. Not much greenery here, and a bit smaller.

What I particularly liked here are saunas at the swimming pool. Both steam and Finish saunas are excellent and the relaxation room has a calming vibe. Here is one flaw. I did notice a lot of fallen tiles, and Vivi confirmed the same from the women’s side. Looks like a big failure in building or just a cheap construction team?

Modern Approach

In-room facilities cover everything you need and even more. Compliments go to a modern approach regarding the PC tablet, which replaces the traditional leather information book. You can read all the information, reach the concierge, order food, limousine or any service. All respect to Four Seasons KL for this approach.

Sadly there is still a lot of room for improvements addressing in preserving nature. The water is also here in plastic bottles. Unfortunately, we have come across only one hotel here in Asia that was different.

Toiletries

Among the typical personal hygiene products, the Roja Parfums items were Vivi’s prize. The bergamot fragrance by Roja Parfums echoes sophistication and elegance. Besides capturing the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur general touch, it brings contrast to it as well. Black packaging stands out in the sleek bathroom while the fragrance is genuinely uplifting.

Service at Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur

The service through the Four Seasons KL hotel was good, but they should do something about the clearing in-room-dining carts. Seriously, we have seen a few at our stay, and here I don’t mean just an hour or two. Room service should simply remember who ordered in-room dining and check after an hour or two. After all, there are cameras everywhere, and they should see it as well.

In general, all workers at Four Seasons KL are helpful and polite. From time to time maybe even too polite. There is no need to run from one side to another to greet us, especially when there are that many employees. But ok, rather this than rude attitude.

Conclusion

Four Seasons KL is a great hotel, sure there are some flaws, but I do believe it will be eliminated in the future. I would recommend this hotel to all business travelers or for short weekend stays. However, I don’t see it convenient for couples. I think it lacks some charm and warm feeling.

The room indeed is excellent, there is no doubt, but you can’t be only in your room. I still see a better option in the Majestic hotel, which has better amenities where a couple can enjoy their romantic moment.

I think Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur will have a great reputation. After all, this is a solid hotelier brand with high standards. Restaurants in the house are already a hot spot for gourmands and Malaysian extravaganza. Yun House Four Seasons KL is collaborating with Louis XIII, and this is huge.

When Michelin stars come to Malaysia, I bet Yun House will get two stars at ease. Talking about the star, there is another one – Trigona Bar. Cocktails there are outstanding and ambient is decadent with luxury on every step. Four Seasons KL as a culinary hub? Why not. I hope our Four Seasons KL Review got you a picture of this hotel and you will enjoy there.

Critique

As I mentioned before, Four Seasons KL has some flaws, and since this is a review, I will gently point them out. The construction doesn’t have a quality feel; maybe this is because due to the fast building or simply sloppy construction team. It truly isn’t nice to see tiles falling apart in front of you, especially not when this hotel is fresh out of the box.

The same goes for the floors of Four Seasons KL, which have some awkward stains all over the hotel. In the elevator, you can see some deep scars, dating back to the construction times I assume. Looks like here in Malaysia they build fast, and they deforest fast…

Four Seasons KL Review Card

• 8/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 8/10
• 8.8/10
  CLEANLINESS – 8.8/10
• 8.8/10
  ROOM – 8.8/10
• 8.8/10
  FACILITIES AND AMENITIES – 8.8/10
• 9.6/10
  FOOD AND BEVERAGE – 9.6/10
• 9.7/10
  SERVICE – 9.7/10
• 8.6/10
  VALUE – 8.6/10

Price and Location

One night stand with breakfast in a room like ours will cost you about 270 USD. Here is a link to a location of Four Seasons KL, just in case if you miss Petronas Twin Tower 😉 If you decide to stay here, please use my referral link, and I will receive a small commission. Don’t worry, it won’t cost you any extra money.

Disclaimer: Four Seasons KL Review is written on our experience in the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur Hotel and it wasn’t sponsored or paid in any way.

The post Four Seasons KL Review – Kuala Lumpur’s New Star appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.