Ikiya 2.0, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Ikiya 1.0 was a Japanese-run bar that nurtured a niche in Empire Damansara for three years. Ikiya 2.0 is poised to become even more popular, freshly reincarnated in a Japandi-style den in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. It's like coming home to a full-blown bar.

The tradition of terrific Japanese-inflected cocktails continues here - the Adzuki Martini, with creamy-textured red bean-infused vodka, and Tonyu Mudslide, blending dark rum with soy milk, chocolate bitters and matcha powder, go down real easy, while the Endo Gimlet, showcasing snap pea-infused gin with celery bitters, is vibrantly, vivaciously vegetal, and the Shochu Old-Fashioned brings a mellow-earthy sweetness to a cool classic. Kudos to the men behind the bar for their excellent work.

The kitchen serves up hot, fuss-free meals of Satsuma wagyu curry rice and fun snacks like smoked radish pickles with cream cheese.