Monster and Beer has built a loyal following around an impressive craft beer selection, colourful personality, and an easygoing neighbourhood vibe. A new food menu is still finding its feet, but the beer remains the reason to pull up a chair.
Additional text and photos by Chad Merchant
There are plenty of places in the Klang Valley where you can find a decent beer, but considerably fewer where the beer itself is the reason for being there. Monster and Beer in Taman Paramount is firmly in the latter camp.
We have had our eye on this colourful little Petaling Jaya outlet for some time, having enjoyed bottled and canned craft beer here over the several years it has been satisfying thirsty folk in the suburbs of the capital. It sits immediately next door to Psychotic Operator, another favourite outlet, with both operating under the same young and enthusiastic management. Where Psychotic Operator leans toward accessible, approachable, and affordable wines, Monster and Beer, perhaps not surprisingly, is all about the beer.
And there is plenty of it. Beer is the undisputed hero in an outlet where the walls are lined with kaleidoscopic posters, quirky illustrations, and reminders of past promotions. The playful pop-art aesthetic even extends to Monster and Beer’s own labels, which adorn cans sold at the bar and in selected outlets around the peninsula. The colorful, hand-drawn personality has also been noted by The Edge and Tatler Asia, both of which highlight the bar’s distinctly playful character.
HOPPY DAYS
Monster and Beer has engaged the master brewers at the Heart of Darkness in neighbouring Vietnam to craft five beers and one stout suited to the Malaysian palate. These are largely sold by the can at Monster and Beer, though a few are offered as draught beer. Prices range from RM25 to RM33 for cans and 300 ml mugs, or from RM75 to RM95 for one-litre jugs. A range of other canned or bottled craft beers from countries such as Australia, USA, Belgium and Hong Kong are also available. All the house-brand beers have imaginative Malaysian names, such as Jom, Syok and Fuiyoh. They range in alcoholic content from 4.2% (Jom!) up to 6.1% (Wah Piang Neipa) and 5% for the Chua Sai Stout.
The result is exactly what craft beer drinkers are generally looking for: freshness, character, and plenty of hop-driven flavor. We have particularly enjoyed the crispness, fruitiness, and tropical aromas of the house beers, while the wider selection extends the fun considerably. The Edge previously highlighted both the M&B Jom! Lager and Syok! IPA, while also finding plenty to admire among the imported bottles and cans.
The beer selection changes, which is part of the attraction. There are beers from Australia, the United States, Belgium, Hong Kong, Japan, and elsewhere, so even regular visitors can find something new to investigate. The knowledgeable crew is happy to help, too, which is useful when confronted with a wall of unfamiliar labels and the realization that choosing just one is going to be difficult.
There are alternatives for those who temporarily lose interest in hops, including cocktails, house-made lemonade, and wines that can be delivered from next door at Psychotic Operator.
We love the space, but must share a note of disdain for the tiny, hard and flat wooden stools that were definitely not designed with humans in mind – or at least those who wish to sit for a while. Ouch!
FOOD: WATCH THIS SPACE
Though we have nothing but good things to say about the beer offerings, food is perhaps the slightly less certain part of the equation at present. The new menu is an interesting departure, presented visually as something of a nostalgic Chinese set-wedding-dinner concept, although the current version still feels like a work in progress, with tweaks and adjustments seemingly ongoing. The font and all-caps style of the menu does make it a bit hard to read, but it definitely fits with the theme of the menu style.
We sampled a couple of dishes, including the pork belly, which proved perfectly serviceable, while the beef cubes offering was much less convincing. However, a pork patty dish with Chinese sausage and taro piqued our interest and we found it quite tasty, and there are other dishes on the current menu that look promising, as well, including the crispy Mala chicken with peanuts, the wok hei noodles, and several of the more substantial sharing plates. The lamb patties with roasted garlic and chilli crisp also sounded pretty tempting.
We are particularly looking forward to the return of the pizzas from the kitchen’s rather sassy little wood-fired oven. Given Monster and Beer’s easygoing personality, a good pizza and a cold craft beer sounds like a combination that should fit the place rather nicely.
For now, though, there is no need to overthink it. Monster and Beer remains an excellent neighbourhood beer-first destination, and that is where its strength lies. The combination of serious craft beer, enthusiastic people, colourful surroundings, and a wonderfully unpretentious atmosphere makes it an enjoyable place to spend an evening. The food programme is evolving, and that is worth watching, but we would happily return for the beer alone.
Location and Details
Monster and Beer
11, Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount
46300 Petaling Jaya
W: https://monsterandbeer.com/
T: 012-388 5102
Closed Mondays
