Awal Muharram, the first day of Muharram, marks the Islamic New Year. It is a reflective public holiday in Malaysia, observed quietly by Muslim families through prayer, recitation, and considered new-year intentions. The cocktail bar's contribution on this date is the NA programme. It leads. Serious mocktails, brewed teas, single-origin coffee, served in the same glassware as the regular menu and built with the same craft. Cocktails sit on the back bar for non-observant guests. The PJ outlets are quiet, the music is softer than a Friday, the room belongs to whoever wants to sit and talk.

Awal Muharram in the Malaysian context

Awal Muharram opens the Islamic lunar calendar. The month of Muharram itself is one of the four sacred months in Islam, a period associated with restraint, prayer, and the renewal of intention. For most Muslim Malaysians the day is observed privately at home. Morning prayers. The doa awal tahun, a supplication asking for guidance through the year ahead. A quiet family meal. Sometimes reading, sometimes a small gathering at the surau or the mosque in the evening, but not the public celebration energy of Aidilfitri.

There are no large parades, no fireworks, no city-scale events. Maal Hijrah programmes at mosques, particularly the recitation of the doa akhir tahun (closing the old year) and doa awal tahun (opening the new), often run in the late afternoon and early evening. Mufti-led talks and Friday-sermon-style reflections happen across the country in the days surrounding the date.

Petaling Jaya streets thin out by mid-evening on Awal Muharram. Damansara Kim and SS2, where both bars sit, are residential neighbourhoods on a normal night and even quieter on this date. Mixed-faith friend groups, who would normally pick a noisier room, often look for somewhere considered. A small craft bar with a serious NA programme is the right kind of neutral venue.

Why the bar can host you on Awal Muharram

The bar's role on a reflective Islamic observance is to host non-drinking guests with the same care as drinking guests. That sounds obvious. In practice many cocktail bars treat the non-alcoholic side as an afterthought: one mocktail at the bottom of the menu, sometimes none, often served in a different glass to a different rhythm. Dissolved Solids has built a serious NA programme on the back of years of competition work, and on observance days it sits at the front of the bar.

For Awal Muharram: the NA programme is the default lead. The bartender opens with the brewed-tea menu and the NA cocktail list. Cocktails appear only if guests indicate they want them. Glassware matches across both sides. No announcement is made when an alcoholic and an NA drink land at the same table. Music sits softer than the room's usual register. The team is briefed to slow service down a notch and let conversation lead.

The full NA menu is available: NA Negroni, NA Spritz, Black Honey, Floral Mango, Peach Blossom, Pandan Collins NA, Floral Bloom, kopi-O mocktails, fresh-fruit mocktails. None contain alcohol. None contain alcoholic bitters.

What to order on Awal Muharram (NA programme first)

Drinks lean reflective and warming, not celebratory. The Islamic New Year is not a fireworks night. NA list first because this is what the day calls for.

Black Honey: espresso, dark honey, citrus, NA aromatics. The signature NA coffee mocktail.

Floral Mango: ripe Malaysian mango, jasmine tea infusion, lime. Fresh-fruit anchor.

NA Negroni: non-alcoholic aperitivo base, NA bitter, blood orange. Stirred, single rock.

Pandan Collins NA: pandan-leaf cordial, citrus, soda. Tall and Malaysian.

Cardamom and Honey Tea Cocktail: brewed cardamom tea, honey, lemon, ice.

Rose and Saffron Cooler: rose syrup, saffron tincture, lemon, soda.

NA Bandung: rose syrup, evaporated milk, ice. Traditional Malaysian.

Sirap Selasih: rose syrup with basil seeds. Quiet, traditional.

Karak Chai or Yemeni Coffee: proper cardamom-led milk tea (iced or hot), or single-origin Arabica with cardamom served small.

For non-observant guests, the regular cocktail menu remains available. Negroni, Old Fashioned, Spritz, Tesseract. Bar runs both sides in matching glassware.

The Awal Muharram evening plan

Daytime: family-led observance. Morning prayers, doa awal tahun, quiet meals at home.

Late afternoon, 17:00 onwards: Maal Hijrah mosque programmes begin in many neighbourhoods. Streets remain quiet.

Evening at the bar, 20:00 to 22:30: a quiet sit at a small bar. One or two NA cocktails or coffees, considered conversation, no theatre. Both PJ outlets are within Petaling Jaya neighbourhoods that quiet down early on this date.

Last orders: Dissolved Solids closes at 01:00 (Tuesday to Sunday). Soluble Solids closes at 01:00 (Wednesday to Sunday). Awal Muharram evenings usually wind down earlier than weekend nights.

Our two PJ outlets

  • Dissolved Solids · Damansara Kim: small upstairs bar at 43-1 Jalan SS20/11. Quiet by default. Tuesday to Sunday, 15:00 to 01:00. One of Tatler Asia's Top 20 Bars 2025/26.
  • Soluble Solids · SS2: the smaller second outlet at 50-1 Jalan SS2/24. No printed menu. Wednesday to Sunday, 18:00 to 01:00. NA programme as default on Awal Muharram.

Halal-friendly status and observance respect

Both outlets serve no pork and no lard. The kitchen runs a small snack programme; alcohol and food preparation are clearly separated areas. Neither outlet currently holds a JAKIM halal certificate, so we describe the kitchen as halal-friendly rather than certified halal. Groups who need strict halal certification should treat the kitchen with that caveat in mind.

The NA cocktail programme uses no alcoholic spirits and no alcoholic bitters. Every drink on the NA list, including the NA Negroni, NA Spritz, Black Honey, Floral Mango, Peach Blossom, Pandan Collins NA, and Floral Bloom, is built without alcohol. The bar team will talk through any specific ingredient if asked.

Reservations

Awal Muharram is a quiet bar night. Walk-ins generally work. For groups of four or more, WhatsApp the outlet ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Is alcohol required to visit on Awal Muharram?
No. The NA programme leads. Visit, order only mocktails or brewed drinks, stay as long as you want.

Is the food halal-friendly?
The snack menu contains no pork and no lard. Alcohol service is clearly separated. We describe the kitchen as halal-friendly rather than certified halal.

Will the bar push alcoholic upsells?
No. The bar team leads with the NA programme on Awal Muharram. Alcoholic substitutes are not suggested unless guests ask.

Are older Muslim family members welcome?
Yes. Music sits at conversation volume and lower. The room is small and dim. Karak chai, kopi-O, NA Bandung, sirap selasih, and pomegranate sherbet are on the brewed-drink side.

Can I bring a small Muslim family group?
Yes. For groups of four or more, WhatsApp ahead so we hold table seats rather than the bar counter.

What are the addresses?
Dissolved Solids: 43-1 Jalan SS20/11 Damansara Kim. Soluble Solids: 50-1 Jalan SS2/24. Both Petaling Jaya.

How is the NA cocktail menu actually built?
With NA aperitivo bases, NA bitter, brewed tea reductions, fresh juices, gula melaka, pandan, rose, and saffron. Same technique as the alcoholic menu, no spirit.

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