Manhattan celebrates 7th anniversary with a MU:Taipei guest shift

Award-winning cocktail bar Manhattan hosts MU:Taipei for a two-day bar and kitchen guest shift to celebrate its seven anniversary.

One of the most awarded bars in Singapore, Manhattan at the Regent Singapore celebrates seven years in the business this April. To commemorate the milestone, the grand hotel bar will be hosting a special guest shift on 21-22 April 2021. For those two days, founder-owners Tryson Quek and Bannie Kang of MU:Taipei will helm the sticks behind Manhattan’s bar and the spatulas in its kitchen.

Local cocktail hounds no doubt will be familiar with both Bannie Kang and Tryson Quek. Before they moved to Taiwan to found MU:Taipei, they were head bartender and head chef respectively at Fairmont Singapore’s lobby bar Anti:dote. A serial award winner, Kang claimed the title of Best Female Bartender at The Bar Awards in 2014 and 2015, and landing the Diageo World Class Global Winner in 2019. Quek too is a master in the kitchen, concocting some of the most whimsical dishes to pair with Kang’s cocktail creations.

The power couple carried their expertise over to MU:Taipei in early 2020, where they continued to push their unique cocktail and food pairings and bring a different dimension to Taiwan’s cocktail scene from their speakeasy restaurant in Taipei’s Da-an district.

For this exclusive two-day guest shift, Kang and Quek will bring a taste of MU:Taipei back to Singapore. One of Kang’s cocktails that will be showcased is her latest iteration of Philoso’Me – which she first created at Anti:dote but has refined over the years – that today is crafted with Michter’s Rye, cassia seeds, winter melon, and charcoal salt. On the culinary side of things, Quek will offer a series of small plates such as Foie Gras, which comes with kumquat gel and sherry leeks.

“Bannie and I go way back. Being both Korean female bartenders, I have always shared a special connection with her as we carved our place in the industry. I can’t wait to see her, let alone stand beside her making drinks!” says Sophia Kang, Head Bartender of Manhattan.

Manhattan’s 7th anniversary celebrations featuring MU:Taipei takes place on Wednesday 21 April and Thursday 22 April 2021 from 5pm to 9.30pm. For reservations, email manhattan@regentsingapore.com.sg, call 67253377 or visit https://www.regenthotels.com/regent-singapore/dining/manhattan.