Editor’s Note – March 2017


[Editor’s Note]
Being in the media allows me to connect with a lot of brand and business owners – from huge MNC companies to SMEs and even to independent businesses and entrepreneurs. This gives me an insight into various industries with lots of insider news as well as the latest updates about trends as well as consumer behaviour and market conditions.
Last month, I published a follow-up feature on the glut of retail space especially in shopping malls in the Klang Valley with my story on Tropicana City Mall in PJ as well as 1 Mont Kiara and Glo Damansara in Kuala Lumpur which you can read here – https://timchew.net/2017/02/25/the-kuala-lumpur-restaurant-dining-market-conundrum/
Last night at the Glenlivet Guardians jazz night at Bobo KL (which you can read about below), I bumped into a friend who was sharing with me that a lot of small time F&B businesses are on the market ie. the business owners are trying to sell off their F&B establishment. Now for obvious reasons, if a business was making money and being a cash cow, you would not have any reason to sell it baring very unusual circumstances as it will generate income for you continuously.
Hence curiosity got the better of me and I did a Google search for businesses for sale in the Klang Valley and major cities in Malaysia, and found a few sites which facilitate the buying, selling and listing of businesses for sale. Validating what my friend told me and to my dismay, there were thousands upon thousands of businesses for sale. Now a lot of the listings didn’t mention the names of the establishment (I suspect for fear of turning away potential customers), however you can easily recognise some from the photos they posted in their listing.
Just as well that at the beginning of this year, I decided that my company MHB (https://hottestbloggers.com/) will do what we can to assist entrepreneurs and small business who genuinely want to pursue their business with passion and are in need of cost-effective digital/ social media publicity. If you are such a person, email me at timchew@myhotbloggers.com and we can explore further.
 
Now as you might have noticed from reading some of my recent posts that I’ve been using the Panasonic Lumix LX10 to shoot my photos.
PRESSROOM Kidia Wine Dinner with Iconic Wines
https://timchew.net/2017/02/23/pressroom-kidia-wine-dinner-with-iconic-wines/
Wine & Tapas Night at Gallo Wine Bar, Taman Desa
https://timchew.net/2017/02/27/wine-tapas-night-at-gallo-wine-bar-taman-desa/
Launch of Modi & Rosa Italian Dining & Wine Bar, Glo Damansara
https://timchew.net/2017/02/27/launch-of-modi-rosa-italian-dining-wine-bar-glo-damansara/
 Panasonic Lumix LX10
The previous features were mostly on food, but how would the camera perform in a dimly lit jazz lounge setting? Well I brought it along to The Glenlivet Guardians Jazz Night at Bobo KL to try it out.
 
The Glenlivet Guardians – Jazz Night at Bobo KL

 
I attended about half a dozen Glenlivet Guardians events last year which had varying themes – from a cigar and whisky night, to whisky pairing with some comfort food, to whisky pairing with desserts, to bespoke whisky cocktails at a speakeasy bar, each giving a very different experience with The Glenlivet expressions. (BTW you can read about the previous Glenlivet events here – https://timchew.net/?s=glenlivet)
After so many interesting experiences, I was quite looking forward to what The Glenlivet had in store for 2017 and I must say that they kicked off 2017 with a fantastic night of jazz and whisky at Bobo KL on 28 February 2017. The evening featured two jazz sets by the very talented vocalist and pianish David Gomes with The Glenlivet 12, 15, 18 and Founder’s Reserve (my favourite of the lot together with the 15 years) with delicious finger food from Bobo KL.
And so it was a night of flowing conversation over some really good single malt whisky with friends and some Glenlivet Guardians regulars, as well as the first experience of a Glenlivet Guardians event for my partner in crime who really enjoyed the outing. I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate experiences like these, and less of the eardrum busting (yes yes if it’s too loud you’re too old and maybe I am) club nights (although I don’t mind once in a while when duty calls), with loved ones and/ or good friends. Definitely a more meaningful and memorable experience.
For more info on The Glenlivet Guardians, head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/glenlivetguardians/
 
 David Gomes on the piano. He has a lovely voice and interspaced classic jazz numbers with some non-traditional jazz numbers which he arranged and played in a jazzy style. He’s also great with crowd interaction and got the audience participating in a couple of numbers.

          Elaine and Conne                 
 Us with birthday boy and The Glenlivet ambassador Lionel Lau
 Thanks for having us The Glenlivet!

 
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 Seared Wagyu Beef with Sansho Tsukudani (left) and special nigiri sushi (right)  Part of the 10 course Valentine's Day dinner menu at @babe_gastro My first time eating nearly raw beef but it was so flavorful and tender!  Photo shot with the #panasonic #lumixg85k 📷  #valentines #wagyu #beef #sushi #nigiri #nofilter
A post shared by  Tim Chew (@timchew1311) on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:48pm PST

 

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 #valentines #roses #bouquet
A post shared by  Tim Chew (@timchew1311) on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:23am PST

 

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 Chocolate Bombe Decadent #chocolate #dessert at La Risata @larisatakl
A post shared by  Tim Chew (@timchew1311) on Feb 3, 2017 at 10:59pm PST

The Lack of Courtesy in Society
I highlighted this issue some time back but I feel the need to highlight it again as this very disgusting trait seems to be more and more prevalent in society. At the top of this post, I mentioned that at the beginning of this year I decided to assist independent business owners and entrepreneurs with cost-effective digital/ social media publicity.
I contacted some establishments that I believed had potential, and got a mixture of replies. Some jumped at the opportunity and embraced it wholeheartedly, some declined (wjhich is fine because maybe it’s not for them), while some asked to meet after I sent them our portfolio and proposal. After being in the media for more than eight (8) years, I am fully aware that a meet up to explore further doesn’t always translate into sales.
However I’m really irked by the fact that some of these establishments ask to meet up only to ask me for free publicity/ write-ups while one even very smugly told me – oh we have our own list of bloggers/ influencers who we can invite and they’ll give us a review in exchange for payment FREE FOOD. Really? You know what sort of bloggers/ influencers will do a review for free food? In all likelihood the young and desperate types with barely any readership, in it for freebies. Any senior food/ lifestyle blogger with a high readership and worth their salt won’t simply write a review just for “free food”. Heck some will even pay for the food they review. Anyway I digress, back to these types who ask me for free publicity.
So I ask them back – will you just simply give out free food and beverages to the public every single day without expecting anyone to pay? How long will your restaurant last if you do that? A week? Perhaps two. (Unless you’re a charity you won’t be doing so and even if you are a charity you’d be selecting the right people like the needy or homeless to give the free food to.) Restaurants are a for-profit business, just like us digital media are. So if you’re not going to give out free food, don’t go asking for free publicity. It’s downright rude and disrespectful. And for goodness sake don’t waste a person’s time and effort coming to see you.
In a somewhat related matter, I am simply disgusted with how some people react to a bit of fame. Most people just can’t handle it and it goes to their heads. Be it social media influencers or radio announcers (can you even name 5 radio announcers these days?), why does fame have to change the way you treat people? 
You think your fame will last forever? Firstly, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who are more famous than you and secondly, your star might be shining brightly today but tomorrow a new star may rise and replace you in an instant. What makes you so special? I’d have more respect for you if you are famous and humble (and I personally know many who are humble even though they are famous and earning big bucks). 
No matter how famous you are, the moment you become arrogant and treat people with a lack of courtesy, you will lose all respect. Perhaps you think that you are entitled (a huge millennial problem) to respect? Sorry to burst your bubble but you’re entitled to nothing. Absolutely nothing. If you want respect, earn it.
Treat the janitor with the same amount of respect that you’d give the CEO and you’ll go far in life…