Co-owner of Native and Analogue
Vijay Mudaliar pushes the boundaries of cocktail making with the conceptualisation of Native. The goal? To spotlight regional spirits. The result: a menu of unique concoctions with a body of regionally and locally foraged ingredients. The bar’s most notable creation to date (though no longer on the menu) is Antz, a rich and sour cocktail with ants dipped in liquid nitrogen as its garnish. In just five years, Native received world recognition by clinching a spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars lists.
Today, you’ll find him splitting his time between Native and his new bar, Analogue. Putting the spotlight on sustainability, Vijay gives us a lesson on the future of food consumption. Overused ingredients are swapped out for those that are in less demand, and “food of the future” like cacti and algae are explored. Even the cool 3D-printed wave bar counter is made of 1,600kg of recycled plastic bottles.