TTDI is great for almost everything (the market, the kopitiams, Plaza TTDI, Lucky Garden, the parks, the schools). One thing it does not have inside its own neighbourhood is a serious cocktail bar. The good news: Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim is an eight-minute drive away, on the other side of the LDP. Most of our regulars from TTDI walk in and out within the same evening without thinking about distance. The bar is one of Tatler Asia Top 20 Bars 2025/26, ranked #6 in 2025 and #9 in 2026.

TTDI, the neighbourhood

Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) is one of the most settled residential townships in western Kuala Lumpur, laid out in the 1970s on the western edge of the city proper, named after Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman. The grid is residential first, commercial second; the commercial corridor centres on Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad, and the streets feeding Plaza TTDI. Demographics skew middle-and-upper-middle Malaysian, with strong Malay, Chinese, and Indian representation, and a smaller expat layer than Mont Kiara or Bangsar.

The food scene is famously dense for the neighbourhood's size. TTDI Market on Lorong Rahim Kajai 14 is one of the strongest morning markets in the Klang Valley; the surrounding hawker centre runs from 06:00 to 14:00 with the regional spread (nasi lemak, char kway teow, chee cheong fun, roti canai). The dining strip rolls into the evening with a long F&B span: kopitiams, Indian Muslim restaurants (Damai for nasi kandar), Japanese izakaya, a strong wave of new specialty coffee, gelato, and dessert spots. Late-night supper is supported by the Murni clone on Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and a couple of 24-hour mamak rooms. TTDI also borders the Bukit Kiara forest reserve and Taman Rimba Kiara, which means weekend mornings carry a parkrun-and-cycling demographic into the cafes.

The drinking culture inside the TTDI boundary itself is light. A handful of wine bars and casual rooms exist around the dining strip, plus the hotel bars in adjacent Mutiara Damansara and Bandar Utama. For a serious cocktail evening, TTDI residents historically drive into Mont Kiara, Bangsar, or KL city centre. The Damansara Kim option is closer, quieter, and easier to park than any of those, which is why the regular-customer overlap between TTDI and Dissolved Solids has been growing steadily since the Tatler recognition.

The drive from TTDI to Dissolved Solids

From Jalan Datuk Sulaiman (TTDI's main commercial strip): 8 minutes off-peak, 12 minutes during Friday-evening traffic. Cross the LDP at the TTDI flyover, exit at Damansara Utama, then two left turns into SS20. From the TTDI residential streets (Jalan Athinahapan, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Jalan Aminuddin Baki): 10 to 15 minutes by the same route. From TTDI MRT station: 10 minutes by Grab, RM 8 to 12 fare. From Plaza TTDI: 9 minutes.

Dissolved Solids · 43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya. Second floor. Pink neon "dissolved solids" sign in the window. Open in Google Maps →

The signature drinks worth ordering on a first visit from TTDI: Kopi Sour (whisky, kopi-O, gula melaka, lemon), Pandan Collins (gin, pandan, lime, soda), the Gula Melaka Old Fashioned (bourbon, palm sugar, orange bitters), the Scented Negroni (gin, vermouth, Campari with torched pandan and orange oil), the Tesseract (a four-stage clarified mezcal build that anchors the current signature list), and Jungle Bird (the 1978 KL Hilton classic, done properly).

Signature drinks worth the eight-minute drive

  • Pandan Collins. Gin, fresh pandan infusion, calamansi, soda, slow build. Classic gateway to local-ingredient cocktails.
  • Gula Melaka Old Fashioned. Bourbon, palm-sugar reduction, orange bitters, big rock. Old Fashioned reframed through Malaysian palm sugar.
  • Calamansi Highball. Whisky, calamansi cordial, soda, served long. The Highball with the local citrus.
  • Kopi Sour. Whisky, kopi-O concentrate, gula melaka, lemon, egg white. Coffee-drinker dessert cocktail done seriously.
  • Scented Negroni. Gin, vermouth, Campari, torched pandan, orange oil. Negroni adjusted for the tropical room.
  • Tesseract. Four-stage clarified, mezcal-anchored, layered acidity. The current Dissolved Solids signature.
  • Local Tropic. Rum, mangosteen, lime, ginger, soda. Long-format pour.
  • Jungle Bird. The 1978 KL Hilton classic (rum, Campari, pineapple, lime), done properly.

Drive times from TTDI landmarks

To Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, approximate off-peak minutes by car. Add 20 to 40 percent for Friday and Saturday peak.

  • Plaza TTDI: 9 minutes.
  • TTDI Market (Lorong Rahim Kajai 14): 10 minutes.
  • Jalan Datuk Sulaiman: 8 minutes.
  • TTDI MRT station: 10 minutes (or RM 8-12 by Grab).
  • Taman Rimba Kiara entrance: 11 minutes.
  • Bandar Utama / 1Utama: 10 minutes.
  • Mutiara Damansara (The Curve, Ikea): 12 minutes.
  • Damansara Heights (Bukit Damansara): 15 minutes.
  • Hartamas / Mont Kiara: 14-17 minutes.
  • Bukit Damansara: 16 minutes.

Parking

Dissolved Solids has free street parking after 18:00 on Jalan SS20/11 right outside the bar. A covered municipal lot two blocks away on Jalan SS20/10 with a 3-minute walk is the overflow option, usually with space even on Friday and Saturday peak. The Damansara Kim grid is residential, so meter parking is genuinely free after 18:00 with no enforcement. For TTDI residents who are used to circling Plaza TTDI for 15 minutes on a Friday night, the Damansara Kim parking situation is a quiet upgrade.

What to expect on a typical evening

The bar opens at 14:00 or 15:00 depending on the day. The first two hours are quiet, ideal for a slow afternoon drink, a one-on-one work meeting, or a first-date warm-up. After 19:00 on Friday and Saturday, the 32-seat room fills up; book ahead. The crowd is mixed: PJ regulars, TTDI residents, KL guests, and a steady trickle of out-of-town visitors who heard about the Tatler ranking.

The music sits below conversation level. Mid-century jazz, bossa nova, slower Brazilian, occasional 1970s soul, no DJ. You can talk normally across the table. The dress code is open: smart casual to business casual is the default; nobody is checking shoes. TTDI guests often arrive in workout-adjacent clothes after a Taman Rimba Kiara hike, which is fine. The bar staff walk you through any drink or any bottle on the back bar with no pressure to order fast. A 20-minute first cocktail while you read the menu is normal. Photography is welcome; please ask before pointing the lens at other guests.

Hours and reservations

Tuesday to Thursday: 15:00 to 00:00. Friday and Saturday: 14:00 to 01:00. Sunday: 14:00 to 00:00. Closed Mondays. Last cocktail order typically 30 minutes before close.

WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607 or use the form at dissolvedsolids.co/#reserve. Walk-ins always welcome; reservations help us seat you faster on Friday and Saturday peak.

If you want the second outlet too

Soluble Solids, our sister bar, is in SS2, a 10-minute drive from TTDI via the LDP. Opens at 18:00 Wed-Sun. No printed list; every drink customised. If you want the bartender to build something around a single profile descriptor (light citrusy, herbal medium, bitter strong), Soluble Solids is the closer fit. More about Soluble Solids in SS2 →

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