professionals in the food and beverage industry Malaysia

Interview with Radzlan Azman, Manager for The Point Restaurant and Bar, KL

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?

My love and passion for the F&B industry started in 2004 having a waiter position at a prominent hotel in KL. Since then, I have been working in restaurants around Malaysia and Singapore. Currently I am the food and beverage manager for The Point Restaurant and Bar. Leading a team of 10 talented and passionate individuals, I oversee the operation and promotion of the restaurant, bar, kitchen and wine club events. My inspiration and desire to excel in this field comes not only from my fellow restaurateurs but also bartenders and chefs that have worked with.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

It would have to be when the management of The Point decided to create the Naughty Cocktails series, a series of cocktails based on aphrodisiac foods and beverages. Let’s say when no one is willing to be the guinea pig, than there’s only one person who was willing to take the challenge, and that was me. It was an exciting experience to put the ingredients together yet still having a distinct taste and flavor profile while keeping the plot fun. We tried to make a cocktail based on absinthe and to cut it short I was definitely feeling the effects the next morning.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job? 

The worst part of job would have to be when either I need to let someone leave due to their performance which is not up to the company’s standard or seeing a member wanting to leave due to other opportunities.

The best part would be when we have guests who come in and have had a bad day but leave smiling, happy and had a good dining experience with The Point. As restaurateurs we not only have to increase sales, make our staff and guests happy but also be there to improve their dining experience and brighten up their day, regardless if we ourselves are having personal problems or issues of our own.

What’s your favourite meal/ drink at The Point? 

It would be every time we have The Point Wine Club tasting events. This is because I get to taste all the different wines that we open and see the development of the wine every 15 minutes. It’s interesting to see the change in characteristics, aromas and discover the potential of the wine and if it could still age gracefully for the next couple of years

The perfect day off would be…

On my off days, I spend as much time I can with my family, taking my girls out for a nice meal and after just relaxing at home with them. A day in the life of a restaurateur requires you to give your utmost best when it comes to service and requests and at The Point, we do host guests who are very particular on how they want things. So I try my best, even on my off days, to still keep a close eye to the working team and provide the best assistance should they be unsure.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about The Point? 

The Point is an intimate casual dining venue with two concepts under one roof. We are using premium quality ingredients both locally and imported but at the same time we do not want to charge outrages prices for our food and drinks. The idea is we would like to highlight premium seasonal ingredients with modern cooking methods to enhance the dining experience without making things to complicate. I believe in keeping things simple but done very good. LESS IS MORE….

What’s your favourite (s) food and wine pairing?

I have two favourites:
1. Monstrell from Yecla, Spain with local satay or flame cooked meats
2. Plum wine from Japan (UMESHU) with white chocolate

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

We will be bringing in some very special prime rib eye from Japan as well as a surprise later on this year. Not to forget truffles and oysters come to the peak of their quality in the later part of the year.

On the beverage side we will focus more on wines from different parts of the world and emphasising on growers and producers that are making wines with identity and personality compared to the mass production wines that are available on the market. We are also looking at introducing a new style of food and beverage pairing that will see the introduction of a new approach into food and beverage pairing. The Point will introduce craft beers and liquors.

The Point Wine Club has different tasting events every month to showcase the best of the wine world. I would recommend booking in advance as seats sell out fast.

Take a look at our naughty cocktail tasting here, and find some dishes offered in the restaurant here.

7 Comments

  1. I love your post very much! Really great!
    What’s my favourite meal is? During the barbecue time roasted meat with Aperol are preferrable…

  2. with 12 years & running in the f&b scene, it’s clear that radzlan is truly committed and passionate about what he does! 🙂

  3. He looks like a wonderful person and I really like the fact that he does his best to spend quality time with his family. This is so important.

  4. Frances Si

    A dedicated and passionate guy.

  5. Yes, I guess when you’re in this line of business, your time is not your own. Family members will have to be understanding and supportive.

  6. Celine Show

    He reads as a good guy.

  7. Looks like a good guy.

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