Cool vibe at MacGregor's Irish Pub

 

I’m back at MacGregor’s, the only fun pub in the heart of Johor Baru that enjoys a view of the promenade designed along Jalan Wong Ah Fook, the city’s main street.

 

Remember to have a Guinness at
MacGregor's Traditional Irish Pub

As the finishing touches are being made to the promenade, this stylish walkway will provide pedestrians with a more comfortable walk and easier access to the shops and malls in the city.

 

Opened on the street level of the Zenith Lifestyle Mall, this friendly pub and restaurant continues with the tradition of serving up fun and entertainment at a familiar city site where two former landmark cinemas situated here, used to do.

 

It was a pleasure to reminisce about old Johor Baru over lunch with restaurant manager, Angela Yang, a fellow Johorean who was also born and brought up in JB.

 

Catch exciting live Premier
League games at MacGregor's

Angela was both amused and amazed when I told her that my cousins, siblings and I used to enjoy watching movies in those old cinemas because our grandfather often walked us here from Jalan Ngee Heng, where we lived with our grandparents.

 

We agreed that while the city was being transformed into a modern metropolis, it was fun to reminisce on the past to appreciate what we had as we enjoyed the present and looked forward to the future.

 

Since the economy reopened, MacGregor’s was busy with serving first-time diners as well as repeat customers who were not only satisfied with the taste and portions of the food served but were also coming back for the cool vibe in this pub.

 

MacGregor’s has also earned a reputation as a favourite watering-hole for sports fans who would meet here to watch exciting live Premier League games on television screens, strategically positioned for the best views.

 

Pomegranate Crush and Bourbon Boi
are popular cocktails here

At lunch time, the screens were silent as I listened to a familiar playlist of slow rock which enhanced the ambience as I looked forward to savouring my pub lunch.

 

The Beverage menu listed a choice of wines, spirits and beers, as well as a range of cocktails with descriptive names like JB Sling, Rambutantini, White Velvet, Crimson Affair, Nutty Irishman and Pink & Kinky, which set my imagination soaring.

 

There was something about being in this Irish pub which gave me flashbacks to my visit to Belfast in Ireland where I enjoyed pints of Guinness after invigorating hikes on the hills, walking the Giant’s Causeway and stepping into the icy Atlantic Ocean…

 

Angela recommended a choice of popular cocktails like Pomegranate Crush, a rum-based light cocktail topped with crunchy pomegranate rubies, and Bourbon Boi, a sweet and sour bourbon cocktail with an inviting taste of refreshing assam boi drink.

 

Cool down with a frozen cocktail
of Strawberry Margarita

In our tropical weather, frozen cocktails were popular choices and this bar serves up a range of icy Margaritas in fruity flavours like Strawberry, Lime and Mango.

 

For our meal, Angela was happy to recommend a choice of traditional Irish fare like Boxty, a potato pancake, Salmon, the most common fish in Ireland and a common ingredient in any Irish kitchen and of course, their Irish Stew.

 

While traditional Irish Stew was usually made with lamb or mutton and whatever local root vegetables available, the MacGregor’s Irish Beef Stew was made with slow-braised chunks of beef and stewed vegetables, and served with toasted bread.

 

This hearty stew was just the right consistency for my dip-and-slurp experience and later when I met with Chef Rafeel, I was not surprised to learn that the beef was slow-braised for up to five hours till tender and a dash of Guinness added to the gravy in a typically Irish way.

 

Boxty, Irish potato pancake served with a
side of tartar sauce

A serving of Boxty came with a side of tangy tartar sauce while the grilled Salmon fillet was served with a side of Boxty, sauteed vegetables and a white cream sauce.

 

Braised Lamb Shank was among the popular main course items and for nibbles, there was Cajun Chicken Quesadilla, grilled tortilla filled with Cajun chicken and cheese.

 

As we enjoyed the meat dishes, I was happy that a classic salad like MacG’s Caesar Salad was served to strike a balance with the beef, lamb and chicken.

 

Irish Beef Stew with toasted bread

Speaking of classics, Angela mentioned that a classic dish like Mac & Cheese was popular among diners at MacGregor’s mainly due to a tasty tweak to its recipe.

 

Her winsome smile simply intrigued me and to satisfy my curiosity, Angela said that she would ask the Chef to make a small portion, just for me to taste.

 

And when a small dish of Mac & Cheese was served, I spied the sprinkle of tiny toasted flakes of chilli on the piping hot dish that hinted of what I expected to taste… a distinct heat and spicy kick that comfortably matches with our Asian penchant for chilli.

 

From frozen cocktails to Irish specialties and classic dishes with an Asian twist, it was a most satisfying meal.

 

Grilled Salmon Fillet drizzled 
with white cream sauce

By this time, I was ready to end my lunch experience sweetly and for this, two desserts were recommended: a classic Crème Brulee and a slice of steamed Chocolate Cake served with a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream.

 

Wreathed in smiles, Chef Rafeel seemed calm and confident as he watched me sink my fork into the warm Chocolate Cake next to the fast-melting ice-cream.

 

He was also watching closely as I tasted the texture of the moist cake with a glob of ice-cream and waited patiently to hear what I thought about it. He could probably guess that it was all good when I reached out again for the next forkful and the next.

 

In our conversations, I discovered that not only Angela but Chef Rafeel was also a local from a familiar neighbourhood in the city.

 

Steamed Chocolate Cake with
a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream

It was interesting that I had recently met with Johoreans and Malaysians in general, who gained their professional skills and training from working away or abroad, have now returned to apply their talents here and with very promising results.

 

As I got up to leave, I was ready to return to MacGregor’s again, the next time in the evening for another dining experience and drinks, and the pleasure of enjoying live music entertainment long into the night.

 

MacGregor’s Traditional Irish Pub is located at #G-06 Zenith Lifestyle Mall, No. 82-C Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Baru, Johor. Open daily from 12pm to 12am. No pork or lard are used in these premises. Tel: +607 – 266 3732.

 

Lunch Promotions from 12pm to 3pm; Happy Hours from 3pm to 7pm. Live music entertainment starts after 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.