Pandan, calamansi, tamarind and tea are familiar ingredients across Southeast Asia. At Renaissance Hotels, they are now being used to tell regional stories through a refreshed programme of evening drinks and social rituals.
The hotel brand has introduced a new edition of Evenings at Renaissance across Asia Pacific, excluding China. Developed with Indonesian bartender Demitria “Demi” Dana Paramita, founder of HATS Bar Jakarta, the programme brings local flavours, craft traditions and community experiences into hotel spaces after dark.
Three drinks built around familiar flavours
The new collection centres on three drinks that use flavour as a starting point for conversation.
Blooming Flower is a floral punch served with a shared citrus jelly ritual. The Night Market draws on the aromas of pandan, calamansi and tamarind, ingredients that will feel instantly recognisable to many Southeast Asian diners. The Silk Road takes a different direction, combining tea, saffron and spice.
Two additional drinks, Tropical Silk and Remedy, bring passion fruit, lychee, tea and fruit preserves into the mix. Together, the menu shows how ingredients from home kitchens and street markets can be reinterpreted without losing their regional identity.
Kuala Lumpur gets a Malaysian chapter
Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention Centre will present its own chapter over the weekend of 31 October. The programme is expected to combine art, traditional craft and local flavour, including Peranakan beadwork and screen printing with Fritilldea.
A highlight called Malam Lagenda will bring the evening together through performance, storytelling and drinks inspired by Malaysian ingredients such as pandan and Chinese five spice.
For local guests, the appeal is not simply a new hotel menu. It is the chance to see everyday flavours presented in a different setting, alongside the makers and creative traditions that give them context.
Beyond Malaysia: Bali, Hoi An and Goa
The wider programme will take on a different character in each destination. Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa is set to host local makers, a drinks masterclass and gamelan performances from 31 October to 1 November.
At Renaissance Hoi An Resort & Spa in Danang, activities will highlight artisans, silk eco-printing and traditional rice pounding, accompanied by The Silk Road punch. Renaissance Goa will explore Indo-Portuguese heritage through tile painting, a local market visit, a heritage dinner and its own interpretation of The Silk Road.
Why this is worth watching
Hotel drinks programmes can sometimes feel detached from the places in which they are served. This project takes the opposite approach. It treats local ingredients and cultural practices as the main attraction, not decorative details.
That makes it relevant even for travellers who are not staying overnight. A hotel bar or evening event can become a small entry point into a destination’s food culture, especially when the experience gives proper space to local makers and familiar flavours.
Availability, menus and event details may vary by hotel. Readers planning a visit should confirm directly with the participating property.
Source: Renaissance Hotels and Marriott International, distributed by PR Newswire Asia. Media contact details have been omitted.
