YTL

Issue Ten 2 0 1 0

T h e

Y T L

L u x u r y

M a g a z i n e

Shanghai Shines
The culinary genius
behind Shook!

T h e

A Very English Village
Is a gourmet utopia

Y T L

In Search of Artful Pleasures

L u x u r y

At Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali

Cutting Edge Country
Rascal Flatts

M a g a z i n e
PP 15585/10/2010(025760)

Plus Jimmy Choo's must-have Fall selection and More...

Contents
2212Life on the Cover
12 Shanghai’s timeless blendof old and new continues
to ignite the imaginationof the Muse Hôtel de Luxe inglitzy Saint-TropezLife in the
Neighbourhood

31 Contemporary Chinese art
comes of age with a new wave
of artists and their sometimes
controversial works

Life Feature

22 A quintessentially English
home-from-home is at theheart of Britain’s leading
gourmet village

Life Bites
26 Hot happenings at
YTL Hotels

Life Events
28 YTL Hotels makes waves
at New York’s Mashomack
International Polo challenge
and the spectacular opening

34 The Rascal Flatts on theirmusic, friendship and theGrand Ole Opry
36 An artful blend of heritageand contemporary design
redeﬁnes luxury at theGreen Leaf Niseko Village
38 Can modern marketingtransform conservation? Rare,an innovative environmentalorganisation, thinks so

44 How an authentic
programme of Balinese
cultural experiences cantransform a holiday

Designer Life
50 High-octane glamour witha distinctive edge createsa stylish ﬁrst impression

Life Feature
54 Iconic Journeys: The
Eastern & Oriental Express
epitomises the new golden
age of travel

Life Time
60 Capture the ﬂeeting
essence of time with newwatch designs from The
Swatch Group’s brands
Breguet and Omega.
THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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life on the cover //94

64
Beautiful Life

Life Cuisine

Life of Luxury

62 Luxe textures, inspired cuts
and a heady mix of musthave accessories set thescene for the season

78 With a rooftop location,
stunning views andfabulous cuisine, Teeq
Brasserie is Kuala
Lumpur’s hottest dining
destination

90 Three star Michelin Chef
Alain Roux discusses thebooks and music thatinspire his creative cuisine

64 YTL Life traces the legendof Valentino, the master of
red carpet sophistication
68 Master shoe andaccessory designer Jimmy
Choo’s must-haves this fall
70 The future is rosy
armed with the latest
technologically advanced
skincare products andmake-up shades

Spa Life
72 The best of traditional
Chinese medicine’s holistic
and preventive approachto health

92 YTL Life’s trusty insiders
reveal the latest mostcollectable buys

80 Lot 10 Hutong: therevival of traditional
Malaysian street foodLife Moments

84 Niseko’s gourmet
seasonal delights

94 Why Malacca continues
to capture travellers’imaginations with its cultural,artistic and culinary riches

Entertaining Life86 Christoﬂe’s stunning
new designs transformevery dinner into alavish occasion
88 First introduced to
Malaysia by BOH
tea the pleasures ofpremium teas endure

Portfolio of Life
100 Explore the world of
YTL Hotels

My Life
120 Actor Owain Yeoman
talks about the sights,
sounds and tastes thatmake his world

On the cover: YTL Hotel’s manages The Swatch Art Peace Hotel Residences (opening early 2011)
and Shook! Shanghai dining concept (opening November 2010)

5

EXCLUSIVELY AT STARHILL GALLERY, F1-F3 EXPLORE FLOOR, 181 JALAN BUKIT BINTANG, THE
55100
KUALA MAGAZINELUMPUR, MALAYSIA.
YTL LUXURY
T E L :
+ 6 0 3 - 2 7 1 0
3 8 0 3F A X :
+ 6 0 3 - 2 7 1 0
3 8 0 9w w w . a r m a n i c a s a . c o mEditorial Team
Editorial Director
Sarah Cairns
Editorial Assistant Director
Lisa Low

A Note fromTan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh2010 is a particularly exciting year for us at YTL Hotels as we embark on
a global expansion of our properties. This July witnessed the additionof the chic Muse Hôtel De Luxe in St. Tropez, France, to our growing
portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts, followed by YTL’S soon-to-openaward-winning Shook! Restaurant concept in Shanghai’s iconic
Swatch Art Peace Hotel on the historic Bund. In December, weplace the Japanese resort of Niseko on the hot list of international
destinations with our inspiring interpretation of alpine luxury at the
newly renovated Green Leaf Niseko Village.

Editor-at-Large
Kate O’BrienManaging Editor
Aster Lim
Associate Editor
Mark Lean
Sub Editor
Catherine ShawThis issue of YTL
is dedicated to Shanghai, a city that looks
to both the past and future, yet still has her eyes ﬁrmly ﬁxed on
the present. At the top of any must-visit world city listing thisyear, thanks to multi-million dollar city-wide improvements andthe Shanghai Expo 2010 (the biggest expo ever), there has
never been a better time to discover this exciting pearl of the
Orient. Our collaborations with the Swatch Group in the soonto-be-unveiled Swatch Art Peace Hotel Residences are yet
another signiﬁcant milestone in an enduring partnership.

Art
T h e

Y T L

L u x u r y

M a g a z i n e

Creative Director
Eireen Ooi
Art Director
Sheila Cheah

Published By
YTL Hotels
11th Floor, Yeoh Tiong Lay Plaza, 55,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Produced By
Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd(Company No. 7408-K)
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Tel: +603 7952 7000
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Colour Separation By
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No. 26, Jalan 4/62A, Bandar Manjalara,
52220 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Graphic Designer
Yvonne Low

Sales

Our global outlook is integral to the unique YTL Hotels
experience, which, I am sure, many of you have had an
opportunity to savour at our wonderful hotels and resorts
dotted around the world. Coupled with this is our continued
deep commitment to protecting the environment throughpreserving nature’s bounties and resources for future
generations. We will continue to strive with boldness andinnovation to create authentic experiences that leave an
indelible memory that will make each and every guest
want to return to our properties, time and time again.

Account Managers
Jojo Wong, Joyce Lee,
Robert Lee

Production
Production Manager
Lim Kian Heng

Contributors
Fanny Bucheli, Choo Ai Ling,
Amy Fabris-Shi, Sharon Lam,
Eugene Ng, Robin Peckham,
Cynthia Rosenfeld, Catherine Shaw

Printed By
Percetakan Zanders Sdn Bhd
No.16, Jalan BK 1/11, Bandar Kinrara,
47180 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia

Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh
Managing Director
YTL Corporation

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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T

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Welcome to YTL’s invigorating mix of travel, art, food, music, fashion, celebrity and, ofcourse, fabulous resorts in pretty amazing locations.

Asia’s most fabulous watch and jewellery
showcase endorsed for the 4th consecutive year by
M i n i s t r y o f Tourism Malaysia, and attended by ardent
watch collectors and aficionados from around the world.
A connoisseurs’ paradise of haute horology andjoaillerie, embraced by over 100 of the world’s finest
luxury watch and legendary jewellery brands.
“Time to Love” celebrates a lifelong passion for
mankind’s genius in tribute to time; and asymphony of fine dining, world class fashion shows andentertainment every night.

ADTime is the ultimate luxury.
Spend it well, and you’ll love every moment of it!

To celebrate the pending opening of YTL’s Shook! restaurant and the soon-to-beunveiled Swatch Art Peace Hotel Residences on Shanghai’s legendary Bund, ourcover story is dedicated to the heritage, cuisine and faces of this one-mile riverfront
promenade fronted by majestic stone-fronted mansions. From its roots as a small
muddy Chinese ﬁshing village, to the swinging 1920s and 30s heyday, the Bund
is once again lavishly dressed and ready to enthral theworld. And there is no better person to ﬁll us in about the
Shanghai’s most stylish street than long-term Shanghai
resident, renowned historian and author Peter Hibbard
who shares some of his favourite buildings in this richly
historic city.

From the Editor

Maintaining a Chinese tone, our spa pages focus on traditional Chinese
healing whose influence has spread further and wider than any othercomplementary therapy known – with many spa treatments enjoyed in Asiaand indeed globally, having roots ﬁrmly grounded in ancient Chinese healing
philosophies. And why not? It makes so much sense and, in our modern
frenetic world, seems the only way to achieve a healthy and balanced
mind and body.
I am especially excited to have had the opportunity to interview one of myfavourite groups, the multi-award winning Rascal Flatts – from Grammy
to the Academy of Country Music – you name it, this gorgeous trio has
it and by all accounts they are decent committed family men too. Topof my wish list is their ﬁrst Asian tour!
In line with YTL’s deep respect for our environment we profile
the initiatives of Rare, a dynamic organisation that has changed
the conservation paradigm by acting at the grass roots level toaffect positive change. So impressed is YTL with Rare’s efforts
that the company recently contributed USD$2 million to target
community-based conservation efforts in Asia through thelaunch of the ’YTL Fellowship for a Rare Planet’.
On this hopeful note, I will sign off. I hope you get as muchpleasure and inspiration from reading YTL
as we have inbringing it all together for you...
Salut!

DON’T MISS IT!

Kate O’ Brien
Kate O’ Brien
Editor-at-Large

Register Now
www.ajourneythroughtime.com.my / www.starhillgallery.com
Enquiries: Starhill Gallery Concierge +603 2782 3855 or YTL Platinum Plus +603 2782 3888
Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

life onlife
on thethecovercover////

life on the cover //Rising Star:
Shanghai’s Bund Shines
Shanghai’s most stylish street offers a unique blend of heritageand modern luxury
Text by Amy Fabris-Shi

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Image from Getty

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1. The Bund is back 2. Qipao glamour
3. A neon-lit view of Shanghai 4. The
city has a sophisticated night scene 5.
Traditional produce sold at the market

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Image from Peter Hibbard

life on the cover //life on the cover //numbers of luxury travelers and a larger
replacement was commissioned in 1904
that was renamed the Palace Hotel.

1. Shanghai in the early 1900s
2. The modern face of Shanghai
3. A young Chinese boy 4. Handembroidered slippers from Suzhou
Cobblers, Shanghai

1

A Shanghai siren with a red-painted poutand tailored cheongsam sips a pink gin
on a riverfront terrace while elegant
couples stroll along the boardwalk.
These scenes could be straight from theglamorous 1930s Shanghai – but they
are also thoroughly modern snapshots of
the renascent Bund of today.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Fondly referred to as “The Bund”, theone-mile riverfront promenade fronted
by majestic stone-fronted mansions
takes its name from a Hindi word
meaning ‘muddy embankment’. Today,
it is recognized worldwide as the iconic
image of Shanghai. It is here that a small
Chinese ﬁshing village deﬁed its swampy
roots to become a global commercial
hub in the 1920s, nicknamed the ‘Parisof the Orient’.
It all began with the First Opium War of1842, after which China was forced toopen Shanghai for international shipping.
The city was divided into foreign-governed
concessions,known as the International
Settlement, and occupied the area on
the western bank of the Huangpu River.
Strategically located halfway along China’s
coast near the mouth of the East China

Images from Corbis

This 120-room hotel soon became
Shanghai’s largest and most luxurious,
hosting several landmark events, including
the International Opium Commission in
1909. In December 1911, Dr Sun Yatsen banqueted here after assuming thePresidency of the Republic of China. In thesame room, Dr Sun’s successor ChiangKai-shek celebrated his engagement toSoong Mei-ling in 1927.

2

Sea, the river soon became China’s defacto docking point for merchant ships
from around the world.
As business boomed in Shanghai,international banks and trading companies
constructed grandiose headquarters
along the wide waterfront. Designed byrenowned foreign architects using thefinest imported materials, the string ofarchitectural gems featured a mix ofbaroque marble columns, neo-classicaldomes and fashionable art deco facades.
For many, the Bund was a first glimpseof Shanghai’s colourful diversity and far
removed from the stereotypical willowpattern visions of the Orient. By the
1930s, Shanghai’s heyday was in fullswing led by celebrities, entrepreneurs
and socialites including Charlie Chaplin
and George Bernard Shaw. Gilded
travellers were spoiled at the Far East’s
most luxurious hotels as gentlemen drankscotch and played billiards in the Long Barof the exclusive Shanghai Club and theladies shopped for the latest Parisian and
New York fashions which they paraded at
hotel high teas, horse races or Broadwayshows. By night, (always Shanghai’sfavorite bewitching hours), the cocktail
lounges, jazz bars, ballrooms and opium
dens weaved their lavish spells.

The Dark Decades
Sadly the good times were short-lived.
On 14 August 1937, a pair of misfired
Chinese bombs damaged The Palace
and Cathay hotels. The carnage presaged
dark decades for the Bund with WorldWar II, post-war Nationalist hostilities
and the Cultural Revolution. The Bund’s
once-proud ediﬁces were requisitioned asbarracks and storerooms suffering yearsof decay. In the early 1990s, some of thecelebrated buildings were insensitively
renovated and a newly constructed
expressway marred the landscape.
KFC opened its first China outlet in the
Shanghai Club. The Bund’s heritage wasunder threat.

Born-again Bund
But the late 1990s heralded a newcommercial boom bringing a modern
ﬁnancial centre with glassy skyscrapers
and sharp, futuristic angles on the Pudong
riverbank while The Bund reinvented
itself as a centre for the pursuit of luxury.
The redevelopment of the city’s iconic

Two years later, the Palace Hotel was
overshadowed by the adjacent art deco
Cathay Hotel. These two hotels would
later become inextricably linked with the
opening of the Peace Hotel in 1956,
encompassing the Cathay Hotel as theNorth Wing and the Palace Hotel as theSouth Wing.

waterfront formed the centrepiece of
Shanghai’s US$45 billion urban makeover
ahead of the 2010 World Expo and a
US$700 million three-year facelift saw
several trafﬁc lanes diverted undergroundand the waterfront transformed into alandscaped public plaza.

The Palace will soon be reopened as
the stunning Swatch Art Peace Hotel.
The brainchild of Swatch Group CEO
Nick Hayek, the revolutionary project
combines luxury shopping, an innovative
working contemporary art centre andcreative ﬁne dining.

Today a futuristic international cruise
terminal welcomes a new generationof ocean-faring travelers while historic
dockyards have re-emerged ascontemporary event spaces.

Gilded street-level halls, carefully restoredwith pure gold paint, are home to ﬂagshipluxury boutiques Omega, Blancpain,
Breguet and Swatch. The upper levels
include 3 uniquely themed suite residences
and 4 elegant rooms (all managed by YTL
Hotels), plus eighteen atelier spaces whereinvited national and international artists live,
work and display their art. "We offer theseto the artists for free and pay for their trips,
and in return they leave us a trace of theirart,” says Hayek of the unique concept.

And at the heart of the Bund, several
legendary buildings have beentransformed by sensitive conversions into
luxury hotels, clubs, boutiques, cocktail
lounges and swish dining venues. The
Bund, famed as the social centre of
Shanghai in the swinging 1930s, is once
more debonairly dressed and readyto thrill.

The Return of a Hotel Icon
The former Palace Hotel today occupies
a pivotal place in Shanghai’s history.
Formerly the Central Hotel, it ﬁrst openedin 1875. As demand grew, the hotel
struggled to cater to Shanghai’s growing

The top ﬂoor is home to the ﬁrst international
outlet of Malaysia’s phenomenally popular
Shook! restaurant, also managed by
YTL Hotels. Bringing Shanghai diners an
exciting mix of east and west, the chicinteractive dining room leads onto thehotel’s legendary rooftop outdoor terrace– once again the place to sip cocktails andsocialise while enjoying the timeless Bund.

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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life on the cover //life on the cover //YTL Hotels in
Shanghai

472Some of the personalites involved in
Shook! and The Swatch Art Peace
Hotel Residences

1. Antonella Mascimino - Hotel Director
2. Alex McBride-Guest Experience
Director
3. Chris Li-Chief Concierge
4. Alicia Mao-Housekeeping Manager
5. Andrew Wu-Shook! F&B Operation
Manager
6. Chef Kevin Cape-Corporate Chef YTL
7. Julien Laracine-Director of Food andBeverage Shook Shanghai
8. Jacqueline Qiuqiong-Chef de Cuisine
9. Sara Zhang, Sandra Wang and Wena
Chen-Guest Experience Officers

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life on the cover //Dining Out in Shanghai:
In Conversation with Shook!’s culinary masters
Text by Amy Fabris-Shi

Kevin Cape
British-born Kevin Cape is Executive Chef
of YTL Corporation and is currently at thehelm of the much anticipated launch of
Shook! at Shanghai’s Swatch Art Peace
Hotel. His prestigious culinary backgroundincludes many hard days as the youngest
Sous Chef at London’s Connaught Hotel(under Michel Bourdin) and being the ﬁrst
Executive Chef of the Eastern & Oriental
Express luxury train. Cape masterminded
the original and immensely popular
Shook! at Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur
11 years ago and is looking forward to
taking Shook! “to a new international level”
in China’s style capital.
Tell us about the cuisine at Shook!
We want to bring back the romance andoverall experience of dining. Shook! is allabout joyful, friendly interaction between
diners, waiters and chefs. Our chic, hightech open kitchens offer an extensive menu
and exciting mix of western, Japanese,
Chinese, Thai and Malay cuisines. But
it isn’t fusion - I strongly believe in thefundamentals and authentic ingredientsof each individual cuisine. This is a place
where you can have serious food and a bitof fun at the same time.
Is sourcing quality ingredients inShanghai a challenge?
It is essential that we work with only thevery best quality ingredients. Luckily China
is a vast country with a great diversity ofresources and although we import theﬁnest quality grain-fed meats and lobsterfrom Australia, much of the rest of the foodis fresh local produce, most especially

our vegetables and fish. Any herbs andspices that we can't source here, I growin my own kitchen. The fact that Shanghai
has four seasons is something I intend to
take advantage of by making my menus as
fresh and seasonal as possible.
How does Shook! stand apart from the
Bund’s other eateries?
Innovation is at the core of our dedication
to personal service and providing a diverse
dining experience. From an amusebouche to custom-made plates and trays
and having guests choose their own styleof chopsticks, every detail of the overall
dining experience is carefully considered.
The ﬁner touches that make Shook! standapart are there too, like our chefs carving
the meat or preparing salads to taste at
the table.
Where else do to you like to dine in
Shanghai?
The local food in the back streets of the city
excites me most. I get a buzz exploring thesmall neighbourhoods around the Bund
and seeing what’s cooking. I especially lovethe soup noodles and Xinjiang kebabs andbreads. I could eat these all day long andhope to reﬂect these timeless inﬂuences in
my cooking.

Jacqueline Qiuqiong
Shanghai-born Jacqueline Qiuqiong
has worked in some of the city’s mostrespected kitchens, including Jean
Georges and the Park Hyatt. Excited at
the prospect of leading Shook! to dizzyculinary heights in such an historic setting,

Quiqiong is amongst a very niche group of
female Executive Chefs in Shanghai.
What attracted you to Shook?
It was deﬁnitely the prospect of working ina beautiful heritage building with so many
types of cuisine all under one roof. Having
spent many years in hotel kitchens, I’mwell versed in different cuisine styles andcreative catering. Malay food, however,is relatively new to me so I’ve enjoyedspending time in Malaysia exploring thewildly exotic ﬂavours and learning more
about their fascinating culinary culture.
I wish we still had as rich an array ofstreet food in Shanghai as they do in
Kuala Lumpur.
When you aren’t in the kitchen, where
can we ﬁnd you?
I like to go to the Flower Market andtend to my small backyard garden. I’mcurrently growing salad greens, eggplant,
winter melon, cherries, apricots andgooseberries.
How did you become a chef?
As a child I was quite a good volleyball
player but to play in the school team myteachers suggested I also join the cooking
course. Gradually I became more andmore interested in being a chef, although
I didn’t want to make pastry or work in the‘cold kitchen’ like the other girls; I wanted
to be in the main kitchen. I don’t ﬁnd being
a woman in a man’s world daunting, if
anything – it’s an asset. The boys used tooffer to carry heavy trays for me, but I canhandle it – maybe that is because of myvolleyball training.

Left: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad adipisicing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enimad

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life on the cover //life on the cover //The historic Bund during
the early 1900s

Five More of Shanghai's BestYTL Life talks with Peter Hibbard, historian and president of the Royal Asiatic Society China
in Shanghai and the author of The Odyssey Guide to Shanghai, Beyond Hospitality: The
History of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited and The Bund Shanghai: China
Faces West, about the historic Bund. Besides the soon-to-be opened Swatch Art Peace
Hotel, Hibbard’s favorite heritage buildings on that famed stretch include…

1857

China Merchants Steam Navigation
Company Building

The Stone House buildings behind No. 9 on the
Bund, built for Russell & Co., date back to 1857
and are the oldest surviving buildings on the Bund.
China Merchants Steam Navigation Company - thefirst Chinese company to establish itself on the
Bund - moved here in 1885. They built a stately
red-brick mansion in the property’s front garden
in 1901. This building at No. 9 on the Bund is
now home to the flagship boutique of anotherpioneering local company, luxury Chinese fashionlabel, Shiatzy Chen.

1911

Shanghai Club Building

The Shanghai Club, the city’s most exclusive British
gentlemen’s club, moved into its whitewashed English
Renaissance headquarters in 1911 and quickly
became famous for its legendary Long Bar, stretchingsome 110 feet. Club members also enjoyed bowlingalleys, billiard rooms, an oyster bar, barber’s shop, twowine cellars, a library and multiple dining halls. China’s
ﬁrst KFC opened here in the 1990s. The building later
underwent a charming renovation, reopening earlier
this year as the Waldorf Astoria Club.

1923

Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building

The impressive neo-classical banking headquarters
designed by Tug Wilson and completed in 1923
more than lived up to the architect’s brief to ‘dominate
the Bund’. Resembling a grand hotel, no expense
was spared on the ﬁnest materials from around theworld, including mountains of Sienna marble. Muchof the original decoration has survived, most notably
the magnificent Venetian mosaics in the octagonal
entrance hall depicting the eight banking centres of
the East and West.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

North China Daily News Building

1924

Known as the ‘Old Lady of the Bund’, the headquartersof the Far East’s leading British newspaper was opened
in 1924 to commemorate the publication’s diamond
Jubilee. The paper’s editorial and printing offices
had been established on this site in 1901 rolling offpresses right on the Bund. The forerunner of today’s
global insurance company, AIG, occupied many ﬂoors
from 1927. The company returned in 1996 and, after
a USD10 million restoration, remains the only businessto occupy a whole building on the Bund.
Cathay Hotel

1929

When Sassoon House was completed in 1929, its
12-storey art deco facade epitomised the thrusting
modernity of 1930s Shanghai. It was home to one of
the most luxurious hotels in the Far East – the Cathay
Hotel – as well as a high-end shopping arcade andofﬁces. Jewish business tycoon and owner Sir Victor
Sassoon lived in the penthouse under the green
copper spire and was renowned for his wild parties
in the Cathay Ballroom. The hotel recently underwent
a three-year restoration and emerged as the Fairmont
Peace Hotel. The original stained glass rotunda at thehotel’s entrance was revealed once more after being
covered up for decades.

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life in the neighbourhood //life in the neighbourhood //A VeryEnglish Village
A quintessentially English home-from-home is at
the heart of Britain’s leading gourmet destination.
Text by Catherine Shaw

Berkshire’s Bray-on-Thames has long been considered one ofBritain’s most desirable villages beneﬁtting from a pastoral andscenic setting straight out of one of Thomas Hardy’s novels
complete with idyllic honey coloured stone, thatch cottages
and perfectly tended English gardens. And now, thanks to a
few world-famous culinary residents bringing their gastronomic
excellence and innovation from the traditional local pub to the‘best restaurant in Britain’ (according to the inﬂuential 2011 Best
Food Guide), Bray has snatched the culinary crown from nearby
London. Today the 16th century village is home to 2 of only 4
restaurants in Britain to hold 3 Michelin stars – not bad for a rural
home to just 8,000 inhabitants.
French chef and author Michel Roux OBE and holder of France’s
premier order, the Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur,
was the ﬁrst chef to fall for Bray’s obvious charms, establishing
the now internationally renowned Waterside Inn on the banks of
the river Thames in 1972. “It wasn’t easy to start with”, says sonand chef-proprietor Alain Roux. “It was only after the restaurant
won its ﬁrst Michelin star in 1974 that people sat up and started
to take notice of us tucked away in the village”. The Rouxs havefamously gone on to usher in a new era of culinary appreciation
with their classic French cuisine and impeccable service – holding
3 Michelin stars without interruption for twenty-ﬁve years.

Bray House, a YTL Luxury Retreat

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Next came the innovative culinary genius of Heston Blumenthal
with his three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck, justiﬁably famous
for the owner’s cutting edge gastronomic alchemy such as ‘snail

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life in the neighbourhood //GETTING THERE
From London, leave the M4 motorway at exit 8/9 and on
the roundabout, take the exit to Maidenhead Central. At
the second roundabout, take the exit to Bray and Windsor(A308). Continue for half a mile and turn left at the sign toBray village (B3028).

porridge’, exploding cakes and lickable wallpaper. The self-taught
Blumenthal recently purchased The Hind’s Head and The Crown,
two atmospheric wood-paneled oak-beamed local pubs just a
few steps away from the Fat Duck. There is no sign of his famous
bacon and eggs ice cream here – simply classic British pub faredelivered with Blumenthal’s trademark precise ﬂair.

“When it comes toaccomodation, happily,
visitors are spoilt for
In Bray it seems that two international celebrities are not enough,choice with luxury
as the parish also boasts The Royal Oak, a not-to-be–missed
gastropub co-owned by television presenter and author Sir Michael
traditional cottages to a
Parkinson and his son, Nick who also manages the excellent
restaurant (its Cornish lemon sole with cucumber, brown shrimps,
luxury house set withinlemon butter and watercress should come with a gourmet warning– it is wildly addictive). Add to this recent ebullient newcomer
the heart of the village.”
Giancarlo who has established a very welcome little corner of Italy
with Caldesi in Campagna (serving a quite unforgettable tiramisu
al vin santo) and it is clear that any visit to Bray requires more thana day to fully appreciate its many attractions.
Happily, visitors are spoilt for choice with luxury traditional cottages
to a luxury house set within the heart of the village. These homesfrom-home have an authentic charm literally oozing a perfect blendof classic style and contemporary comfort. The cottages, sweetly
named to reﬂect their individual nature, are endearingly furnishedin keeping with their classic character with tactile fabrics in warm
shades and decorated throughout with an attention to detail thatmakes visitors feel as though they were guests in a private home.
The star in the crown, however is the YTL-owned Bray House,

24

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE(l to r) Bray Village, one of Bray House's luxuriously appointed
bathrooms, a private courtyard is ideal for elegant al-fresco dining

a carefully restored private house whose unique ambiance isinﬂuenced by an eclectic mix of chic contemporary art and timelessclassic English style. Think rustic glamour with deep sofas, originalﬁreplaces, a plush velvet-covered reclining chaise longue, heavy
silk and linen curtains and a ﬁnely stocked art-deco bar. Upstairs
are 3 gracefully proportioned bedrooms with beamed ceilings
that would not be out of place in an opulent private mansion,
each decorated in its own distinctive style. Vases of fresh ﬂowers,
a carefully curated selection of interesting books and whimsicalornaments add a cosseting touch while wireless internet, highdeﬁnition plasma television screens and Bose iPod stations
provide for all entertainment needs. Bray House’s White Suite with
its imposing four-poster ethereal muslin-draped bed and all-whiteleather and linen accessories is a stylishly serene favourite but
all suites come with state-of-the-art bathrooms notable for their
extraordinary rain forest showers (one suite also has a fabulous
deep bath). Outdoors, adjacent to the fully equipped designer
kitchen (complete with a well-stocked refrigerator), is a private
secluded courtyard garden and goldﬁsh pond, ideal for relaxed
al-fresco dining. A sleekly efﬁcient concierge service is also on
hand to provide personal attention from providing a personal chefto hard-to-come by restaurant reservations.
The best news of all? Despite its luxurious attractions andcelebrity residents, Bray has happily maintained its traditional
charm providing a unique experience of traditional English village
life at its very best.

ACTIVITIESFamous nearby attractions include Royal Ascot, Windsor,
Savill Gardens, the Thames Pathway, Eton College andthe magniﬁcent country estate of Cliveden. Events include
Henley Royal Regatta, Windsor Horse Show and Dorney
Court. Suitably British outdoor activities such as boating on
the river Thames, walking in the countryside, tennis, horseriding, shooting, ﬁshing and golf are widely available

HISTORY
The historic village of Bray is home to several noteworthy
buildings. Besides its famous 13th century Norman church,
the Hinds Head, a classic traditional pub dates from the16th century while nearby, The Crown Inn, another favourite
drinking establishment, dates from the 14th century, and issaid to have been frequented by King Charles when visiting
Nell Gwynn. Bray’s ricket club, established in 1798, is theoldest in the county.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.ytlhotels.com orcontact travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Bray Cottages, www.braycottages.com
The Fat Duck, www.fatduck.co.uk
The Waterside Inn, www.waterside-inn.co.uk
The Royal Oak, www.theroyaloakpaleystreet.com
Caldesi in Campagna, www.caldesi.com

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life bites //YTL’s newest events, attractions and not-to-be-missed experiences

01
04

02

01

02

Harness the healing powers of the sea
with a starlit massage by the water’s edge
at Spa Village Tembok Bali. Speciallyprepared herbal oils help release tension
from the head, neck, shoulders, feetand hands. This sublimely relaxing 50minute experience includes aromatherapy
inhalation, a gentle rhythmic massage
that mirrors the ﬂow of the ocean waves,and the use of locally prepared traditional
Balinese herbal oils designed to rebalance
the body in time trusted fashion.

Located in peaceful seclusion on Pansea
Bay, The Chedi Phuket (to be renamed
The Surin on November 1) is the perfectrespite from life’s daily stresses. All
honeymooners will receive welcome
drinks, a fruit basket, ﬂowers and a rose
petal-decorated bed. For honeymooners
staying for 4 nights or more, The Surin
includes a 50-minute spa treatment for
2 persons and a complimentary room
upgrade to the next room category(subject to availability).

Massage Under the Stars

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Honeymoon in Phuket

06

05

03

03

04

05

06

Scuba diving is a family affair at Tanjong
Jara Resort on Malaysia’s east coast
where both adults and children can
immerse themselves in PADI scuba
diving courses on Tenggol Island, off
the coast of Trengganu. This is theideal opportunity for children (aged 10
and older) to discover scuba diving in
one of the world's best dive sites.

Guests booking a one night stay at YTL’s
charming Bray House, in Berkshire’s
Bray-on-Thames are invited for lunchat the Michelin starred Royal Oak
Restaurant, owned by legendary Sir
Michael Parkinson and his son Nick.
Car transfers and a signed copy of themenu are also included. Guests staying
two nights or more at Bray House
enjoy dinner at celebrity chef Heston
Blumenthal’s 18th century Hinds Heador Crown gastro pubs. Terms andconditions apply.

Experience the sights, sounds andtastes of the Feast Village kitchen at
Malaysia’s award-winning Pangkor LautResort. As well as enjoying Southeast
Asian delicacies such as roti canai andnasi lemak and international favorites likepancakes and succulent grilled sausages,
guests can also learn cooking tricks andtechniques first hand from the resort’s
chefs. The Chef’s Kitchen Experience issimply perfect for real foodies who, at theend of the experience are presented witha certiﬁcate, apron and bandana.

This autumn, Hilton Niseko Villagecelebrates with exceptional value offersof a Hilton Room from 24,000 JPY or a
Deluxe Room from 32,000 JPY for two,
including the classic Hilton Breakfast anda delicious international Autumn Dinner
Buffet – the perfect opportunity to indulge
in Niseko's seasonal favourites such as
Snow crab, corn and new potato andsquid shio amongst other delicacies.

Discover Scuba with PADI
for Kids

Stay & Dine at Bray House

Chef ’s Kitchen Experience

Hilton Niseko Village

For more information on YTL Hotels’ eventsand promotions, log on to www.ytlhotels.com

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

27

life events //life events //

7

6

1

2

Muse Opens In True
Saint-Tropez Style
To celebrate the opening of Muse Hôtel de Luxe, YTL Hotels hosted an exclusive dinner
event attended by 300 guests who were entertained by the legendary George Benson,
the renowned English tenor, Russell Watson and cabaret show La Clique. Amongst theline up of celebrities were Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt, Goga Ashkenazi, and Olivier Martinez
amongst many others who were treated to a delicious selection of ocean ﬂavours and freshseasonal produce meticulously prepared by Executive Chef Nicolas Le Toumelin. Signature
dishes included YTL’s classic dancing prawns, Brittany blue lobster thermidor, Andalusia
gaspacho with Iberico ham, Sauterne wine foie gras terrine with sautéed langoustine, allaccompanied by the very best in ﬁne wines straight from the Muse cellars.

10

11

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1. The Yeoh family 2. Datuk Michelle Yeoh and Goga Ashkenazi 3. Orianne Collins and Fouad
Mejjati 4. Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, Jean Todt and Datuk Michelle Yeoh 5. Goga Ashkenazi

3

4

5

4

6. George Benson 7. Russell Watson 8. Tan Sri Francis Yeoh and guests
9. George Benson and guests 10. Performance by La Clique
11. Geordie Grieg, Goga Ashkenazi and James McBride 12. Olivier Martinez

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life events //life events //2

1

YTL Hotels
Polo TeamIn June, YTL Hotels sponsored a Polo team at the 13th Annual
Mashomack International Polo Challenge held at Pine Plains, New
York. The event, a highlight of the region’s social calendar, attracted
over 500 ‘Town and Country’ patrons and marked the ofﬁcial start ofthe summer social season in Millbrook.

1. (l to r) Hannah Buchan, Tatin Zubiaurre, James McBride and Bruce Colley
2. Teresa Colley and Joseph Yeoh 3. The YTL Polo Team in action, 4. Joseph
Yeoh and James McBride, President of YTL Hotels 5. Participants of the
Mashomack International Polo Challenge

3

1

Art in DemandContemporary Chinese art comes of age with a newwave of artists leading the way in exciting and often
controversial ways
Text by Robin Peckham

5

4of up-and-coming major artists is looking to change this.
International visibility for contemporary Chinese art has arrived
over the last half-decade, fuelled both by a global fascination withthe re-emergence of the Chinese underground in the lead up to
the 2008 Beijing Olympics and by the unprecedented popular
appeal of art within western culture in general. While the recent
credit crisis and ensuing recession have curbed the inﬂuence of
these elements, they have also encouraged Chinese collectors
and art investors to assert their presence in these markets,bringing further deﬁnition to the function of art as investment andconﬁrming the already established hierarchy of investment-friendly
artists. Unfortunately, however, this list continues to be almost
inexplicably dominated by kitschy painters of little or no interest to
the narratives of international contemporary art. However, a group30

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Recent major sales at auction in Hong Kong, now recognised
as the centre of the secondary market trade in Chinese art,
have seen an emergence of noteworthy names alongside thestable standbys of Zhang Xiaogang, Fang Lijun, Yue Minjun,
and Zeng Fanzhi, many of whom offer serious potential forinterested collectors.
Liu Wei (b. 1972) may be the best representative of this newwave, regularly drawing bids between USD$60,000 and
USD$80,000 in 2009 and 2010. Most commonly seen on theauction block are his bold paintings, particularly the extensive
series entitled Purple Air (2005), which depicts somewhat

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life feature //life feature //“It is clear that despite
soaring prices excitingtimes lie ahead forcontemporary Chinese
art in all its formats.”

Color Wheel (2006) and Sparkling (2007), both of which play withpictorial conventions and the roll of light and colour in the framingof the subject.
These three artists are key names to watch over the coming years
and are likely to be both critically well received within the art world
and popular with private collectors and other buyers.

24respected for his work as an installation artist, presenting largescale architectural conﬁgurations like Outcast (2007), a building
constructed from old glass-and-wood windows and doors withhigh-powered fans blowing sand, furniture, and other detritus
inside. His latest work has been shown in venues from Beijing’s
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art to London’s renowned
Saatchi Gallery.

3

Zheng Guogu (b. 1970) has been similarly proliﬁc over the past
several years, largely offering an examination of the conditionsof rural China complementary to Liu Wei’s focus on the urban.
Typically selling for a similar but slightly wider range between
USD$35,000 and USD$80,000, his paintings in the Computer
Controlled by Pig’s Brain (2003-) series examine the inanity of local
gossip and popular culture media as ﬁltered through the small town
in which the artist resides. Gougu’s other major project is Age of
Empire (2001), a massive undertaking in multiple media that takes
the form of a building site in southern China as well as paintings,
videos, and installations.

1. [previous page] Liu Xiadong's 'Z's Family,' 2009 2. Ai Weiwei's'Descending Light,' 2007 3. Zhang Peili's 'A Gust of Wind,' 2008
4. Artwork by Zheng Guogu 5. Artwork by Liu Xiaodong.

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Yan Lei (b. 1965), another member of this group, is known as a
prankster within the art world. He is notorious for an early seriesof satirical actions that caused much consternation amongst his
peers when they were invited to imaginary international exhibitions
and found themselves shamed by their lack of knowledge about
the wider art world. Regardless of the controversial reception at thetime, these projects have propelled his wickedly clever paintings
to sums between USD$10,000 and USD$40,000, including a
range of image-based compositions that detail liminal spaces, fromairports to forgotten portraits. Most signiﬁcant are his recent series

Within the circle of fully established artists visible at auction, many
are already considered to be extremely overvalued and priced far
out of proportion to their historical and aesthetic value, though –as always - there are exceptions. Liu Xiaodong (b. 1963), one of
the few signiﬁcant realist painters to emerge alongside the moregraphically oriented artists of his generation, is one of the mostimportant of these: his set of paintings Eighteen Arhats (2004) soldat the peak of the market for almost USD$8 million, and demandfor his work shows no sign of receding. With his cinematic yet
painterly gaze ﬁrmly trained on the social ills of development, Liuis, in terms of quality, worlds away from other competitors for thetitle of most expensive living Chinese artist at auction. Another key
artist of this generation is Zhang Peili (b. 1957), often referred toas the “father of Chinese video art” but severely undervalued on
the auction market. His earliest documentation of broken mirrors
and wandering hands 30x30 (1988) and his latest large scale selfreﬂexive video installations like Mute (2008) have made it into themost important institutional collections.
The centre of the commercial Chinese art world has long been
Beijing, home to the country’s foremost art academy andmuseums, although Shanghai too hosts a robust system ofartists, private museums, and galleries. ShanghART, founded by
Swiss dealer Lorenz Helbling some 15 years ago, has long been
the leading space, representing a list of artists from establishedpainters like Zhou Tiehai and Zeng Fanzhi to emerging young new
media and conceptual artists like Zhang Ding. Recently, Shanghai
has also seen an inﬂux of competitive new multinational galleries,
like the local outposts of New York dealer James Cohan and Hong
Kong gallery chain Osage, all of which are known for introducing
important international work to the local art scene.
As international appreciation for China’s modern artists, fromestablished names to innovative newcomers, spreads, it is clearthat despite soaring prices exciting times lie ahead for contemporary
Chinese art in all its formats.

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33

life feature //life feature //“We get to touch people's
lives through music. There's
no greater gift in the world.”

Cutting-Edge Country
In advance of their new album ‘Nothing Like This’ the Rascal Flatts
took time out to talk to Kate O’ Brien about music, friendship andthe Grand Ole Opry
If any act embodies the place to which country music has evolvedin this century, it’s the Rascal Flatts. Since their inception over a
decade ago, the trio has helped change the face of popular
music. Their trademark sound – Gary LeVox’s powerfully emotive
lead vocals coupled with the soaring harmonies of Jay DeMarcus
and Joe Don Rooney, set amid world-class arrangements andproduction, have made the band the standard bearers for cuttingedge country.
Drawing on Nashville’s best tunesmiths and their own enviable
songwriting skills, they have released some of the most importantand successful music to come out of Nashville in recent years.
Along the way, they have placed ten No1 singles and twenty Top
Tens, seen every one of their studio albums go multi-platinum,
been the recipient of multiple top vocal awards from both the
Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

How would the Rascal Flatts best describe themselves?
We are a country music group. That’s what we grew up on witheach one of us bringing different inﬂuences to the mix to create
our unique sound. There’s never been a method to our madness.
We just cut the best songs we can, and through the years weget better at what we do.
What brought you together?
Joe Don sat in for our regular guitar player in a bar in downtown
Nashville one night. From the ﬁrst moment we sang together, we
knew we had something special.
All three were blown away by their collective sound that infamous
evening and they began playing as a trio, up to 7 hours a night.
Soon, label executives had caught the buzz and were dropping by
to see them. And the rest is musical history…

Who writes your songs?
We have always said that the best songs win. By this we meanthat while we write many of our own songs, when it comes toselecting the ﬁnal list of songs for an album, only the best songs
are included – whether we wrote them of not.
The Rascal Flatts are committed family men who take theirrole in the community very seriously. Can the band giveYTL Life an insight into the great work being done?
We do a lot of work with ‘Make a Wish Foundation’ granting young
children with life-threatening medical conditions their special
wishes. We are also devoted to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s
Hospital in Nashville and are celebrity cabinet members for theAmerican Red Cross. We recently became spokespersons for
the Jason Foundation, a national foundation involved in educating
teenagers and their families about suicide prevention.
With songs like “These Days,” “Bless The Broken Road,” “What
Hurts The Most,” “Take Me There” and “Here Comes Goodbye,”the band has released some of the most harmonious andsuccessful country music ever.
At the core, though, is a 3-way friendship and musical partnershipdedicated to making records they would want to listen to andputting on shows they would want to attend. It is that approachthat has brought so much pleasure to so many fans and given theband such an enviable position in the musical world.

Rascal Flatts will shortly have their own star on the
Hollywood walk of fame. Beyond the celebrity status of
this what does it really mean to the group?
We feel some validation with this honour: that our music reallymeans something and that we will perhaps leave a legacy ofmusic behind in this world.
Country music has come a long way since Johnny Cash –how will the journey continue?
Being a part of country music means you are part of musicalhistory. No other genre is like country music in its friendships withfellow artists and relationships with fans.
More than ten years on, can the band describe their mostmemorable experience?
Each of us would have to say that playing at Nashville’s GrandOle Opry was a career highlight.
Tell YTL Life about the new album coming out inNovember.
We are really excited about this – it will be the ﬁrst on our new
record label and brings a fresh approach in its delivery, whichmakes us even more excited for fans to hear it.
Any upcoming tours out to South East Asia?
Maybe sometime…
Hopefully for Asia… watch this space.

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35

life feature //life feature //Zen and Now:
Art and Snow in Niseko
An artful blend of heritage and glamorous modern design
redeﬁnes luxury at the Green Leaf Niseko Village

With its launch perfectly timed for the 2010-11 ski season,
the Green Leaf Niseko Village is set to transform the notion of
alpine luxury with its inspired new interiors. Spearheaded by theaward-winning New York-based ﬁrm Champalimaud Design,the 200-room ski-in-ski-out property in Hokkaido’s premier ski
village is a sensitive blend of original architectural and interior
details with Champalimaud’s bold signature style. The result isthe ultimate in contemporary comfort with an added touch ofcool Japanese zen.

Text by Catherine Shaw

“Niseko is now recognised as a highly desirable international
destination,” says President and Principal Designer AlexandraChampalimaud who led the redesign project, “and this isa wonderful opportunity to transform a property with an
unparalleled location, therapeutic natural onsen and Mount Yotei
views into a modern social space attractive to a youthful andglobal clientele.”
The hotel’s existing art collection of 195 original artworks by
famed Japanese artist Soichiro Tomioka (1922 – 1994) provided
the catalyst for the new look interiors. The artist, renowned for his
appreciation of and love for pristine forested winter landscapes,
created his own signature paint - known as Tomioka White – in aneffort to overcome what he believed were the limiting properties
prevalent in conventional oil paint. “My ﬁrst challenge was toprocess an exceptional paint which would neither turn yellow orcrack... I set out to produce a zinc white to bring out the qualities
of snow, something no paint maker in the world had been able todo,” explained the artist in an article he penned entitled “My Worldof White”. Tomioka’s works are widely collected and have been
exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and numerous
other leading American galleries.

36

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE“Afternoons extend
into relaxed evenings
complete with ﬁlm
screenings in theadjacent skiers’ lounge.”

wireless internet, a distinctive desk lamp that sports USB plugs,
an iPod music player, tea/coffee facilities and a selection ofsublime Japanese teas.
The Green Leaf Niseko Village also plays host to artist-inresidence Emi Shiratori, a Sapporo-based graphic designer
whose stunning murals are imbued with her unique
iconography. Her contemporary works meld seamlessly
with the hotel design, from the dramatic lobby entrance
and guestroom doors to the façade of the Spa.

Champalimaud Design pays tribute to Tomioka’s unique aesthetic
in a series of guestrooms that express the artist’s Zen-like works
that are in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment,
yet add a carefully curated contemporary edge. Think European
mountain chic wrapped in a more contemporary overtone andlayered with a minimalist Japanese aesthetic.

The hotel’s vibrant Tomioka White lobby lounge is theaprès ski place of choice, with seating for forty-eight in acontemporary setting surrounding a Scandinavian-styleﬁreplace. Serviced by a full bar, the Tomioka White is
the perfect spot to indulge in a cocktail, named after
the artist’s signature paint. Afternoons extend intorelaxed evenings complete with ﬁlm screenings in theadjacent skiers’ lounge. The après ski scene extends
to Altitude (the adjacent roof top bar) directly
overlooking the slopes with a cosseting woodburning ﬁre pit and two reclaimed gondola cars formore private drinks.

The design statement starts with the guestroom corridors
which portray a forest scene, while each room is designed as
the perfect foil to the unobstructed panoramic views of Mount
Yotei, ski slopes and the idyllic countryside. Thoughtful roomfeatures include a 32-inch ﬂat panel television, Dream Beds andadjustable massage showerheads. Each room comes with its
own original Tomioka print and timelessly chic Charles and Ray
Eames Shell Chair, while other amenities include high speed

As the winter snows melt away, Niseko
reemerges with a host of other outdoor seasonal
activities including trekking, horseback riding,kayaking and river rafting, tennis, spring skiing
and golf. Here, the Green Leaf Niseko Village isperfectly placed at the heart of the action with
its unique blend of landscape, architecture
and accomplished interiors.

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37

life feature //The Wild Life
Modern marketing methods are at the coreof an innovative organisation’s approach toenvironmental conservation
Text by Catherine Shaw

Ask the chief executive of any of theworld’s most celebrated brands about themost important part of his or her businessand the answer is likely to be, “committed
people.” When those involved in making,selling and ultimately using products,
strongly believe in that product’s corevalue, success is usually guaranteed andsustained. Happily this valuable lesson
has now been extended to the complex
issue of biodiversity conservation – withdramatic results. With it comes a growing
awareness that the world’s environmental
problems are no longer a concern forenvironmentalists only, but for the local
community, business and government.
This strategic shift in the environmental
conservation paradigm is at the heart ofleading environmental organization Rare.
Originally established in 1973 by CaptainDavid Hill, an American pilot and keen
birdwatcher, with a passion for protecting
Central America’s unique fauna, thisorganisation of committed environmental

enthusiasts has since expanded to aprofessional association of eighty working
in over ﬁfty countries. The not-so-secretsecret to their success (Rare is unusuallytransparent about their experience) lies
with the introduction of modern social
marketing skills to the environmental ﬁeld
in order to change ‘the way people relate
to nature.’
In short, this means bringing marketing
techniques and methods that have provenso effective in changing people’s attitudes
and behaviours in society (like promoting
the use of seatbelts, reducing smoking,raising awareness of pollution, minimizing
drug abuse and promoting reproductive
health) to the world of conservation. Thinkcreative advertising programmes, colourful
mascots and Facebook-led projects akinto those used by industry leaders like
Coca Cola and McDonalds.
“We have applied the science of
behaviour change and marketing to

A rescued orangutan
at Camp Rasak in the
Lamandau River Wildlife
Reserve, Educating
the community in
Dashanbao, China; Rare
Senior Vice President
Paul Butler during a site
visit in Baima, China

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39

life feature //conservation,” explains Nigel Sizer, Rare’s
Vice President of Asia. “But the ﬁrst stepis to change people’s understanding:we find local farmers often don’t evenknow they are living next to an area ofglobal environmental signiﬁcance, or that
there may be animals like orangutans
living there that may be affected by tree
clearing or ﬁres. We start with providing
information that changes local knowledge
in practical ways. For example, if theforest and the bees that live in it andpollinate nearby fields are destroyed,
farms will be directly affected.”
In order to change attitudes andbehaviour at the local level the notionof pride also needs to be generated,
explains Sizer. Rare’s year-long intensive“Pride Campaigns,” encourage people totake pride in the natural assets that maketheir communities valuable. “People
need to understand and care about
the problem,” he adds. “This drives
motivation and so our campaigns are
speciﬁcally designed to build a dynamic
for change in the community.”

School visits, like this one
in Aceh, Indonesia, are
an integral part of Rare’scommunity outreach40

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Sizer stresses the importance of ensuringthat local farmers have realistic alternatives
to their previously environmentally
destructive practises which were often
driven by sheer economic need. “Wemust remove obstacles that prevent
them from changing behaviour so, in
addition to marketing, we provide simple
and effective training programmes likein organic farming to help them moveaway from subsistence farming. We also

life feature //help with basic aspects like access tomarkets. With the barriers to behaviourchange removed, conservation results
within a very short time period – usuallymonths – but it is pride that ensures thisis sustained.”
Today Rare is the acknowledged leader inthe ﬁeld of social marketing for biodiversity
conservation having trained 158 local
leaders and inﬂuenced in excess of 6.8
million people living in over 2,400 remotecommunities primarily in the developing
tropics which is home to over half theworld’s population,rapidly growing
economies and one of the richest storesof biodiversity. Over three decades
Rare’s programmes have promoted moresustainable practices at a variety of criticallevels from local grassroots groups andindividuals through to governments andother environmental organizations. It has
also formed global partnerships with manyof the world’s largest conservation groups
including The Nature Conservancy,
Conservation International, W ildlife
Conservation Society, Audubon as wellas governments (Indonesia, China and
Mexico) and the private sector, like YTLCorporation (who provide financial andoperational support).
“Ultimately, however, it is the people
and communities living near our mostthreatened natural resources who will
determine how well conservation takes
root,” warns Sizer. “The key to our
success is that we train local leaders(whom we call Conservation Fellows),
who understand the site’s unique socialand cultural values, and who are likely tostay in the site long after Rare is gone. We
also rely on major investors in each region
to support their work.”

HOW IT ALL BEGAN(Top to bottom ofpage) The Blacknecked Crane mascot
in Dashanbao, China;
Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay,
Nigel Sizer, Dato’ Dr. Ng
Yen Yen, Tan Sri Francis
Yeoh and Ruth Yeoh,
Suzieanna Ramlee andRejani Kunjappan – YTL
Fellowship for a Rare
Planet; Wang Shuwen(at right), alternative
energy expert and Rare
consultant, on a site
visit in Alxa

Originally an acronym for Rare Animal Relief Effort,
Rare ﬁrst collaborated with Friends of the Earth andthe Animal Welfare Institute to launch the “Savethe Whales” campaign using advertisements,
buttons and demonstrations. In the early 1980s
Rare formed an alliance with the World Wildlife
Fund on outreach and education. By 1986 it had
established the RARE Center for Tropical Bird
Conservation, focusing on bird conservation inCentral America and the Caribbean.
“Pride campaigns” are based upon the work ofPaul Butler, one of the first to explore ways ofinspiring and motivating communities to actively
protect habitats. In a project to save the Saint
Lucian parrot in the late 1970s, colourful images, a
pop song, billboards and bumper stickers achieved
an unprecedented level of community pride saving
the species from the brink of extinction. Today it
is protected by law. Butler wrote a manual andbegan identifying conservation leaders to carry
his approach forward. This has since evolved
into intensive training courses, workshops and amaster’s degree in communication – all of which
address conservation’s complex inter-related
issues in a holistic way – but always with people atthe heart of the project.
Rare does not directly implement campaigns:
instead it trains local organisations in social andbehavioural change and then relies on them to
add an essential understanding of local culture
and social norms. Qualified local campaign
leaders who complete academic studies and run
a successful project in the ﬁeld receive a Master’s
Degree in Communication from the University ofTexas in El Paso.

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41

life feature //“YTL Fellowship for a Rare
Planet” will help train local
leaders to foster conservation
at the community level, while
improving their livelihoods.”

YTL Fellowship for a
Rare Planet
The current rate of biodiversity extinction
is as much a strategic issue for businessas it is for environmental scientists: theloss of ecosystems and the increased
cost of resources impact all sectors of
the economy directly from farming totechnology.
Step forward YTL Corporation, which inaddition to a track record of environmental
commitment across all of its properties,
recently contributed USD$2 million
to Rare to target community-based
conservation efforts in Malaysia andAsia-wide through the launch of the “YTL
Fellowship for a Rare Planet.”“YTL feels passionately that we cannot
meet environmental challenges without
mobilizing local communities living in andaround Asia, building local leadershipcapacity and providing alternatives topeople whose options are already quite
limited,” says YTL Director of Investments
Ruth Yeoh, who also serves on Rare’s
Board as their youngest Trustee.
“That is why YTL Corporation is
supporting Rare in training Fellows
across Asia to run campaigns thatraise awareness of the issues and offer
communities tools for adapting to andmitigating climate change. We have aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity before
us. Given the right tools, Asia’s local
communities can both contribute to andbenefit from conservation of our rich

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natural resources, while playing a leadingrole on the world stage as we tackle theglobal threat of climate change.”social media from radio advertisements,
pop songs, highly visible billboards
and festivals to classroom activities,
sermons, press releases, and bumper
stickers.

Over the next four years, the “YTL
Fellowship for a Rare Planet” will help
train local leaders to foster conservation
at the community level, while improving
their livelihoods. YTL’s commitment
comes at a critical time, says Nigel Sizer.
“We have gone from a world where
resources seemed unlimited to one
where we ﬁnd the climate changing, anozone layer depleted, most of the world’s
fisheries in collapse, tropical forests
reduced to half their original extent, andwater scarcity and contamination castinga dark shadow over millions of people’s
lives. We now have, I believe, only one
more generation – Ruth’s generation – andthe next 20-30 years, to reverse thesetrends and ﬁnd a way to live within thenatural limits of this very Rare Planet.”
For its 1st year, the Fellowship has
already identified 22 sites in the Coral
Triangle, one of the world’s richest marine
ecosystems, to save its dwindling reefs
and ﬁsheries. Efforts are already under
way at the proposed Tun Mustapha
Marine Park in Sabah to gazette themarine protected area and reverse theeffects of overfishing that threatening
local economic lifelines and ecotourism.
YTL Fellow, Suzieanna Ramlee andRejani Kunjappan, who leads WWF

Malaysia’s national team of community
outreach specialists, both work on the
Tun Mustapha project, helping the
local fishermen to better manage theirﬁsheries, not just for conservation but for
their own livelihoods.
“If we want conservation to succeed
in Asia, we need to invest not only innational policy and better businesspractices, but also in making sustainableliving a reality at the community level,”says Yeoh. “We believe Rare offers themost sophisticated tools and training in
the world for achieving this goal, and weare dedicated to making them available
to Asia’s top community leaders.”[Top to bottom] Rare street team accompanies“Baby Tiger”, mascot for the Tiger conservation
campaign in Thailand; Jacob Yeoh (left) and
Ruth Yeoh (right) at the launch of WASTEnomics
Climate Change Week 2008

RARE PRIDE IN ACTION: THE
ORANGUTAN’S LAST REFUGE[Top to bottom] Rare Campaign Manager
Eddy Santoso teaching children about
conservation during a school visit; Orangutans
at Camp Rasak find the volunteers are a greatsource of transportation

Facing one of the highest rates offorest loss in the world, Indonesia’sorangutans are in such rapid decline
the species could become extinct inthe wild within as little as 15 years. It
is well recognized that engaging local
communities who play a key role indeforestation through felling trees
for farming, fuel and illegal logging
is critical in order to rescue this fastdisappearing refuge.
Rare Pride has reported significant
success in developing an environmental
ethic at a local level through a range ofTa rg e t i n g “ s h i f t i n g s u b s i s t e n c ecultivation” farming methods andthe selling of land for “quick cash”
to oil palm companies have emerged
as priority action areas. Initiatives
employed to date include raisingindividual farmer’s awareness of the
global significance of their land andhow their activities affect it, introducing
m o re s u s t a i n a b l e a n d p ro f i t a b l eorganic farming systems, establishingmonitoring groups to prevent andreport illegal logging and introducing
alternative livelihoods to help preserve
the orangutan’s habitats.
At Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve,
Rare has already seen some successthrough partnering with Yayasan
Orangutan Indonesia and Rare Pridecampaign manager Eddy Santoso tobuild environmental Pride in 17 villages,
with a total population of 15,000,
around the Reserve. The 76,000hectare forest, designated as a wildlife
reserve in 1998, houses a rehabilitation
programme that releases orangutans
back into their natural habitat. Morethan one hundred orangutans havealready been successfully reinstated.

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43

The impressive entrance to
Spa Village Tembok Balilife feature //life feature //In Search of
Artful Pleasures
Bali boasts a rich tapestry of cultural experiences thatspeak to both the artistically and culturally inclined.
Text by Cynthia Rosenfeld

Art pervades life on Bali where calendars bulge with temple
ceremonies decorated by towers of kaleidoscopic rice sweets
and participants attired in a rainbow of sarongs. Soon after theylearn to walk, Balinese children are taught to elegantly twist theirbodies to the ﬁngertips in traditional dance. There is truth to thesaying that every Balinese is an artist, be it a sculptor, mask
maker or painter. Visitors to the idyllic Indonesian island may
not have enough time to learn the art of carving stone into a
blissful Ganesha or master Balinese batik making, but the island
abounds with enriching experiences to expose the uninitiated toits artful wonders.
Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali’s staff shares a myriad of thesetalents with guests in addition to their day jobs around the lush
property in North Bali. Year round, guests learn ornamental
woodcarving, candle making, palm leaf weaving and – how tomake traditional temple offerings called canang and lontar andthe art of inscribing on dried palm leaves amongst other activities.
Those with more active goals can integrate nyuun yoga into theirworkouts. The dramatic Indian Ocean shoreline may draw sun
and sanctuary seekers to the award-winning resort but while inresidence most set aside time to watch the Tembok villagers
perform the Kecak dance. This modern form of Balinese dance
in which men gather to depict an epic battle of the Ramayana
was introduced only in the 1930s but is said to have roots intrance dancing. Other popular performances here include the
Manuk, derived from the more reﬁned Javanese court dancing
and Sundanese styles and the Sekar Jagad, meaning ﬂower andearth, typically performed during temple ceremonies. Peacefuldays at Tembok give way to enchanted evenings during whichlive gamelan music wafts among the palm fronds. The uniquetraditional Balinese percussion sounds are said to emit an alphawave that helps eliminate stress.

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

life feature //life feature //A selection of John Hardy jewelry

In addition to the talents among the resort’s own staff, Spa Village
Resort Tembok seeks out world class practitioners to share
their gifts through the Guest Artist Programme. This ongoingschedule of visiting local and international artists allows guests
active participation. Visiting masters take up a 2 week to monthlong residency at the resort providing their expertise either in the
airy art studio or gardens, depending on the art form. Artists like
contemporary Impressionist painter Sally Stafford may comefrom as far away as the United Kingdom or a neighboring village
like I Nyoman Suma Argawa, a painter and mask dancer. They
teach daily classes open to all guests. Masterpieces created
while the guest artist is in residence are showcased aroundthe property and are available for purchase in the boutique.
These visitors span the talent spectrum, like the romantic guitar
melodies of Oleg Bondarenko, tarot readings geared to release
untapped potential from Bali expatriate artist Jan Merrills and qi
gong with Amalia Wai Ching Lee. Last Christmas the Singapore
native led powerful morning energy sessions on the beach, alongwith private sessions, as well as art classes for children andcreative belly dance with Bollywood touches with the resort’s
yoga teacher Kadek Pradnyea. Of her time in the Guest Artist
Programme, Lee reminisces “It was such fun and inspiration forme while I was able to share my gifts with an exciting communityof enthusiastic participants.”
Someone who knows quite a bit about Bali’s artistic traditions
is John Hardy. The Canadian expatriate no longer owns John
Hardy Jewelry (62-361-469-888;www.johnhardy.com) but credits
locals and their ancient traditions for his success. Hardy explainsthat he was drawn here in 1975 “by a thriving Hindu goldsmith
tradition that came down through history from when the kingdom
with huge lavish courts held two major holidays each year that
required opulent gift giving among the princes and princesses.”
These days a visit to John Hardy Jewelry in the rice ﬁelds about
twenty minutes from Ubud reveals around 600 Balinese artisans
crafting modern interpretations of traditional Balinese design, likethe dot motif that Hardy explains is “a spiritual experience thatgives each piece a vibration.” Peek inside the sparkling archives

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to appreciate how this prestigious jewelry brand sold around theworld grew out of traditional Balinese rantai woven chain andjawan, or granulation. The tour concludes inside Kapal Bambu,
a stunning cathedral-like showroom constructed entirely ofbamboo. Wearable anywhere are pieces from collections named
Padi and Kali, meaning smooth stones like those found nearby inBali’s holy Ayung River.
After selling his eponymous business two years ago, Hardy andhis American wife Cynthia have dedicated their time to building
Green School (www.greenschool.org; 62-361-469-875) almost
entirely of bamboo and mud in central Bali. They chose bamboo,
a highly regenerative resource beloved by environmentalists, tocreate a sustainable legacy for their own children who attend theKindergarten through Year 9 programme. Equally innovative are
educational projects like the recent arrival of sixty Bali Starlingbirds. These endangered birds, of which there are thought
to be fewer than twenty remaining in the wild, are housed inpurpose-built aviaries where students breed the striking white
creatures with dramatic blue eye patches. In this way, Green
School students learn about endangered species around theworld from the perspective of helping to ‘grow’ one back fromnear extinction.
Guided walks around the stunning tropical property, including theworld’s largest freestanding bamboo structure known as Heartof School, take place every Monday and Wednesday at 3 pm
and are so popular with environmentally minded students of lifethat advance booking is essential. Visitors are led along ecofriendly gravel paths and across the all-bamboo Sibang Bridge
suspended across the Ayung River, that links the two sides ofthis eight hectare spread set among the rice terraces. Daily classis held under alang-alang roofs and traditional mud walls. Eventhe chalkboards have been fashioned from bamboo. Students
take notes on recycled paper at their stylish bamboo desks, thenat break-time head outdoors to plant tapioca, bananas, corn,chili and eggplant. Students are also responsible for collecting
excrement from the school’s ﬁve water buffalo to feed to the
red tiger worms that digest and extract the methane to fuel theschool’s biogas system. Other sustainable energy solutions
at Green School include micro-hydro power, solar power, andnatural air-conditioning.
Green School tours held during the ﬁrst night of the full moon
culminate in a performance of Mepantigan (62-361-469-875;
www.mepantiganbali.com), an indigenous and highly entertaining
performance art created by Taekwondo champion Putu Witsen
Widjaya that integrates Judo, Brazilian capoeira, Korean selfdefense, Balinese folklore and shadow puppetry with mud
wrestling and ﬁre eating. “Throw down to the ground” is theliteral translation of this exciting cultural attraction performed
across Bali including at Green School’s purpose built mud pit.
Gamelan music gets louder as performers begin ﬁre eating anddance like Balinese shadow puppets behind a makeshift scrim
before jumping in the mud to turn each other upside down while
simultaneously acting out a classic Balinese love story.

“Students take notes on
recycled paper at theirstylish bamboo desks,
then at break-timehead outdoors to plant
tapioca, bananas, corn,chili and eggplant.”

Morning Meditation at Spa VillageTembok, Bali

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47

life feature //life feature //The idea for this cultural novelty on an island already rich inartistic expression came to Putu Witsen who wanted “people
to know about the three Balinese harmonies between man andman, god and nature.” Early variations took place on the beachwith dancers lathered in coconut oil which proved “too slipperyto throw one another so mud works much better.” The mud pit
venue allows Putu Witsen to emphasise the relationship on Bali
between artistic expression and the environment.
Artistic expression on Bali extends to the written word, especiallysince the launch in 2004 of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival(www.ubudwritersfestival.com). Created by Australian-born Ubud
resident and author Janet De Neefe as a healing response toBali’s ﬁrst bomb attack two years prior, the annual event has
quickly established itself as one of Asia’s pre-eminent literary
festival, drawing bold face named wordsmiths like Pico Iyer,
William Dalrymple and Vikram Seth. Festival events include
book launches, writing workshops, food tastings and panel
discussions. While the intellectual but thoroughly enjoyable
gathering lures global luminaries and their followers to Bali,the festival equally promotes indigenous literary talents to aninternational audience. Of this unique cultural exchange, founder
De Neefe says “We are extremely proud to see the difference
it is making to the literature of Indonesia. Our goal is for thefestival to lead to more Indonesian works translated and on salein bookstores around the world.” Meanwhile, this year’s event
which runs October 6-10’th is expected to include writers fromas far aﬁeld as Russia, Turkey, Israel and Ireland as well as over 2
dozen indigenous masters of the written word.
Those who prefer their Bali art experience more physicallyengaging get their hands dirty at Gaya Ceramic Art Center (www.
gayafusion.com/ceramic_design).The small roadside gallery sells
one-of-a-kind works from artists in residence plus dishware similar
to the collections Gaya’s three dozen Balinese craftspeople spin
for international luxury brands like Giorgio Armani. Head deeper
into the cavernous studio to where students can take 2 dayclasses or 2 week workshops held year-round.
After observing the local artisans, most of whom hail from thesurrounding village of Sayan, students learn to throw, trim andsculpt clay which is then placed inside a Japanese wood kiln. All
excess clay is recycled and while waiting for their ﬁnished pieces,
students have been known to make tracks to Gaya Gelato, anotable Italian ice creamery from the same owners located justup the road.
All Balinese art is meant to be shared but the art of massage isan especially generous form and what better way to enjoy oneof the artful pleasures for which Bali is renowned than a soulrestoring massage at Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali.

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Clockwise: the serene setting at Spa Viillage Tembok,
Bali; Green School students learn traditional arts;
hands-on experience provides lifetime learning; cultural
immersion at Spa Village Tembok, Bali

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49

designer life //life ondesignerthe coverlife //First Class
Dispatch
High-octane glamour provides a timeless,romantic look and distinctive edge.

Upon reflection
Indulge in a little
introspection in a ﬁgure
hugging ’50s-inspired
pinstripe wool bustierwith velvet strap andfull skirt, Louis Vuitton.
Patent leather gloves,stylist’s own.
Photography Cher Him Photography assistants Robin Ting & Ivan Teo Styling Weechee Styling assistants Juliana Chang & Karen Ang Hair
Edward Chong Makeup Peter Khor Model Olga Trokhova/Andrews Models Location: Eastern & Oriental Expressdesigner life //life on the cover //Reservationfor oneChannel the classic
elegance of Hollywood
with a thoroughly
modern taffeta and tulle
dress, RED Valentino.
Tweed bouclé jacket
and Ostrich and metallic
jacquard bag, Louis
Vuitton. A 24 karat
dipped fur stole provides
a suitably sleek look,
Fendi. Scarab earrings,
Bottega Veneta, andpatent leather gloves,stylist’s own.

Raising the bar

Increase the sartorial
wattage a few degrees
in a standout tweed
boucle coat, M Missoni,
24 karat dipped furstole, Fendi, Ostrich andmetallic jacquard bag,Louis Vuitton. Complete
the polished look withperforated gloves,stylist’s own.

designer life //life on the cover //The Eastern & Oriental Express’ carriages wereoriginally built in Japan in 1972 and operated as theSilver Star in New Zealand. The exquisite interiors
were re-modelled and designed by the French
team who also refurbished the train's European
counterpart, the legendary Venice Simplon-OrientExpress. The train’s inaugural journey departed in
September 1993, the first and only train ever totransport passengers directly from Singapore andKuala Lumpur to Bangkok. The E&O's signature
itineraries of three-to-four-day trips between
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos will becomplemented by a series of new voyages of sevendays each, from January 2011.

IconicJourneyswww.easternandorientalexpress.com

The Eastern & Oriental Express Afterwards, head for the Salon Car and the extensive range ofmagazines and antique maps in the Reading Room orrecaptures the golden age of travel books,
perhaps visit the on-board fortune-teller. Shopaholics will delight
Text by Fanny Bucheli

In an age when ‘great’ travel seems to be all about the destination– and getting there as quickly as possible –taking time to indulge
in the journey itself is the ultimate luxury. Add to that the classic
elegance and glamour of the Eastern & Oriental Express, the only
luxury train in South East Asia, and it is hardly surprising that thisunique ‘Grand Tour’ remains one of the most popular ways to travelfrom Singapore, through Kuala Lumpur and on to Bangkok.
The faded colonial art deco grandeur of Singapore’s Keppel Road
provides the perfect introduction to the ultra-luxurious service thatawaits. Each cabin comes with its own private steward trained to
anticipate guests every need, from a reviving freshly squeezed
fruit juice as the train winds its way through modern Singapore’s
gleaming buildings to the rustic villages of rural Malaysia.
There are three different styles of accommodation all of varying size,
all classically decorated with luxurious red and green fabrics andcherry or elm wood paneling and all complete with air-conditioning
and en-suite bathrooms. Cosy but chic Pullman Superior cabinsconvert to upper and lower beds, while the State Cabin andPresidential Suites stylishly transform into spacious two-bed
conﬁgurations at night.
Lunch is an exceptional affair with an international menu featuring
Eastern and European favourites – freshly prepared using the ﬁnest
seasonal ingredients and served with Michelin-style precision in
the Restaurant Car. Chef Yannis Martineau is renowned for his
innovative creations such as a refreshing tom yam vichyssoise,quail medallion and pan-seared scallop gratin with calamansi-chilli:
ideal for a light lunch. A well-balanced wine list featuring the best of
Old World and New World wines accompanies meals.

in the exclusive Eastern & Oriental Express boutique’s eclectic
range of souvenirs including Golden Twenties-inspired coasters,
elegant silk scarves, ﬁne leather goods, silver and jade jewelry and
Limoges porcelain.
In true colonial fashion, Afternoon Tea is taken very seriously – thinka culinary smorgasbord featuring delicate puff pastries, mini fruit
cakes and local Asian favorites - served in the privacy of each
guest’s cabin.
The open-decked Observation Car with its traditional veranda
furniture, teakwood ﬂooring and potted plants is the perfect setting
for pre-dinner cocktails. Don’t miss the signature E&O Special - aheady tropical mix of sweet and sour and tangy green.
Guests are encouraged to don black tie for dinner which isan extremely elegant affair. The menu is a tempting blend ofinternational ﬂavours featuring dishes like braised beef cheek withbah kut teh herbs or rack of lamb marinated with tandoori spices
and lentil dahl. The extravagant spice ganache in white chocolate
mousse with passion fruit coulis and cotton candy is a must-try,
washed down with freshly brewed Doi Chaang coffee or Boh tea
from the Cameron Highlands.
The tropical wooden interiors of the Bar Car perfectly epitomize
the belle époque of train travel providing the ideal setting for a
post-dinner drink while listening to the soothing sounds of theresident pianist.
“We love the challenge of meeting and exceeding guest’s
expectations,” says E&O Train Manager Evelyn Kocsis. “Whenpassengers return for a second trip, we welcome them back asfamily. Some guests meet on the train, some even get married andspend their honeymoon on the E&O. These are our most cherishedsuccess stories”.

Look at me
Ensure your journey tochic is complete withthis highly desirable
tweed boucle jacket andfull skirt, Louis Vuitton.
A stretch net bodysuit
and scarab necklacecomplete the ensemble,
Bottega Veneta.

designer life //life on the cover //A very private
indulgence
The super chic E&O
cabin provides the perfectsetting to linger in a wool
tweed shell, pencil skirt,
tulle shirt and fur beret,
Loewe. Perforated gloves,stylist’s own.

Make an exit
Turn heads with ajacquard zippered
peplum jacket andfrayed hem parchment
dress, McQ by
Alexander McQueen.
Shoes, model’s own.

designer life //life on the cover //Très Chic
Add a sense of
fantasy with a dreamy
beribboned crepe
boucle shift, Valentino.

Oh Baby…
Walk on by with thisdelicate layered tulle
dress and narrow belt,
Bottega Veneta

life time //Platinum Limited Edition Omega
Skeleton Tourbillon Co-Axial (left);
Breguet Crazy Flower (right)

appears with an inscription reading, “TheFirst International Space Flight”, “Apollo/
Soyuz”, “July 17, 1975”.

Time AndTime Again
The ﬂeeting essence of time is elegantly
captured in this year’s stunning releases
from The Swatch Group
Text by Kenneth Tan

60

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEOMEGAAccording to a recent report, theInternational Olympic Committee has
extended Omega’s position as Official
Timekeeper of the winter and summer
games until 2020 – good news indeed
for fans of these inspired sportingrelated timepieces. But connoisseurs
need not wait until then. This year alone,
the Constellation Double Eagle Co-Axial
4-Counters, afﬁliated to the game of golf,
makes its mark with the noble Co-Axial
calibre 3890 as the heart driving the four
sub-dials staggered across the dial. To
enhance the luxe factor, hour markers andthe Omega symbol and name are appliedwith 18K white gold. Ladies will no doubt
derive solace in the Constellation’s 35mm
white quartz, perfect for any event and amust-have in any horological wardrobe.

A more sumptuous offering, in the formof the 35mm with 34 full-cut diamonds
paved into the bezel and 11 single-cut
diamond hour markers, is certain to haveserious collectors suitably spellbound.
In a nod to the historic event of two
Omega Speedmasters merged in agalactic handshake between the Russianand American space commanders on
the Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous mission
35 years ago, Omega’s commemorativemodel is a chronograph limited to 1975
watches. This covetable piece features
a dial created from a meteorite whichsurvived entry into the earth’s atmosphere;each watch is unique as the singlecut pieces of the dial are all somewhat
different. In the case-back, an etched
image of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft

This year’s release of the Platinum Limited
Edition Omega Skeleton Tourbillon CoAxial is likely to attract the most serious
watch collectors. Each piece is worked byhand at Omega’s Cellule Haut de Gamme
in Bienne by a very select and highly
trained group of watchmakers who havemastered the art of an automatic central
tourbillon - whereby the titanium cagecompletely rotates in 60 seconds to offset
the effects of gravity. The tourbillon alone
requires an investment of 540 hours of asingle workman’s time and, in the creationof the skeletonised version of the watch,
the workman’s initials are engraved on theunderside of the tourbillon base to assurebuyers that each can be returned to thehands of its original maker for servicing.
Only 18 pieces of this highly desirable
model will ever be produced.

hand-engraved 18K white gold rotor, thisexclusive timepiece demonstrates how
artisanal dreams, combined with a regal
tradition in which no expense is spared,
can produce true greatness.
Also of note is the highly covetable
Breguet Tradition, an 18K white gold
wristwatch with a hand-engraved dial on arose engine. The delicate jewels, balance
spring and gears whirring with meticulous
precision are clearly visible on the watch
surface, while a sapphire case-back further
displays the imperious watch making stylewhich earned Breguet its noble bearing.

BREGUET

The Marine Royale, a sturdy constructionof 45mm on the dial, is every sailor’s dreamwith a stunning wave pattern engravedon the silvered gold dial that is achievedcourtesy of the highly-skilled manual
operation of a rose engine. Luminous
compounds on the hands also help
with night-time visibility. The self-winding
mechanical movement comes completewith an alarm mechanism to ensure themagniﬁcant sunrise is not missed.

This year’s exquisite creations by Breguet,
the noble brand of emperors and legendary
statesmen, have set new standards inachievement. The outstanding Reine de
Naples wristwatch literally dazzles with abezel of thirty set diamonds on an 18K
white gold case – no doubt the beginningof an enviable odyssey in horology.
A white mother-of-pearl dial offers akaleidoscopic shimmer of refracted
light while the visible apertures on thedial provide a reminder of this minuterepeater’s sonorous complexities. With a

Crazy Flower is possibly one of the mostostentatious displays of Breguet’s highjewellery watches with a multitude of
diamonds literally enveloping the piece:
116 mobile baguette-cut diamonds
decorate the case, while the curved dialis paved with 206 inversed diamonds and20 baguette-cut diamonds. Its flange is
set with 66 brilliant-cut diamonds and tocomplete the dazzling display, the folding
clasp is set with 26 diamonds on a blacksatin strap.

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61

look of life //Fashion Express
Luxe textures, inspired cuts and a heady mix ofmust-have accessories set the scene for seasonalstyle-setters.

Tough Love
Jimmy Choo presents a sturdy yet polished ideal of urban chic capitalizing on strong
graphic shapes and bold d detail. Think solid log soles and dominatrix-corsetry
lacing combined with the brand’s signature embellishments such as rivets, snakeand fringe. “Inspirational images of women triggered my imagination; those capturedby the late, great Helmut Newton, and also iconic style ﬁgures such as the sultry
actress Anouk Aimee, and a touch of Mrs Robinson from The Graduate,” explains
Tamara Mellon, Founder and President, Jimmy Choo, about the recent collection.

Beautiful Fall

Act of Liberation“This season Dior takes up the heroic spirit of French romanticism and Mr. Dior’s
beloved English riding tweeds. I was inspired by the drape, line and cut as well as thecharacters of the era. I wanted to create a new luxury, and new lover, in the romance ofthe seduction libertine of Dior,” says John Galliano about his dual inspirations behind thehouse’s haute couture and prêt a porter collections for Fall Winter 2010.

62

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThis season, M Missoni creates asense of mature beauty and harmony
with a striking collection resplendent inpersonality and grace. Draped sweaters,
jacquard knits, openwork boiled wools
and woollen lace scarves are versatilestatement-making pieces, all inspired by
the grace of Caprice and staying true to
M Missoni’s meticulous consideration for
sublime ﬁt and proportion.

Meeting Point
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Les Pont des Amoureux is a romantic tribute to a pair of starcrossed lovers who meet under an autumn sky, with a retrograde movement
heralding the passing of time that culminates with a meeting at midnight. Celebrating
the notion of eternal love, the timepiece is set on a dial of contre-jour enamelling,encased in white gold and set with blazing round diamonds.
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63

designer life //look of life //Image from Corbis

Valentino prepares for the exhibition celebrating his 30-year fashion
career; Valentino Haute Couture Fall/ Winter Collection show.

Style Icon
For over half a century Valentino has reigned
supreme as the epitome of red carpet sophistication.
YTL Life traces the legendary label’s glittering story.
By Choo Ai Ling

“Compared to us, the rest are making rags,” Karl Lagerfeld
reportedly said to Valentino Garavani after watching the latter’s
couture show depicted in Matt Tyrnauer documentary, ‘Valentino– The Last Emperor.’ Lagerfeld’s laconic observation was nooverstatement given Valentino’s star-studded client list featuring
royals (Princess Caroline of Hanover and Marie Chantal of Greece),style icons (Audrey Hepburn) socialites (Gloria Guinness and Nan
Kempner) and a galaxy of starlets past and present (Sophia Loren,
Gina Lollobrigida, and Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few). And who

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can forget the inﬁnitely elegant black and white vintage Valentino
dress worn with such elegant style by Julia Roberts when she
received her Academy Award for Erin Brockovich? Indeed, when
blue bloods and rock royalty want glamour with a capital G, theyturn to Valentino; designer of the ultimate occasion dress.
The Valentino fashion house - synonymous with opulence,extravagance and drama - has thrived for over half a century andis known around the globe simply by the designer’s ﬁrst name. His
signature style has endured through the appearance of grunge
and deconstruction trends, consistently delivering painstakingly
detailed and tastefully body-conscious silhouettes. Never vulgar
and always appropriate for the most stylish of occasions, Valentino
always made it his personal mission to make each and every
woman look her most elegant.

Rome is where the heart is
The style stars were clearly perfectly aligned when Valentino met
Giancarlo Giammetti, having asked to share his table at the Caféde Paris on the Via Veneto, the epicenter of the chic and beautiful
in 1960. Valentino had just moved to Rome after seven years
studying fashion in Paris and working for the designers Jean

Dessès and Guy Laroche. Still struggling to establish his own
atelier, the designer openly admits that fortune smiled on him
when Giammetti and he became friends that evening. Giammetti’s
entrepreneurial genius combined with Valentino’s artistic skills
would prove crucial to the worldwide expansion and successof the brand. Shortly after meeting Valentino he abandoned hisarchitectural studies to become Valentino’s business partner.
It was Giametti who engineered Valentino’s international debut in
Florence, the Italian fashion capital of the day. The ﬁrst couturecollection premiered in 1962 and was an instant success, setting
a precedent for the signature show-stopping shade of scarletthat would become known as Valentino Rosso.
By the mid-1960’s, Valentino was the undisputed maestro of
Italian fashion, so much so that he moved his shows back to
Rome. And still the international elite flew in to be outfitted by
Valentino - from continental countesses and New York socialites
to the starriest of stars of the day, Elizabeth Taylor. When she
made her grand entrance to the Rome premiere of Spartacus,
Taylor was draped in a suitably Grecian Valentino gown, which
she called ‘Rudy’, as in Rudolph Valentino.

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designer life //look of life //In 1964, Valentino received what he described to Vanity Fair as“the biggest gift of my life.” The “gift” was a lifelong friendshipwith the undisputed style icon of the 1960s, Jackie Onassis. The
relationship began when the former ﬁrst lady attended a party
Gloria Schiff (the twin sister of Rome-based Consuelo Crespi) had
attended wearing a black organza Valentino dress. Jackie wasso taken by the stunning outﬁt, she bought six couture dressesin black and white which she wore throughout the twelve monthmourning period after John F. Kennedy’s death. Valentino’s style
was to mark a happier milestone when Jackie married Aristotle
Onassis in an ivory georgette-and-lace Valentino dress.

Design of a decade
Valentino spent most of the hedonistic 1970s in New York City
where he was fêted by the rich and famous of that time including
Diana Vreeland, Andy Warhol and Steve Rubell, the founder ofStudio 54. This dazzling social circle was key to his successbecause, while other couture designers drew inspiration from
more prosaic sources, Valentino was always inspired by the jet
set he surrounded himself with. The aforementioned Crespi (who
had made the Jackie O connection and remained part of thedesigner’s inner circle) attributes Valentino’s extraordinary successto being at the right place at the right time. In an article in Vanity
Fair, she says: “At that time people would change their clothes
three or four times a day. He was made for that period, Rome in
the 60s and 70s. And he also had the Arab world—Farah Diba
and all these Arab princesses, who adored the clothes so muchthat they would order everything. It was incredible. He was lucky
but also very, very talented. Finally, he and Giancarlo always knew
when to change and how to do it. So they stayed on top.”
This blaze of glory continued throughout the 1980s when looking
rich was de rigueur. In 1986, Valentino was Italy’s top fashion
exporter with sales exceeding US$385 million. Even the 1990s
mania for minimalism couldn’t bring the kiss of death. Valentino
adapted, staying relevant and garnering more high proﬁle clients
including Sharon Stone, Claudia Schiffer and Princess Diana.
Three days before her fatal car crash in Paris in August 1997, theprincess had lunched with Valentino and Giammetti on their yacht
in Saint Tropez. After Diana’s death, Valentino talked to celebrated
fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, of The International Herald Tribune,
about the moment when he realized that the relationship had
transcended mere professional attachment: “She came to mylittle brownstone in [London’s] Egerton Crescent for tea, and wechatted like old friends. You know royals: when they decide you
have become friends, they don’t shake hands; they kiss you.”

5

Image from Corbis

4

By then the Valentino portfolio was distilled to its very essencecomprising a couture collection, prêt-a-porter, menswear and adiffusion ladies brand called RED. Licensing agreements had also
been drastically trimmed to perfumes, sunglasses and jeans.
In 2007, to the shock of loyal fans across the globe, Valentino
announced his imminent retirement. The Last Emperor, (which
made the Oscar shortlist) traced Valentino’s last 2 years with thefashion world and culminated in a lavish tribute - a celebration
said to be “worthy of the Sun King” – while the New York Times
described it as “the final party on a princely scale done withabsolute taste and a passion for beauty.” Valentino’s ﬁnal show
in 2008, held in the grounds of the Rodin Museum in Paris, wasa suitably magniﬁcent close to a spectacular career. The event
ended with a sea of 30 stunning models ﬂooding the runway, allwearing the same iconic red gown.

In good company

The next generation

With the millennium on the horizon, Valentino and Giammetti
sold the company for approximately $300 million to Holding diPartecipazioni Industriali S.p.A. Just four years later, Valentino
S.p.A. with revenues in excess of $180 million, was sold by HdP
to Marzotto Apparel, a Milan-based textile giant, for $210 million.

Filling Valentino’s impeccably polished shoes proved difficult
especially since the maestro had not groomed a successor.
Former Gucci designer Alessandra Facchinetti had theunenviable task but, after two tepidly received collections, wasshown the exit.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEMaria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, who had previously
designed accessories for the label, were named creative directors
with the blessing of Valentino who told The Daily Telegraph: “Theyare two serious capable professionals that I had alongside me formany years. They always demonstrated an enormous respect
and love for my work. There is an existing archive with thousandsof dresses where they can draw and take inspiration from tocreate a Valentino product that is relevant today.” The duo, whohave worked together for more than 20 years, ﬁrst as handbag
designers at Fendi before moving on to Valentino, stayed true
to the brand’s legacy in their January 2009 couture show which
signaled a return to many Valentino signatures like tailored suiting,lace, rosettes, and of course, red.
Chiuri and Piccioli have since continued to play to the brand’sclassic strengths of immaculate tailoring and all-out glamour, albeit
with a contemporary twist. Hemlines have migrated northwards
and prettiness subverted for cool. Nowhere is this more tellingthan on the red carpet where a new generation of starlets like
Jennifer Aniston and Rachel Weisz have embraced the “new”
Valentino. Even Chloë Sevigny, an actress renowned for her
fashion fearlessness, recently accepted her ﬁrst Golden Globe ina lilac Valentino gown.

“The ﬁnal party
on a princely
scale done withabsolute taste and apassion for beauty.”– the New York Times

Valentino Garavani photographed in 1991

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look of life //In bloomAt ﬁrst glance, this simple black suit from Kenzo(Jacket RM3925, Pants RM975, shirt RM1515)
appears quite commonplace but as Choo points
out, the raised embroidery on the lapels ofjacket add an unexpected twist: “I love the ﬂoral
embroidery; it makes this suit fun and young."

Hip to be Square
Choo was taken by the Louis Vuitton Speedy
Large Automatic Chronograph’s (RM22,600)
vibrant yellow second hands and chequered
embossed back saying: “The yellow is a niceaccent for the black and the Damier patternis an understated way to wear LV”.

The Missing Links
To add a touch of ﬁnesse to his shirt sleeves,
Choo is torn between the Motif Ovale 925 andthe Collection 925 silver cufﬂinks from Christoﬂe(both RM1260): “I adore the organic bean shapeof the former, while the latter, designed by Andrée
Putman, is also unique as the ﬁnish of the circle is
not completely ﬂat.

Star
Selection
Master shoe designer Jimmy
Choo’s must haves for afabulous fall
Text by Choo Ai Ling

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Jimmy Choo needs no introduction – shoemaker to the latePrincess Diana, name checked by Lady Gaga and beloved of
Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw – his exquisite footwear
has been fêted the world over. With a love for aesthetics,
an unerring eye for detail and a deep understanding of therelationship between form and function (after all shoes are
made for walking), Choo tempers his impeccable taste with adown-to-earth appreciation of what actually works, sartoriallyand practically. Describing his style as elegant yet casual, he isa big fan of low maintenance dressing explaining: “I like to dressin light and easy pieces which still look good.”
As many designers are wont to do, Choo inclines towards the
monochromatic end of the spectrum when faced with colour
choices. However the designer insists on individualistic details topunctuate his outﬁts, eschewing fads for classic timeless pieces
with a twist. YTL Life went shopping with Choo at Starhill Gallery in
his native Kuala Lumpur and discovered what’s on his wish list.

Neck to neckA long-term aﬁcionado of Kenzo, Choo’s
must haves include these distinctive print
scarves: “This ﬂoral motif (RM855) is great
for layering on a simple outﬁt.

Scents and sensibility“This is a perfume for attracting people,”
Choo says of Kenzo Power (RM215), a
masculine yet ﬂoral perfume that adds
the ﬁnal touch to a polished appearance.

look of life //Bare Faced Chic

The future looks radiant armed with the latest technologically advanced
skincare products and make-up shades inspired by Mother Nature
Sundari Neem Restorative Facial
Sundari is synonymous with Ayurveda, the centuries-old and trusted Indian sciencethat seeks to establish complete balance between mind, body and spirit. The new
Sundari Neem Restorative Facial elevates skincare to a new level using the profoundrestorative beneﬁts of the Neem plant, long recognized for its beneﬁts on the skin. The
plant’s high levels of organic Sulfur, an essential building block of collagen, combinewith a nourishing tonic of vitamins and herbs to dramatically restore the skin’s elasticity
and ﬁrmness, leaving it looking and feeling radiant.
The anti-inflammatory benefits of Neem render this facial especially beneficial forsensitive skin, rosacea or skin that has been treated with peels or microdermabrasion.
This beautifully restoring facial is now available at YTL Spa Villages Pangkor Laut andKuala Lumpur.

Gold Standard
Packed with supremely potent ingredientssourced from the Himalayas’ GoldenChampa flowers, Sublimage Essential
Revitalizing Concentrate gets straight towork targeting skin cell reconstruction.
Toxins are swiftly eliminated while skincell metabolism is instantly revived. This
exceptional product encourages skin
to look and feel its best and is ideallypaired with the Sublimage Essential
Regenerating Cream, infused with the“green treasure” extract of Vanilla planifolia
from Madagascar.

Seeing Change
Revitalise tired-looking eyes with La Mer’s latest cultoffering, The Eye Balm Intense. Utilising a state-of-theart bio-fermentation process this exciting new balm
specifically targets the fragile eye area and works byspeeding up the skin’s natural rejuvenation process. Its
core ingredients include sea kelp, vitamins and minerals
and with regular use, the eye area becomes ﬁrmer andsmoother as the skin is gently comforted and pufﬁness
is reduced.

Laser Precision
Face up to fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage with Clinique’s
Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector. This exclusive
formula comprises potent anti-aging ingredients designed to improveskin texture and reveal a more youthful complexion within a few
short weeks.

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spa life //Image from Corbis

spa life //Chinese medicine follows a holistic and preventive approach tohealth focusing on diet, movement, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. It treats the body as a whole and aims to prevent illness by
maintaining overall health and balance. From massage therapy toacupuncture, moxibustion, herbal remedies and Tai Ji Quan, thecultivation of these ancient practices continues to be encouraged
not only as therapy, but also as an essential component of dailyliving to preserve vitality, longevity and good health.

Traditionally ChineseMany spa treatments enjoyed around the world today
have roots ﬁrmly grounded in ancient Chinese healing
philosophies. While some practices may vary slightly,
the fundamental concepts remain much the same andthe teachings of the world’s oldest civilisation are as
relevant today as they were in classical China

Opening page: Herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine
This page: A traditional Chinese herbal medicine dispensary

The concept of qi, the ‘vital energy’ or ‘life force’ is fundamental
to the understanding of Chinese healing. The ancientsbelieved that getting vital air or qi to the tissues and cells
through a continuously circulating blood supply was the basic
physiological function of the body. When a person is in good
health the movement of qi and blood through the body isharmonious. However, if qi or blood is blocked or slowed, theorgans, tissues and cells are deprived of the power needed tofunction at their best. Traditional therapies and exercise routines
work to remove blockages thereby encouraging a smootherﬂow of energy through the system.

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Image from Getty

Text by Kate O’Brien
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spa life //Traditional Chinese therapies include:

Moxibustion
Moxibustion (jiu fa) is the burning of the herb moxa (Artemisia
vulgaris) that can be traced back to Chinese peasants whoburnt herbs for pain relief. The most common form of moxa used
today is the moxa stick, a compressed moxa leaf resembling a
mini cigar which when lit is held or rotated above the skin of theaffected area causing heat to enter the body. This stimulates
the circulation of blood and qi and helps restore harmony andbalance through the body.

Acupuncture

The practise of Tai Ji hasa host of health benefits;
Gu Fang Xun Shen or
body smoking alleviates
negative energy andreharmonises the body

When correctly performed acupuncture rebalances disrupted qi
and realigns the body in the most natural way possible. This precisebalance is achieved by inserting needles at speciﬁc points along the
body’s meridians and pulsing the body with a low electric current torelease blocked energy. Acupuncture gained worldwide recognitionin 1979 when the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a listof health conditions appropriate for acupuncture therapy including
digestive complaints, gynaecological and respiratory ailments,headaches and migraines, tennis elbow, insomnia
and muscular pain. While western medicine
remains unsure of exactly how acupuncture works,
they know in certain situations it does by producing
measurable changes in the brain.

Tai Ji Quan (or Tai Chi)
Literally translated as ‘supreme ultimate reality’,tai ji quan is an extensive system of therapeutic
breathing, postural and moving exercises, designed
to circulate energy and nurture inner stamina. Taichi exercises include those that help to regulate
the body, the breath and the mind and with regular
practice stamina and strength are developed alongwith grace and ﬂexibility.

Cupping
An ancient form of therapeutic massage, cupping(ba guan) is an effective means of moving stagnant
energy and invigorating the system. Small glass jars
are strategically ﬁxed at various points on the skinusing a pump to create a vacuum. The suction
created increases the local circulation of qi andblood, dispelling cold and dampness and relieving
conditions such as joint stiffness and inﬂammation.

Tui-Na An-Mo (Massage)
Literally translated as ‘press and rub,’ tui na’ is the oldest
and most common form of Chinese massage. It uses gentle
manipulation of the acu-points in the body to treat a range ofconditions including colds and headaches, insomnia, intestinal
upsets, menstrual irregularities, low back pain and stiff neck.
The technique can be applied to the whole body, althoughsensitive areas such as the face and neck may require moregentle movements.

74

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINETai Ji Quan is literallytranslated as ‘supreme
ultimate reality’.

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spa life //Healing Heritage

considered which together determine what herbalists call their“natural afﬁnities”. For example, herbs used for liver problems
share an afﬁnity with the liver. When the herb is broken downin the body, its therapeutic action targets the liver directly.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) for instance is prescribedfor stomach and spleen disorders as the herb’s natural afﬁnity
is for these organs.
In ancient China, large prosperous households often retained
their own herbalists who were paid when the household washealthy, and not when there was illness.

SPA VILLAGE PANGKOR LAUT

Gu Fang Xun Shen
Body smoking is an ancient form of aromatherapy prevalent
in many cultures and used primarily as a means of dispelling
negative energy and reharmonising the body. The entire bodyis wafted with incense, the major ingredient of which is acorus
root. The efﬁcacy of the technique is believed to come from the
incense aroma in addition to the rising smoke emitted and theaccompanying body smoking ritual.

Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is the prime orthodox medicine in China today
where hundreds of ingredients contribute to common cures.
Chinese dispensaries stock herbs from animal, plant andmineral sources in their raw form as extracts and tinctures, oils
and potions, as well as preparations ground to create ointmentsor poultices.
In Chinese medicine herbs are classified according to theirnature (hot, warm, cool or cold), taste (sour, bitter, sweet,
pungent, salty and bland), effectiveness and preparation. In
addition their basic composition and medicinal effects are76

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In an area where the rainforests enjoy unequaled biologicalrichness and diversity the sustainable use of natural
resources is top priority. At YTL’s award-winning Spa Village
Pangkor Laut this is taken very seriously indeed. More than
80 per cent of the land remains as was centuries backwith jungle trails weaving through the dense untouchedvegetation and nature’s apothecary ready to be molded into
time-trusted recipes designed to restore and enhance healthand vitality.
Spread over four acres on a secluded bay between thesea and this bountiful rainforest the Spa Village at Pangkor
Laut continues to woo all who visit. With emphasis ﬁrmly
on traditional Chinese, Malay, Indian and Thai practices,
the eclectic range of therapies and complete programmes
blend seamlessly into the nurturing environment. The Spa
Village is a self-contained spa utopia comprising healing
huts (including Chinese Ayurvedic and Malay) Thai pavilions,a wrap house, nap gazebos, bathhouses, yoga pavilion, lappool, restaurant, boutique and over-water spa pavilions.
Holistic wellness is at the heart of the Spa Village philosophy
with nature being its gentle healing guide. With resident
Chinese, Ayurvedic and Malay healing experts on handto diagnose, prescribe and customize a course of herbal
remedies, diet, exercise and spa therapies, it is the perfectrespite for those seeking to restore and realign body, mind
and spirit in the most natural way possible.

As part of our continuing Healing
Heritage series, YTL Chinese
medicine consultant and Chinese
treatment expert Jok Keng Lee shares
his introduction to and lifelong loveof traditional Chinese healing. Bornin Malacca, Jok Keng lives in Kuala
Lumpur with his wife and young son.
My father was an expert in ﬁrst aid and I vividly recall accompanying
him as he taught members of the St John’s Ambulance. Though
I was just 7, my passion for healing was perked. Master Tan
was the family’s Chinese herbalist whom I hung out with at every
opportunity. Before he died, the 10 hand-copied herbal books heinherited from his Chinese monk-teacher who lived in a Penang
temple in the late 19th Century were handed on to me, alongwith the advice to ‘dig deep and learn’.
Today, more than a decade after inheriting these books, it isn’t
the content that is etched deep within, but those seemingly
insigniﬁcant moments spent with Master Tan: Accompanying him
to the fish market; teaching his daughters English; massaging
his son’s fractured thighbone; learning Mahjong from the expert;
catching barn chickens for one his numerous healing rituals;
and listening intently as he reminisced about the monkeys in the
Pahang jungle that were hunted in the name of scientiﬁc research.

I was lucky enough to beneﬁt from both formal Chinese medicine
education and the world of hands-on healing. Treading boththese worlds has been possibly my greatest learning experience.
While formal education is a must for everyone, the path ofapprenticeship, while at times seemingly long and disorganized,
is truly invaluable. During my seven-year training with Master Tan
I leant the very best hands-on healing from a true expert - as Ibought and harvested herbs, massaged his patients, carried his
pills, incense and amulets, prepared his wet ink-slab for him to
write his herbal prescriptions and gave instructions to his morning
patients while he locked himself away with his daily newspaper!
Sandwiched between this was a deep camaraderie, periodic
swearing, tears and much memorable laughter.
My 30 plus years experience as a Chinese medicine expert has
taught me that true healing (of the body as a whole), must occur
in the right setting - a space ﬁlled with peace and integrity - so
the spirit can rest well and both the body and mind can calmly
reharmonise to full health. One cannot rush a disease but one
can certainly nudge it towards completion. To facilitate this, thehost (patient) has to accept that he has a problematic ‘guest’
and be able to accept the challenges at hand. This is a perfect
example of Yin and Yang. Only then can the healer act as anambassador for nature, restoring balance and harmony in body,mind and spirit.

Hands-on healing the traditional Chinese way

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life cuisine //life cuisine //Teeq Chic
A rooftop location, stunning views and fabulous
cuisine, Teeq Brasserie redeﬁnes Kuala Lumpur’s
vibrant dining scene
Text by Eugene Ng

Teeq Brasserie has it all: this dramatic
green sanctuary complete with ﬁtness
centre, performance theatre and nightclub
is prestigiously situated in the city’s Lot
10, perched 8-storeys above the newly
revamped shopping centre’s crowning glory“Forest in the City”. From this lofty vantage
point, Teeq’s full-length glass windows
offer spectacular views, particularly atnight when the buzz of the city takes on a
glamorous urban overtone.
Designedbymulti-award
winning
Japanese architect and designer Yuhkichi
Kawai of Design Spirits, the interiors areequally intriguing. The undulating ceilinggrabs the eye with its long wooden slats
running across the entire length, almost as
if forming the skeletal frame of the space.
Royal purple and its accents form theprimary colour palette while an outside bar
entices elegant al fresco pre-dinner drinks
amidst spectacular views.

1

As one of the gastronomic pillars of therecent Lot 10 renaissance (along with theLot 10 Hutong and Shabu Shabu), Teeq
Brasserie also offers exceptional culinary
fare with a modern European twist inspiredby its creator Chef Kevin Cape. The menu
features Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian,Thai, French and Italian inﬂuences,
designed to reﬂect the city’s highly nuanced
cosmopolitan nature.

2

1. Starters comprising Caesar salad, salmon
sashimi and seared scallop 2. Teeq’s tiramisu
with a twist 3. The restaurant’s stylish interior

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With Chef Leong at the helm, the stunningrestaurant features three signature dishes.
Symphony of Teeq for starters: a petite
Caesar salad nestled next to a sliver ofthe freshest salmon sashimi; a gratin of
prawn and avocado and then the pièce
de résistance, a single perfectly seared

succulent scallop crowned with a delicious
sambal of lemongrass, chillies, turmericand bunga kantan.
The perfectly executed 7-hours braised
grain fed beef cheek infused with hoisinsauce and miso paste is a main coursemust. This extremely tender beef is servedwith a parcel of stewed Chinese cabbage,
the perfect complement to the rich meatand glistening spiced jus. The pairing isheightened with the sharp sweetness of
purplish red chopped onions marinated ingrenadine syrup.
Completing the signature troika is the tributedish, Forest in the City, the restaurant’s
version of lamb shank. Encrusted with amix of Mediterranean herbs and pimento,
the shank is served on a bed of wildmushroom and avocado risotto. While thismay sound typical of a French brasserie,
Teeq’s interpretation subtly suggests theOrient as wafts of cumin, curry powder
and coriander powder reveal themselvesto the discerning nose.
Teeq also features an extensive wine list
ideal for pairing with dinner or simply to enjoy
while city-gazing on the Lot 10 Rooftop.
To culminate a perfect dining experience
Teeq offers an irresistible selection of six
spectacular sweets including the excellent
tiramisu with a twist and serious chocolate
brownies with fresh raspberry coulis.

Also on Lot 10
Rooftop...Rootz
With a lavish interior echoing thegreat Baroque architecture of Russianmuseums and palaces and the largest
selection of champagnes on offer in thecity, Rootz has already become one of
the most coveted clubs for KL’s wellheeled and the playground for both
local and visiting celebrities (including a
recent visit by Lionel Richie).
During the week local DJs take to theconsole, with Rock Da House, with
Joey G on Fridays and local hip-hop
duo Too Phat on Saturdays.
For reservations, +603 2782 3555/3571
www.rootz.com.my

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3

life cuisine //life cuisine //Soul Food
At Lot 10 Hutong, Malaysian street
food steps into the 21st century
while remaining true to tradition.

Text by Eugene Ng Photography Leon Bin Yee

Malaysian street food is renowned for its sheer variety, reﬂecting
the country’s multi-cultural heritage. The hundreds of thousandsof Chinese and Indians who traversed oceans risking their lives inorder to reach these shores a hundred or so years ago, broughtwith them a depth and breadth of culinary history spanning
thousands of years.
Today street food in Malaysia is something that all Malaysians are
ﬁercely passionate about. Food lovers go to great lengths to ﬁnd
special places to eat even if it requires hours of travel throughdusty small towns to small alleys lined with makeshift hawker
stalls or into weathered kopitiams (coffee shops). This is foodas culture and a legacy bestowed upon locals by their parents,
grandparents and beyond.
Modernisation has, however, brought the threat of extinction
and over the past 20 years many unique culinary treasures
have been lost, some from a lack of younger, well educatedgenerations willing to continue the family trade. Many recipes are
ﬁercely-guarded family secrets: if it doesn’t stay in the family, it
goes to the grave.

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life cuisine //life cuisine //“Today street
food in Malaysia A TASTE OF LOT 10 HUTONG
is something that Kim Lian Kee (since 1927)
all Malaysians are
ﬁercely passionate
about.”The grand dame of the Hutong serves up Kuala Lumpur’s signaturestreet version of Hokkien mee (thick yellow noodles fried in darksoya sauce) as has been done for four generations. The originalstall on Petaling Street is still a hotspot but in this 21st century
setting, the sound of woks clanging over charcoal ﬁres rings in a
new dawn.

The sensational Lot 10 Hutong addresses this issue head-on.
Created by YTL Corporation as a ‘Gourmet Heritage Village’, itfeatures over twenty-ﬁve stalls in the Lower Ground Floor of the
newly-revamped Lot 10. The ten stalls personally handpicked
by YTL’s Managing Director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh form thecentrepiece of this very modern food adventure.
The maze-like colourful ‘alleyways’ of the gourmet village aredesigned to capture the atmosphere of traditional Beijingneighbourhoods, hence the inspiration for its name.The long
overdue act of culinary preservation offers visitors to the city aunique opportunity to taste a slice of authentic Kuala Lumpur
cuisine (and speciﬁcally non-halal Chinese street food) in anaccessible and modern environment.
Left to right:
Signage for theKong Tai stall,
famed for its
Singaporean
Hokkien noodles;
gourmands havevast local cuisine
choices at Hutong;
The art of making'popiah' or
spring rolls.

The project beneﬁts both those who enjoy good food, andmany others who now bring their once-localised businesses
to a wider audience. Some, like the Hon Kee Famous Porridge
are now experiencing rapid expansion from a single outlet for
sixty-one years to 6 outlets spread out over neighbourhoods in
Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. The two sons of the shop’s
founder left jobs in engineering and Information Technology toassist the family business. “We have to thank Tan Sri (Francis)
for showing us the potential for our business,” says Herbert
Wong, the elder of the pair.
For Ho Weng Kee, a ‘wan tan mee’ stall dating back to 1935,
the gourmet village was a lifeline. Originally from Petaling Street
and later based out of SS2, a suburb on the outskirts of Kuala
Lumpur, the brand might very well have disappeared altogether
as none of the owner’s four children have followed in his footsteps“They have their own lives to lead so Lot 10 Hutong was theperfect solution,” says 61-year old owner Ho Chan Thong.
This ripple effect is just one of the reasons why the Hutong
has proven to be an enormous success. Critically none of thefood has lost anything in the transition, establishing the perfect
blueprint for similar gastronomic ventures in the future. The
vision – and appetite – of one man, whose impeccable taste
for Malaysian street food and its inextricable connection to hissoul has ensured that this culinary legacy will be enjoyed bygenerations to come.

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Ho Weng Kee (since 1935)
The humble ‘wan tan mee’ is brought to new heights in thehands of Ho Weng Kee proving that true culinary integrity canbe found in the simplest of ingredients. Perfectly prepared
noodles with a choice of sweet tender char siew, melt-inyour-mouth beef brisket, robust pork ribs and novel char siew
chicken thigh bear the mark of three generations of chefs whose
culinary philosophy has always been to only cook simply thebest food.

Hon Kee Famous Porridge (since 1949)
Nothing says “comfort food” more than a piping hot bowl ofhome -made porridge making Hon Kee the grandmother of the
Hutong with her thick, smooth, tasty and oh-so-wholesomely
wonderful fare.

Imbi Road Original Pork Noodles(since 1943)
The bite-sized rectangular-shaped pork balls prepared from backleg pork meat and salt has ensured this stall’s status as a perennial
city favourite. Those in the know will always recommend the dry
noodles without ‘hak yau’ (black soy sauce).

Chong Hwa Hainanese Chicken Rice(since 1976)
Hainanese chicken rice is perfectly represented by this Setapak
original whose owner mastered this Malaysian favourite as ayoung man working in various hotels and restaurants. More than
thirty years on, the free-range ‘pak cham kai’ (chicken steepedin stock), soya chicken and roast pork is celebrated throughout
Malaysia for its crispy mouth-watering skin.

Traditional Teochew Porridge (since 1967)
With Chef Alex Au from Starhill Gallery’s acclaimed Chinese
restaurant Pak Loh Chiu Chow at the helm, diners are treatedto simply superb food including long beans with minced pork,
steamed white pomfret Teochew-style, piquant preserved plumwith olive seed and the exceedingly good pig’s blood with peanutand sesame sauce.
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life cuisine //Simple Pleasures
The timeless traditionof taking tea takes adecidedly modern turnat The Ritz Carlton,
Kuala Lumpur.

Afternoon tea with a twist
Niseko’s exceptional seasonal produce is best
enjoyed when harvested before sun-rise
Although more widely known as one of the world’s best ski and adventure travel
destinations, Niseko, like most of Hokkaido, remains largely agricultural delivering adiverse quality of fresh seasonal fare that has justiﬁably led to the island being referredas the ‘breadbasket’ of Japan.
Fertile volcanic soils and extreme variants between day and night temperatures create
the perfect environment for a treasure-trove of fresh produce. As cooler months draw
near, gourmands look forward to indulging in unique local specialties such as morningpicked corn (asamogi tokibi). Niseko has 4 different kinds of corn but as the namesuggests, when picked very early in the morning (before the sun rises) and eaten on
the same day it has a distinctive sweet ﬂavor. If picked after sun-rise the corn tastes
completely different. “Asamogi corn can be eaten raw, just as it is, it’s absolutely
amazing,” says Hilton Niseko Village Executive chef, Rob Shipman.
Another unique seasonal delight that attracts gourmet travellers is the Yotei melon.
When ripe and again picked before sunrise the melons are deliciously sweet. Shipman
recommends eating them just as they are, perfectly chilled. “Yotei melons pared with agood cured ham are nothing less than a marriage made in heaven,” he says although thefruit is equally delicious in a refreshing chilled melon and mint soup. The delicate ﬂavour
and aromas are best protected by serving melons at between 6 to 10 degrees Celsius.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINESHIRIBESHI FOOD
FESTIVAL “MIKAKUFESTA”:As Niseko’s reputation as a diningd e s t i n a t i o n g ro w s , i t s a n n u a l
Shiribeshi Food Festival has
become a ﬁrm ﬁxture on the culinary
calendar. Scheduled for November
2 this year, the event will be hosted
by the Hilton Niseko Village and willdraw chefs from all over the region
to create a spectacular buffet ofbite-sized delicacies.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur adds a
bubbly twist to its traditional English Afternoon
Tea with the introduction of Laurent-Perrier
champagne to complement the different
teas, sandwiches, scones and pastries
served in the contemporary elegance of The
Lobby Lounge. The champagne has proved
the perfect accompaniment to the creative
three-tier English Afternoon Tea set of freshly
baked butter scones, biscuits of chocolatelavender, mouth-watering ﬁnger sandwiches
and oh so delicate pastries. The choice of
forty teas from black leaf to fruit and herbal
infusions is enough to satisfy even the mostexacting tea connoisseur.

Hairy Crab takes centre stage
China’s hairy crabs are synonymous with autumn’s clear blue skies and bracing
weather when this unusual delicacy is at its most succulent and ﬂavoursome. The
season is keenly awaited by hairy crab enthusiasts - the delicate crustacean isavailable only from the ninth to the eleventh months in the Chinese lunar calendar.
To celebrate its arrival, the award-winning Shanghai restaurant at the JW Marriott
Kuala Lumpur has created a mouthwatering variety of meticulously prepareddishes including steamed Shanghainese hairy crab, braised superior shark’s ﬁnsoup with hairy crabmeat and roe, fried bamboo ﬁsh ﬁllets with hairy crabmeat
and roe, steamed Shanghainese dumplings with hairy crabmeat and roe and thespecialty: braised pork meatball with hairy crabmeat and roe in a mini casserole.
Don’t take our word of it – try it for yourself while it is still available.

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entertaining life //,UXE,IVING
Sophisticated creations by Christoﬂe
made especially for your dining pleasure.

!TOMIC STRATEGY,IGHT SHOW

4O THE POINT

A welcome addition to every home, thisvase from the Atomes D’argent collection
is imbued with an elegant yet minimalist
aesthetic.

This Richard Hutten-designed candelabra,
made from a cluster of silver spheres,is one of the highlights of the Atomes
D’argent collection.

Dine in style with a selection of exquisite
black lacquer cutlery from the TalismanCollection embracing timeless design aswell as a high regard for form and function.

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entertaining life
entertaining
life////The TimelessTradition of Tea
First introduced to Malaysia
by BOH Tea, the pleasures ofpremium teas endure
Text by Mark Lean

The story begins in 1929 when Malaya’s first commercial
tea-growing area was created through a joint collaboration
between John Archibald Russell, who saw the potential of tea
as an important crop for Malaya, and A.B. Milne, a veteran tea
planter and owner of a Sri Lankan tea plantation.Together they
applied for and were granted a concession of land in Cameron
Highlands where, using a single steamroller, some laborers andseveral mules, they transformed steep jungle slopes into the ﬁrst
highland tea garden in the country.
The cool hillsides of Cameron Highlands proved the ideal
environment for the early beginnings of an industry whichtoday stretches across four tea gardens including Boh, Sungai
Palas and Fairlie in Cameron Highlands and Bukit Cheeding in
Selangor.
Both Plantations, named after Russell’s inaugural plantation,
produce 4 million kg of tea a year (the equivalent of 5.5 million
cups per day). Thanks to Russell’s foresight and passion, thetradition of tea-drinking in multi-cultural Malaysia continues tothrive today. There is no better place to experience the rich andrewarding taste of tea than the Cameron Highlands Resort, justminutes from the highland plantations. Here, guests indulge in
one of life’s greatest pleasures in an idyllic setting that seamlessly
retains the elegance of decades past.

Afternoon Tea served at Cameron
Highlands Resort.

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life of luxury //A Family Affair:
Alain Roux
Chef Alain Roux talks to YTL Life about thebooks and music that inspire and inform his
culinary expertise
Text by Catherine Shaw

Alain Roux Renowned as the godfathersof modern cuisine in Britain, Roux brothers
Albert and Michel put the country on theculinary map with their Michelin-starred
restaurants, award-winning television series
and numerous books. Today Michel’s son,
London-born Alain Roux, a culinary legendin his own right, reigns as Chef Patron of
the Waterside Inn in Bray (which has held
three Michelin stars continuously since1985), and continues the French cooking
dynasty with his passion for classic French
cuisine and desserts in particular. The
Waterside Inn nestled on the banks of theRiver Thames is the only member of Relais
Dessert in the United Kingdom.

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My favorite book in the world is Larousse
Gastronomique. It is undoubtedly the very
best cook book in terms of teaching one
about classic techniques and ingredients.
One of my best friends, Jacques Bertrand,
who ran a 2 star Michelin restaurant inFrance gave it to me as a present when I
started work at my ﬁrst restaurant in France.
It’s a very beautiful and expensive bookbut its real value to me was having France
Gall and Michel Berger sign it for me while
I was working at the Elysee Palace in Parisin 1988. I’ve always appreciated Berger’s
work and to be honest, have always fancied
her a little!
I shouldn’t say my father’s book; Sauces is
one of my absolute favourites as he would
be too happy to hear that! But jokes aside I
do love his books, especially the latest series
which focuses on eggs, sauces and pastry.
He has a way of writing that reﬂects what
he has been telling me for many years. He
always provides step-by-step instructions
because while he believes that cooking is
not difﬁcult, he is adamant that readers needthe detailed guidance that is often missing incookbooks. For professionally trained chefs
the process and techniques may seem

natural but for non-chefs he is particularly
good at including the ﬁner details alongwith his passion for a classic approach tobasic recipes. He also includes his personal
cooking style so you can always adapt towhat is available in the market, the seasonsor even different countries.
Working at the Waterside Inn I don’t havemuch time to read novels but I did readmy father’s autobiography Life Is A MenuReminiscences and Recipes from a
Master Chef, which is half-food memoir
and half-French recipe collection. It wasparticularly interesting for me as my parents
divorced when I was ten and we moved toFrance where my dad was extremely busy
building his restaurants. The book helped
me understand and appreciate him in adifferent way.
I have a very eclectic taste in music, whichranges from classic to modern, French andEnglish. We often play music in the kitchen- usually rock and roll like Elvis Presley or

Bono but I also like Chris Rea as he dines
at the Waterside quite often. I always
enjoyed his music when I was younger
so it is great to have him as a regular
guest. Like many other French people, I
like Johnny Hallyday but I also listen tojazz like George Benson’s Breezin andmodern artists like Lady Gaga’s, The
Fame. To me, music depends on mymood and where I am. If I am stressed
I need something relaxing like Le Grand
Bleu by Luc Besson.

The Waterside Inn, Ferry Road, Bray,
Berkshire SL6 2AT, is about 45 minutes
from West London by car or around one
hour by train (Paddington-Maidenhead).
www.waterside-inn.co.uk

A selection of Roux’s favourite musicians: Elvis
Presley, Chris Rea, Bono and George Benson.

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life of luxury //Interiors Now

YTL Life’s pick of the newest and most collectable buys

Listen Up
Supreme acoustics are de rigueur with Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab 11, a new miniature
subwoofer showcasing superb bass quality in a stylish sculptured aluminium body.
Suitable for use with any small to medium loudspeaker setup, this outstanding
acoustic marvel includes frequencies as low as 125 Hz, while also adding a striking
style statement.

Versatile Style
Armani/Casa latest creations draw inspiration from the 1930s with a studied use oflighting and colour to instil a subtle yet opulent design aesthetic. A three-panelled
adaptable modular bookcase/screen Candide, adds versatility with the potential for a
multitude of different arrangements and the addition of more modules. It can also be
used as a stylish freestanding room divider and the modules are all mounted on castors
for extra ease of movement. The structure presents in metallic grey lacquer and the
shelves are clad in greige techno fabric, while the vertical shelf dividers are in contrasting
matt-black nickel.

Loud
d and
d Clearl
The V Collection from Vertu seamlessly
blends state-of-the-art technology with areﬁned appreciation of form and function.
Crafted from stainless steel and highquality resin, the V Bluetooth Headset hits
just the right note for design aﬁcionados,
with six hours of talk-time that extends
to a lengthy 15 hours when charged. A
patented ear bud mechanism guarantees
perfect sound quality every time.

Kitchen Conﬁdential
As the recipient of Chicago Athenaeum’s coveted Good Design Award, the iF DesignAwards, as well as the highly prized Red Dot Prize for Design Innovations, Gaggenau’s
newest induction cooktop CI 491 sets the pace for modern kitchen style. On trend
features include a patented AT 400 backsplash ventilation system and highly efﬁcientbuilt-in 200 series ovens. The materials used lend further to the swish features withtempered glass, brushed stainless steel and solid aluminium. In all, the perfect choicefor every haute cuisine kitchen.

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life’s moments
life’smoments////Vibrant
lanterns hint
at Malacca 's
Chinese heritagethat dates backto the 15th
century.

An Eye On History
Once an important trading port, the city of Malacca continues to capture
travellers’ imaginations with its wealth of cultural, artistic and culinaryriches. Kuala Lumpur-based photographer Sharon Lam embarks on amesmerising visual journey through the city.

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Malacca effortlessly
blends Old World
luxury with new worldcomfort and style.

Brightly hued wooden clogs areproduced by the town's rapidly
dwindling band of artisans.

The ruins of St. Paul's Church offer a glimpse of thelast vestiges of Portuguese rule during the 16th century.

The face of history.

A cyclist passes Heeren House,located in the city's old town.

The old and the new: trishaws andcars line one of the city's streets.

Pre-World War II shop houses are imbued
with a sense of history and community.

An artist captures the beauty of local
fauna with colourful brushstrokes.

An ancient warrior guard from the Taoist
pantheon of gods lays a watchful eye overthe Hokkien Huay Kuan clan house.

Spa ingredients used in the
Peranakan hair ritual.

Old School utilitarian householdproducts are readily available
at the local markets.

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f e ////

portfolio of life //Explore The Worldof YTL Hotels...

SHOOK! SHANGHAI AT THE
SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL
CHINA(Opening November 2010)

Perched on a space of symmetry and proportion, Shook! Shanghaifeatures the skills of 4 epicurean chefs with 4 distinct cuisines.
A show kitchen – dubbed the ‘Ferrari’ of kitchens, is where its
signature dishes are created around the senses. The menu ﬂirts
with seasonal trends and boasts an adventurous journey of Eastand West, from Chinese, Japanese and Thai, to French Provencal.
Another highlight at Shook! Shanghai is the showcase of the world’s
ﬁnest wines and champagnes, including rare vintages from 1945
through 2008. Shook! Shanghai also houses The Time Bar and
The Swatch Art Peace Hotel Terrace on the roof top overlooking astunning backdrop of the Pudong skyline.

GREEN LEAF NISEKO VILLAGE
JAPAN(opening December 2010)

Located in the heart of Niseko Village in Hokkaido, the Green Leaf
Niseko Village aspires to be the premium contemporary resort
in Niseko, appealing to guests who want to enjoy a seamlessexperience of stay, snow and ski. The 200 room ski-in, ski-out
resort is currently undergoing a renovation and will reopen in early
December in time for the start of the ski season.
During the white season, guests can dine in a variety of dining
options including the Lookout Café and the hotel’s rooftop bar,
Altitude or relax in the forested onsen, a therapeutic natural volcanic
hot spring to soak away tension and time.

The Swatch Art Peace Hotel Residences which YTL Hotels will
manage, opens early 2011.

Tel: +86 21 23298500
www.ytlhotels.com

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Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.thegreenleafhotel.com

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portfolio of life //THE MAJESTIC MALACCACAMERON HIGHLANDS RESORTMALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

The historic city of Malacca is steeped in a rich tapestry ofmulticultural inﬂuences reﬂected in its heritage architecture, diverse
lifestyles and eclectic cuisine.

Set amidst tea plantations and rolling hills, this tranquil hideaway
promises visitors all the splendour, romance and nostalgia of
Cameron Highlands’ grand colonial heritage.

Located on the banks of the river which in yesteryear teemed with
Chinese junks and spice-laden vessels from all over the world, The
Majestic Malacca provides a glimpse into the splendid saga of an
extraordinary empire.

Cameron Highlands is Malaysia’s largest hill resort and is largely
unchanged since its colonial heyday, this ‘little corner of England in
Asia’ is still dotted with Tudor-style cottages, a place where scones
and afternoon tea will not seem out of place.

The Majestic Malacca is an integral part of Malacca’s colourfulhistory. The original serene mansion, dating back to the 1920s,
remains at the heart of the hotel, whilst a new building has beencreated, mirroring the original architecture, to house 54 spacious
rooms and suites.

The resort with its tall French doors, timber-beamed ceilings,
plantation shutters and a ﬁreplace add old-world charm to thesurroundings. It also houses a Spa Village as well as an eighteen
hole golf course and 56 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites
which weave in wondrous colours and textures of Jim Thompson’s
famous silks.

From the original porcelain ﬂooring, teakwood ﬁttings, intricate
artwork and antiques, to the ﬁnely crafted Nyonya cuisine, every
aspect echoes the history of the region, and offers a beguilingjourney through this enchanting heritage.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.majesticmalacca.com

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Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.cameronhighlandsresort.com

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portfolio of life //PANGKOR LAUT RESORTTHE ESTATES AT PANGKOR LAUT RESORTMALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

Pangkor Laut is a privately owned island located three miles off thewest coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. This piece ofparadise has been 2 million years in the making, and it is here one
ﬁnds one of the world’s premier award-winning resorts nestling inthe shade of forest giants as old as the land.

In a small secluded cove near Pangkor Laut Resort rests the eight
wonders that comprise The Estates. Each of these individuallycrafted enclaves is reminiscent of the traditional south east Asianway of living of days gone by, when an ‘estate’ was made up of
a number of special purpose buildings placed amidst gardens ofastounding beauty.

There are no other resorts – just secluded bays curled aroundpristine beaches, evening skies woven with colour, and a deep
sense of serenity reserved exclusively for guests. A combinationof luxury, natural beauty and age-old wilderness woven together toproduce an environment where peace and magically memorable
moments are the currency.
Of the island’s 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed tohouse the resort and its eight estates. Wooden buildings blend
seamlessly with the forest as if nature had been the architect
dictating how walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up toallow trees to continue on their journey to the sky.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.pangkorlautresort.com

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Comprising two, three or four bedrooms, each Estate offers a private
inﬁnity-edge pool, as well as pavilions in various adaptations of Malayarchitectural traditions.
There is also a private vehicle and driver assigned to each Estateshould guests decide to leave the seclusion of their villa to dine at oneof the resort’s restaurants or to go for a treatment at the Spa Village.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.pangkorlautestates.com

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portfolio of life //JW MARRIOTT

THE RITZ-CARLTONKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIAKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Guest rooms at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur offer the ultimate in
comfort and convenience, designed with the discerning businesstraveller in mind. An ample work area with adjustable desk lighting
and ergonomic chair provides a comfortable environment for
executives. Desk-mounted electrical outlets, two-line speakertelephones with call-waiting facility, fax modem and voice mailmake for easy communication around the world.

Discover the exclusive Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur and experiencea place where ancient rivers converge and a modern city beckons
guests to explore the sights, sounds and ﬂavours of Malaysia.
Located downtown in the Golden Triangle business district, this
distinctive ﬁve-star luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur is conveniently
accessible to upscale shopping, dining and entertainment. At The
Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, guests can indulge in soothing spa
treatments, award-winning cuisine or simply relax in the exceptionalcomfort of their rooms and take in the best the city has to offer.

Accommodation comprises 561 guest rooms with 294 Deluxe
Kings, 172 Deluxe Twins, 25 Executive Deluxe Rooms, 19 Studio
Suites, 32 Junior Suites, 2 Executive Studio Suites, 2 Executive
Junior Suites, 8 One bedroom Suites, 3 Two-bedroom Suites, 2 VIP
Suites, a Chairman’s Suite and a luxurious Presidential Suite.
The 29-storey hotel recently opened three new ﬂoors comprising
mainly suites with contemporary design and luxury ﬁttings. Marriott
Marquis Platinum and Gold card members and guests occupying
suites enjoy access to the JW Lounge – with its complimentary
breakfast, light refreshments and evening cocktails.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is the city’s ﬁrst award-winning fullbutler hotel featuring 250 guest rooms including 30 suites. The freshstyle of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is inﬂuenced by a varietyof themes reﬂecting Malaysia’s diverse artistry of ethnic cultures.
The dark toned woods with angular designs reﬂect masculinity
while details like brass inlays add a touch of elegance. Rich earthy
tones in the carpet and wall coverings are used to create a cosy,
warm home-away-from-home ambience, while hidden modern
technologies add a modern yet subtle ﬂair.

Tel: +60 3 2715 9000
www.marriott.com

Tel: +60 3 2142 8000
www.ritzcarlton.com

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portfolio of life //MUSE HÔTEL DE LUXE

THE CHEDI

FRANCE

PHUKET, THAIL AND

Bardot would no doubt approve of Saint Tropez newcomer, Muse
Hôtel De Luxe, just minutes from the Place de Lices by car, situatedon the stunning Ramatuelle ‘route de plages’ road set amongst an
ecological landscape of terraced gardens.

The Chedi Phuket (to be renamed The Surin on November 1)
offers guests a choice of 108 thatched cottages that sit cosily
under a canopy of coconut groves, where landscaped slopes
gently descend to meet a private stretch of sandy shore.

Fifteen ultra chic suites (ten featuring private plunge pools) arededicated to famous muses such as ‘Edith’, after Edith Piaf,‘Catherine’, after Catherine Deneuve and ‘Lauren’ after Lauren
Bacall. Each suite sports a unique interior but all blend seamlessly
with cool stone ﬂoors and mamorino wall ﬁnishes. Thoughtful
touches include a 42” Loewe plasma screen with over 100
channels, a PlayStation, iPad and iPhone.

The appeal of the spacious 89 one-bedroom and 19 two-bedroom
cottages is further enhanced with private verandahs, secluded sun
decks, and handcrafted teak ﬂoors.
Renowned for its warm island hospitality and rustic serenity, The
Chedi Phuket also provides spa services, dining venues, meeting
facilities and recreational activities. The Chedi Phuket – a veritable
gateway to a tropical island paradise.

Designed with pure lines, a cool elegant reception area and outdoor
water cascades, the hotel is a reﬂection of architectural simplicity,
immediately stamping its original and stylish signature on the SaintTropezian landscape.

Tel: +334 94 430 440
www.muse-hotels.com

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Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.chediphukethotel.com

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VILL A TASSANAPHUKET, THAIL AND

portfolio of life //BRAY HOUSE
ENGLAND

Set amidst a tropical forest on a craggy cliff overlooking thebeautiful emerald green of the Andaman Sea is a gem on the YTL
Hotels portfolio of luxury holiday destinations. Located just 15
minutes away from Phuket International Airport on the island’s quiet,
undeveloped North Western coastline, Villa Tassana offers guests a
vacation of modern sophistication married with Thai hospitality.
Spread over a generous 2,800 square metres, the villa features 2
large bedrooms with ensuite bath and dressing areas, a 15 metre
swimming pool, separate living and dining pavilions, a kitchen and amaid’s room. For those looking to get away from it all, Villa Tassana
is staffed by one dedicated attendant and a chef specialising indelicious home-style Thai dishes.
Guests can also enjoy the ﬁrst-class spa and sports facilities
located at the nearby Trisara Hotel. There are three excellent golfcourses nearby, including the exclusive Blue Canyon course, anda range of luxury motor yachts available to explore Phuket’s many
bays, islands and dive locations.

An elegant private home dating back to the late 17th century, Bray
House has been restored and transformed into an elegant, highdesign boutique home stay. Featuring an eclectic mix of interiors
spanning the Art Deco period of the early 1900s, Bray House is aunique experience of the gentriﬁed English lifestyle complete withbespoke service and intimate atmosphere.
Designer furniture, vintage accessories and vivid splashes of colour
create an atmosphere that marries the modern and the classic.
Each of the bedrooms has its own theme: a lullaby of white or asymphony of Tuscany red in another. Bray House also features a
private courtyard and a natural spring found in the garden.
The idyllic village of Bray, near Windsor, is quintessentially English
with its period houses, traditional pubs with beamed ceilings andﬁreplaces and a beautifully restored church dating back to 1293.

Tel: +44 162 858 3505

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000

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portfolio of
portfolioof lifelife////HILTON NISEKO VILLAGE

portfolio of life //JAPAN

EASTERN &ORIENTAL EXPRESS

Set at the foot of the Niseko Annupuri Mountain, the Hilton Niseko
Village is the perfect base from which to enjoy a huge variety ofoutdoor activities throughout the year. Ski on powdery slopes
during the winter season, and enjoy family-friendly facilities suchas the Niseko Ski Village ski school, Niseko Kids ski programme , aluxurious spa, and ﬁve restaurants.

The Eastern & Oriental Express is more than a train service: at its
maximum length the quarter of a mile in length train is a havenof comfort, style and luxury and the perfect vantage point fromwhich to tour the region. The Restaurant Cars, Saloon Car and Bar
Car are located at the centre of the train, while the Observation Car
with its open deck area is located at the rear.

There are also two 18-hole championship golf courses nearby(one designed by Arnold Palmer), a tennis complex, an equestriancentre and a unique nature-bases activity area called ‘PURE’
complete with tree-trekking and beginners golf.

The interior walls of the compartments are panelled with cherrywood and elm burr, with decorative marquetry friezes and intricate
design inlays.The delicate embroidery work was done in Malaysia,
and the bespoke carpets hand-tufted in Thailand. While guests
dine at night, the steward transforms the compartment from a livingroom to a luxurious bedroom.
Chefs onboard the E&O Express are internationally renowned fortheir tantalising variety of Eastern and European dishes, using theﬁnest fresh seasonal ingredients.

Tel: +81 136441111
www.niseko-village.com

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portfolio of life //TANJONG JARA RESORTSPA VILLAGE RESORTMALAYSIATEMBOK BALI, INDONESIA

Located on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, Tanjong Jara
Resort is a sanctuary of luxury and well-being steeped in age-old
Malay traditions. Designed to reﬂect the elegance and grandeurof 17th Century Malay palaces, Tanjong Jara is a 99-room resort
embodiment of the gentle Malay art of service and hospitality.

Dawn rises and an indigo curtain of stars is drawn back fromthe sky, exposing a dramatic landscape of soaring peaks thatsweep down across grassy lowlands to the black volcanic sandthat kisses the blue of the Bali sea. You are in Spa Village Resort
Tembok, Bali and the day has just begun.

The philosophy of the Resort is as unique as the Resort itself.
Based on the Malay concept of Sucimurni, which emphasises
purity of spirit, health and well-being, Tanjong Jara encourages true
rejuvenation of both body and spirit.

Inspired by the award-winning Spa Village Pangkor Laut, Spa Village
Resort Tembok Bali embraces the same healing ethos of celebrating
the local culture, honouring the ancient remedies of the region andinfusing each visit with the essence of the surrounding scenery.

Tanjong Jara is an opportunity to withdraw from the pressures ofthis ever-changing world by offering a chance to immerse oneself
in a sanctuary of serenity and beauty.

Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali is a place of peacefulness andcalm, combining the therapeutic value of its beautiful location withan ancient and rich cultural heritage. Reﬂecting the spirituality ofages the environment here is soft and serene; its people go about
their days in a caring manner that brings calm to the harried andpeace to the stressed; here, at Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali it ispossible to recapture one’s sense of self.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.tanjongjararesort.com

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.spavillage.com

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portfolio of life //portfolio of life //1. Spa Village Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
This unique retreat offers the world’s most sophisticated therapies
integrated with traditional healing practices of the region. Paying
tribute to Malaysia’s fascinating cultural diversity and rich healing
heritage ,this most stylish of spas seamlessly blends ancient andmodern practices, using natural local ingredients to deliver blissful
relaxation and rejuvenation

2. Spa Village Tanjong Jara
Malaysia
At Spa Village Tanjong Jara, time-tested health and beauty traditions
are revived in the most comforting surrounds. Guests can beneﬁt
from a comprehensive programme of therapies created using
unique ingredients from indigenous herbs and plants, along withthe skills of resident Malay healers.

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3. Spa Village Malacca
Malaysia
The Spa Village Malacca is the world’s only spa to base its
therapies on the healing heritage of the Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan
culture – a unique combination of Chinese and Malay inﬂuences.
The spa is spread across the ﬁrst two ﬂoors of the new wing andprovides a serene environment in which one can rest, recuperate
and rejuvenate in the care of some of the world’s best therapists.

4. Spa Village Cameron Highlands
Malaysia
Cameron Highlands Resort features the third wellness centreof the award-winning Spa Village brand with a wide range of
sophisticated treatments and healing therapies inspired by the
restorative properties of tea. Each guest luxuriates in a signature
tea bath before every treatment. Cameron Highlands Spa Village
offers tranquil indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, tea bath rooms
and a fully-equipped gymnasium.

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5. Spa Village Pangkor Laut
Malaysia

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The Spa Village at Pangkor Laut Resort is a unique ultra-exclusive
retreat that extols the healing cultures of Malaysia’s diverse
history of people and cultures and vast abundance of exotic
natural resources. The abundance of Malay, Chinese, Indian andThai practices make this the ideal tranquil setting for complete
rejuvenation of body and soul.
Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.spavillage.com

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portfolio
portfolio of
portfolio
ofoflifelife
life//////

portfolio of life //FEAST VILLAGE

LOT 10KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIAKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Feast till your heart is content in our Feast Village, a dramatic,stylish dining haven with a village charm. Here, you will ﬁnd 11
uniquely designed restaurants serving a mix of world-class cuisineand providing a display of culinary skill embodied in a chic andcontemporary atmosphere.

An iconic architectural landmark since the 1990s, the shopping
and lifestyle destination, Lot 10, has undergone signiﬁcantrenovation from its basement to its rooftop bringing in a new ageof modern style.

Restaurants and bars at Feast Village include Fisherman’s Cove,
Luk Yu Tea House, Pak Loh Chiu Chow, Tarbush, Sentidos Tapas,
Shook!, Jake`s Charbroil Steak, Vansh, KoRyo Won, Enak, My
Thai and Village Bar.
The design of Feast Village is inspired by nature. Walls areasymmetrical and serve not to separate, but rather to provide
peace enclaves where people may relax.

The Forest in The City theme is immediately apparent in theinspiring drama of the rooftop of Lot 10. Mature trees of dappled
barks and emerging foliage rise above manicured shrubs to greet
the guests with a refreshing welcome of abundant green.
A dramatic landscape that emulates towering cliffs of overhanging
ferns and ﬂora, and a variety of tropical plants against the skies ofKuala Lumpur serve as the stunning backdrop for a unique host ofurban lifestyle pursuits and experiences that are exclusive only to
Lot 10 at the rooftop.

Rice paper from Japan combines with slate and ikat fromIndonesia, granite from China, silk from Thailand, and timber on
Myanmar to create the essence of Asia from a design perspective,
making Feast Village truly one-of-a-kind.

Tel: +60 3 2782 3855
www.starhillgallery.com

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www.lot10.com.my

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LINES storage furniture. Design: Peter Maly.
Catalogue: www.ligne-roset.com

my life //

Star
Picks

Welsh actor Owain Yeoman stars
in the hit television series The
Mentalist. A spokesperson for
PETA’s vegetarian campaign, he
has also appeared in the Oscarnominated ﬁlm Troy. He speaks withYTL Life about the sights, sounds
and tastes that make his world.
An indulgence I never forego is...mymorning cup of strong black coffee. Afterthat I’m ready for anything.
My favourite room is...the back garden!
In Los Angeles the garden feels like anextra room in the house. I’m sitting there
as I write this.
The books on my bedside table...
are “Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale ofSex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Starring the
Fabulous Allan Carr,” written by Robert
Hoﬂer. It’s the incredible real-life story of the
producer of “Grease” Alan Carr through the1970’s and 1980’s. I’m also reading Vikram
Seth’s “An Equal Music”- a book I have readat least ten times – it’s a love story between
estranged musicians and in my opinion is
one of the ﬁnest love stories ever written.
And of course, “The Mentalist” episodescript of the week is usually on my besidetable too.
In my fridge you will always ﬁnd...New
Zealand Manuka honey. It has medicinal
qualities and tastes fantastic. I eat it straightfrom the pot but if my wife is reading this, I
must add that I always use a spoon!
My favourite way to relax is...working out.
My mind is always racing, even when I get
any quiet time I am always thinking about

what I need to do but when working out all
I think about is getting through my next setof exercises. I ﬁnd that strangely calming
and focussing.
Music: I don’t have a speciﬁc kind of musicthat I’m into although many of my favourite
artists are female singers with powerful
haunting voices like Tori Amos and Kate
Bush. I also love Citizen Cope and Eminem.
My playlist includes Eminem’s new album“Recovery”, is perfect for my car. “Bullet anda Target” by Citizen Cope and “Word Up” byWillis is one of my favourite tunes.
The people who have inspired me mostare...my parents and my wife. From my dad
I learned a sense of calm and diplomacy.
I’ve never heard him swear. From my mum
I learned to be passionate about the people
and things I care about. My wife Lucy hastaught me the importance of patienceand consideration for others. She inspires
me daily.
What makes me smile... is my dog Gracie- she is always happy and always greets me
ecstatically on my return.
The projects I am currently working on
are...playing Agent Rigsby in “The Mentalist”
and I have just written my ﬁrst feature.
The most memorable cities I have

Image from Corbis

Live beautifully.

travelled to are Rome and Barcelona –both have great food, drink and a vibrantnight life. New York always excites me as
does London, my favourite city.
A lasting memory from my childhood
is...promising to catch my sister Ailsa as
she cart wheeled out of the back of mymum’s car. Of course I dropped her, shecracked her head open but bless her, I
think she has forgiven me! And no, my dad
didn’t swear.
When life doesn’t go my way...
I ﬁnd screaming and shouting pointlessly
for a few minutes is cathartic. After a goodsulk nothing is as bad as I ﬁrst thought.
If I wasn’t an actor I would probably
be a...chef. I acted as a chef in “Kitchen
Confidential”, a television adaptation of
Anthony Bourdain’s book in 2006, uniting 2
things I love: acting and cooking. The only
thing is the insanely long hours, acting as achef was far easier!
My next dream holiday would deﬁnitely
be spent at...the new YTL Muse Hôtel
De Luxe in Saint-Tropez: an amazing
combination of stylish ﬁnery and luxurious
relaxation in the town of ultimate opulence.
That is going to be my “Mentalist” end of
Season 3 getaway for sure.

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