T h e

Y T L

L u x u r y

M a g a z i n e

School of Life
Renewal andRejuvenation at
Spa Village Resort
Tembok, BaliYTL People

Zandra Rhodes
Perrine Crosmary
Gary Rhodes

Canal City

Exploring Charming
Otaru, Hokkaido

Lunar New Year Recipes • Villa Tassana • Savouring Shook! Shanghai

Contents
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46Life Events

10 A round up of parties andevents in world of YTL.

Life Bites

22 Hot happenings at YTL Hotels.

Life on the Cover

24 There’s no better time than
now to heal, rejuvenate andpurify spirit, soul and bodyas we all look towards a
better, brighter new year byenrolling at the Spa Village
Resort Tembok, Bali’s Schoolof Life programme.

Life Feature

32 If you happen to be visiting
Hokkaido this season,
consider stopping by thecharming and historicalseaside town of Otaru for amemorable winter’s day out.
38 Catch a ride on Eastern &Oriental Express’ Epic
Thailand journey to discovera side of the kingdom thatyou’ve never seen before.
44 Princess Marina Ibrahim
of Pahang talks about
Pink Jambu and her exciting
new collaboration with The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
46 Eminent French
explorer, wildlife expert
and archaeozoologist
Perrine Crosmary speaks
about her passion foranimals and commitment
to conservation.
52 The iconic Princess ofPunk, Zandra Rhodes, on
her views of today’s fashion
and why she has pink hair.
56 The second season ofAsia’s Next Top Modelpromises more adventure,laughs, tears and the odd
catfight or two.
60 The new look Vistana
Hotels promise new verve,
vibrancy and value forguests and businesstravellers alike.

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Beautiful LifeA new year means new bags
to blag!
When one stays at theVilla Tassana in Phuket, it’s
all about sophistication,
elegance and megawatt glam.
Celebrate your unique
beauty with brands that are
all about looking great, insideand out.

Spa Life

Ensconce yourself and yourloved one this Valentine’s
Day at the dreamy Cameron
Highlands Resort for aweekend of rest, romanceand rejuvenation.

Life Cuisine

80 The multiple Michelin starred
Gary Rhodes displayed
his finely honed skill at The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
86 Welcome the Year of theHorse with a feast fit foran emperor.
92 Shook! Shanghai dishes upclassic Western cuisine withstrong Asian accents as well
as spectacular views of thecity skyline.

Shelf Life

97 Let Asia open your mind andtake you on a literary journey
this season.

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Life Guide

98 Enjoy all the magic andwonder of the winterwonderland that is Niseko,
Japan. Luke Hurford, YTL
Hotels’ Vice President ofSales and Marketing and aformer resident of Niseko,shares his top tips on what
to see, do and experience
while there.

Portfolio Of Life106 Explore the world of
YTL Hotels.

My Life

120 Chef Adam Liaw, winnerof the second season ofMasterChef Australia, talks
about the role food has
played in his life and shares
his secrets on how to stay
inspired in the kitchen.

Editorial Team
Editorial Director
Izan Yusuff Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Diana KhooSub Editor
Christy Yoong
      
Editorial AssistantMichelle Liong
T h e

Y T L

L u x u r y

M a g a z i n e

ArtCreative Director
Eireen Ooi

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Law Soo PhyeA Note fromTan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh
It is now the heart of White Season at the Hilton Niseko Village and The
Green Leaf Resort & Spa – YTL Hotels’ two outstanding properties in
the heart of Niseko United in Hokkaido, Japan. I am pleased to share
the great news that the Niseko United was named ‘Best Ski Resort inJapan’ by the inaugural World Ski Awards held in Kitzbühel, Austria,
last November. This affirms what the international ski cognoscenti
has known all along – that Niseko is unsurpassable when it
comes to the total snow sports experience, offering the finest
powder snow, a pleasant low altitude, affordability and a varietyof activities both on and off- piste , including the therapeutic
benefits of Japanese thermal hot springs, Hokkaido’s amazing
cuisine and excursions to the many interesting towns thatsurround Niseko. Make it your go-to destination this year!

Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh
Managing Director,
YTL Corporation

It has been, on the whole, an outstanding year for us at
YTL Hotels. More good news came our way with two of
our Malaysian properties, our flagship Pangkor LautResort and the Cameron Highlands Resort, listed by
CNN Travel amongst the nine best luxury resorts inthe country. Pangkor Laut Resort has long had its fairshare of accolades, including being listed ‘Number
One in the World’ by Conde Nast Traveller UK as wellas ‘Best Spa Resort’ by CNN Go! and ‘Best Luxury
Destination in the World’ in the World Luxury HotelAwards, while Cameron Highlands Resort revels inbeing one of the finest hillside retreats in Malaysia.
As YTL Hotels continues to strive being a force
for good, it is gratifying to know our guests enjoy
getaways like no other. I also want to thank all
the unsung heroes in the group, whose passion
to serve year after year inspires us all and is abenchmark of our customer service level.
God bless and happy reading.

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In Seventh
Heaven8

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The seventh edition of the luxury watch and jewellery showcase,A Journey Through Time , concluded in great style recently atStarhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur. Held over eight days, connoisseurs
and fans of haute horlogerie and high jewellery alike were thrilledby the stunning showcases of the finest designs from the best
names in the business. The finale of the always eagerly anticipatedStarhill Gallery Watch and Jewellery of the Year Awards was, ofcourse, one of the highlights of the annual event. With a judging
panel comprising experts and enthusiasts alike, including YTLCorporation’s Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Francis Yeoh, Joseph Yeoh,
Singapore-based watch journalist and blogger Su Jia Xian,Japanese watch expert and collector Hirota Masayuki, Solitaire

1. Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Francis Yeoh. 2. Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min announcing the winnerof the YTL Spirit of Classical Art Award. 3. Beatrice Huchthausen, Charmaine Low
and Steve Clerici. 4. Peter Davis. 5. Su Jia Xian and Jeremiah Tan.

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grown even more as our watch and jewellery sales has surpassed
the RM50 million mark.”
The event concluded on a literal high note as Mark Vincent, anaffable young Australian best known for winning the third seriesof Australia’s Got Talent in 2009, took to the stage, delivering aseries of hits, that included popular songs, Puccini’s eternal
Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot as well as, in light of theseason, a particularly beautiful rendition of O Holy Night. A night toremember? It certainly was.

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publisher Rainer Sigel and independent watch collector Charles
Sutanto of Indonesia, all of whom acknowledged the great
difficulty of selecting winners for the various categories, seven
eventually emerged triumphant.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Cordonnet Duetto won The Starhill
Gallery Favourite Ladies Watch Award, followed by Maîtres du
Temps’ Chapter Three: Reveal for the men. Esteemed brands
like Hublot, Bedat & Co, Speake-Marin, Damiani and Mouawad
were also winners in their respective categories. “Over theyears, A Journey Through Time has housed many luxurious
brands of watches and jewellery,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Francis
Yeoh in his speech. “Thank you to all who have made the eventa success every year. Since 2007, A Journey Through Time
has attracted over a million visitors and, this year, we have

6. Carey Ng andAntoine Bakhache.
7. Nadege Lubrano
and Fabrice Schweger.
8. François Renard,
Daniela Weniger and
Bob Weniger.
9. Datin Jane Ng
and Dato’ Sean Ng.
10. Arianna Teoh,Andrew Jordan andSteffanie Chuah.
11. Dariush Djavaheri of
Speake-Marin receiving
the Judges’ Choice
Award from YTL Hotels
and Properties Vice
President Joseph Yeoh.

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12. Models and winners joining
Mark Vincent on stage as hesings the final song to round off
the night. 13. Tan Boon Piin,
Dr Kenny Chan, Amy Chia and
Yon Shee Guan. 14. RashidWahab and Tasha Abdullah.
15. Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Francis
Yeoh, Dani Maurice and Samer
Halimeh. 16. Hirota Masayuki,
Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min, Dato’ Sri
Dr Ng Yen Yen, Dato’ Jimmy
Choo and Mark Vincent.

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life events //4

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DiplomaticDiary
YTL Corporation Berhad’s Executive Director, Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min, recently hosted several highranking lady diplomats to a few days of bliss in Tanjong Jara Resort, Terengganu. Celebrity designer
Dato’ Jimmy Choo and his wife, Datin Rebecca Choo, were also present during the event at theresort, situated on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and facing the South China Sea. The
ambassadors, who hail from countries like Russia, Argentina, Turkey, France, Cambodia and Ecuador,
as well as representatives of the United Nations based in Kuala Lumpur, had the opportunity toexperience a light-hearted three-day stay at the resort. The iconic local specialty of nasi kerabu (bluehued herbal rice) was a particular hit, while activities like a guided boat tour, batik-making workshop
and traditional village games proved to be both an entertaining and exciting experience for all.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

1. HE Maria Isabel Rendón, Ambassador of Argentina, andDr Pio Trippa. 2. Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min performs the traditional
bamboo dance during the village games session. 3. HRH
Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, Ambassador of Cambodia,
and Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min. 4. HE Lourdes Puma Puma,
Ambassador of Ecuador, HE Serap Ataay, Ambassador of
Turkey, HE Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Ambassador of Russia, andFeodor Ozarenov. 5. Dato’ Robert Tan and Dr Pio Trippa.
6. Datin Rebecca Choo and Dato’ Jimmy Choo.

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life events //3

Also present at the launch wereYTL Hotels’ Executive Director,
Dato’ Mark Yeoh, and Chairmanof the Sabah Tourism Board,
Dato’ Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adin.
The event also saw the launch ofa beautiful new book titled Natural
Wonders - Mountain, Rainforest
and Reef which celebrates thebest of nature at YTL properties
around the region.

NatureDwellers
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The recent launch of Gaya Island
Resort’s new marine centre wasgreeted with much enthusiasm
as it is dedicated to turtle
rescue, coral reef restoration andconservation through education.
The Gaya Island Resort Marine
Centre’s opening was further
marked by the release of its

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first rehabilitated turtle, fondly
named ‘Bobby’ by resort staff,
back into the sea. The event was
graced by Datuk Seri Panglima
Masidi Manjun, Sabah’s Tourism,
Culture & Environment Minister,
who said in his opening speechthat “the story of Bobby is a
happy one. It is a story of hope.”

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The marine centre is situated at
Tavajun Bay, a five-minute boatride from Gaya Island Resort. It is
built close to the shore for better
monitoring, while maintaining
the sustainability of its uniquesurrounding environment inboth the sea and reefs. With4

the publication of the book,featuring the most stunning wild
life, nature and places of interest
in and around YTL properties
around the world, engaging
education and external outreachprogrammes are underway toconserve nature and living thingsfrom further extinction. After the
event, guests sat down for a
Kadazan Tribal Barbeque along
the coast of Malohom Bay, anatural sanctuary that boasts
a spectacular view of Mount
Kinabalu on the horizon. Overwine and chatters, guests wereentertained with a tribal dancing
spectacle, specially prepared forthe occasion by native dancers
from the Gaya Resort Island.

1. YTL Hotels’ Executive Director Dato’ Mark Yeoh giving his opening speech.
2. Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, Dato’ Mark Yeoh and Dato’ Seri Tengku Dr
Zainal Adlin launching the Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre. 3. Gilbert Woolley,
Jason Isley and Christian Loader. 4. Employees of the marine centre release
Bobby back into the sea. 5. Scott Mayback, Gaya Island Resort’s resident
marine biologist. 6. Mohammad Zuhannes Dzulkifli, Paul Voon and Malai Hashim.
7. Simon Christopher and Justin Juhun. 8. Kirinjit Singh and Laurent Myter,Executive Vice President- Operations Resorts.

life events //

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Of Mist, Murder& Mayhem

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It’s hard to turn down a weekend
in Cameron Highlands. Crisp air,
misty mountains and verdant
jungle aside, it’s even harderwhen it’s a weekend at the
Cameron Highlands Resort, aTudor-inspired retreat completewith plantation-style shutters,
timber beams and, every
evening, a roaring fireplace to sit
by, accompanied by a good bookand a dram of Scotch. Naturally,
the guest list for its annual Murder
Mystery weekend, culminatingwith its Christmas tree lighting,filled up to overflowing quickly
enough. Guest were transported
to the highland resort from Kuala

Once night fell, the party
assembled at Gonbei, dressedin character, which ranged fromneurotic scientists to fortune
tellers and even the Thai silk

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Lumpur on Friday and thosewith competitive streaks didn’t
waste any time in scouring thehotel for extra clues, giving theman unassailable edge for theevening to come. Others with amore languorous nature headed
immediately for the resort’saward-winning Spa Village totry out signature treatments
using local ingredients like tea,strawberries and roses.

1. James Beltran, Ana Garcia de Barañano and Tracy Khee. 2. Samantha Leeseand Stefan Oeschner. 3. Revathi Murugappan and Brian Cheong. 4. Rachel Witham
and Stuart Jones. 5. Lyndon Felix and Wei-Hsiang Chong. 6. Shikeen Halibullah,
Yannick Colot, Deborah Henry and Vinod Rajasimha. 7. Dr Suresh Soosay.
8. Lunita Mendoza, Lydia Soh and Angelia Tan. 9. Lexie Rodriguez and Joshua
Ivanovic. 10. Deborah Henry playing a ‘murder victim’. 11. Guests trying to solve themurder mystery at the evidence room.

The great and the good converged in the mist-swathedsurrounds of Malaysia’s premier hill station, Cameron Highlands,
for the Cameron Highlands Resort’s annual Christmas tree1lighting tradition and its signature Murder Mystery Dinner.

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The second night saw the evening
graced by the presence of HRH
Tengku Puan Pahang, Tunku
Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah
binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar,
who graciously performed theChristmas tree lighting ceremony,
which enveloped the resort
with the Yuletide spirit. Carollers
performed right on the steps ofthe hotel as guests made their

12king Jim Thompson, who
mysteriously vanished in theh i g h l a n d s d e c a d es ago .
Joshua Ivanovic, in characteras the Bartender, played adouble role as he also whippedup the most delicious selectionof cocktails for the evening,courtesy of his company
Cocktail Solutions. Renowned
beauty, philanthropist and theevening’s guest-of-honour,
Deborah Henry, proved to beamong the first ‘victims’, as she
was found sprawled on thebilliard table by the Highlands

Bar. Other ‘kills’ soon followed
as the evening descended intohilarious mayhem. By the timedessert was served, the gamewas over and the mystery,
finally, solved. Several guests
also went home laden withextra prizes for best portrayalof character, best costume andso on. The first night ended ona particularly late note, aided bynumerous nips of single malts
from the bar. A special silent
auction also began in aid of
the Fugee School, of which
Deborah Henry is co-founder.

12. Fabulous guests striking a pose after the Christmas feast. 13. Laurent Myter,
Ben Quah, HRH Tunku Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah, Ana Garcia de Barañano
and Jose Ramon Barañano. 14, Paul Friend and Sharon Friend.
15. Brian Cheong and Deborah Bomstein. 16. James Beltran and his sonsJuan Sebastian and Juan Santiago, and Brando de Luca Gabrielli. 17. James Frazer
and Kate Guest. 18. Toh Puan Seri Wan Hibatul Hidayah, Folco de Luca Gabrielli
and Nilou de Luca Gabrielli. 19. Revathi Murugappan tries her hand at making the
candy floss for dessert.

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way to a special Christmas feast
laid out in the Dining Room. The
night ended festively with nightcaps in the Jim Thompson Tea
Lounge as guests converged
around the grand piano to singmore Christmas songs and,generally, get into the spirit of theseason. It might not have been asilent night but there was certainly
joy in the world that evening.

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life bites //YTL Hotel’s latest news, events, attractions and not-to-bemissed experiences.

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With its menu adjusted in accordance tothe seasons, Spa Village Hangzhou at
The Dragon Hotel offers a sybaritic newtreat for spring. A time for new growth andmovement, the spring treatment focuseson the health of the liver, while awakening
energies and preparing the body toeliminate unnecessary stagnation. Sip onplum blossom tea before a therapeuticbath in perilla leaves and cinnamon twigs,
followed by a wrap using lotus seeds andmint as the key ingredients. Lotus seeds
are known for their astringent properties
while refreshing mint reminds one ofspring’s fresh, clean nature. Finish off witha soothing session of Balinese massage.

Located in exotic Borneo, Gaya Island
Resort serves up yet another distinctive
offering with its new Tailored Trails ofBorneo, a collection of four unique tours
that take you into the heart of Sabah,giving guests a unique insight andexperience of the island's rich flora, fauna,culture and history. The Real Kinabalu
takes you on an excursion into thecountryside, going on walkabout througha native village and culminating in a nature
trail at the botanical gardens located at
Kinabalu's foothills. For an unforgettable
experience, however, sign yourself up for
The Lost World, where a helicopter spirits
you away to the secret enclaves of themillion year-old Maliau Basin, much ofwhich has yet to be explored.

The Rites Of Spring

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Trail Mix

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Simply Thai-Rific!

Located along picture-perfect Pansea
Beach in Phuket, Thai food lovers
staying at The Surin are in for a righttreat. The Lomtalay Restaurant pairs
its awe-inspiring panoramic views withan extensive selection of mouth-watering
Thai favourites. From crunchy som tam(papaya salad) to piquant tom yum (aspicy and sour soup), red and green
curries as well as luscious mango sticky
rice for afters, there are also lesserknown but no less delectable dishes totry. Special Thai cooking classes are also
held every Sunday afternoon for thosewishing to bring a taste of Thailand home.

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Art And Soul

Situated by the beautiful Emerald Bay,
the Batik Hut is a charming little spot in
which you may shop for hand-printed
batik apparel like sarongs and pareosthat are just perfect for the beach,handbags hand-woven from mengkuang(screwpine) leaves and works of batik
art by local craftsmen. For those with adistinctively creative streak, try your handat batik painting (classes are conductedin the afternoons and available only
upon request) and bring home a uniquesouvenir of your holiday experience at
Pangkor Laut Resort.

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Tipple Time

Imbibe in an impeccable selection of
vintage cocktails amidst the 1930s-era
colonial ambience of The Smoke Houseat The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
The personable bar man, Johnnie Yap,and his team serve up a wonderfulselection of tipples, ranging from classic
punches to cobblers, flips and swizzles.
The particularly delicious Code 55 andTwo Bulats comes with its own story,
which Johnnie would be happy to sharewith you. Connoisseurs would also bepleased with The Smoke House's rangeof single malts. A one-for-one offer for
vintage cocktails is available, from 1800
to 2000hrs, Thursdays to Saturdays.

For more information on YTL Hotels’ events and promotions, go to www.ytlhotels.com

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Hit The Beach

The idyllic Tanjong Jara Resort on
the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia
reopens on 16 January 2014 after
an upgrading exercise. Rediscover
this sanctuary of luxury that perfectly
embodies the gentle Malay arts of service
and hospitality. Enjoy a special reopening
offer when you book a minimum of twonights’ stay inclusive of daily breakfast,
lunch and dinner from MYR699 nett per
room per night. This East Coast Escapeis exclusively applicable till 31st March
2014. For more details, contact the
YTL Travel Centre at travelcentre@
ytlhotels.com.my.

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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life feature //life on the cover //There’s no be tter time than now to heal ,rejuvenate and p ur if y s p ir it , soul and bod y as we
all look tow ards a be tter, br ighter new year. A t theaw ard -w inning Spa Village Resor t Tembok , B ali ,enrol yourself into its new ly-launched School ofLife p rogramme for a head -s tar t your entire being
w ill thank you for.
Text Diana Khoo Photography Leon Bin Yee & Yong Keen Keong

LIFE
Find serenity, solace and mindfulness
at Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali's
new School of Life programme.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

Perched along Bali’s unspoilt north-eastern tip, the award-winning Spa Village Resort
Tembok, Bali has long attracted the traveller with purity and renewal in mind. With its
black volcanic sand beaches, proximity to the island’s sacred mother mountain of
Gunung Agung and fronted by the deep blue waters of the Bali Sea, this is a patchof paradise that’ll take you back to the days long before Bali became a magnet for
the international jet-set as well as the global nomad. Now, YTL Hotels’ first dedicatedspa resort offers yet another innovative programme designed to, not only immerse you
in a few sybaritic days of blissful spa living, but also to help bring back balance andan increased sense of mindfulness into your every day; subtle changes and lifestylelessons that’ll resonate long after you’ve left the tranquil retreat.
Launched in September last year, Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali’s new School ofLife programme is designed with the modern-day go-getter in mind. “We noticed anincreasing need for a programme like this,” says Chik Lai Ping, Vice President of YTLTHE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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life on the cover //Hotels’ Spa Division. “As the modern lifestyle becomes increasingly stressful, with people
overworking to the point of burnout, the School of Life will help people redesign the way
they choose to live as well as help educate them on how to achieve greater balancethrough a healthier, cleaner way of living.” The idyllic location, surrounded by banana
and coconut groves and far away from the madding crowds of Kuta and Seminyak,
certainly helps while an abundance of fresh, natural ingredients – from line-caught fish
off the beach for dinner and just-harvested organic coconuts to drink, to riotous gardens
bursting with herbs and blossoms for spa therapies – makes living well rather effortless.
“You live a simple life here,” adds Wati Sharron Hopley, Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali’s
Resident Manager, whose own vitality and inner light make her a walking advertisement
for the wellness resort. “What we offer is the complete antithesis to the low-energy, highstress life so rampant today. Here, you eat wholesome food, breathe the freshest air andtake time for exercise, all the while learning and putting into practice key tools for a betterway of life that you can take back with you when you leave.”

Every day on the School of Life
programme includes spa treatments,
exercise and cultural activities.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThe School of Life currently offers stays of four, six or eight nights, with an all-inclusive
comprehensive programme that includes spa treatments, healthy meals, exercise
routines and even cultural activities. You can, for example, begin your day with asession of sunrise yoga in the garden with Jro Luh Manis, the resort’s resident yogini
and recreation manager, before proceeding to a healthy breakfast of tropical fruit orlife on the cover //“Here , you eat w holesome food , breathe thef reshes t air and take time for exerci se , all
the w hile lear ning and p utting to p racticeke y tools for a be tter way of life that you
can take back w ith you w hen you leave .”THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

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life on the cover //SPA SCHOOL
Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali’s
School of Life is all about guiding
guests on making subtle, more holisticchanges as well as incorporatingwellness therapies into your everyday
life. Here is a simple recipe on how
to make boreh, a traditional Balinese
body scrub.
A traditional remedy to treat minor
ailments, boreh is a healing pastethat consists of several key herbs liketurmeric, ginger, rice, cloves, nutmeg,
pepper and chili. The paste is usuallyapplied over the affected area andleft until it dries. The ingredients forboreh vary according to the ailment.
In Spa Village Tembok, Bali, boreh isused in its signature body treatment of
Penganten Melukat.
• 50g ginger, 50g galangal, 50g clove
and 100g soaked rice.
• Pound the cloves until it becomespowdery and set aside.
• Grind the rice until it becomes soft.
• Cut the ginger and galangal into
small pieces and pound.
• Mix the ginger and galangal together
with the rice and grind.
• Add in the clove powder and mix
together.
• Your boreh is ready to use.

life on the cover //activated Bircher muesli at the sea-facing restaurant accompanied by rejuvenating
elixirs and a wide selection of healthy juices. Some guests may blanch a little when
they see the School of Life’s suggested meal options placed alongside the regularselection of artisanal pastries, crispy bacon and fluffy omelettes, but this is all inline with the programme’s emphasis on training guests to continue making mindful,
informed choices when back in the real world. The menus at Tembok are all preparedby Chef Martin Büchele, with input by Samuel Rogalasky, a certified wellness andnutrition consultant. There are also daily creativity classes held at Taman Gili, a small
lounge area near the swimming pool, where you may learn a variety of Balinese artsand crafts, from lontar drawing (the ancient Balinese art of inscribing on palm leaves)to canang -making (handcrafting traditional offerings to the gods made with natural
materials like flowers and leaves), ensuring each guest leaves the resort with authentic
experiences and encounters of all the cultural richness that Bali is so renowned for.
Fresh organic coconuts are also served whole to guests twice a day to aid in therehydration and detoxification process, complemented by nightly detoxifying herbal
and floral baths with ingredients like volcanic clay, neem leaves, marigold petals andpandanus as well as patchouli, tea tree and citronella essential oils. Guests on the
School of Life programme are also served nightcaps of the resort’s signature detox
tea as well as Triphala capsules, a traditional Ayurvedic rasayana (rejuvenator) used tocleanse the colon while delivering nourishment to bodily tissue via a broad spectrum of
healing phyto-nutrients.
For guests who desire something on a deeper level or are, perhaps, seeking spiritual
guidance, answers to longstanding questions or even to achieve a heightened senseof peace, Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali may also assist in arranging a visit to thetemple of Pura Ponjok Batu, a 20-minute drive from the resort. Here, natural springs
burst forth from under the temple rocks to meet the sea and a Hindu priest may
be arranged to lead you through the requisite prayers before, finally, purifying you
in a ritual seaside bath with sacred spring water. It is a moving and immensely
profound experience.
I’d also been gratified to hear of a guest who’d been battling a severe health issue
for years and had been surfing the Internet when Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali

“ What we of fer i s the comp le teantithesi s to the low -energ y , high s tress life so rampant today .”Guests are served Triphalacapsules and the resort's
signature detox tea nightly.

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life on the cover //life on the cover //suddenly came up in one of her searches. “She said it was as if she knew she had tobe here and, miraculously, she made it to a plane, flew halfway across the world andcame,” confirms Hopley. The said guest ended up staying for a few weeks, feelingsafe and sheltered in this haven on the other side of the globe and, gradually, building
up the mental, emotional and physical strength to continue on her life journey backhome. Certainly, the resort’s tranquillity and authentic Balinese hospitality make iteasier for one to work towards attaining a greater sense of life balance. “The Schoolof Life is a programme that was designed to introduce people to a healthier and morebalanced lifestyle,” adds Hopley. The Balinese have a word for a place or element ofbalance – penyeimbang. You’ll find it slips off the tongue rather easily after a few days
at Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali.

For enquiries please contact YTL Travel Centre at travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my.

Clockwise, from extreme left: Jro Luh
Manis at Pura Ponjok Batu; Lily ponds dot
the resort; a traditional jukung on the blacksand beach.

LIFE TIPS
Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali’s resident
manager Wati Sharron Hopley shares her
top tips for life.
SOCIAL REHAB – Learn how to turn off
your phone, iPad and television and,instead, replace it with reading, walking,joining an exercise class and meeting new30

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people. Use your time to connect withothers, which, in turn, helps you connect
with yourself. We have a saying here at
Spa Village that ‘everything is a reflectionof you’. Mull on that point and decide foryourself who you want to be.

mention getting our daily dosage of Vitamin
D. If you feel like things are going too fast or
slow, or you aren’t really sure where you areheaded, remember that there is a time andplace for everything, and all the roads aretaking you there… in its own time.

WALK BAREFOOT ON THE SAND – One of
the reasons why we feel so disconnectedfrom the earth is because we literally are.
Think about it. Most of our lives are spent
with shoes on our feet, which separates us
from the natural ground. Make a conscious
effort to go barefoot and feel nature every
day, be it sand, soil or grass, even if it’s justfor half an hour.

BREATHE – One of the best experiences
I’ve ever had was in nature, at the baseof Les Waterfall near Spa Village Resort
Tembok, Bali. I was so in awe of thebeauty around us that I could do nothing
but breathe deeply to take it all in, against
the backdrop of a beautiful waterfall, lush
trees and plenty of sunshine. For me, thiswas magic.

ENJOY NATURE – Whenever there are
too many thoughts in my head or I feeloverwhelmed and troubled, I simply walk
down to the beach, soak my feet in theseawater and just be, staring out at thehorizon. Alternatively, there are few things
more calming than floating on a warm
ocean, soaking up the sun. Rememberthat we are part of nature and that sunlighthelps us feel alive and to survive, not to

CREATE – There’s something about
creating. It’s all about expression. Choose
things that take you out of your daily routine
and make you feel liberated and out of yourcomfort zone, ready to discover new things.
It needn’t be art per se but keeping ajournal also counts as a way of expressing
yourself. As does cooking, singing in thecar, telling jokes or, my personal favourite,
dancing when no one’s watching!

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31

life feature //life feature //1.Otaru's most famous feature is its romantic
and historical canal area. 2.Katsue Nagano
sampling bakudanyaki, a popular savoury
fritter filled with bacon, potato, leek, cheese,vegetables and quail’s egg. 3.A rickshaw rideis the speediest way to get a quick overview of
Otaru. 4.Shopping for gifts and souvenirs is a
key pastime in Otaru.

2

1

Canal City
No, we’re not talking about Amsterdam but
Otaru, Japan. If you happen to be visiting
Hokkaido this season, consider stopping by
this charming and historical seaside town for amemorable winter’s day out.
Text Diana Khoo Photography Yong Keen Keong32

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Beloved by Japanese luminaries like
Takuboku Ishikawa and Takiji Kobayashi,
the northern seaside town of Otaru is as
historical and romantic as they come.
Located about an hour by car from Niseko,
modern-day Otaru is famed for its nostalgic
feel and numerous shopping and dining
diversions. So, it may surprise some that
this was once known as the ‘Wall Street’of Japan’s north. But, for a long time, Otaru
eclipsed Sapporo as the primary city in
Hokkaido. Certainly, for much of the late
1800s, Otaru was home to the area’s aptly
named ‘herring tycoons’, families who
made vast fortunes from herring fishing until
the industry collapsed in the 1950s, due toa dramatic decline in herring stocks. The

4

3

area is still dotted with these former ‘herring
mansions’ and gives visitors an idea of theopulence that was prevalent in Otaru then.
Even as you stroll down Otaru’s strand
today and along its famously picturesqueunga (canal), you might notice the city
hasn’t altered much with time. Its old world
charm remains, replete with Victorian-stylegas lamps and former brick and stone
warehouses that have now been converted
into a hodgepodge of restaurants, cafésand shops. The charming town is best

explored on foot, so you may browse
and snack on the many local delicacies
as you go along (don’t miss the famous
bakudanyaki – a delicious cross between
traditional takoyaki and okonomiyaki – stall
across the road from the canal) but, if
you’d like a quick overview of what the city
offers, hire a rickshaw-wallah (most can befound near the canal area) for a quick halfhour tour. Here’s a quick rundown on the
top things to see, do and eat on your next
Otaru excursion.

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life feature //5 & 6. From packed
snow crabs all readyto be taken home toedible masterpieces
prepared à la minuteby sushi senseis, Otaru
is a key destination for
seafood connoisseurs.
7. Salmon chan chanyaki, a traditional (anddelicious) fisherman’s
meal. 8. Visit Tatsumi
Sushi for a true taste ofOtaru. 9. Kamaei is an
Otaru institution famous
for its fish cakes.

5

nearby waters. Try looking for a friendly
stall and, if language isn’t too much of abarrier, examine the goods on offer, whichmay, depending on the season, range
from fresh oysters to tubs of gleaming
ikura (salmon roe), octopus and anassortment of dried or smoked fish. Most
markets, like the bustling Chuo wholesalemarket and the Rinyu morning market,
are closed Sundays but the Sankaku
market is open seven days a week, while
the Shin Nantaru market is only closed
on Wednesdays.
Sankaku Market
3-10-16, Inaho, Otaru-shi.

Gone Fishing

7

Steamed fish paste cakes, or kamaboko,
are a favourite snack among theJapanese. From the basic ones you find inevery supermarket to localised specialties
like the Tohoku region’s bamboo-shaped
fishcakes, known as sasa kamaboko ,Otaru, too, has its own take on theubiquitous snack. The locals, however,display a particular penchant for deepfried fish cakes, known collectively as
akegama. Not far from the town’s famous
canal is Kamaei. Open daily from 0900-

6

Oh, Sushi!

For a relatively small town, Otaru boasts ofover 200 sushi restaurants, many of themexcellent and comparatively inexpensive.
As the city is traditionally a fisherman’s
town, rest assured the catch of the
day is always fresh-as-can-be. Thereis a dedicated sushiya-dori or sushiya
yokocho (sushi street), where raw seafood
enthusiasts may explore and then indulge
to their hearts’ content. We recommend
Tatsumi Sushi, which has two branches– one close to the canal and the otheralong the sushiya yokocho – where you
can try out all the usual sushi and sashimi(Otaru is particularly well-known for its uni
or sea urchin), as well as some particular
Hokkaido favourites. There’s hokki, a typeof shellfish popular in the area, as well as

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a traditional fisherman’s hot meal of chanchan-yaki, a delicious medley of seafood,vegetables, miso and a generous chunkof rich Hokkaido butter cooked on a
sizzling hot plate over a flame. You canalso enquire if hakkaku – a strangelooking, almost octagonal-angled fish – ison the menu for a true taste of Otaru.
Tatsumi Sushi
1-1-6, Hanazono, Otaru-shi.

To Market, To Market

There’s nothing quite like exploring a local
market to get a sense of place. And, forthose who enjoy the delicious kerfuffle thatis market day, you’re in luck as Otaru has
several traditional retail markets that boast
a wonderful range of locally harvested
produce, including seafood caught in

1900hrs, it is particularly famous for its
panroru – a fishcake wrapped arounda piece of bread and deep-fried. The
panroru, needless to say, has a huge fanbase among the younger generation. Also,
don’t miss the hiraten, which many regard
to be the original deep-fried kamaboko.
For foodies with more traditionalist
leanings, browse Kamaei’s tempting
glass counters that display a host ofinteresting and flavoured fish cakes, in all
shapes, sizes and tastes, and made fromvarious fish, including Alaskan Pollack,
Atka mackerel and other local varieties.
Choose from a wide range of kamaboko
and agekama, including cheese, scallop,
carrot and burdock root, shrimp and evenokonomiyaki, the local version of a pizzaomelette. Wash it down with a bottle ofdelicious Otaru beer. For those interested,
the brewery isn’t far at all from the canal,
with free admission. Look out for it!
Kamaei Boiled Fish Paste Shop
3-7, Sakaimachi, Otaru-shi.

Sweet As Can Be

In Hokkaido, you will notice a particularpenchant for sophisticated sweets, rather
in the manner of the Parisians. A day

9

life feature //may stop to refresh or refuel in between
exploring the town.
LeTao Otaru Confectionery
7-16 Sakaimachi, Otaru-shi.

The Sound Of Music

This charming red brick building, locatedalong Sumiyoshi-cho, houses the Otaru
Music Box Museum, quite possibly oneof the most delightful places you can
encounter in the city, or anywhere, for thatmatter. Dating back to 1912, the building
is a reminder of Otaru’s once-illustrious
past, standing along the former ‘Wall
Street’ of Hokkaido, and used to be themain office of one of the city’s greatest riceand grain merchants. The interiors are an
old world delight, fashioned out of zelkova
wood, spread over five levels and boastinga huge vaulted ceiling. It is, however, notthe structure that would catch your eye
but, rather, the hundreds upon thousandsof little music boxes, each one a work ofart. Some are fashioned according to the

WHERE TO STAY
The Green Leaf Resort & Spa and the Hilton
Niseko Village are the perfect places to base
yourself throughout the duration of your wintervacation. Both offering ski-in, ski-out facilities
and with stunning onsen (hot springs), theyguarantee to appeal to guests who want aseamless experience of Hokkaido at its finest.
Both properties also boast their own luxurious
spas and offer excellent dining options. For
more information or bookings, visit
thegreenleafhotel.com and hiltonnisekovillage.jp
10. No visit to Otaru is complete without sampling LeTao’s famous
Double Fromage cheesecake. 11. The Otaru Music Box Museum iswell-worth visiting for its fascinating selection and display of beautiful
music boxes.

cutesy Japanese style that is so popular,
while others are beautiful in their simplicity.
You may even design your own musicbox, adding little accoutrements as well as
selecting the all-important melody. It’s nowonder that these little musical treasureboxes remain one of the most cherishedthings to give and receive from Otaru.
History lovers might also be interested in
the antique museum section, where you
can learn how the music box was first
introduced to Japan via a Dutch trader in
1852. Adapting the Dutch word ‘organ’,music boxes soon came to be referred
to as orugeru , now shortened evenfurther to orgel. Here, you will find several
fine specimens of beautifully preserved
antique music boxes and automata(mechanical dolls). Oh, and don’t missposing for a souvenir snapshot right infront of the building, where a marvellous
steam clock, measuring over 5m, stands.
Otaru Music Box Museum
4-1, Sumiyoshi-cho, Otaru-shi.

10

out in Otaru demands a stop at a sweet
shop or confectionery and LeTao is oneof northern Japan’s more famous names,
renowned, in particular, for its Double
Fromage cheesecake – a light but loaded
dairy enthusiast’s delight, composed of
double-layered cheesecake made withbaked cream cheese and mascarpone.
There are also many other things to temptboth the eye and palate, including green
tea Swiss rolls capped with decadentchestnut cream, cocoa-dusted almonds,
butter y sablés and pyramid-shaped
chocolates known as ‘Royale Montagne’.
At the LeTao in the Pathos building, there
is a café on the first level, where you

Snow Festival 2014
The upcoming Snow Light Path Festival in Otaru is scheduled to be heldfrom 7 to 16 February 2014. Also referred to as ‘Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi’,it is an annual winter festival which sees the town decorated in lights
and small illuminated snow sculptures. Although smaller than the worldrenowned snow festival in Sapporo, Otaru’s version is particularly charming,
concentrating around the historical canal area, and with a wonderfully
festive feel. The canal itself will be decorated with candlelit buoys, while
the ambience, complete with icicles dangling from the eaves of the stone
warehouses, only adds to the winter wonderland experience.

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life feature //ThailandOn Tracks

Catch a ride on Eastern & Oriental Express’
Epic Thailand journey to discover a side of the
kingdom that you’ve never seen before.
Text Helen Oon

At Bangkok’s Hualampong Railway
Station, Thai dancers in glittering
traditional costumes, fearsome masks
and fake swords are acting out a dance
drama of good versus evil, accompaniedby the hypnotic rhythm of an ancientmusic score, to welcome guests ofthe Eastern & Oriental Express. It issymbolic of wishing guests on this sixday Epic Thailand journey a safe trip.
One of the child dancers leads me by
the hand and ushers me into the train
carriage, where my cabin steward, Paul,welcomes me with a gracious wai . My
state compartment is compact andadorned with beautiful wood panelling ofcherry wood and elm burr. Every piece offurnishing is designed to cope with therigours of the train’s movements. As thewhistle blew, the train springs into life with38

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a cacophony of groans and squeaks, andoff we go, leaving the bustling city behindand heading for the countryside. It ambles
through the outskirts of Bangkok, throughshanty towns peppered with temples, their
upturned roofs catching the rays of theearly evening sun. Dinner is a chance todress up for a welcome reception hosted
by Nicolas Pillet, the General Manager of
E&O, who speaks with a most delicious
French accent. Ulf, the train manager,
manages the train with military precisionand efficiency. Thanks to him, everythingworks like clockwork, pulling out all the
stops to entertain us with local culture andculinary experiences.
Every day, there are surprises in store forus. On the second day, we visit northeast Thailand, also known as Isan, to visit

Gracious staff,
impeccable service
and amazing landscapes
are among the pleasuresof travelling on the
E&O Express.

a typical village and observe its lifestyle.
We are welcomed to the village of Ban
Maichamuak with a bai sii ceremony,
where village elders tie sacred white
threads around our wrists and thetemple priest chants prayers. We tour
the village where we watch women
spinning silk threads extracted fromwriggling silk worms, with the finishedproducts – raw silk with intricate
designs on sarongs – available forpurchase. We also call at a local
kindergarten where the children,cute as buttons, dance for us withgusto. Later in the afternoon, thetrain travels though a landscapecarpeted with swathes of sugar
cane, tapioca and paddy fields
until we arrive at the small town of
Sikhoraphum in Surin Province,
where we take a short coachride to Prasat Sikhoraphum.
There, in the golden evening
light, a restored 12th-century
Khmer Hindu prasat (temple)
dominates the landscape with
its red sandstone quincunx
pattern that is similar to Angkor

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39

life feature //topped with lotus buds. This leads toraised terraces, where a five-headed naga,a serpent-like creature believed to linkhumanity with the heavenly realms, stands
guard along the balustrade. A further
52 steps lead to the main sanctuary on
top of a hill with a commanding view of
the countryside. Gables and lintels withrelief work depicting tales from Hindu
mythologies and religious ceremonies
adorn the main 23m high tower. As I
wander through the sanctuary, exploring
every nook and corner of this sacredground, I can understand why this reveredsite belongs to the realm of the gods – I
could almost hear the chanting of ancient
priests echoing through the temple.

Gourment meals andlocal Thai experiences
are on the menu of
E&O Express' Epic
Thailand adventure.

Wat's, with five prangs, or pagodas, a rare
configuration outside Cambodia. Only
“state” temples are accorded with thissacred design, denoting its importantlineage, with carvings depicting thedances of Lord Shiva. Two Thai
elephants with enormous tusks guard
the entrance to the temple grounds
and we are encouraged to offer themcucumbers as treats, which theyliterally hoover up faster than we canfeed them. One of them even gives
us the perfect photo opportunity
when it allowed volunteers to sit
on its tusks. Within the temple
grounds are stalls offering local
Isan delicacies, while a bevy ofdancers, splendidly dressed as
apsaras – supernatural female
spirits – and accompanied bywarrior guardians armed with40

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swords, perform on a stage erectedamong the ruins. It is a most magicalevening, as they dance gracefully
accompanied by rousing music andfire-eaters.
We arrive, the next morning, at Prasat
Phanom Rung, one of the most beautiful
and important historic Khmer sites inThailand. Built as a religious sanctuarynear the rim of an extinct volcano between
the 10th and 12th centuries in theprovince of Buri Ram in eastern Thailand,
this magnificent temple, dedicated to
Lord Shiva, was built on an east-west
axis, where, at certain times of the year,
the sun’s rays stream directly throughits 15 doors as a sign of divination. The
approach to the temple is via a sequenceof causeway steps and terraces adornedon both sides with sandstone columns

Another day, another adventure, andit keeps getting better. On the fourthday, we arrive at the provincial town of
Lampang, where we visit Wat Sri Rong
Muang, a temple built in the Burmese
architectural style of multi-tiered roofs,
gables and very ornate pillars. A huge
golden Buddha presides in the main altar.
Later, we travel in horse-drawn carriages
through the town, galloping down narrowlanes to Ban Sao Nak, known as thehouse of many pillars, a 118-year-old
house constructed completely of teak andsupported by 116 pillars. This outstanding
house has been featured in magazines
and television and radio programmes.
Today, it is a private museum, with all theoriginal antique furniture and decorationas part of the exhibition. On our visit, we
enjoyed an afternoon tea of local snacks
and drinks, laid out on the lovely groundsof the house.

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41

life feature //Due to repair works on the railway track,
we head off north by coach to Chiang Mai,
where we spend the night at the fabulous
Dhara Dhevi Resort. The resort is styled
like a mini village, with sprawling villas andwaterways and even a paddy field. Chiang
Mai, the country’s second largest city,
was the ancient capital of the Kingdomof Lanna (1296-1768) and its distinctive
architecture features the traditional northernstyle with Burmese influences. Here, theLanna culture, dating back more thanseven centuries, still thrives with its own
local dialect, Kam Muang, and ethnic food,music, dance and art making a comeback
and much enjoyed by Thai and foreign
visitors. In a small temple in a back lane,
an abbot gives us his blessing while amagnificent giant Buddha, clad in gold,sits on the altar with a stern expression.

Bay, our guide, then takes us througha bustling market stocked to the rafters
with local food, clothes and bric-a-brac,
before we attend a cooking demonstration
by a local chef who owns Wanlamun,
an award-winning restaurant. She
shares the secrets of making the perfectpomelo salad and fried bread with shrimp
spread, two recipes I can now add tomy repertoire.

As night falls, we head for Baan Suan,a charming villa nestled on the banks of
the Ping River, where local people have
set up stalls selling handicrafts. Afterdinner, three graceful dancers, dressedin exquisite costumes and headgear,
perform a traditional ethnic dance by apool, resembling ancient goddesses as
they twirl and gyrate, with hand gesturesthat tell a story. Much to our surprise, theyand then visit mother elephants with theirbabies. We also see a baby elephantplaying football with its keeper and drop
in at the hospital where injured elephants
are cared for.

“In the Thai Elephant Conservation
Centre, we see a baby elephantplaying football with its keeper anddrop in at the hospital where injured
elephants are cared for.”dance into the pool like flirtatious water
nymphs, before the musicians step up
the tempo and a dancer, wearing a fanlike shaped headdress with the tips alightwith fire, sails on the river accompanied
by a pageant of little floating lanterns.
We are then invited to participate in thereleasing of khom lawy, or fire lanterns,
into the air, a celebration practised during
the festival of Loy Krathong, when they
are set adrift into the night skies to pay
respect to Mae Phra Phai, the goddessof wind and air.
We leave Chiang Mai the next morning andcall in at the Thai Elephant Conservation
Centre to learn more about thesewonderful creatures. Dr Richard Lair, a
specialist in the study of elephants, gives
a short talk on the subject and leads us
to the lake to see them having a bath
Learn more about
these gentle giants
at the Thai ElephantConservation Centre.

On the final leg of the journey, the callof the wild beckons as we embark on
a jungle trek in the Khao Yai National
Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It is home to 70 mammals, including
elephants, deer, wild dogs, gibbons,
bears and macaques. Led by Dr Tony
Lynam, we trek through the grasslandand, though we do not see any, there
are paw prints of animals imprinted
in the mud, not to mention piles ofelephant dung in the salt lick area.
In the distance, the call of gibbons
echo through the forest. After six
days of culinary indulgence on the
train conjured up by the amazing
chef de cuisine, Yannis Martineau,
who effortlessly delivers delicious
gourmet meals to our table from atiny galley kitchen every day, the trek
is much needed.
On the final night on the train, Ulf
springs a surprise on us… again.
We are asked to step outside thetrain, stationary beside a reservoir,
and under skies peppered withtwinkling stars, an elaborate
fireworks display pierce the inky
darkness of the night. It is themother of all grand finales to an
epic journey through Thailand.
Agatha Christie reputedly said:“Trains are wonderful… to travelby train is to see nature andhuman beings, town and rivers,in fact, to see life.” On myjourney on the E&O in Thailand,
it is all that and more.

Eastern & Oriental Express is part of Orient-Express Hotels Ltd, a collection of iconic hotels,
rail adventures and river voyages worldwide. orient-express.com

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43

life feature //The Princess& the Prints

Princess Marina Ibrahim of Pahang speaks to YTL Life about her
passion for beautiful prints and her work with Pink Jambu, a Malaysianbrand renowned for its elegant and artistic expressions in textiles, andher exciting new collaboration with The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Text Diana Khoo Photography Soon Lau Hair Esther Hsieh / A Salon Makeup Geraldine Loy / Artists @ Work

Couples planning a wedding amidst theelegant, colonial ambience of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur, truly one of thecountry’s grande dame hotels, might wish
to consider adding a bespoke sartorial
touch with a uniquely local twist courtesyof Pink Jambu, a Malaysian brandcelebrated for its artistic expressions ofbatik and songket.

Add a unique touch
to your nuptials at The
Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur with Tengku
Marina Ibrahim’s
artistic expressions for
Pink Jambu.

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Established in 1992, Pink Jambu wasconceptualised by Tengku Marina Ibrahim,
a member of the royal house of Pahang.
Her late father was the Tengku Ariff
Bendahara of Pahang, while her uncle,
brother to her late father, is the reigning
Sultan of Pahang. Having spent her
formative years in Pahang as well as Kuala
Lumpur, Tengku Marina then travelled toEngland for her tertiary education. Aftercompleting her O and A Levels, the petite
princess then further honed her interest in
art and design by completing a foundation
art course before moving on to Kingston
University, where she majored in threedimensional design and interior andfurniture design. Her strong foundation in
the arts, coupled with a natural, instinctive

flair for design, has led to the success of
Pink Jambu as a brand, offering handpainted, artistic textiles that adorn avariety of products, from apparel to homeaccessories as well as accent pieces.
Citing nature as her primary source ofinspiration, it’s easy to see the fluid swirls
and organic motifs that are prevalent inalmost all her creations. Through tenacity,
the princess has also worked on several
collaborations, including, most recently,
with a celebrated kyo-uzen Japanese dyemaster, Akira Yamamoto, as well as uniform
projects and interior design for restaurants,
hotels and corporate offices. One of thelatest offerings in the Pink Jambu portfolio,
however, would be her partnership with The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
With her collection on sale already in theproperty’s Majestic Spa, it made sense to
take the relationship one step further with
the introduction of a bespoke pre-wedding
package made available to couples andtheir families who will be celebrating theirnuptials at the hotel. “We thought it a lovely
idea to pre-empt or extend the happy

occasion with a special wedding packagethat offers the bridal party unique, bespoke
wedding apparel that can be worn for thedinner the night before the wedding or
perhaps during the day, in between the
many ceremonies,” says Tengku Marina.
Couples may also choose to use this as aunique avenue in which to gift the people
closest to them with special batik fabric ora special gift of a custom shawl or sarong,perhaps, to mothers-in-law. “Everything will
be coordinated and the family may alsochoose, for example, to revolve the designs
around a central motif, like an orchid or alily. It’s a lovely idea to make dressing up
for the event even more special as well
as a wonderful keepsake from a oncein-a-lifetime occasion.” Although Tengku
Marina concedes the right to designing theactual wedding dress, she says she can,however, agree to customising the fabric.
“The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is sucha special, exclusive venue and what nicer
way to accentuate the special day than withsomething bespoke that the whole family
can wear, keep and remember?” Whatbetter way, indeed.

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life feature //

Side

ork
W
on Th		

Wild

Eminent French explorer, wildlife expert andarchaeozoologist Perrine Crosmary speaks about
her passion for animals as well as her deep
commitment to conservation and improving thelinks between man and nature.
Text Diana Khoo
Photography Jean-Baptiste Erreca, Halim Berbar & Bertrand Eliotout

1

1. Wildlife expert Perrine Crosmary
meets an elephant in Zimbabwe.

“I grew up always wanting to save the planet,” says Perrine
Crosmary. A familiar name to nature-loving Francophiles,
Crosmary is one of the stars of Les Nouveaux Explorateurs,a French documentary series on Canal+ that features 13
adventurers, each focusing on a unique passion, ranging
from food to music to sport, and exploring its different guises
around the world. Crosmary’s area of expertise is, naturally,

wildlife. Today, sipping tea from fine bone china and nibblingon afternoon tea dainties at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s
drawing room, Crosmary, with her soft blue eyes, tousledauburn hair and petite frame, hardly fits the stereotypical imageof a grizzly explorer and wildlife expert. “I remember feeling so
sad when my parents told me that saving the world was too
hard but I still pursued my dream.”

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life feature //life feature //“Being in nature shows you just how
little you need in this world. I know as
I’ve experienced it and, I can tell you,it’s immensely liberating!”
know their roots – who they are, where they come from – asthat’s the only way we can truly know ourselves.”

2

These days, Crosmary tells of exotic days spent tracking
mountain gorillas much the way the eminent Dian Fossey did,or of filming wild elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National
Park. “I lived there for three years, as a matter of fact,” notes
Crosmary. “I remember how, every day, I would find fresh animal
footprints and the excitement I felt.” Coming a long way fromher childhood explorations of digging for worms or looking forfrogs and tadpoles to ‘rescue’, Crosmary recently spent a monthin Malaysia, staying at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur andTanjong Jara Resort, while exploring the length and breadth ofthe peninsula. Filming more fodder for her fans, Crosmary also
discovered the venomous snakes that live around Perlis’ networkof caves and limestone hills, met with indigenous Negrito
communities in Taman Negara, the country’s renowned nationalpark, and learnt more about how man and wildlife can better coexist. “I am always excited to meet people who still have strong
links with mother earth. The first tribesmen I encountered was in
Tanzania, and they still hunted like their forefathers did, living off
the bush land. I think it’s so important to see people who really

2. The Hwange National
Park in Zimbabwe, where
Crosmary's Human Initiatives
to Save Animals organisation
monitors the lion population.
3. Perrine Crosmary in The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur'sOrchid Conservatory during
her recent visit to Malaysia.
4. Crosmary's painting of alion with a collar. 5. Crosmary
taking it easy in Tanjong Jara
Resort, Terengganu.

More than just a television host and wildlife expert, Crosmary
also believes in taking affirmative action. Together with five
biologist friends, Crosmary and her husband founded Human
Initiatives to Save Animals (HISA) in 2011. Based in Bordeaux,
the NGO’s primary responsibilities include project monitoring,preservation of mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest
National Park as well as lions in Hwange. “I want to take action
myself,” says Crosmary with trademark passion. “Wherever I
travel to, I always try to find a project I can link up with HISA.
I’d like to get some work done in Malaysia as well. I can see
there are ongoing efforts in place already, but I’d really like to help
as well. When I was in Taman Negara, I noticed that there areproblems between wild elephants and the Negritoes, who needto protect their crops. What HISA ultimately does is find solutions
for people and animals to live together.” In a world where man
and wildlife consistently compete for limited resources, HISA isadamant that there are always ways and means to avoid conflict.
“There are always options,” points out Crosmary. “I don’t believe
electric fences and the like are the only solutions. Research has
shown that beehives, for example, are natural repellents against
elephants.” Certainly, there are sustainable and organic options
that would prove doubly beneficial. Citing Crosmary’s beehive
example, farmers in Kenya are experimenting with innovative
beehive fences which, research has shown, have proven 97 percent successful in deflecting attempted elephant raids. This wasdue to the natural discovery that elephants have a natural fearof bees as, though their thick hide might prove impenetrable,
they are vulnerable around the eye area as well as the insideof their trunks. What made this initiative extra attractive to thefarmers was the added income from sales of the honey, provingthat ecologically sensitive and socially sound solutions exist. All
it takes is tenacity and a will to work around existing problems.
“Greater awareness and efforts will show results over time,” says
Crosmary confidently. “Technological advancement will also help
a great deal, so I am very hopeful we will, in the near future, findbetter ways for man and animals to live together.”“Malaysia is still such an amazing destination… so rich innature,” she continues. “I want to learn more about the country

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life feature //dawned upon me: why am I working with bones when there
are still so many animals left to save?” As Crosmary continues
to criss-cross the globe, sharing her adventures with her fanson Les Nouveaux Explorateurs as well as continuing to raiseawareness for the need to protect what’s left of the world’s
precious wildlife, it’s clear she’s living her childhood dream ofsaving the planet - one animal at a time.

and its wild places. Taman Negara, for example, is amazing….
each leaf, each twig, is a marvel of nature. And what I am also
surprised by is the high presence of wildlife everywhere – fromthe snakes in Perlis to your jungles filled with tigers, pangolins,
bats and a host of other creatures. I feel a good spirit here
in Malaysia. The people want to keep their tigers and I thinkconservation efforts here are strong.”
Although just 35, Crosmary has already travelled andexplored much of the world’s wilderness, and it’s a wayof life she is passing on to her young son, who shares
her great love for nature and animals. “He’s 10 now but, fromthe ages of three to six, lived with me in Zimbabwe and evenattended a bush school,” she smiles. Home for the family
is now significantly more urban, if a charming small town inFrance could be considered that. Although Crosmary, as arule, doesn’t like keeping pets, preferring them to be free, thehousehold still boasts an impressive menagerie, with a freeroaming rabbit (“I have to be so careful with it as there are
hunting dogs in the area”), two spiders named Isabella andBeatrice for tackling pesky mosquitoes, pet leeches (yes,leeches) as well as the plankton and hydra, a type of jellyfish,that she enjoys breeding. “Life here is different from the bush,where you really appreciate and enjoy all the small things,”
she shares. “Being French, I, of course, enjoy being welldressed and eating good things but, if I had to choose between
a life in the wild or a living a life of money and privilege, there’s
no question – I’d walk on the wild side. While In Zimbabwe, I
found it such a great privilege being able to say to my family:‘Ok, let’s go see lions tonight’ or enjoying a beer with wild
elephants nearby. I also find living in the wilderness, among
tribesmen, easy enough and an experience I’d love to havemore frequently. As long as I have fresh water and a bit of soap,
I’m alright. Being in nature shows you just how little you need inthis world. I know as I’ve experienced it and, I can tell you, it’s
immensely liberating!”
Today, looking demure in an embroidered cream top andkhakis, it’s hard to imagine Crosmary in the wild but, aquick glance at the work she does for her television, and it
becomes easy to see how she sheds her city skin forsomething more basic and primeval. “It’s something I’ve
had in me since I was a little girl,” she volunteers. “I had
seen a documentary about a rhino which had its horn
removed while still alive. I remember crying terribly for days
afterwards and realised that poaching was something I
wanted to fight against.” Her childhood epiphany led her tostudy zooarchaeology in Paris, followed by a stint working
in Nairobi, where the devastating effects of poaching andhabitat loss hit closer to home. “I was working with boxes
and boxes of bones at the museum there, and it suddenly

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Perrine’s Pointers

Everyday tips for living in nature.
•Realise that one of the most serious issues facing wildlife
today is trafficking. It is serious. Never buy products madefrom endangered species!

4•Habitat loss is another problem. Find a way to combine
growth and economics with conservation and preservation.
Try to end deforestation. It is imperative to protect what wehave because what we lose may be lost forever.
•Even as individuals, realise there is so much you can do.
Try to reduce the use of plastics in your home and neveruse pesticides or products that can harm nature.
•Plant a tree.
•Try and compensate for the carbon footprints you leave. It
starts with one’s willingness to do so.
•Always find the ecologically-sound solution for dealing
with issues, be it an ant problem or elephants. If you don’tknow what to do, always speak to someone with theknowledge and ability to help you. Do it right.

5•Never forget that we, man and nature, are all inextricably
linked.

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life feature //life feature //Facing page: Zandra Rhodes at The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, where
she stayed during her stay in Malaysia.
This page: Rhodes' designs reflect her
flair for the dramatic.

Colour Me Rhodes

From Diana, Princess of Wales, to Freddie Mercury, legendary
fashion designer Zandra Rhodes has dressed some of the most
famous bodies of the 20th century and put her inimitable stamp on
the international world of fashion. Ong Chin Huat has tea with theiconic Princess of Punk and finds out what she thinks of today’s
fashion and why she has pink hair.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE“Rhodes’ clothes
are for no shrinking
violent. Bold,
colourful andstatement-making,her clothes make no
apologies for theireye-catching qualities
and have a “take me
as I am” attitude.”

When Zandra Rhodes walks into a room, she lights it up with akaleidoscope of vibrant colours and hues, brightening up her
surroundings and the people within her orbit. Her effervescentpersonality adds to this effect, making her a joy to meet. “Ijust love designing for opera,” says Rhodes, on her first trip to
Malaysia recently. “I recently designed the set and costumes
for Aida. I love dressing those size 18 divas and making themfeel like fairy princesses. I think it’s just fabulous. I try to translate
what they are singing with my fashion,” she explains. (Rhodes
was in Kuala Lumpur recently as an ambassador of the GREAT
Retail Fashion Campaign, where she held a fashion show
as well.)
Rhodes talks fondly of opera as a new-found passion, but it
seems befitting that someone with a sense of the dramatic,
combined with a glamorous and whimsical aesthetic, wouldfind designing for opera such a pleasure. One of her current
projects has been putting together ideas for the Richard Strauss
opera, Salome, based on a femme fatale whose 'Dance of theSeven Veils' was possibly the forerunner of the modern-day strip
tease. It’s little wonder that both Aida and Salome are basedon two very strong women, not very different from some ofthose that Rhodes has designed for – from Diana, Princess ofWales, Jackie Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor to Paris Hilton, Kylie
Minogue and Isabella Blow – all icons of style and beauty that all
share a tensile strength in character that somehow complements
the designer’s work.
Which are not for the shrinking violet – bold, colourful andstatement-making, Rhodes’ designs make no apologies for their

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53

life feature //4

Diana, Princess of Wales, wearinga Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress,
at a reception held at the British
Consulate in Dubai in 1989.

eye-catching qualities and have a “take me as I am” attitude,
not unlike the designer herself. Asked about her pink hair, shelaughs: “Pink is a useful colour. It hasn’t always been pink; it
was green when I started in the 1970s, but pink is very easy touse, so it stayed.” Obviously one who believes in colour therapy,
she explains that colours feature so much in her work simply
because they makes her happy.
Born in Chatham, Kent in England, it was Rhodes’ mother who
sparked her interest in fashion. Her mother was a fitter in theHouse of Worth in Paris and, later, a lecturer at the Medway
College of Art. Rhodes herself studied at Medway before goingon to the Royal College of Art in London, where she majoredin printed textile design. In the early days, her designs wereconsidered too outré by traditional British manufacturers, so, with
her trademark chutzpah, she decided to make dresses with her
own fabrics and, as a result, pioneered the unique way of using
textiles designs to influence the shapes and silhouettes of theoutfits she made.
As one of the new wave of British designers who put London
on the international fashion map in the 1970s, earning herself
the moniker “Princess of Punk”, Rhodes designed clothes for
Marc Bolan, frontman of glam rock group T Rex, as well as

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Freddie Mercury and Brian May of Queen. Indeed, her tales ofFreddie Mercury coming into her studio and trying on the clothes
she was designing and prancing around to see how he felt inthem, transports her back on a nostalgic trip, if only in memory.
But, reminiscing about the past is not something Rhodes does
often. Her current and future projects occupy most of her waking
hours. “My life is so busy at the moment,” she says over tea inthe serene Reading Room of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
which hosted her stay as one of the sponsors of GREAT Retail
Fashion Campaign. “I should write a new book on my work but
I need to find the time for that.” She says she still has to comeup with new collections for two huge charity fashion shows thisyear – “I represent Breast Cancer awareness in the UK becauseof my pink hair!”
Rhodes has won a slew of awards and accolades from the fashionindustry, most notably the 1972 Designer of the Year. She waselected Royal Designer for Industry by the British Royal Society of
Art in 1974 and appointed a Commander of the British Empire by
HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 in recognition of her contribution
to fashion and textiles, and has nine honorary doctorates fromuniversities in both the UK and the United States. And, like atrue designer, when she talks about her current collection, hereyes light up beneath their kohl rims. “It was a total surprise to

everyone, “she says. “We had white wigs and everything wasin black and white instead of colour.” The collection, which hada sharp silhouette, “was very belted, had lots of footless tights,
floating jackets and transparent net skirts”. She finds doing oneoff “couture” pieces very inspirational because “you get to know
how someone feels in your designs.”
As for designers she admires, Rhodes, after a long pause,
mentions Jean-Paul Gaultier, whom she says is always interesting,followed by Giorgio Armani, who makes gorgeous classics and isa master of what he does, even though, she hastens to add, “I
wouldn’t wear his clothes.” Up-and-coming Mary Katrantzou,with her signature computer prints on fabrics, is also on her list.
“Fashion today has so many facets – there is dressed up, casualand so many other looks in between with all these new kids. It’s
got to be different with new blood but I hope they will still like myold blood in it.”Despite her modern outlook, Rhodes feels that fashion should
not be throwaways. “The world is not big enough to keep making
rubbish dumps.” As for her old clothes, she is lucky enoughto have her own museum in London. “I have to be so carefulthat I don’t stain my clothes as I save them for my museum,”
she chuckles. The Fashion and Textile Museum is located ina building near London Bridge, which also houses her studio,
factory and her apartment at the top. The museum is dedicatedto showing the work of fashion and textile designers from the
1950s onwards, and has curated several notable exhibitions
including My Favourite Dress, The Little Black Dress, and her very
own Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles , which
has since travelled to several countries including, most recently,
at the National Textile Museum in Kuala Lumpur.
Conventionally, Rhodes thinks that a well-dressed person issomeone who dresses appropriately for the occasion and what
they have to do. “This applies equally when you are casual. Whenyou meet you bank manager, you don’t need to be totally uptight.
You just need to be dressed suitably – but that doesn’t mean you
can’t make an outrageous statement. You can, with clever taste.”And, as for the way people are dressed today? “Oh dear!” shebreaks out into a hearty laugh. “Well, today there is a fabulous
normal casual look... but, as you can see, I didn’t pass mynormal casual exam!”

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life feature //Role Models

As far as reality TV goes, the Top Model franchise can’t be beat for glamour anddrama. The second season of Asia’s Next Top Model promises more adventure,laughs, tears and the odd catfight or two. Ong Chin Huat spends a day on set
with the judges and contestants and discovers what it takes to get on top andhow ducklings are transformed into swans.

There was Adam Williams, the larger-than-life movement coach.
Animated, lively and born with a permanent funny bone, he
had the models in stitches throughout the entire two months offilming. Snazzy in a denim shirt topped with a pristine white wing
collar and a midnight blue velvet dinner jacket complete withwhite high-tops, somehow you get the feeling Williams doesn’ttolerate any shrinking violets in his wardrobe. With a backgroundin theatre, where he’s played the lead roles in musicals such as
Chicago, Saturday Night Fever and The Full Monty, Williams is anatural on stage and in front of any camera.
Next is Joey Mead King. Oozing glamour from every pore, she’s
the mentor to all 16 contestants and lends them a shoulder tocry on. Today, however, that shoulder is seeing happier times.
Draped in a striking orange one-shouldered sheath dress cut on
the bias, which provides volume on her lean and lanky frame,and beaded white Jimmy Choo heels, this Ford Models alumna
is no stranger to the TV either as she was the first Filipina VJ
for Channel [V].
And, finally, there’s Mike Rosenthal, resident photographer
and the more stoic and contemplative of the trio. An

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE'internationally celebrated pixman and movie director, Los
Angeles-based Rosenthal has photographed Hollywood
stars like Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, John Travolta andRobert De Niro. Looking dapper in a blue brocade jacket
and silk pocket square topped on a white V-neck T, his
ensemble exuded a cool nonchalance only the very hip can
carry off.
For this 13-episode season, everything was bigger and bolder.
“On the second season, even I as a judge have been challenged,”says Mead King. “I tried out some of the activities the girls did
and I asked myself, ‘Wow, how did it feel like for them’?” Thestunt she was referring to was the first-ever photo shoot atop the
KL Tower, where at 421m high, anybody would be frightened, letalone an acrophobic model. “With a helicopter whizzing aroundtheir head and the girls wearing stilettos, it was nerve-wrecking.
I was definitely very nervous. The girls were very brave.” Apartfrom these death-defying sessions, Mead King says it waschallenging as a judge also because she was more involved andconnected with the contestants. “I had a vested interest in themas a mentor and judge, as I wanted them to excel and, whensome didn’t perform, I got frustrated.” Mead King questioned
herself many times and asked how far she wanted to go to help
the slackers.
Williams concurs: “It was a very interesting position to be in
because we were nurturing and encouraging them during theirassignments and, then, we had to critique them when it came to
judging time.” Rosenthal interjects: “You get emotionally invested
in the girls and the work itself, and it’s very difficult to remove
yourself from either.”He adds that judging wasn’t as easy as some people thought.
“It’s hard because, on the one hand, you want the other judges
to know what the girls went through, but on the other, it’s also
nice to have some people objectively looking at the work and justPhotography Law Soo Phye

It was the last interview of the day but, after a gruelling fourhour press conference and numerous media sessions, thethree judges of Asia’s Next Top Model Season 2 looked slightly
drained. Perched on a plush sofa in the luxurious surrounds of the
Presidential Suite of The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala
Lumpur, which also served as base camp for the 16 contestants
while filming in Kuala Lumpur, the judges were in glamour modeand looked like a million bucks, or maybe three million. Tired asthey were, when the time came for the photo shoot, all threesprang to life, like the true professionals they are in their respective
fields, the minute the lights came on and the photographer was
ready, striking poses and changing expressions with each click of
the camera.

life feature //Not All Fun And Games

With three decades as a highly successfulmodel behind her, Nadya Hutagalung
seems to be the perfect host and head
judge for Asia’s Next Top Model.
As far as longevity is concerned, Nadya
Hutagalung has defied the odds. Having
started modelling at 12, she’s grateful she
still has what it takes to be standing in frontof the camera for the last 28 years. “I started
modelling because I wanted to earn someextra pocket money,” says the AustralianIndonesian beauty. “My godfather was a top
fashion photographer and his wife was an
editor at Elle and I had their support from thestart.” Lucky her. She began her career inJapan and, at that time, the business was
dominated by blonde-haired, blue-eyes girls.
She stood out and didn’t quite fit in. But
she persevered and parlayed the exposure
modelling gave her to get into television. She
then became one of the first VJs on MTV
Asia back in 1995.
Today, her goals in life are loftier. The motherof three is an eco-warrior who champions
environmental conservation and sustainableliving. Being Singapore’s Ambassador for
the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour as well
as being the Earth Hour Global ambassador,
Hutagalung and her husband, Singaporeanchampion swimmer Desmond Koh, madeheadlines by building one of the republic’s
first eco-homes from scratch. She’s also on
the board of The Green School in Bali and,now that filming is over for Asia’s Next Top
Model, she's focussing her energy on anivory reduction campaign.
“I saw the way the world was changing 21
years ago when I went diving in Thailand,”says Hutagalung, explaining how she got
involved in environmental advocacy. “I saw
how pollution ruined some of the mostbeautiful diving spots there. Marine life was
all gone and the corals were bombed. Therewas so much damage, I thought I had to dosomething about it if only for my kids. I felt it
was my responsibility as a parent.”

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Tying in with her concerns about theenvironment is her health and beauty regime.
“I am very healthy in what I consume,”
she says. ‘I’m 80 per cent vegetarian and I
don’t drink – well, maybe I have one drink ayear. I do Pilates and I sleep without the airconditioning on.”in the next challenge. I wanted tosee them progressing – girls that gave us
more than one look; those who could betransformed and were versatile, and pushed
the boundaries got my vote. If they stepped
up to the plate and worked hard, theypassed my test.”

Having been the host and head judge ofthe first and second seasons, how different
were the two? “There’s more drama in the
new season. It’s more glam and has morefashion. The challenges were wilder. Some
stunts the girls did were more like what one
would expect to see in The Amazing Race.”
She says the producers learnt from thefirst season and made improvements
to the second. “The styling is slicker
and it’s more scenic. It’s a bettershow overall.”

And which hotel passed her test during thetwo-month shoot? “My favourite has tobe The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. It waswhere I set up camp and was my homeaway from home. The service was great!”“We also had a strong panelof judges and everyone
brought their own strengths
and qualities fromtheir respective
backgrounds.” Asfor the contestants,
she says she loved
them all. “Each one
worked hard and it wasdifficult to send someone
home at the end of each episode,”
she says. “I think fashion andbeauty is not something easily
defined as it changes constantly
and the models have to represent
that.” Hutagalung says that thetraditional idea of beauty might notalways be applicable in the modellingindustry today and stresses that it
wasn’t a pageant beauty queen theshow’s producers were after.
She also looked out for specificcriteria when judging the contestants.
“I looked for girls who were evolvingfrom episode to episode,” she reflects.
“I wanted to see which girl took
lessons they learnt and used them

She dismisses critics who thinkmodelling isn’t a serious
profession: “Any profession isserious if those working in it takeit seriously. One thing I tell the
girls is that I am very blessedthat still be working, doing
endorsements andcovers of magazines.
The key is to be
professional – lookafter yourself, havea healthy outlook,work hard andbe on time if you
want a long career.
Modelling is not
all fun and games
and parties.”“You get emotionally invested in the girls and the work
itself, and it’s very difficult to remove yourself from either.”

The second seasonof Asia's Next Top
Model premièreson Star World in Asia
in January 2014.

judging it on the merits.” Rosenthal acknowledges that being in
confined spaces and made to work together every day, as the
16 contestants were, was a recipe for friction. He admits it was
realistic to fall into disagreements under those circumstances.
“We are all hired for our different personalities and we getelevated in different situations.”
That aside, Mead King concedes this element was key
because all the judges stayed true to themselves. “When you
have such diverse characters defending what they believe in,you get camaraderie and you get clashes. I think you get thisin any show which is a competition and when it involves thebeauty industry, because it also represents different aspectsof the viewers.” As a former model, Mead King should know.
“I saw myself in those girls, which is why I got so emotional,”
she says. “I learnt the trade from my bad experiences.
But that was over many years. These girls are having it in
one shebang.”

Nadya Hutagalung is Asia's
Next Top Model's host andhead judge.

And what a shebang this production was. With a multi-million
dollar budget, filming took place in locations all over Malaysia andHong Kong. Recalling some of the places they visited, Williams
was blown away by Pangkor Laut Resort during their stint filming
there. “Arriving by boat, I was unaware of the grandeur of theplace. It was breathtaking and a ‘wow’ moment for me,” he says.
Feeling like a pampered prince, Williams waxes lyrical about MUSE
Pangkor Laut Estates, where he was assigned his personal chef,butler and staff whom, he says, gave him 200 per cent attention
round-the-clock. Rosenthal concurs: “Pangkor Laut Resort issuch a magical place. It was a multi-sensory experience for me.
The sounds of the cicadas and jungle, the smell of the greeneryand rain, and the fact it was so secluded, plus the light wasso special.”
Being the cultural and history buff that she is, Mead King was
impressed with the old-world charm of The Majestic Malacca. “I
loved the detail and history of the hotel,” she says. “I would goback there with my husband.”So, what makes a top model? Rosenthal, a veteran of 14
seasons of America’s Next Top Model surmises: “It’s notnecessarily the best-looking girl or the one with the best body.
A girl who is beautiful but difficult still wouldn’t give you what
you need. Aside from having the height and look, it’s about
being easy to work with, being inspired and bringing something
surprising to the shoot. Someone who is flexible even though it’s
freezing cold or scorching hot. You want a model who will deliver
her best for the project on hand.”THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

59

life feature //Times
Change,So Do We

Vistana is all about
creating the right vibes
and experiences forguests that move withthe times while deliveringvalue and ensuring every
business and travel needis met in a practical andefficient manner.

The new look Vistana Hotels, locatedin Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuantan,
promise new verve, vibrancy and value
for guests and business travellers alike.

The Vistana group of hotels will soon unveil a fresh new lookafter an extensive refurbishment and rebranding exercise.
Designed with the business traveller and the on-the-goguest in mind, Vistana Hotels will serve up its new approachto delivering guest experiences via its three V’s of Vibrance,
Verve and Value. This philosophy is all about creating theright vibes and experiences for guests that move with thetimes; while delivering value and ensuring every businessand travel need is met in a practical and efficient manner.
Whether you’re checking in to the Vistana Kuala Lumpur
for a few days of important meetings or perhaps
visiting the properties in Penang or Kuantan for a bitof business mixed with pleasure, you’ll find the allnew Vistana experience to be enjoyable, more than
comfortable and positively seamless from check-inright through to check-out.
The rooms will be refreshed with a comfortablespaciousness. Amenities will be by the
Mangosteen Collection, created exclusively
for Vistana, while the warms hues and inviting
furniture will also prove welcoming after a busy
day. Business travellers will also appreciatecomplimentary Wi-Fi connectivity throughout
the property, from public spaces to in-room,
while every attention to detail has been paid
to optimise productivity and accessibility. This
includes functional, roomy workspaces in

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

the guestrooms to efficient and engaging service as well as
Vistana’s own Hub247 – an all-day business solutions centre
that’s perfect for casual networking and business support
services. For more serious items on the agenda, welldesigned and spacious meeting rooms will be focal pointsof every Vistana Hotel, ideal for corporate presentations
and seminars, while larger-scale events may be held at theballroom, the perfect space in which to hold conferences,banquets or even social celebrations.

The refurbishedVistana Hotels
promisepleasurable
experiences forboth businesstravellers and onthe-go guests.

Naturally, every guest needs to refuel and recharge and theVistana has thoughtfully created the Cafe, which will offer
breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring both Asian and Westerncuisine. For those with tight schedules, the new Barista
concept – a grab ‘n’ go corner and the perfect spot for a
fresh-brewed caffeine jolt – ups the convenience and timesaving ante a couple of notches higher. And for the on-theroad corporate warrior, there’s no better way to start (andend) the day than on a high-energy note. With that in mind,
Vistana’s new 24/7 gyms will make working out a breeze, with
top-notch FreeMotion fitness equipment as well as personal
workout options. Checking out will also be made all the moreeasy at the reception, with its lively, engaging staff. Who
knows? You might just find yourself tempted to check rightback in again.

To make a booking, visit vistanahotels.com
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beautiful life //To Haveand to Hold

It’s All About Colour

A new year means….new bags to blag! Now that you
have a new annual quota of carry-alls to fill, here aresome of the most covetable handbags this season.
W = Wow!

Always desirable, always innovative, the house of Louis Vuitton’s W hit bag is ideal for themodern, on-the-go woman who wants all the elements of classicism, sophistication andstyle without sacrificing comfort and quality. The bag’s tight lines suggest the penmanshipof a ‘W’ while generous, geometric lines keep it supple yet not limp. Artistically-crafted,
it comes in several variations, including rare leathers with the emblematic Monogram
canvas, a velvety tufted effect or tapestry-inspired leather.

Shiatzy Chen

Famed for her designs which marry
Oriental chic and Parisian-inspired
elegance, it’s no wonder Shiatzy Chen
is often referred to as the ‘Chanelof the East’. Following on the great
success of her women’s and menswear
collections, add an exotic touch to yourensemble daily with one of her beautiful
accessories. We particularly love her
handbags which are always delicatelydesigned, accentuated with ornaments
in silver, jade, embroidery and otherunique elements.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEMaria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioliat the house of Valentino have also
given their accessories collection an
injection of colour. Electrifying hues ofblue and pink are paired with touches ofprints and rock chick studs for a look themodern yet stylish woman will definitely
appreciate.

Anya Hindmarch

So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

If you’re planning your trip to visit
YTL Hotels' charming Bray Housein Berkshire this season or perhaps
preparing your wardrobe for when
The Gainsborough Bath Spa opens
in summer, work the look of a Sloane
R a n g e r w i t h A n y a H i n d m a r c h ’s
delightful Ebury featherweight handbag
in natural python. Brit chic, indeed!

Make a statement this season with Sergio Rossi’s eye-poppingly bright new bag in all
the hottest (literally) colours and a zany geometric design. Imagine it adding punch toan all-black outfit or simply brightening up your look and mood? Dressing up has neverbeen more fun!

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I
G

beautiful life //sland
lamourLeave the hippie chic to Ibiza.
When one stays at the Villa
Tassana in Phuket, it’s allabout sophistication, eleganceand megawatt glam. Here, someof Malaysia’s top designers
show how to work the villa look.
Photography ChinToo Styling Calvin Cheong Hair & Makeup Shawn Goh
Model Diana Domanicova/Icon Models Location Villa Tassana, Phuket

Plumedcharm

Ostrich feathered lacebolero, Albert King.
Embroided meshmermaid gown, PU3.

Sunny allure
This page: Red chiffon
kaftan, Jendela.
Opposite page: Side drape
wrap gown, Khoon Hooi.

beautiful life //Grace inreposeSequined long dress,
Bernard Chandran.

Vision in laceThis page: Red lace on silklayered gown, Albert King.
Chiffon batik kimono
kaftan, Pink Jambu.

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beautiful life //Eveningenchantment
Embroided neckpieceand satin mermaid
gown with pleated hem
details, Zang Toi.

beautiful life //You Gotta
Glow With It

It’s a New Year. Celebrate your unique beauty with brands that are allabout looking great, inside and out.

Balanced Beauty

Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘beautiful woman’, so go ahead andfeel thoroughly gorgeous with Sundãri’s distinctive anti-aging skincare products, allmade from nature’s purest ingredients and rarest essences, and blended through amix of modern science and the ancient life-science of Ayurveda, resulting in a holistic
approach to wellness and beauty. What we can’t get enough of? The Neem Eye Cream,
the Chamomile Eye Oil and the Gotu Kola and Indian Asparagus Mask.

Natural Radiance

The name ‘Amala’ might offer many different meanings, ranging from ‘most pure’ inSanskrit to ‘revered mother’ in Tibetan, but few can dispute its holistic skincare andwellness range. Star products include the Blue Lotus Purifying Face Polish, the Desert
Fig Soothing Lip Salve and the Jasmine Hydrating Yogurt Mask. It is also heartening tonote that Amala reinvests five per cent of its profits back into its fair trade farm network
while collaborating with expert growers to help preserve traditional, organic farms andtheir way of life. Now, that’s what we call beautiful!

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Outer Beauty, Inner Health

The Good Earth

One of the most exciting organic wellness
brands on the market right now, ila goesbeyond organic, harnessing the earth’s
natural vibrations to deliver products thattouch the physical as well as the mental
and emotional. Founded by qualified
nurse, aromatherapist, yoga teacher andhealer Denise Leicester, ila offers luxurious
skincare crafted only from the finest
natural plant and mineral ingredients, wildharvested in remote, untainted regions byartisan producers who value traditional,
sustainable practices. Hollywood star
Gwyneth Paltrow is a big fan and beauty
editors all over the world have lavishedtonnes of praise on its myriad products,
which include its Face Oil for Glowing
Radiance and the Bath Salts for Inner
Peace. All ila’s formulae are also blended
using traditional techniques on a farmin England’s Cotswolds. It is truly fitting,then, that its name means ‘earth’ in
Sanskrit.

With a company philosophy based on the very sound principles of ‘outer beauty, innerhealth’, Kerstin Florian shines for its efficacious range of skincare products. “We seewell-being comprised of four core lifestyle practices,” says Charlene Florian, the brand’sVice President of Corporate and Creative Development. “These include proper nutrition,
exercise, peace of mind and care of the face and body.” From its nourishing MultiVitamin Day Crème moisturiser to its cooling aloe gel, know also that all Kerstin Florianproducts are based on natural resources like thermal mineral water, herbal extracts andessential oils.
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spa life //spa life //Spa Village Cameron Highlands' Semai
rituals for him and her recreate authentic
therapies using indigenous ingredients
inspired by the local Semai tribe.

Highland Fling
Ensconce yourself and your loved one this Valentine’s Day
at the dreamy Cameron Highlands Resort for a weekend ofrest, romance and rejuvenation.
Text Diana Khoo Photography Yong Keen Keong & YTL Hotels

Located along the spine of the Titiwangsa mountain range,
Cameron Highlands, one of Malaysia’s best-known holiday
destinations and the preferred hill station of the elite during thecolonial era, remains a verdant, mist-covered haven for thoseseeking respite from the heat and humidity of the lowlands.
Surrounded by mossy forests, dense jungle and exotic flora, thehighlands is an outstanding example of a tropical mountain ecosystem. Rambling jungle trails reward the adventurous and theintrepid with sightings of wild miniature orchids, pitcher plants andvibrant rhododendrons or, perhaps, a sight of a lush waterfall.
There are also several Orang Asli (indigenous people) settlements
dotting the area, the most notable of which is Pos Rantau, oneof the oldest Semai tribal villages in the highlands. Imbued with adeep knowledge of the healing herbs, plants and flowers of thearea, it is from them that the award-winning Spa Village Cameron
Highlands draws inspiration for its range of wellness rituals.
Created in the vein of the company’s other Spa Villages, with each
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therapies, Spa Village Cameron Highlands is renowned for its spa
menu that features produce from the surrounding jungle, tea fromthe celebrated tea plantations dotting the landscape, as well as
knowledge drawn from the Orang Asli who have long utilised avariety of plants, from roots to leaves and bark, in traditional cures.
One of Spa Village Cameron Highlands’ signature treatments
is, without doubt, the Semai – a special couple’s treatment thatcombines traditional medicinal ingredients of the Semai people withhealing therapies like steam and herbal baths, massage and scrubs.
Begin your Semai experience with a traditional welcome of purifying
hot towels, scented with lavender and rosemary, and cups of hot
chamomile in the spa’s airy, light-filled reception. Once ready,your therapists will lead the both of you past relaxation pavilions
and gurgling fountains to a private treatment area where, oncechanged, you may soak for about 15 minutes in specially drawn
baths infused with shredded pandanus leaves, kemangi, green
tea, ginger and kaffir lime slices. As you luxuriate, scrub your knees
and elbows with a prepared mixture of crushed sugar before lightly

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spa life //Other treatments to try while in
the highlands
ROSE GARDEN
Roses are a common sight in the cool highlands and thefirst rose garden here was established by a Scotsmanin the 1950s. This two-hour spa journey comprises ofa yellow rose tea bath, designed to battle the effects ofstress, an aromatic rose petal body scrub and a blissful
and nourishing rose aroma massage.
CAMERON’S MINT
Renowned for its healing properties, mint is excellent for
improving circulation while boosting the immune system.
Begin with a mint tea bath (ideal for aching muscles after
a hard day’s trek or golf game), followed by a mint andthyme body scrub or body wrap before finishing with amint muscle relief body massage.
FRESH STRAWBERRY ESCAPADE
Cameron Highlands is studded with many strawberry
patches, which thrive in the invigorating climate, and
it is long known that strawberries relieve depression,
infections and fevers as well as ailments of the kidneys,
liver and blood. Here, begin with a strawberry tea bath
before a full body buff using an aromatic mixture of fresh
strawberries, yoghurt and crushed oatmeal. Finally,
end with an aromatic strawberry massage. Soothing,sensuous and sublime.
CHRYSTANTHEMUM AND AVOCADO ESCAPADERich in Vitamin E, avocados are nourishing whilechrysanthemum has a long history of medicinal use. Ease
tensions away in a chrysanthemum flower bath before
being massaged all over with avocado oil and wrappedin warm sheets to allow the rich oils to fully penetrate
your skin. In the meantime, your therapist will treat you toan avocado scalp massage designed to nourish the hair
while stimulating growth.

All the above two-hour spa treatments may be performed
for couples or individuals and are priced at RM700++
and RM400++, respectively. Spa Village Cameron
Highlands’ treatment hours are from 9am to 9pm, withthe last treatment starting at 8pm.You may also choose
to combine any of the above treatments with a twocourse dinner for two at the resort’s The Dining Room forjust RM1,150 nett as part of the hotel’s Romantic Evening
Experience package. Please note it excludes the Colonial
Classic Menu and alcoholic drinks and beverages.

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exfoliating your face with crushed tea leaves and honey. Tea bags
are also prepared should you wish to relax or simply enjoy theexperience while sipping on glasses of cold honey and lemon water.
An Urutan Batin massage for him and a Minjau Asli massage for her
follows, combining the healing, sweeping strokes and fingerwork of
traditional urut (massage) with an ointment of coconut oil, tea andblack pepper to nourish and soften skin in preparation for the batin
tangas wap (steam bath) for him and a Muhak herbal sitz bath for her.
Your therapists will then proceed to scrub the both of you downwith a creamy mixture of crushed rice, turmeric, galangal, green
tea and jasmine; once again, drawing from the abundance ofingredients found in the area, and all of which have the ability totreat, heal and soothe effectively yet naturally. Rinse off under a hot
shower and proceed to the nearby relaxation pavilion, where you
will be served hot ginger and jasmine tea accompanied by oatmeal
biscuits and homemade strawberry jam. Linger a while to enjoyeach other’s presence amidst the greenery and refreshing highland
air, which is often broken by the constant sound of birdsong. It isat this moment I am reminded of the phrase ‘to head for the hills’.
Luxuriating in post-spa bliss, it now makes more sense than ever.

The Semai experience is priced at RM1,000++ for two and takes
approximately three hours.

The Semai experience includes abotanical bath, a traditional massage, asteam or sitz bath and a traditional bodyscrub with locally-sourced ingredients.

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life cuisine //Making Lemonadeout of Lemons
Known as the chef’s chef and an ambassador of British Cuisine, the multiple
Michelin starred Gary Rhodes was in town recently to display his finely honed
skill at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Ong Chin Huat discovers his mostmemorable meals and why snake soup will forever be on his mind.
Perhaps what’s most telling about Gary Rhodes’ style ofcooking and which serves as a testimony to how well-tuned
he has refined his craft was when someone he met recently at
the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur told him about
a dish he had in his restaurant a while back. “It was smoked
haddock topped with Welsh rarebits that was lightly glazed
with a tomato and chive salad on the side. It was very simple,”says Rhodes, who has the same profound way of describing
food and ingredients as a museum curator would talk about amasterpiece. “He asked me when I was going to put that dishback onto the menu and, in fact, it is one I am re-creating forthe opening my new restaurant.”
With the passion and zeal only someone who has a genuineinterest and love for his profession can elucidate, Rhodes
says cooking, for him, goes beyond tantalising his guests’
taste buds and filing their tummies. “It’s about creating amemory in someone and, even though it may have been adish he had about 10 years ago, he still talks about it today.”Gary Rhodes at The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur's Colonial Café.

Having been awarded six Michelin stars and a host of otherprestigious culinary awards, Rhodes may have alreadyreached the pinnacle of his career, but he isn’t contend torest on his laurels and is constantly striving to improve hiscraft. With humility laced with self-effacing humour, Rhodes,
who was in Kuala Lumpur recently as an ambassador of the
GREAT Retail Fashion Campaign, says that the beauty of theindustry he is in is that he never stops learning. “I spent sometime travelling all around China and realised I really didn’t knowthat much about Chinese cuisine. It changes from region

to region and I have set myself a task to learn more about
Oriental cuisine.” He adds: “Gaining Michelin stars and otherachievements is lovely, but cooking, for me, is really about
discovering the world.”
Which is something at the top of his bucket list: “I’venever been to South America; I know nothing about
Mexican or Argentinean cuisines, and there’s so muchto discover. My task is to make sure I can experience
all the different foods when I go on holiday.” Indeed,
he says that when he finishes his work, he plans to goaround Kuala Lumpur, trying out all the different street
food our city has to offer. A gastronomic adventurer
by nature, there is nothing Rhodes wouldn’t try.
“I’ve eaten some strange food in my times. Once,in Hong Kong, I went to a snake bar, where they
served, among other things, snake soup, which
I found quite delicious. A lady came out while I
was having my soup and took a live snake andslit its gall bladder with a knife, and squeezed
a dark and disgusting liquid into a tumbler andoffered it to me. I knocked it back and, although
it was bitter, the soup tasted so much better
after that.”
Snake soup, however, was not featured on
the menu he created for The Colonial Caféat The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur during
the GREAT Retail Fashion Campaign.
Instead, the delectable fare on offer in the

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life cuisine //specially commissioned Rhodes Menu consisted of smokedsalmon terrine served with a unique sweet lemon asparagus
salad, followed by a main course of roast duck breast andcrisp duck pancake with a side of confit potato with red
wine and blueberry sauce. Rhodes’ signature iced Lemon
Fool completed the three-course meal.
As an ambassador for British cuisine, Rhodes is known for
his unique mastery of great British classics – a skill whichenables him to re-introduce the British people to its richgastronomic heritage – something which no other chef
has succeeded in doing. “I don’t like the term ‘Modern
British Cuisine’,” Rhodes says emphatically. “It’s a term
the media created rather than one which came from achef. I have a book called New British Classics, which
is what I prefer calling it. What I’ve done is to take thegreat old classic recipes and refine them. I made thesauces less flour-based or overly starchy, and madesure everything had a more natural flavour.” Rhodes
emphasises that balance is key and that many who
have attempted modernising British cooking lose thedishes’ true originality. “Every area of the world has
great food – French food is famous, as is Italian,
Chinese, Malaysian and Thai. British food has only
just been taken notice of. In many parts of theworld, it is still not respected. I would like to show
people what British food is about and that it canrival any of the major cuisines of the world.”“Instead of taking
photos of food as mostpeople tend to do theseday, Rhodes rely on his
taste buds as remindersof memorable culinary
experiences he
has had.”So, what does the man who is revered byhis peers as “the chef’s chef” like to cook athome for himself and his family? He ponders
for a while before answering. “Hmmm… it reallydepends on the mood I am in,” he says stoically.
“One minute I may want something very simple,
like a risotto where I can put anything I likein it, like shellfish or meat, wild mushrooms
and parmesan. Or I may fancy just a simple
pan-fried fish with a squeeze of lemon, atwist of pepper and a touch of rock salt anda little bit of spinach.” On other occasions,
Rhodes professes to crave a roast with all
the trimmings.
In hushed tones, he confides: “The truth is,
my wife does most of the cooking at home.”
But, he adds: “I do the washing up!” With
the hours he keeps and the intensity of his

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The specially commissioned Rhodes Menu at The Colonial Café featured a maincourse of roast duck breast and crisp duck pancake with a side of confit potato
with red wine and blueberry sauce.

life cuisine //workload, Rhodes admits that he is very particular about his
food. “If it’s something simple like risotto or fish, then I insist
on doing the cooking. But, if we are having a roast, I’ll leavethat to my wife. It’s too much work for me.” His wife, Jennie,
was a former chef, while his two sons, Samuel and George,
although not chefs, are also in the food business. “When mysons were young, I taught them about food and cooking.
They understand food very well as it is their life. I told themthat, apart from needing food to survive, you have to respect
it, understand it and enjoy it. Don’t eat it out of habit, but treat
it with as much respect as the person next to you.”
Food aside, respecting his body is also on his agenda. Trimand fit, Rhodes’ physique isn’t one of a typical chef. He laughs
where asked how he keeps lean. “I am on my feet the entire
day in the kitchen and it’s non-stop running from station tostation. I would love to know how many miles I have done!”
Having said that, he admits to going to the gym at 6am themorning of this interview and works out with weights about
five times a week.
And, instead of taking photos of food as most people tend to
do these day, Rhodes relies on his taste buds as reminders ofmemorable culinary experiences he has had. His eyes lights
up when he recalls a trip to Naples, the birth place of pizza.

life cuisine //“I am somebody who wants to understand mycustomers – what are their needs, what do theywant to eat and how do you keep them comingback time and time again.”“Never before in my life have I had a pizza which took just
two and a half minutes to cook in a stone oven which was
600˚C, which was crisp on the outside, slightly burnt on theedges and soft toward the centre. There was an explosionof sweetness from the tomatoes and its richness contrasted
against the slight bitterness of the burnt edge of the crust.
It was, for me, one of the greatest culinary experiences of
my life.”

The Rhodes Menu starts with a smoked salmon terrine served with aunique sweet lemon asparagus salad (left) and ends with the chef's
signature iced Lemon Fool (below).

Apart from that pizza in Naples, he considers a breakfast
he had at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant in New
York and a three Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, where
he had a rhubarb soup with parmesan and truffles, as
undoubtedly some of the best dishes he has ever eaten,
meals he would be talking about for the rest of his life, andthis is something he hopes to give those who come tohis restaurants.
The oft-used expression of a lemon to denote something
defective doesn’t exist in Rhodes’ vocabulary. In his book,it comes out tops instead. “In British cooking, we don’t
use a lot of spices apart from salt and pepper. Therefore,
something I always have in my kitchen is lemons. They areso versatile – you can make a lemon milkshake, an iced
drink or dessert. You can use the skin to make a spongecake or tart. It goes with fish – you can make a lemonbutter sauce and hollandaise, as well as a vinaigrette withlemongrass, peppercorns, black pepper, lemon zest andjuice. The flavours are sensational and it works with somany things.”

rather than for people. It’s what they feel customers
should like, more than understanding what they actually
like. They think, ‘This is my style and I’m not going tochange it. It’s my expression, how I put food on a plateand you are just coming to pay for it and enjoy it’.”Rhodes pauses before continuing: “I can’t work likethat. I am somebody who wants to understand mycustomers – their needs, what they want to eat andhow do you keep them coming back time andtime again.”

Presently based in Dubai, Rhodes says that his one Michelinstar restaurant, Rhodes W1, at the Grosvenor House Hotelis his favourite. “It’s close to my heart as it’s the first one I
opened in Dubai seven years ago. It’s now undergoing a
refurbishment as it has the seven-year itch!” he jokes. Asked
about the secret behind the successful restaurants under
his belt, he confides: “Many chefs just cook for themselves

And where does he go back time and time again,other than his own restaurants? “My absolutefavourite restaurant is in the UK, near our homein Kent. It’s a Cantonese restaurant called
Xian and run by a wonderful family. We’ve
been going there for the last 20 years. The
food there is sensational!”

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life cuisine //life cuisine //first day of the New Year. Family members
will come together, from near and far, forthis auspicious occasion. In the past,
where the preparation of the feast will fallto the matriarch, aided by her daughtersin-law, it is becoming increasingly common
to celebrate at a restaurant or hotel. The
only things that remain unchanged are
the dishes, all of which are served inabundance and carry auspicious meanings
and seen as representations of luck,
laughter and happiness.

Of Feasts, Fortune& Family
Here are some essential ingredientsneeded in every lucky Lunar New Yearfamily feast.
Dried sweet barbecued pork – Sweet,
chewy and tasty, this is an essential
element in every Lunar New Year’s ‘tray of
togetherness’ snack platter. Essentially thinsheets of sweet pork, it has a wonderfulgrilled flavour and is best enjoyed on
its own.

Lucky Lunar Feasts
The Year of the Horse is upon us! Welcome in the Lunar New Year witha feast fit for an emperor. Let Leung Kuai Hong and Wong Wing Yeuk,
the Executive Chefs of Li Yen at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, andShanghai at the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, respectively, show you how.

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It is no secret that one of the most foodobsessed people on the planet are theChinese. Every occasion is an excuse
to feast and, unsurprisingly, the biggest
event in the Chinese cultural calendar is
the Lunar New Year. Celebrated for 15
full days, the Chinese New Year falls thisyear on 31 January and sees the ushering
in of the Year of the Horse. One of themost important feasts for this season ofcelebration and renewal is the family
reunion dinner, held the night before theFatt Choy – Also referred to as ‘sea moss’,
this is an important ingredient as its name, in
Cantonese, literally translates as ‘prosperity
vegetable’. Wonderful in braised dishes andwhen paired with shitake mushrooms.
Ninko – A sweet, sticky cake made fromglutinous rice, thick syrup and sugar, this isa particularly auspicious treat as the word
ko can also mean ‘tall’ or ‘high’, signifying
the achievement of greater heights for the
coming year. These cakes are an essential
offering to the Kitchen God as it is believed
the exceedingly sticky-sweet cake willserve to either sweeten the deity’s report to
the Heavenly Jade Emperor or, as wags will

say, prevent him from speaking too much.
This is especially delicious when deep-friedwith sweet potato.
Dried oysters – A Chinese New Yearfavourite, it often features in soups,
braised dishes and casseroles as its
name in Cantonese, hoe see , sounds
like the words for good fortune andgood deeds.
Mandarin oranges – A symbol of wealthand luck, this is a must-have: to eat as wellas to display. This is due to the fact that
the Chinese words for ‘gold’ and ‘orange’sound alike. A caveat – group them any
way you like, except in fours, which soundlike the word for ‘death’.
Pomelo – This auspicious fruit is anothersymbol of prosperity and status, and canbe enjoyed raw or in yee sang salads.
Fish – In Chinese, ‘fish’ sounds similar to
the word for ‘abundance’ or ‘surplus’, so
it’s a must to have a whole fish dish servedup (usually steamed, with soy sauce)
during every feast, with head and tail intact,
symbolising a good start and end to thecoming year.
Prawns – In Chinese, the word for ‘prawn’or har sounds like laughter, so it is believeda dish of prawns or shrimps is a must for ayear of happiness ahead.
Noodles – A symbol of longevity, this is a
key dish and normally served at the endof the meal, just before dessert. Anothercaveat – do not ever use a knife to cut thenoodle but, instead, use chopsticks toportion them long and whole when serving
or eating, as cutting noodles symbolises
the cutting-short of one’s life.

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life cuisine //Chef Leung Kuai Hongof Li Yen at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala
Lumpur’s auspicious dishes for the
Lunar New Year.

Pan-Fried Cod Fish
With Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
4 pieces cod fish
A pinch of salt & pepper
3 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
Preparation:
1. Pan fry the cod fish until flaky.
2. Mix the Thai chili sauce with the mustardand cook until it simmers.
3. Remove the dregs from the sauce
before using it to top off the cod.

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Stir-Fried Shrimp With
Scallops, Celery And Walnut
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic100g celery
50g walnut
100g shrimp
100g scallop
Preparation:
1. Deep fry the walnuts.
2. Blanch the shrimps, scallops
and celery.
3. Stir fry the scallops, shrimps, walnuts
and celery with garlic until fragrant.
Serve on a bed of crispy noodles
and garnish accordingly.

New Year's Eve Poon Choy
(Note: served in claypot)

Ingredients:
6 head of Australian abalone
6 Japanese dried scallops
6 dried oysters
6 sea cucumber
6 braised mushrooms with oyster sauce
6 boiled prawns with supreme stock
6 slices roasted duck6 slices simmered chicken in bouillon
6 slices braised pork with Nam Yee sauce
6 curry fish balls
6 deep-fried cuttlefish ball6 pieces bamboo pith
6 pieces sea moss
1 head Tian Chen cabbage
6 pieces deep-fried bean curd skin

6 pieces white carrot
6 pieces duck web (deboned duck feet)
6 Chinese sausages
6 trotter root
Abalone sauce, to taste
Preparation:
1. Arrange the Tian Chen cabbage, deepfried bean curd skin and white carrot
at the base of the dish.
2. The braised pork with Nam Yee
sauce go in next, occupying the
middle section.
3. Place everything else on top of
the existing ingredients.
4. Top it off with abalone sauce and let it
cook in the claypot until fragrant.

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life cuisine //Lobster Yee Sang

Geoduck Clam Yee Sang

Seasoning:
50g sour plum sauce
5g mustard
50g peanut sauce
30g water
A few sprigs of coriander
Corn oil and lemon or lime juice to taste

Seasoning:
50g sour plum sauce
5g mustard
50g peanut sauce
30g water
A few sprigs of coriander
Corn oil and lemon or lime juice to taste

Preparation:
1. Cut the cooked lobster into bitesized pieces.
2. Julienne the carrot and cabbage.
3. Put all the ingredients onto a plate withthe coriander in the middle as garnish.
Then mix all of the seasoning into
the plate.

Preparation:
1. Cut the clam into bite-sized pieces.
2. Julienne the carrot and cabbage.
3. Put all the ingredients onto a platewith the coriander in the middle
as garnish.
Then mix all of the seasoning
into the plate.

Ingredients:
1 generous portion of lobster
1 head of cabbage
1 carrot

Chef Wong Wing Yeukof Shanghai at the JW Marriott
Kuala Lumpur’s choices for
the Chinese New Year.

Ingredients:
1 piece geoduck clam
1 head of cabbage
1 carrot

Steamed Glutinous Ricewith Cubed Abalone
and Chinese Waxed Meat
Wrapped in Bamboo Leaves
Ingredients:
2 bamboo leaves
15g Chinese waxed meat
30g glutinous rice
50g pork ribs
5g abalone cubes
Seasoning:¼ tablespoon dark soy sauce¼ tablespoon light soy sauce¼ tablespoon salt
¼ tablespoon oyster sauce
Sesame oil to taste
Preparation:
1. Cook the glutinous rice by stirring it
until fragrant.
2. Season the pork ribs with the soy
sauces, salt and oyster sauce for
30 minutes.
3. Wrap the glutinous rice with the meats,
abalone and pork ribs inside thebamboo leave. Steam it for 30 minutes.

Deep-Fried Water Shrimps
With Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
300g shrimps
Finely chopped garlic

Seasoning:
10g ginger
10g green onion
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
5 tablespoon waterPreparation:
1. Stir fry the shrimps lightly and set
it aside.
2. Stir fry the garlic until light browned
and fragrant, add all the seasoning,
followed quickly by the shrimp.
3. Serve immediately.

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Braised Pork Trotter With
Sea Moss
Ingredients:
1 regular-sized pork trotter

1 packet of sea moss
1 full head of Chinese cabbage(siu pak choy)
Seasoning:3g star anise
3g cinnamon
5g green onion
10g salt
50g crystal sugar
100g red rice
2 litres waterPreparation:
1. Blanch the pork trotter and then put all
the ingredients, including the trotter, into a
pot with the water and cook for two hours
or until the meat is tender enough to fallaway from the bone.
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life cuisine //From Starhill
to Shanghai
Shook! Shanghai dishes up classic Western cuisine with strong Asian accents,
while affording spectacular views of the city skyline from its swanky address at
the Swatch Art Peace Hotel.
Text Vivian Chong

When you have a coveted location
overlooking the much-photographed
Bund, the cosmopolitan Shanghai'swaterfront views are an integral part of
the attraction and enjoyment of yourguests. Shook! Shanghai, the first andonly overseas branch of Starhill Gallery
Kuala Lumpur's stalwart fine dining
establishment that opened in 2010,
certainly knows how to make the mostof it. The main dining area looks rightout to the popular promenade, while arooftop bar affords uninterrupted viewsof the stretch along East Nanjing Road,

Sup in style atthe elegant
Shook! Shanghai.

where majestic Art Deco buildings once
housed the banks and finance centres
that made up what was known as theOriental Wall Street. And, if that wasn’t
enough, the restaurant has also cleverly
installed mirrors on the window panelsalong the left periphery, so that more
guests can savour the sought-after
vista, or at least its reflection.
Shook! Shanghai’s decor is a showcaseof chinoiserie fineries, highlighted
by red wooden panels that support
traditional Chinese geometric patterns
and columns embellished with dragon
motifs, while thick velvet furnishings
dress various details. At the entrance,a large number ‘5’ indicates the level
where the restaurant is located and“Shook!’s cuisine is not only
diversified in its flavours, but is also
flexible and can be adapted
to accommodate guests’ requests
and suit individual palates.”92

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life cuisine //“Shook! has always
emphasised a laidback
and comfortableambience that’s not unlike
dining at someone’s
home, and the sharing offood is encouraged.”
From cool cocktails
at the Time Bar
to sophisticated,
Asian-accented
cuisine, don't miss
Shook! Shanghai on
your next visit to theParis of the East.

2

leads to a shiny marble-covered
walkway flanked by vertical winecellars. The dark floors are lit up
by candlelight, creating an intimate
ambience that hints at the dining
experience that lies ahead. Privaterooms and a dining area, divided
into several cosy sections, sit on theleft along with the chicly dressed
Time Bar, where you can imbibe predinner cocktails.
Across from the bar is where all theculinary action takes place, in the showy
open kitchen that’s been dubbed ‘theFerrari of show kitchens’. It looks out tothe main dining room, where the dark
floors are offset by all-white walls. In
place of art pieces that usually adorn
restaurant interiors, Shook! makes a nodto the hotel it resides in – the world’s only
Swatch Art Peace Hotel – by displaying

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iconic timepieces designed by thewatch brand over the decades. It adds
a sense of fun to the elegant setting
and serves as a delightful contrast
to the storied walls that enclose thebuilding, a stunning Renaissance-stylemasterpiece constructed in 1907 tohouse the southern wing of the landmark
Peace Hotel.
While its menu differs from that ofits sister restaurant in Kuala Lumpur,
Shook! Shanghai keeps to the same
signature style of Western classics
punctuated with Asian flavours. The
influences of Chinese, Japanese, Thaiand other South-East Asian cuisines
can be tasted across the menu,
including dishes that are the favouritesof the owners, such as the Yeoh
Family Style King Prawn Noodles. The
popular Malaysian dish may, at firstglance, appear somewhat pedestrianamong the more sophisticated offerings
but Shook! has always emphasised alaidback and comfortable ambiencethat’s not unlike dining at someone’s
home, and the sharing of food is
encouraged. The inclusion of suchdishes affirms that sense of homelinesswithout taking away what is ultimately achic dining experience.
Food & Beverage Director/Executive
Chef Matthew Ona joined Shook!
Shanghai in 2012 and leads theculinary team in upholding the finequality that had been established byhis predecessor, Kevin Cape, since therestaurant’s opening. The Minneapolis-

born, American Culinary Federationcertified Ona has years of culinary
expertise tucked behind his apron,having worked in some of the toughest
kitchens in the United States, including
Thomas Keller ’s renowned French
Laundry in the Napa Valley. Ona’s
approach to a good meal is simple:“Appetisers should be fun and exciting;for mains, keep it safe; desserts should
be comforting.”
His ethos translates into starters likethe Spicy Lemongrass Broth, a tom
yam -like consommé that is poured
tableside into a bowl of succulent

poached shrimps, enoki mushrooms,
citrus and cilantro. Zesty, with a nicedose of heat, it’s certainly an appetisingkick-off. Another popular entree is the
Pacific Salmon Tartar, the fresh fish
given a lovely lift with crushed cilantro
avocadoes, oven-roasted tomatoes
and, for a touch of the Orient, a ginger
miso rosé sauce.
Shook!’s cuisine is not only diversified in
its flavours, but is also flexible and canbe adapted to accommodate guests’requests and suit individual palates. Not
that you’d want things any differently if
you order the Australian Wagyu Beef

Ribeye Steak, a juicy and generous cut
served over a bed of silky potato puree
and grilled asparagus, drizzled overwith a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction.
It’s just the dish to order if you’re
craving a hearty, meaty indulgence
to complement a good red from therestaurant’s extensive wine list. For
white pairings, choose from easy
favourites such as Boston Lobster á laminute, with its stuffed tail flavoured by
fresh herbs and parmesan, and claws
that are poached to buttery tenderness.
A side of prawn risotto adds to thecrustacean count while a light lemon
beurre blanc gives it a tangy lift.
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life cuisine //shelf life //Asian Nuances

That should leave room for some
sinfully gooey desserts, led by the
Valrhona Chocolate Fondant, a crowd
pleaser that’s worth the 15-minute wait.
Thick molten chocolate fills the centre
of a moist cake, the heat of which istempered by a creamy vanilla bean ice
cream. Have it on its own or as partof the Tasting of Valrhona Chocolate
platter, where a petit version of the
fondant is served with a trio of otherbite-sized cocoa delights: Hazelnut
Chocolate Truffle, Dark Chocolate
Caramel Ganache and a Chocolate Ice
Cream Profiterole.

From an insightful look into the family life of a traditional Peranakan upbringing
to the mystery of Thai silk king Jim Thompson’s disappearance in Cameron
Highlands, Malaysia, let Asia open your mind and take you on a literary
journey this season.

It’s a highly satisfying dish for the
chocolate lover and lives up to Chef
Ona’s promise of a comforting mealender. Combine all that with friendly,
attentive service and it’s no surprisethat, in this hip metropolis where diningout in style is an everyday affair with noshortage of fine international restaurants
to pick from, Shook! Shanghai is up
there among the city’s top meals-witha-view.

Around The World In 80 Vinos...and counting. Shook! Shanghai’swine cellar, which takes prideof place near the entrance andgreets every guest that steps
into the restaurant, boasts anextensive selection of Old and New
World wines. The esteemed range
includes two highly coveted verticalcollections of Bordeaux wines fromthe estates of Château Cheval
Blanc and Château d’Yquem, withvintages that span seven decades,from 1945 to 2008. There are also
19 champagnes in the cellars, of

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which nine are vintages, and there
are several by Armand de Brignacthat are exclusive to the restaurant.

SHOOK! Shanghai
The Swatch Art Peace Hotel
23 East Nanjing Road (Bund 19)
200002 Shanghai, China
Tel +86 21 2329 8522
Opens 11.30am-2.30pm (lunch)
6pm-10.30pm (dinner) daily;
Sunday brunch from 11.30am-3pm
www.shookrestaurantshanghai.com

What: Natural Wonders – Mountain, Rainforest and Reef.
Who: Wendy Hutton.
Why: This book takes you on an extraordinary journey throughparts of Asia via YTL Hotels, uncovering the rich flora and faunathat envelop eight luxurious retreats. The amazing images by
Jason Isley, Gilbert Woolley and Christian Loader only amplify theexperience, making you want to book your next escape post-haste.
What: Jim Thompson – The Unsolved Mystery.
Who: William Warren.
Why: As the 47th anniversary of Jim Thompson’s disappearance
looms large on Easter Sunday, now might be a good time todigest William Warren’s excellent book, which explores the Thaisilk king’s early days, the start of his exotic business career withthe establishment of the Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company andthe amassing of a magnificent art collection in Bangkok. Having
mysteriously disappeared in 1967 while seemingly on an afternoon
stroll in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, conspiracy theories havelong abounded, ranging from Thompson’s alleged role as a CIA
agent to being led away by jungle spirits.

What: Recollections.
Who: Tan Tiong Liat.
Why: These reminiscences by a son of Penang highlights the Lokefamily history and its Nyonya matriarch, allowing readers a glimpse
into the unique lifestyle and culture of a Sino-Malay people known
as the Baba-Nyonyas or Peranakans against the backdrop of
historical George Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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life’s moments
life’smoments////

It’s not known as the snowiest resort in
the world for nothing. Enjoy all the magic
and wonder of the winter wonderland that
Niseko, Japan, transforms into this time ofyear. Luke Hurford, YTL Hotels’ Vice Presidentof Sales and Marketing and a former residentof Niseko, shares with YTL Life his top tips on
what to see, do and experience while there.

SALUTE THE SUN

It is very much part of Japanese tradition to view the sunrise as
a way to welcome the New Year. On this special day, there is avery early gondola at the Hilton Niseko Village to take guests up
Mount Annupuri to greet the sun as it rises behind Mount Yotei,
often called ‘Ezo Fuji’ due to its similarity to the famous landmarkof Mount Fuji. It’s a beautiful way to usher in the year with a viewof the sunrise over this spectacular mountain.

IN HOT WATER
Nothing beats relaxing in thenatural onsen (hot springs) of The
Green Leaf and the Hilton Niseko
Village after a hard day’s skiing
on the slopes. Few pleasures canequal soaking away the day inhot, therapeutic waters with snow
falling on and all around you. Try
The Green Leaf’s onsen, whichboasts a particularly stunningrotenburo (outdoor bath).

WHITE DAYS & NIGHTS

If you don’t already know how to, you must absolutely learn to ski and snowboard while in Niseko. Even if you start
off as a complete beginner, you’ll pick it up in just a couple of days and quickly understand why so many people
get hooked. Niseko Village has an incredible ski school with instructors from Japan and all over the world. It also
has some of the best local skiers and instructors. I’ve watched friends who’ve never skied before start cautiously
and, after just a few days of great instruction, throw themselves on the slopes every day and hurtle down the hill.
It’s a great feeling. And, afterwards, hearing the stories of their exaggerated prowess is also just as fun!

GONE FISHING

Hokkaido’s seafood is world-renowned but there is always a fresher place than the restaurants intown – the ocean! I often get together with friends in winter to go fishing – either wakasagi ice fishingover frozen lakes, where you have to drill through the ice, or out on boat, where it can be incredibly
cold but the fish are abundant. Once we’ve caught our haul, we’d head straight to a friend’s izakaya,
where the dinner preparations would begin right away. My best Hokkaido fishing experience,
though, was with a sushi chef friend. He’d catch a fish and immediately serve it up right there on therocks, with just a few dashes of soy sauce. You can’t possibly get fresher sashimi than that!

BBQ TIME!

No barbecue beats that of Hokkaido’s. Here in
Niseko, the locals come together and throw themost perfect local foods right over hot charcoal.
Gas should never be used as nothing compares
to charcoal for bringing out the best flavours!

Saké is the perfectaccompaniment toa teppanyaki meal.

Treat yourself
to world-classteppanyaki
at the Hilton
Niseko Village.

VILLAGE LIFE

HOT PLATES

Call me biased but I have to say the teppanyaki
at the Hilton Niseko Village is one of Japan’s best,using only the most amazing local produce andingredients. Get yourself a seat overlooking theresort’s snow-covered golf course while sipping
beautiful saké. This is one of my ideas of a perfectending to a day in Niseko.

If you can be tempted to venture out of the resort, there is a tiny izakaya in the village which I love. It’s a purely
local hangout and I don’t even need to order when I sit down – they just serve whatever fish and seafood is freshand available. Look for it about 200m past the bridge on the left when driving into Niseko town from the resort– or just ask the concierge for help. It’s that perfect little place, run by a husband and wife team, you often readabout in dream travel stories and there’s one right in Niseko!

MAGIC MOUNTAIN

One of Niseko’s icons, no visit here is quite complete without aclimb up or a ski down Mount Yotei. For those planning to climb,
it’s not an everyday event but I’d certainly recommend it at least
once per season. Spring is a particularly good time to plan yoursummit as you can ski right down into the crater, giving you an
extra bit of exercise climbing back out. It should take you fourand a half hours up and 10 minutes down. Downhill skiing on
Yotei is nothing short of amazing!

EXPLORE AWAY

There’s so much more to Hokkaido than just the ski slopes – it is a complete
destination full of remarkable natural wonders and adventures. Go forth and explore!

SAFETY FIRSTPart of my old job as General Manager of Niseko Village was to work with the local authorities to ensure the ski
resort is as safe and enjoyable as possible. Together with resort operations and the Niseko Village Resort ski patrol,
we successfully initiated an avalanche programme, where the team clears Mizuno no Sawa, an extreme terrain area
under the Niseko Gondola, and then gives skiers a brief lecture on the area and avalanche safety measures before
letting them have the ultimate powder run down. It’s always a joy bringing friends here and watching them enjoy theworld’s best snow safely!

Luke Hurford is YTL Hotels’
Vice President of Sales andMarketing and a former
resident of Niseko Village.