PUBLISHED January 31st, 2020 05:00 am | UPDATED March 26th, 2020 03:49 pm
In our search for JOLOKO, we find ourselves walking through Chow Kit and down the street where the prestigious Stripes Hotel is located. Next to the grand building sits the Afro-Caribbean bar and restaurant, hidden behind a shield of pygmy palm trees and several cars. The boisterous spot most recently won the title of ‘Restaurant Bar of the Year’ at The Bar Awards Kuala Lumpur 2019, and we are all for it.
Not long ago, this was someone’s house, and now, it’s a colourful and quirky spot that takes you halfway across the globe to the Caribbean. We start in the garden at a large terrazzo table surrounded by over 16 varieties of chilli peppers. One of the owners, hospitality veteran Rick Joore, points out a bunch of the illustrious ghost peppers, and we decide to take his word for it rather than risk hours on the toilet.
Standout drinks include the El Fuego Negro (RM44) or “black fire”, which sees smoky Mezcal Alipus stirred with Campari and sweet vermouth. It’s almost like a Negroni, but this version features a splash of amaro and soda to lengthen the drink. Teetotaller? Something Like a Phenomenon (RM16) combines fragrant rice water with tonka bean, cocoa husks, and salted pineapple nectar for a multi-layered drink embracing notes of vanilla, salty caramel, and honey.
We’re soon promised more mezcal inside, and we pass a matching terrazzo bar flanked by copper fixtures on our way in. The bamboo straws, and banana leaf coasters are impressive things, but it’s the wall murals of bizarre beasts – like a psychedelic leopard and red eyed birds – that properly breathes life into the restaurant. It’s at this point that Rick brings out a some mezcal and half a dozen jicara cups – the primary drinking vessel for mezcal in and around Oaxaca — and we’re soon happier from sipping artisanal labels like Montelobos and Machetazo. He tells us that he also has rare Mezcalito Pal’alma pechugas distilled with iguanas, which we pass on.
If one thing is clear, it’s that these guys do not hold back. JOLOKO’s punchy booze programme is matched up by its food offerings, like a simply-charred Roasted Cauliflower with earthy tahini sauce or Chilaquiles (essentially fried tortillas simmered in a sauce) with Oaxacan cheese to complement the richness of the drinks. There’s also the Walnut with Pomegrante Mollases, which is as much a main as it is an appetiser. Chickpeas are blended with walnuts and curry powder, with pomegranate folded in for sweetness. Grab a pita bread and scoop away.
The sizeable Jamaican Jerk Chicken is a favourite on our table, and we’re told it’s easily the most popular dish in the restaurant. Served with tangy mango relish and pickled cabbage, chicken is marinated in a special spice mix and grilled over charcoal to bring out a whole lot of flavour and juiciness.
A serving of very spicy jollof rice completes the experience – well, before dessert anyway. We get the signature Chilli Cheesecake, which can be a tad scary if you can’t take your heat. Because the aforementioned ghost chilli makes a come back inside a relatively firm cheesecake, along with chilli salt and crushed larva to add nuttiness. Yes, you read that right.
It takes almost no effort at all to love everything at JOLOKO, and with enough mezcal and tequila in your system, you might even start speaking Spanish.
JOLOKO is located at 43 Jalan Kamunting, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, p. +60 3 2694 1100.