How a self-taught bartender from Penang made it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 with Backdoor Bodega

Penang has undoubtedly evolved from a street food destination to finding itself on lists like Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and Bars and, most recently, a shared Michelin guide with Kuala Lumpur. To paraphrase millennial parlance, Penangites are here for it. As purveyors and partakers, locals are revelling in the island’s shifting gastronomic and mixology landscape.

A key figure in this exciting movement is Koh Yung Shen, owner and bartender of Backdoor Bodega. Tucked away at the back of an old shophouse close to the arts hub, Hin Bus Depot, this unassuming speakeasy is accessed from a clothing shop. Despite its nondescript location, Backdoor Bodega made it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022: 51-100 List, a success that rests almost entirely on Koh.

Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, Koh majored in graphic design in school and started his career in the advertising industry upon graduation. He also started his clothing labels, LANSI and The Swagger Salon, in 2009, which have been running for the past 13 years.

The opportunity to open a physical outlet in Penang came when the owner of Hin Bus Depot offered Koh a spot in the soon-to-be-launched art space in 2014 and The Swagger Salon’s flagship became one of the first tenants in the Hin Bus Depot vicinity. At that time, Koh was still based in Kuala Lumpur, and he realised there weren’t any cocktail bars or speakeasies in Penang to hang out at whenever he was back to check on the store. He then took matters into his own hands and turned the extra space behind The Swagger Salon store into a tiny little “home” bar, so he could make drinks for himself and his friends.