You could spend the evening drinking at a well-known bar and lounge where everyone crowds together as the music blares and passersby join the party. Or you could drink in a spot—where yes, people pass by but would never know the spot is there—that’s intimate and seductively mellow ... and it’s a secret. A secret we’re going to reveal to you: It’s called Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den.
Get yourself over to Resorts World’s Famous Foods Street Eats, an expansive food hall based off the street markets of Southeast Asia, that is filled with more than a dozen stalls serving global cuisine with a concentration in Pan-Asian. Find the Fuhu Cha Chaan Teng stall, a small eatery with less than a dozen tables that serves up all types of egg noodle soups. Take a closer look inside the stall; if you pay close enough attention when the day turns to night, you’ll see one of the walls open and people entering and exiting. This is Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den speakeasy, literally hiding behind the walls of Fuhu Cha Chaan Teng.
The speakeasy’s low, red lighting gives off mysterious, cool vibes. With its capacity for only about 50 people, there are just a few sofas for lounging, a handful of seats at the bar and a couple of high-top tables, making this place more suited for dates or smaller groups. The décor echoes a decadent hole-in-the-wall vintage opium den one might stumble across in the night markets of Beijing, and, through March, the Chinese New Year decorations add to the effect.
At Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den, the room helps set the scene—a special cocktail experience that celebrates unique tastes and presentations. “People come here for the experience, not really to get hammered,” says bartender Habtu G. Abeje.
Bartenders at HKKVD are masters when it comes to creating cocktails, with the Bartender’s Choice cocktail being one of the most popular selections. “Name the type of spirit you want and then I’ll ask questions to find out about your palate,” Abeje says. “What do you like, even what types of food or movies or scents? and based on that we’ll make you a cocktail.”
Doctor’s Order
During the photo shoot, Abeje made me my own cocktail, based on my likes of vodka, creamy drinks, more salty foods and nothing overly sweet. The literally glowing result was a blend of vodka, fresh lemon, ginger, housemade chrysanthemum syrup, melon liqueur and egg whites. It was delicious.
For another cool presentation, try the Doctor’s Order, served with a mock medicine bottle that holds your cocktail, a blend of gin, lime, housemade ginger syrup and Monin lemongrass liqueur. If a taste adventure is what you’re after, try the Kamakura, a blend of Rémy Martin 1738 cognac, Iichiko Saiten shochu, MSG and miso shrub—this cocktail tastes like miso soup. Or go for a sweet sensation with hints of breakfast with the Pancakes & Dopamine, a blend of Bacardi Anejo Cuatro rum, banana, lime, golden brown sugar and cinnamon.
And in honor of the Chinese New Year, HKKVD is offering a secret pop-up menu through March, sponsored by liquor brand Hennessey. Try the Imperial Guard, where the bartenders have infused Hennessey with black tea and then blend the spirit with a splash of Cava champagne.
Insider Knowledge
- Hint: How do you get the secret Hennessey pop-up menu? Look on one of the walls for a framed picture that says, “Hennything is Possible” and ask the bartender, “What’s the secret?”
- How to get in: At the food stall, look for the hostess holding the iPad and mention Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den.
Resorts World, 702.676.7000
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