Cover Shirmy Chan, bar director and founder of Bar Terumi
Shirmy Chan, bar director and founder of Bar Terumi
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Chan speaks about her experience as a female bartender and shares advice for women in the F&B industry
We're sitting at a long wooden table in Bar Terumi, accessible via a narrow flight of stairs in a shophouse in Taman Paramount. “From my experience, the majority of young bartenders have dreams to eventually open their own bar,” Shirmy Chan, one of the founders, muses as her business partner Wong Vi Yon nods along. The airy space is filled with natural light streaming through a window framed with various plants.
“There is a long journey between being a junior bartender and owning a bar. Even back then, I always imagined my bar to be a harmonious place, where customers felt safe and comfortable—that’s where the concept was born.”
The name "Terumi" is derived from Chan's father's name in kanji, with "teru" meaning brightness and "mi" translating to beauty.
Above Shirmy Chan
Shirmy Chan
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From our conversation, I can tell customer safety is something that Chan and Wong pride themselves upon. “Most bars are dark, with loud music, which often allows suspicious activities to occur—that’s where the bartender needs to step in and protect customers.”
With Bar Terumi’s interior of warm hues, one has a sense of ease. Music is soft and gentle, while lights cast moving shadows on the walls, resembling ripples of water. Even the open bar is designed to increase customer interaction.
Chan, who has been in the industry for more than 10 years, has noticed Bar Terumi attracts female clientele, who feel safe and empowered within the bar’s walls. “Lots of female customers host their partners here as they feel encouraged to take the lead. There was even one customer who chose Bar Terumi for her proposal to her boyfriend, which we helped her organise.”
Above Chan (right) with her business partner, Wong Vi Yon
Chan (right) with her business partner, Wong Vi Yon
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It's a challenging industry to succeed in, especially for a female bartender. "Many female bartenders are not comfortable at work—the bar isn’t a friendly space. Working in a male-dominated industry and being the minority is difficult enough, but the journey as a bartender is tough. The hours are long, and you have to deal with a lot of emotional people, from customers to co-workers. It doesn't help that alcohol is involved."
Chan tears up slightly. “It's easy to feel lost when your expectations are crushed. In any industry, being a woman, you are always at a disadvantage. Even if your male counterparts don’t look down on you, they won’t respect your craft or see you as a role model.”
Above With Bar Terumi, Shirmy Chan aims to create a safe space for all
With Bar Terumi, Shirmy Chan aims to create a safe space for all
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Regardless, Chan worked hard and kept her focus. “No one taught or guided me. Everything I learnt was through observation, success stories, and my customers.”
Now, Chan aims to create a better, more encouraging space for women in the bartending industry with the opening of Bar Terumi, one of Malaysia’s few female-owned and operated bars. “Female talent is always overshadowed. I told myself, if one day I was capable of leading, I would like to encourage other women.”
Above Shoga Tonikku cocktail
Shoga Tonikku cocktail
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Six months before opening Bar Terumi, she reached out to women in the bartending industry she felt would flourish, given the right opportunity. “I realised many female bartenders had the same experience as me—willing to learn but without the right situation to grow in. I shared how I wanted to change the industry through Bar Terumi.” The bar started operating in July 2022, with an all-female opening team.
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Above Hakanai cocktail
Hakanai cocktail
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“One of the things I learnt from my previous workplaces is how to take care of my team, while pushing them to reach their potential.” Chan gives her team the freedom to design drinks for the menu, which changes three times a year. “Our signature is the Hakanai, a gin and tonic-style cocktail made with guava-infused tonic water, topped with asam boi foam."
Chan makes it for the Tatler crew, aerating asam boi juice to form the foam that she scoops and gently layers above the cocktail. Slices of guava garnish the cocktail, providing a welcomed crunch. Also served at Bar Terumi are an extensive selection of non-alcoholic drinks, which Wong says are created with just as much thought as their alcoholic counterparts.
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Above Lillet is partnering with Chan and other female bartenders in conjunction with the brand’s 150th anniversary
Lillet is partnering with Chan and other female bartenders in conjunction with the brand’s 150th anniversary
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She is also partnering with Lillet in conjunction with the latter's 150th anniversary. “Throughout my career, I realised we don’t see female representation in the industry. So to see women as brand ambassadors is a step forward,” Chan enthuses.
Above Shoga Tonikku cocktail
Above Opal cocktail
Shoga Tonikku cocktail
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Shoga Tonikku, one of Chan’s Lillet-based drinks, is a low ABV cocktail, infused with the flavour of candy, served with house-blend ginger tonic. Another favourite of hers is the Lillet Blanc-based Opal, which takes inspiration from assam laksa. “We tend to use Western ingredients in cocktails, forgetting about local ingredients. In this drink, I use kesum, the laksa herb, infusing it into chocolate liqueur.”
Above The founders of Bar Terumi want to empower female bartenders
The founders of Bar Terumi want to empower female bartenders
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When asked what advice she has for the next generation, Chan says, "Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Be firm with what you want, and believe in yourself. You don’t need to change to please others. Eventually, you’ll find the right place and team to work with.”
“It is rare to have female-owned businesses,” adds Wong, “and since we are in this position, we do what we can to support others.”
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Credits
Photography: Daniel Adams
About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
