Brux-Ale Belgian Bistro

No Longer In Business

Located in the heart of Bangsar, just a relatively short walk from the Bangsar LRT station. It’s surrounded by other bars and restaurants, but this place stands out, particularly for any beer lover. It’s not easy to create a little bit of Belgium in Malaysia, but they have had a damn good try and the place felt warm and homely. The staff, particularly the French speaking Belgian owner, were very helpful and attentive. They have a small selection of draft beers and a more impressive bottle collection. There were one or two ales that were unavailable, but I think that’s to be expected in Malaysia and the situation will improve. The food was superb. My beef tenderloin was nicely presented, cooked just as I requested and super tasty. It was nice to see a couple of garlic cloves on the side for that extra Belgian touch. Ill be working in KL for much of the year and I’m looking forward to a few repeat visits.

Visited October 10, 2012. A sweaty walk up the hill from the Bangsar KL metro station will bring you to a very unusual spot, a bistro with a large selection of Belgian beers. The proprietor, Mr Emannuel Poelmans, apologized for the out of stock bottles and drafts, saying supplies were on the way, but I had lots to choose from besides Stella Artois. There was a line of ales from Brasserie de la Senne, and I started with the 5.8% Zinnebir. Accompanied by a soundtrack that ranged from Joe Cocker to La Vie en Rose to Ray Charles, I was well entertained, and the bitter citrus of the Zinnebir was an excellent mate to the steamy temperatures outside. Rather than swelter at the roadside patio, I sat indoors (sadly, the only patron!) with the sliding doors parted at front, and a pleasant set of fans offering extra comfort. Belgian Abbey ales were represented here by Leffe, Floreffe and St. Martin. The prices ranged from 25-30 MYR or roughly between $8 and $10 US, rising with the alcohol content. Yes it’s a bistro, with Belgian goodies such as mussels and stoemp available, but I was just here for the suds. Next up for me was the Floreffe Abbey Blonde, a 6% that is less bitter than the Zinnebir and, dare I say, felt like sunshine in the back of my nose! (That’s a good thing.) Mr Poelmans gave me a brief history of the Floreffe folks, apparently monks that pre-dated the monks of Leffe and still producing a craft or "farm" beer over the generations. Brux-Ale is in a hard to reach spot in KL that demands some effort. This isn’t a tourist area. They’ve only been here for about two years at time of writing, and I wish them well. This is a friendly place, and recommended to beer fans up for a bit of an adventure outside their Kuala Lumpur hotel lounges. The beer here rates the Excellent label.

Very impressed. An authentic slice of Belgium in KL, who would of thought? Lovely family run bistro serving Belgian beers and cuisine. As for the beer selection, it’s a good one with many bottles only available at Brux-Ale. Was great just to sup on De La Senne beers again. A little pricey but you are paying for quality here. Well worth a stop.