Drift Dining and Bar at Bukit Bintang
38, Jalan Bedara, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
We actually visited Drift Dining and Bar as a birthday treat and for this special occasion Drift Dining was a success and exceeded our expectations. Located midway along Jalan Bidara it has hard to miss Drift Dining as it would seem to be one of the bigger restaurants in the Bukit Bintang area. Drift is the creation of Australian Robert Gilliland and his team and the friendly, welcoming Aussie hospitality is very much on show from the minute you enter the restaurant. We actually had several people on hand to us during the meal and they were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the food & menu.
The place itself is decadent in style with a dark and moody interior that gives a strong fine dining feeling. It is a relaxing atmosphere that you can sit and wine and dine for hours whether it’s a romantic meal with your other half or with a group of your nearest and dearest friends. There is also a lounge style room behind the bar that can host private parties for those who want to enjoy their special occasions in classy surroundings with great food.
The menu is diverse and all meals come to share. Even the menu itself came to share which is quirky but fun idea and allowed us to discuss the various options on the menu more in depth. Drift Dining has kept the menu concise and clearly are looking to focus on quality rather than quantity. We really were spoilt for choice with the menu as it is varied with a diverse offering of modern western dishes.
We settled first on the Crushed Chat potatoes (RM25). These are baby potatoes that have been cooked to perfection. For such small potatoes the packed a lot of flavour. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and delightfully fluffy on the inside. They are then topped with sesame seeds and garnish and they taste great. Very moreish. The side dip that accompanies the potatoes is the perfect side to compliment the potatoes.
To follow this we had the poached chicken salad (RM29). Now that doesn’t sound to exciting so that makes what was served even more of success. The dish was exquisite. The chicken poached and shredded very well was mixed with onion, cucumber and other veg in a very well balanced manner. Each forkful was extremely tasty a with each component complimenting each other without overpowering each other. This was all served on top of creamy cucumber and mint sauce which again provided the balance needed. A complex dish that works very well.
For dessert we were in total agreement that we had to go for the Cinnamon Spiced Spanish Donuts (Churros) (RM24). The perfect dessert to end such a tasty meal. The churros were very light and well cooked with the outside being that right level of crispness and the inside being light and airy. They are covered with the right amount of sugar and dusted with cinnamon to give that extra kick. Could it get any better? Well that answer to that is yes in the form of the dips. One was a sweet and sticky caramel sauce and one was a fruity strawberry sauce. We couldn’t get enough of either.
After the meal we felt it would be rude not to enjoy the special occasion (not just the birthday but the meal we had just enjoyed so much) by having a couple of drinks. The house rose was fruity and light and went down a treat.
Drift Dining also has an interesting cocktail list, all reasonably priced at either RM34/35. We decided to go for the Swipe Right which is very on trend with the current Tinder craze. This was made up of Hendricks, Kafir Lime leaves, Elderflower and Cucumber. As the ingredients suggest it is a very light and refreshing drink (which could be dangerous as it is very easy and enjoyable to drink). It was the perfect end to the meal to send us of into the night.
Drift Dining and Bar is a definite win. It’s great location in the heart of Bukit Bintang provide enough impetus for people to make the trip there but they will be blown away by the high standard of the food, the relaxing ambiance and the extremely friendly staff. We will definitely be back to try more of their culinary delights and maybe a couple more cocktails.
Where To Go? Malaysia 