Have you ever wanted to be the calm, cool and collected person who crafts beautiful thirst-quenching drinks behind the bar? Well, thanks to Tony Roma’s Sunway Pyramid, my dream was fulfilled. But I wasn’t calm, cool or collected. I was more of a nervous wreck but hey, at least I tried even if it was only for an hour.
I walked in the restaurant with absolutely no preparation at all because the initial plan was only to take pictures of the drinks and the bartender in action. Little did I know, the bartender would be me. With my hair tied and my sleeves rolled up, I was ready.
My head was racing with questions. What if I break a glass? What if I spill something? What if I slip and die? Despite my racing thoughts, I found myself behind the bar with Mr. Salleh briefing me on the different drinks that I had to make. There were recipes and instructions provided, so it must be easy, right? At least that’s what I thought.
The Lesson Begins
My first assignment was to recreate the Pandan Soy Delight. I had this drink once. It was good. But will I be able to make it just as good? That was the question. I was under the impression that the drinks would be easy. Until I actually tried making it.
Sure, the instructions were direct- combine two pumps of pandan syrup with soy milk and whatnot. But there are more to this drink than just ingredients. It requires techniques and skills that my shaky hands did not possess.
I learnt that in order to create the perfect layers of colours, the drinks must be poured in a steady stream. By doing so, the colours would not be mixed together. The soy milk brings the drink into another dimension as it enhances the flavour of the pandan syrup whereas milk would diminish the fragrance, said Mr. Salleh.
Aesthetically speaking, my drink came out disappointing but I was determined to try again. I just had to set my nervousness aside.
Flavours Dancing with Mango Tango
So for the next drink, we made the creamy Mango Tango which is by far, the most unique drink among the three. It consists of grenadine and mango syrup, milk and sprite. The combination of milk and sprite with the addition of grenadine and mango flavour is mindblowing.
Though I must admit that I was doubtful about the combination but all it takes is one sip for me to fall in love. This drink also has different layers of colours to it as well and this time, I was determined to get it right. I followed instructions meticulously, steadied my hands as if my life depended on it. Grenadine, mango syrup and sprite went in first. I used the shaker confidently even though deep down, I didn’t know what I was doing. Fake it until you make it, I said to myself.
The moment of truth came when it was time to pour in the milk. Will there be layers of different colours? Or will I mess up and end up with a mixture of air bandung lookalike? Surprisingly, the milk floated to form the layers of white and red.
The separation occurred because milk is denser compared to sprite which is carbonated. I was told by Mr. Salleh that a lot of thought went into choosing the drinks. Making drinks is more than just pouring this and that- it’s science.
Mixing Pineapple Lemony Tea
For the next drink, I had to make the refreshing pineapple lemony tea. By this time, I was feeling pretty confident with my bartending skills. This drink wasn’t complicated to make either. All it took was pineapple syrup, lemon and some tea! It’s a simple drink that you can’t help but chug. I know I did after my intimidating bartending session.
After hustling behind the bar and enjoying my drinks, I realized how perfectly crafted the drinks were in order to reflect the Raya theme. All in all, the drinks were just the cherry on top. I did not only quench my thirst but I also gained some new experience.
Thank you to Tony Roma’s team for fulfilling my curiosity on what is like to be a bartender. It was by far, the most fun I have had but I’ll just stick to drinking from now on.
P/S: Make sure you try our take on these three wonderful drinks using everyday ingredients you can find at the nearest kedai runcit or your own backyard (if you have one). They are available on the website, so, make sure you look out for them!