Raising the Bar

Dubbed The Tender Bar, Shirmy Chan’s Bar Terumi is one of Malaysia’s few female-owned bars

- Katelyn Tan

“From my experience, the majority of young bartenders have dreams to eventually open their own bar,” Shirmy Chan muses as her business partner Wong Vi Yon nods along. We’re sitting at a long wooden table in Bar Terumi, accessible via a narrow flight of stairs in a shophouse in Taman Paramount. The airy space is filled with natural light streaming through a window framed with various plants.

Chan continues, “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 bar’s name is derived from Chan’s father’s name in kanji, with “teru” meaning brightness and “mi” translating to beauty.

From our conversation, I can tell customer safety is something that Chan and Wong pride themselves on. “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 warm-hued interior, one feels a sense of comfort and ease. Music is soft and gentle while lights cast moving shadows on the walls, resembling ripples of water. Even the long open bar is designed to increase customer interaction.