The husband-and-wife duo behind the bar in Taiwan will give guests a preview of their innovative food and cocktail menu, with a touch of Asian flair
Turning seven is a big deal for any bar, especially after the coronavirus pandemic that severely affected the F&B scene. That is why Manhattan bar at the Regent Hotel is celebrating its anniversary with a bang by teaming up Tryson Quek and Bannie Kang for a special collaborative menu, available on April 21 and 22.
"Singapore has always been home for Bannie and Tryson," explains Rusty Cerven, the bar manager at Manhattan who previously worked with the couple when Quek was head chef and Kang was head craftsmen at Anti:Dote. The couple moved Taiwan in 2019 to establish their own restaurant and bar, Mu:Taipei.
Cerven added that both have played an important part in putting Singapore's bar scene on the world map. And since they're back on the island to visit family for a short period, he asked them if they could give home fans a preview of Mu:Taipei, and they obliged. This will be their one and only guest shift in Singapore, and Cerven enthused that working with them "feels like a natural fit... and it's a reunion and anniversary to boot."
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It’s an event not to be missed, given the pedigree of both Kang and Quek. Kang, for one, is a decorated bartender who was the only female bartender to make it into the top three ranking of the Diageo Reserve World Class Singapore finals. She was also declared the Best Female Bartender at the Bar Awards 2014 and 2015, and was named the World Class Global Winner in 2019.
Just this week, Kang was also announced as the winner of Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ Mancino Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2021, which is a peer-judged award that recognises a personality who has made significant impact in the bar sector in Asia before and during the pandemic.
Quek was also a semi-finalist in the Asian leg of S.Pellegrino’s Best Young Chef 2016 competition. The Singaporean chef has constantly reinvented novel ways to perceive everyday ingredients into delicious dishes.
For the collaborative menu, Tryson explained that both bars share a "common desire to showcase—whether food or drink—the very best of what we have to offer to our guests". The couple took about two months to create the menu, which showcases "a tight curation of contemporary Asian fare and cocktails that reflect Bannie’s native roots". For example, Kang created Philoso’Me, which harks back to her Korean roots with a touch of plum in the boozy mix of Michter’s Rye, cassia seeds, winter melon and charcoal salt. Quek complements the tipples with a selection of small plates, including creamy lobes of foie gras decorated with sherry leeks and caramel sauce. Moreover, there will be some dishes on the collaboration menu from Mu:Taipei's upcoming menu that they're planning to launch in June. Book here.