Yeppppp. This drink did it for me. Washing bourbon in butter is gluttony that I am here for. The mouthfeel it creates is fantastic.
Dark rum in this drink was absolutely the choice, as the sweetness and warmth paired amazingly with the bourbon. And this is where the soy sauce comes in. Umami burst! Slicing through the aforementioned flavors like prime LeSean McCoy. Added the depth this drink needed and was a unique flavor you don’t see in most cocktails.
Extremely elegant. Tiniest of garnishes. A drink suitable for James Bond.
My thoughts
Dry and crisp. I think the salad came through well, although I wouldn’t really consider it to be “caprese.” I got some vegetal, bitter, lettuce flavor, which worked really well in a martini-style drink.
That said, I was missing the creaminess of the mozzarella and acidity of the balsamic. However, trying to replicate the dish verbatim probably would have led to a creation a bit too out there for the theme of Zest.
Resemblance of a caprese... average at best. Very tasty salad martini... extremely well executed.
The Space
If I could imagine what a bar would look like on some upscale planet in Star Wars, it would be Zest. Or maybe a secret science lab. Or maybe a secret science lab on an upscale Star Wars planet. Point being, its look is unique and I loved it.
The bar where I sat was massive, with tons of working room for the bartender. There was also a table that could seat like 20 people, in what I can say is the first communal, non-bar seating I’ve seen in a bar. The back bar was purely for decoration, no actual bottles.
I wouldn’t consider Zest cosy by any means—a place you’d want to take a first date wearing your best dress shirt.
Extras
During my time at Bar Zest, I was chatting with the women next to me from China. We had some interesting discussions on perception vs. reality of China.
Towards the end of the night, the bartender poured us a substantial “shot” of what I could only believe to be some peach vodka mixture. And those two extra glasses were for the two bartenders. A fun moment.
My Verdict
8.2 / 10Taste
7.5 / 10Atmosphere
Taste reflects what I drank. Atmosphere reflects the bar experience.
