Picture this — you sit down at a restaurant. The waiter brings you a menu. Taking your time, you decide first on a drink selection. But instead of the usual drink menu, you notice something called a Cocktail Spice Box. Intrigued, you pick that. Soon, a server brings out a wooden box filled with tropical spices and ingredients. Choosing carefully, you pick three ingredients and a spirit of your choice before the server whisks off the box. Minutes later, a curated, custom cocktail arrives at your table.
If this kind of cocktail experience sounds like an experience you need, Kancil, a new Malaysian restaurant in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, is exactly the spot for you. Salil Mehta, founder of Fungi Hospitality Group behind Kancil, spoke to us in detail about this unique cocktail program. “Guests would often order from the beverage menus but later return asking for more personalized, custom cocktails,” explains Mehta. “This inspired the creation of the Kancil Cocktail Box — a way for guests to select from a curated assortment of seasonal ingredients and craft their own bespoke cocktails.”
What is the Kancil Cocktail Box?
To start, the Kancil Cocktail Box features many carefully selected Malaysian ingredients, such as turmeric, tamarind, and more. The ingredients are all heavily present in Malaysian cuisine, one of the most diverse cuisines in Southeast Asia. For drink experts and cocktails mixologists, this food culture is an amazing canvas for creating drinks, especially when considering the range of spirits, such as gin, vodka, or tequila, that form the foundation.
“We focused on ingredients that are versatile, iconic to Southeast Asian cuisine, and pair beautifully with cocktails,” says Mehta. “Each element was chosen to balance boldness and approachability, ensuring that the flavors shine without overwhelming the drink. Ingredients like turmeric, rempah spice, and culantro were selected for their ability to evoke the warmth and complexity of traditional Malaysian cuisine while still being accessible for cocktail enthusiasts.”
How to balance Malaysian ingredients for cocktails
Malaysian cuisine is famous for its spices and intense flavors. As a result, cocktails can come in a variety of flavor profiles, but there are some combinations that remain popular with guests when they select their ingredients. For instance, Mehta explains that two of the most common final creations from the Kancil bar are Lemongrass Gin Fizz and Tamarind Margarita, mostly for their refreshing flavor notes. However, for a more indulgent drink, Mehta suggests the Coconut Rum Old Fashioned, explaining that “the creamy tropical notes of coconut pair beautifully with the depth of rum and a hint of rempah spice.”
Naturally, these cocktails are meant to be paired with the Malaysian dishes on the Kancil menu. For each, Mehta has a suggestion. The Tamarind Margarita, because of its sweet and tangy profile, goes well with spice, such as the Sarawak Laksa (a spicy noodle soup). The Lemongrass Gin Fizz provides the fresh and herbaceous punch needed to accompany seafood such as Kancil’s Golden Tile Fish Chai Boey. Finally, the Coconut Rum Old Fashioned. The creamy coconut helps balance the rich flavor of heavy meat-forward dishes such as pork.
