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In the mood for cigars

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Snazzy and spacious.

Cigars may equate sophistication, jazzy tunes and middle-aged men discussing business, but, as DHARSHINI BALAN discovers at Fidel's Tapas and Cigar Bar, yuppies love the relaxing Cuban ambience too these days.

CHOW TIME: Scrumptious food from the deli.

EASY DOES IT: Ng pouring the Bangalore Bob into a cocktail glass.

CIGAR has been a part of history as early as the 10th century. King Edward II enjoyed smoking cigarettes and cigars, much to the chagrin of his mother, Queen Victoria.

Winston Churchill was rarely seen without a cigar during his time as Britain’s wartime leader. In fact, a large cigar size was later named in his honour.

Rudyard Kipling, in his poem The Betrothed, wrote: “A woman is only a woman: but a good cigar is a smoke.”

These days, when cigars are mentioned, images are conjured up of men dressed like the mambo kings surrounded by beautiful Latin women lighting up a cohiba with jazzy tunes in the background.

Blame it on the idiot box but it sure does sound sexy.

Of course, in reality, the scenario does not often play out.

In Kuala Lumpur’s cigar bars, you will usually see the more sophisticated middle-aged men sipping premium liquor and talking business on a dreary leather sofa with hardly a woman in sight except the waitress.

However, I stumbled upon a slightly different scene recently.

Fidel’s Tapas and Cigar Bar looks suave as you make your way in, with red walls and beautiful chandeliers enveloping its interior.

Huge illustrated paintings of Cuban musicians are hung creatively on the wall to emphasize the Latin feel.

The sound of Cuban music in the background stimulates your mind and soul as it temptingly invites you to break into a rumba or salsa number.

You come across a cozy bar with friendly bartenders entertaining you with magic tricks while you sip your sangria.

The wooden flooring and the furniture create a homely atmosphere.

Named after the Cuban President, Fidel’s Tapas and Cigar Bar is the place for good cigars and great ambience.

Situated in Plaza TTDI, it is hardly a few months’ old but it is already creating a buzz among yuppies. Yes, yuppies.

The cigar room, which can accommodate about 20 people at any one time, is a great place to unwind with friends or colleagues.

There are 21 different types of cigar brands to choose from. The best are Cohiba cigars, Davidoff and those from the Dominican Republic.

Prices range from RM81 to as high as RM200, depending on the quality.

You can also get mini cigars or flavoured cigars for the womenfolk.

If you are not into cigars, then just satisfy your tastebuds with tapas and your favourite glass of wine.

“At present, only 50 per cent of our menu is Cuban food which consists of tapas, carne (meat), soups and vegetarian fare,” said Aileen Lau, manager of Bar Works, which owns Fidel’s Tapas and Cigar Bar.

“We emphasis mostly on our tapas at Fidel’s but we’re in the midst of making our menu 100 per cent Cuban,” she added.

With the ability to accommodate between 150 and 200 people at any one time, Fidel’s is certainly spacious enough. There are tables outside as well.

According to Zoltan Gusca, one of the directors of Bar Works, the Cuban concept was chosen to give the patrons “a smorgasbord of joints to choose from”.

Bar Works owns other outlets in the same vicinity: a club called Bambo9, a yakitori bar called Wabisabi, Bamboo Deli, a pub called Simone and a huge snazzy café lounge called the Breeze.

With the exception of Wabisabi, these outlets complement one another. Bamboo Deli supplies food to all the outlets.

The Breeze is famous for its bar which carries rare premium liquor, exotic cocktails and a wide range of wine and liquor.

Owned by Gusca, Jackie Cheng from Hong Kong and local partner Kelvin Lim, Bar Works has proved its sceptics wrong as all the outlets are doing very well.

Gusca, a 27-year-old Hungarian, is proud that Bar Works is backed by experts in the F&B and entertainment fields.

“Its location is ideal as it is in between KL and Petaling Jaya,” said Gusca, who started entertainment outlets such as Café Flam and Bar Flam.

A whizz at cocktails

BEN Ng, a consultant mixologist for Bar Works, is clever at conjuring up alcoholic concoctions.

His two cocktails, Bangalore Bob and Cherry Berry Cobler, are irresistible.

The first is made from Bangalore mango puree infused with Matusalem rum and Mohala Mango, topped with pomegranate and pineapple foam.

The Cherry Berry Cobler is a mixture of Brandy Otard VSOP with blackberry, raspberries and morello cherries.

Only 23, Ng specialises in spirits and cocktails.

“I love marrying flavours. I travel around the world to learn about the different cultures and get more ideas,” said Ng, who once lived in London for three years.

A friendly guy, Ng is the best person to look for when you want to try a new alcoholic concoction.

“Most people are conservative and afraid to try different types of cocktails,” he added.

Fidel’s Tapas and Cigar Bar
TTDI Plaza, Jalan Wan Kadir 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

For reservations, call 012-2041833.

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