KK Jazz Fest @ Sutera Harbour Resort SOON!

Simple Yet Fun Finale

It was a fun nine days for some of us who were at Sutera Harbour Resort’s recent gourmet fest. Two of the guest chefs were from hotels in Kuala Lumpur while the main act, Chef Carmelo Greco was flown in from Italy.

My friends and I did not actually go to each and every session of the activities spread over the nine days. However the few we attended were impressive enough to leave a good impression of Sutera Harbour Resort’s maiden effort at introducing a gourmet fest of modest standards.

Over the nine days, foodies made up of young adults with their parents in tow as well as housewives and career ladies flocked the three participating outlets to learn a trick or two from the celebrated chefs. I’m not much of a cook and so the classes were given a big miss.

I did however attend the SPP Night at Spice Island. It was a beautiful night with good company although the menu wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped. The ambience however was first class and we ladies couldn’t help falling in love with the almost life-sized grey elephant placed inside the restaurant just by the entrance. We heard he will have a partner soon.

The closing of the event was on the eight day, hosted by Winecellars at the boardwalk of the Marina. It was an evening of wine sampling and enjoying the sunset. At that hour we thought it would have been good to have a few food counters selling a selection of dishes that complement the wine. No, not satay, of course.

The Sutera Harbour Resort & Winecellars Gourmet Fest 2013 introduced this year could probably be made into a yearly event. A collaboration with the Winecellars, the fest is aimed towards bringing together refined tastes through fine dining and premium wines.

If you are keen to participate next year, get in touch with Sutera Harbour Resort’s Marketing Communications at +60 88 303 355 (Marketing Communications) for enquiries.

Best Food Forward at Island Holiday Hub

As mentioned in my earlier post, I would be at Tariks Lobby Lounge of The Magellan Sutera Resort as part of the 200 guests invited for its inaugural Gourmet Fest 2013. How did the evening score? Well, it was reasonably impressive and fun.

The setting was simple; the Lounge was divided into three corners with each of the three participating restaurants occupying a corner each. Chinese restaurant Silk Garden of The Pacific Sutera Hotel was at left, Italian restaurant Ferdinand’s of The Magellan Sutera Resort at right and Malay-Indian restaurant Spice Garden of The Sutera Harbour Marina & Country Club took centre spot.

Fantastic drinks, great ambience, friendly staffs.

When my friends and I arrived, I heard some guests commenting that in terms of décor, Silk Garden scored 1st. The fierce-looking lion sculpture seemed to be guarding the spot and female wait staffs dressed in body-fitting red cheongsam were enough to pull in the crowd.

Spice Island was charming and rustic with the elephant sculpture, the trishaw and the simple, true-to-life old-styled Malay-Indian stalls. And, having the Guest Chef himself sweating behind the stove left a very good impression among guests.

Ferdinand’s however was a little simple and bright. I was expecting a more romantic setting – dim lights, a few petals of pink roses on the tables maybe. And most times I only saw in-house chef, Daniele Rossetto preparing the food. Probably Chef Carmelo’s surprise will be on Ferdinand’s Host Night itself. Some friends gave different reviews on Ferdinand’s offering and friends who tried some of the items showcased were impressed with the risotto.

Chef Carmelo Greco (top, centre) and Chef Daniele Rossetto (bottom, right).

When it comes to food, my preference is on Malay and Indian, Italian (depending on dishes and my mood) and Chinese (occasionally). So it’s obvious that I zoomed in on Spice Island, shook hands with Guest Chef, Chef S K Sabuddin and the rest of the team manning the station and tried out most of the items featured. The verdict – mostly delicious except for the Samosas, which were fried too brown. But flavour wise, everything scored high, especially the Fish Tikka, which had just about the right amount of spiciness in it. Good on its own, even better with the Murtabak.

Spice Island - Chef S K Sabuddin busy making Murtabak and pretty girls dresssed in traditional Indian costumes.

 

 

 

Many of the guests were actually circling the Silk Garden spot from the start of the event but when we finally noticed the food was not yet ready, we moved on to the other two stations. However, when the chefs were ready with their entire preparations, the team took the crowd by surprise with items showcased. Among the three outlets, I’d say Guest Chef, Chef Roy Wong surprised me most.

The Smoked Egg topped with sauce flavoured prawns served in a simple presentation – halved egg placed on a porcelain Chinese spoon – had a unique sweetish flavour that’s simply addictive.

The Silk Garden team and their impressive food selections.

Judging from guests’ turnout, the Sutera Harbour Resort & Winecellars Gourmet Fest 2013 may well be a yearly calendar as it has many attractive features that would help boost Sabah’s tourism especially now that Visit Malaysia Year 2014 is just around the corner.

Launch of Gourmet Fest 2013

Tonight is the opening night of the Sutera Harbour Resort & Winecellars Gourmet Fest 2013. The event is by invitation only, accommodating a maximum of 200 guests including Press. I will be there with friends and some of us are pretty excited, seeing that this will be the first time that Kota Kinabalu is having such a glam event.

Two Italian chefs, one a Michelin Star and two award-winning chefs based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will highlight during the fest period. Tonight, the chefs will showcased their signature items for guests to savour.

We heard the evening's agenda has been kept simple with light food complemented by selected wines, provided by the event's partner, Winecellars belonging to Ms Meng Tan.

Initially the event was planned at The Magellan Sutera Resort's Club Garden but because the ground is rather soggy due to the constant rain over the past few days it has been moved to the Resort's Tariks Lobby Lounge instead.

Well, it's just a few hours more to the opening and the sky looks dark. Let's see if everyone is in high spirits because we are!

Earth Hour at Sutera Harbour Resort

My colleagues and I were at Sutera Harbour Resort's Earth Hour event and we captured some shots but due to the limitations of our handphones our photos didn't turn out even close to brilliant. But still, they are my keepsakes for my first Earth Hour participation.Enjoy the read!

The start of a beautiful day. Catch the early moon.

It's now 11 minutes past midnight. I've just had a smashing time celebrating Earth Hour at Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (East Malaysia). The boardwalk and the area just at the bottom of the Resort's prominent landmark; the Bird of Paradise was the selected venue for hosting this year's celebration.

Earth Hour 2013 was not opened to the public. Invitations were extended only to special guests that include long-staying hotel guests of the Resort’s two 5-star hotels, The Magellan Sutera Resort and The Pacific Sutera Hotel.

It was drizzling at past 4pm and most of us were so afraid the sky would open up and spoil the night. But it didn’t. In fact there was little wind compared to other evenings. The sunset though was glorious, much better than the previous day.

Although the Resort’s Earth Hour celebration was a closed door event, it did enjoy the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah YB Datuk Masidi Manjun officiating. Also present were the Resort’s President, YBhg Datuk Edward Ong and YBhg Datin Enung Njoman and several other prominent figures.

Glorious earthly beauty - the majestic sunset!

It seemed this year’s celebration was taken a notch higher by tying up the 1-hour darkness campaign with a marine conservation effort. This year, the Resort embarked on a coral planting project in the Marina as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

Preparations for the evening.

It was no easy task to plant corals in the dark but with the help of University Malaysia Sabah’s team from its Borneo Marine Research Institute headed by its Director, Professor Saleem Mustafa everything went smoothly as planned.

The in-house emcee, Ms Imelda doing last checks before the kick off.

The night’s event was fairly simple. There was the screening of the official Earth Hour video on a giant screen, the bell ringing ceremony to signal the 1-hour darkness that started universally at 8.30pm, the lighting of the Tiki torches and followed with the planting of the corals by the Marina’s pontoon.

As the sun sets, the boardwalk lit up with minimal lights.

Universal countdown with the help of Earth Hour's official video.

The UMS team preparing the corals for planting under minimal light.

The VIPs at the pontoon with the divers assisting in planting the corals.

The rest of the night was spent enjoying good food by candlelight and soft music provided by The Magellan’s strollers.

Romantic setting combined with good food.

No Drama In City Centre

Everyone’s talking about it – stay away from Sabah. Sabah is not safe. Red alert!!! Don’t travel anywhere close to it. And here I am, right smack in the centre of Sabah and life is as it always is – PEACEFUL!

Relax at Sutera Harbour Resort's beachfront by The Pacific Sutera Hotel.

I’m from West Malaysia and I’ve been in Kota Kinabalu for the past eight months – change of job, change of lifestyle and reasonably happy. And then the Lahad Datu incident where some intruders attacked a village in Sabah rocked the entire world (or almost) with negative reports. But what is actually the truth? Does anyone out there really know how unsafe or safe Sabah is? For those of you who are not residing in Sabah, or anywhere close to where the intruders are, don’t spread crazy news. You are not helping the situation. Why do you want to cause panic when there is no reason for panic?

I live in Sabah’s capital city, Kota Kinabalu and that is about 6 to 8 hours drive to Lahad Datu and Semporna where the incident took place. There are no curfews here or any of the nearby areas. The only areas that are under tight security are Lahad Datu and Semporna. While our security forces are everywhere in the areas, protecting the innocents the rest of the world shoot their spirits down by spreading news that things aren’t under control. Have some faith in them, ok?

My family has called several times. They have asked me to book the next flight out. Take a long holiday, they suggested. When I said no, they planned my escapade should the entire office come under siege. Pack a bag they said. Bring your passport with you at all times, stash a sports shoes in the bag as well so you can change from those killer heels. So now I travel in my sporty little car with a black luggage bag in the boot filled with a track suit, a track top and a pair of running shoes. And my passport? It’s inside my handbag, just in case I can’t make it to the car and I have to make an instant dash to the airport. I mocked my family by asking, "What if the airport is under attack?" They ignored me. Instead they said: Leave everything else behind BUT your passport.

Okay let’s get serious, my family buzzed on Skype. But I am serious. Sabah is doing fine. Kota Kinabalu is operating as usual. Businesses continue without a hitch. I’m still driving around safe and sound and the clubs around town are still buzzing in the evenings. 

Seriously romantic - an evening watching the sunset at Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

So chill, ok? Time is ticking so why not enjoy the beautiful sunset like I did this evening or go for a swim at Kota Kinabalu’s beautiful beaches? Things here are under control and if it’s really as bad as what you've been hearing then wouldn’t you think the entire state would have been under curfew by now?

Read from reliable sources:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/3/11/nation/20130311160240&sec=nation

The World of Journos

WE’VE been there and done that. In our call of duty we journalists have been assigned to all kinds of reporting and we have met all kinds of characters; from the humble to the arrogant to the downright rude. But we take it all in our stride. It is our job, a job that feeds and clothes us.

It goes without saying that people have flaws but in dealing with humans (even animals for that matter) we must have respect. And sadly, many of us are disrespectful, using foul language as a weapon, thinking no one knows who they are and so can easily get away with it, at least that is what they think. Name callings and unkind remarks posted in the comments section are uncalled for. And at the end of the day, they actually reflect our characters and our level of professionalism. It shows our weak communication skills.

The thing about blogging is that most times readers do not exactly know who the person behind the site is. Readers do not know the person’s background, unless of course all is revealed in the ABOUT section, which again is the site owner/owners’ prerogative. But event organizers and owners of businesses who extend the invite for coverage should and this is where respect becomes even more important.

NewsFlashMedia is made up of seasoned writers, journalists and professionals in their respective fields. NewsFlashMedia is just our space to communicate on other things besides work. It is also our room for ‘practice’ so as not to get rusty and laid-back because understandably when we do the same thing every day we fail to see that other side of life besides the computer that we stare at from morning to night while on the Desk.

A lot of people, especially business operators and owners, see journalists as a ‘helping hand’ when they need publicity. A majority of us are seen as freeloaders. To some extent we cannot blame the general conscientious of us because there are journalists who are, but as with everything else, we cannot generalise and should evaluate each one of us through our interactions with them.

As journalists we have had free room stays with family in tow offered to us. Free food vouchers, free drinks, free gifts, free perfumes and cosmetics, free everything. The writers on NewsFlashMedia are reputed to be a disciplined lot who will not sacrifice their integrities and work ethics for some freebies, which in the first place they can afford to buy themselves. As such, how great the freebies given out at the event is none of our concern and so we do not include them in our reviews to reflect the generosity of the organisers and business owners. It is, however, a great publicity stunt, and has proven to work.

And being journalists who have slogged on the Desk for many years, a majority of our contacts are PR agents and business operators and owners. Some are mere networks while the more genuine in intentions become our friends. But, being friends do not necessarily mean we cover up their flaws by saying only the good things in our reviews so our friends appear perfect. As journalists, a review that has a balance of good and bad is justified as it allows organisers and business operators to review their strengths and work on their weaknesses.

We have had in the past restaurant owners sending hate mail to our ‘big bosses’ simply because journalists sent for food reviews have little praise of their menu. Unknown to most of them, we do check-out their establishments on the quiet upon an invite to see if they actually warrant an interview. At times they didn’t live up to the standards but we obliged just to help them out. The same goes when clearing an unimpressive review copy. In fact some of us would visit the outlet reviewed (again on the quiet) just to know if it was really as bad as what our journalists told us. Well, for example, if you find expired baklavas on the cake counters still being sold to customers and wait staffs who take ages to serve just one cup of coffee, what do you think the review would be like?

Some of us in NFM are seasoned club reviewers. And we have had DJs and dance club operators getting all hot and bothered after reading one or two negative sentences in the review of their performance. Our advice is, do not just single out the negative sounding sentences and ‘explode’. Read the entire article, digest it and then decide if the writer has been fair overall.

One other thing that most people don’t see is the difference between negative reviews to the point of defaming and negative sentences that are based on what the journalists see, hear or picked up from interviews they have while at the venue. Some words are quoted by others present and are not necessarily the writers’. Defaming is when someone or something is falsely accused of something that has no proof to the truth.

All that is said here is just a tiny fraction of the journalism and journalist world. There are bigger issues that we are also concern with. These are probably just tiny drops in the ocean but it would do a whole lot of good if these tiny drops are understood so people can go about their work without unnecessary animosity.

We remember what one Public Relations guy used to tell us: “I believe any review is a good review. If it is good it is a plus point. And if it is bad, we still become known because people get curious and want to know who we are”.

To end this, below is a screenshot of the comment we received from Shin Kajiwara, Chief Executive Officer of Monhan Holdings Sdn Bhd that owns and operates GoMakan.com. Because we have closed the comment thread and because we have high respect for his professionalism, we’ve decided he deserves the space again. We were expecting a respond from Mr Shin but we did not know what the response would be like. His comment truly reflects an educated and open mind. To Mr Shin and GoMakan.com, we share your triumph and wish your business grow from strength to strength.

Michael Kors Fall 2012 Collection

THERE were lots of browns, blacks and reds in Michael Kors Fall 2012 Collection showcased recently in a private function solely for the media. Held at Whitebox, MAP Publika in Solaris Dutamas the collection was showcased on mannequins with two giant TV sets screening the catwalk, which was probably done in the States.

It was a simple affair – icy fruit drinks were served to guests. They helped quenched the thirst on a hot late afternoon especially when the weather has been so unkind. Valiram’s big guns were around to greet the afternoon batch of journalists and photographers. Their Manager of Marketing, Carmen Tan and her girls showed me around the displays as I was one of the early birds and was probably looking a bit ‘lonely’.

See anything you fancy?

Michael Kors does not believe in providing press release. A good move, I thought. Carmen provided some details of the collection. She actually pointed out this lovely simple dress, which she said looks even more stunning on a woman’s body than a stiff mannequin.

“The thing about Michael Kor’s clothes is that you don’t need to be super skinny to wear them,” Carmen said.

It seems the trick is in the fabric choice, which has the qualities to hide your love handles.  Looking at the pieces showcased I do not think body size is the issue. My curiosity, as with other journalists who viewed the collection, is how in the world does one wear the totally flimsy and see- through pieces made from the gorgeous Chantilly lace?

Mohair, fur, Chantilly lace and seduction.

“It all depends on how daring the wearers are,” said Joanne Teh, Assistant Brand Manager of Michael Kors, Malaysia.

Michael Kors has a good following among Malaysians and his collections are snapped up very fast with the jeans and jeggings being the hot items among Malaysian women. This season’s collection features some Bohemian feel to the designs and the “hard and soft combination” in material like the use of leather, lace, mohair and sequins. Though colours are earthy, bold stripes and checks are dominant in some of the pieces.

“Michael Kors love details like the visible stitching on the clothing,” said Joanne. “And Michael loves belts as they give a slimming effect to the waist,” she added.

The WOW factors - Joanne Teh shows us what they're all about.

Two of the pieces from the collection have been worn before by celebrities like Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada and Queen Victoria) and Liu-Wen, the new face of Estee Lauder.

In October last year, Michael Kors opened its Flagship store in Kuala Lumpur at the Pavilion. The store has been doing well since, embraced by the Malaysian market in a big way, says Deepak Sharma, Regional General Manager of Fashion Division, Valiram Group.

Before the end of this year, Michael Kors stores will open in 1Utama, KL Sentral and Johor before spreading its wings to the other states within Malaysia. New businesses will open in Jakarta, Indonesia between July and August this year while Sydney will see hers in November.

“Michael Kors is growing from strength to strength regionally and globally,” said Deepak. “It will open flagship stores across the world, in Madrid, London, Taiwan, Shanghai and the largest of it being in New York, housing the biggest selection of Michael Kors products.”

My favourite colours.

“Michael is always talking about being fashion forward but also making sure his clothes are comfortable. For those who follow Michael, and know Michael, know what his fashion is about and what his lifestyle is about, will know he is a very relaxed guy. He is really into having a life as well as a balance of work and family. A lot of his clothing has a fine balance between fashion being comfortable as well as wearable.”

“I hope you will also see these reflected in the clothes showcased today,” said Deepak.

Amidst the flurry of clothing all lined in rows on mannequins accessorised with stoles made of rabbit fur, long gloves and thick winter jackets, one cannot miss the beautifully burnish leather finished handbags, shoes and boots.

Love the look, touch and feel of everything in the collection.

Michael Kors’ collections come in several ranges, with each range carrying different pricing but quality is its biggest asset.  The flagship store in Malaysia carries almost 90% of what the stores in the US have. There is a good stock of Michael Kors’ retail as well as wholesale range. And when more Michael Kors’ store opens in Malaysia, fans can easily find a bigger selection of the more affordable wholesale range as well.

According to Joanne a plain Michael Kors top can cost about RM200+ and that’s not a bad bargain seeing that clothes these days, even those without significant labels, can easily go up to about RM180+ a piece.

But here’s the sad news, well for the guys at least, there is no Michael Kors gents’ selection in Malaysia as yet. So if you’re a guy and a Michael Kors fan, you can shop till you drop for your women instead.

Hide your bulges in this stunning piece, girls.

Cheese Glorious Cheese

 A selection of cheese chosen
by Master Cheese Affineur Pierre Gay, MOF, 

sourced from the finest cheese houses from France, Switzerland and the UK,

who value taste & integrity

For order list or more information about our cheeses
Contact us at +603 2078 7969
Vicki: +6 012 290 5342 / Alex: +6 012 290 7645
Email : info@gourmandines.com

DROP BY TO VISIT

OUR SHOP :
LA VIE EN ROSE (French Restuarant)
No. 39, Jalan Raja Chulan, KL

Urban Picnic (cafe)
Lobby of Menara IMC, KL
(Building next to Concorde hotel) 

Go Makan! Sure ah?

NEWSFLASHMEDIA has posted earlier today an introduction to our readers on GoMakan.com, probably Malaysia’s first online food portal directory. The launch took place this recent Friday night at the Neverland Club on Jalan Kia Peng. I’ve been so out of touch with KL’s night scene so I’m not sure if that spot used to be the Orange Club, just next to Borneo Baruk, which is currently undergoing renovation. Not sure as well if Borneo Baruk is still operating under that same name.

The invite was fairly simple and to-the-point; media registration at 6pm and Makan (yes, that’s exactly how it was written) at 7pm. The press release states “... there will be NO lengthy speeches; no ribbon cutting ceremony; just good times to be had. Be prepared TO EAT, DRINK & LAUGH throughout the evening...”

Joanne Kam and the mini paparazzi.

And true, there were no speeches or ribbon cutting. But good times, eat, drink and laugh I wasn’t too sure of. Yes, we drank a lot but drinking on an empty stomach is no fun. Bear in mind that the launch was slated for 7pm, which is dinner hour for many of us. And knowing you’ve been invited to a food event means you don’t want to turn up on a full stomach. This is especially true for the Press who keeps a hectic work schedule and a regular eating pattern isn’t the norm.

The crowd, which included special guests as well as the media, were already at the venue by 6.30pm. And that’s a good sign and a sure welcome from most organisers of food events. It means guests will sample their servings when they are still nice, hot and fresh. Most of the booths of participating members of GoMakan.com were ready to tackle the crowd and tantalise their tastebuds. So naturally the hungry guests zoomed in on the food. A Mat Salleh friend of mine had a plateful of spread and polished his plate off.

Teh Tarik for the star!

Some guests were still at the booths making their selections when suddenly an announcement was made on the microphone, asking guests to refrain from sampling the food until they are invited to do so at the ‘launch’ hour – 7pm. YIKES! There were some red faces and those who already had food on their plates just didn’t know what to do; continue eating or drop everything and hide.

Wow! Wasn’t that ‘tactful’? I wonder how a more professional ‘emcee’ would have tackled the situation?

So the guests shied away from the booths and the operators stopped serving their food. Several minutes into 7pm Joanne Kam appeared and so the event was ‘officiated’. It seemed 30 of the portal’s members took part on the night but it didn’t appear so. Judging from the stalls, there appeared to be less than 30.

The ice-cream boys hard at work. The ice-creams are delicious.

Most of my friends tried most of the selections featured. I only stopped at the ice-cream counter, which I think was called Vedablu (Phileo Damansara 1) and Wrapstarzz (Wangsa Walk Mall). I have to say the offerings at these two outlets were worth a try as I did enjoy the Beef Wrap although a friend of mine said the filling was too dry. And everyone agreed that the yoghurt ice-creams were good.

Good food = Good fun?

I came with a friend and we had initially planned to hang out at the club and do some catching up with our media friends. But a majority were just trapped in KL’s Friday traffic madness; changed plans and ended up going elsewhere. So we left very early, about half an hour or so after Joanne’s appearance.

If the event was aimed towards a great fun night eating and drinking, it turned out to be, what the Malays would say a night of curi curi makan (trying bits and pieces here and there). Having spent most of our time in the publishing world at food reviews, launches and events, my friends and I were not impressed with this particular 'eat and be merry’ invite. It was just the wrong venue, the wrong ambiance and the wrong night.

Plenty of choices?

However, creating the portal and the purpose it serves is a great idea. Now no one needs to call the media in the middle of the night asking where can they get great food as they are traveling all the way from Ipoh to eat in KL.

Oh, by the way, while watching the GoMakan.com videos included in the press package, did the host Debbie Chien say “sh.t”when she fell to the floor? If she did, there goes all the chic and class and the beautifully made face and stunning figure hugging dress.

This lady's stall got rave reviews for the curry puffs but for the life of me can't remember the name of the company.

And oops! Just as I was finishing this post and checking facts, I called one of the GoMakan members on her handphone listed in the press release and she wasn't happy her mobile number is in there. YIKES again!