News – October 2017


Tujo Refreshed

 
Headed over to Tujo Bar-sserie & Grill recently for their relaunch party that debuted a new and refreshed F&B establishment in the heart of KL! Tujo Bar-sserie & Grill first opened its doors in 2014 (taking over from sevenatenine which was also under the SOUL Society Group) and is located on the ground floor of the Ascott Residences in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and a stones throw away from KLCC. TUJO, with its new tagline of Eat, Drink & Play, is part of the SOUL Society Group which owns other restaurant brands such as SOULed OUT, WIP and Hubba,
Along with the rejuvenated atmosphere comes new creations from the kitchen and bar. A new selection of premium cuts are now available From The Grill, such as the Tomahawk, a 1.3kg Sanchoku Wagyu from Australia. Although the wait time for the dish is an hour, you’re in for a treat as it is topped with Burnt Raclette, which is another new item on the menu. Other meats are also available From The Grill like chicken, lamb, seafood with customised rubs and marinades. Other new dishes worth a mention are the Lemon Pepper Halibut and Black Miso Haddock, while the rest of the food menu comprises of a fine selection of main courses, pastas, pizzas, salads, soups and light bites.
There’s a range of new cocktails, dubbed Hometown Hooch! With a wealth of ingredients available in Malaysia, Tujo believes that local ingredients stand up to pricier imported ones, and as such their mixologists have concocted 16 new “Malaysiana” drinks with an alcoholic twist. Some are true boozy interpretations of Malaysian favs like the Hang Li Mau which sees the addition of rum to a meld of calamansi, lime juice and gula melaka, while others like the ABC (Alcoholic Batu Campur) includes the addition of tequila and Irish cream liqueur. The Mystic Manggis Iced Lolly was quite an interesting treat, while the Boozy Blues which has the surprising addition of coconut flakes adding some texture to the cocktail.
 

Evian with popular food blogger Bangsar Babe
There’s also a new Oyster Bar where you choose from fine Irish, Dutch or French oysters.
Lovely roast beef!
Which we topped with melted Raclette
We also got to sample some of TUJO’s new dishes

Not forgetting their new cocktails!

This was my favourite as it contained two (2) of my favourite ingredients – Milo and whisky!
 
“The glass enclosure that cocoons Tujo inspired the concept of a Tropical Glasshouse. Bringing in some tropical foliage conveys an air of calm which is a welcome sight, especially when surrounded by so many skyscrapers.” explains Michele Kwok, Tujo’s First Lady. “We had tons of fun tasting these new cocktails. And we are proud of our mixologists for thinking out of the box and coming up with something very creative. These are products that will bade well with our local crowd and it will interest visitors from around the world too! My personal favourite? The Mat Kool! We’ve all had it at wedding dinners before, but what we have added to it…you have to taste it to believe it!”.
 
Tujo Bar-sserie & Grill is located at:
Ascott Kuala Lumpur,
No.9, Jalan Pinang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
 
Telephone: 03 21617 789, 012 210 3055 (Reservations) 03 21627 789 (General)
Email: ask@tujo.my
Website: http://www.tujo.my
 
Business Hours:
Mondays – Sundays: 7am till closing

Shell Malaysia’s ‘Drive On’ Campaign Launch

 
Headed over to Nexus, Bangsar South on 12 October 2017 for the launch of Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic motor oil’s new ‘Drive On’ global brand campaign that hopes to highlight the importance of celebrating why people drive and the emotions that they can evoke through a series of stunning films.
Shell hopes that the Shell Helix Ultra ‘Drive On’ campaign will rally and inspire both drivers and workshop owners to overcome daily challenges and keep their respective passions for driving and growing their business alive.
“It is difficult for drivers to truly understand the importance of motor oils, and even more difficult for workshops to get drivers to care as well. With the Shell Helix Ultra ‘Drive On’ campaign, we are showing drivers in Malaysia just how our fully synthetic motor oil enables their passion for driving. Whether they drive for the roar of the engine, or for the freedom of the open road, Shell Helix Ultra is designed to protect car engines from the barriers that can hinder performance so that drivers can have the most enjoyable journey possible,” said Troy Chapman, Shell Lubricants Executive Director – Southeast Asia & Oceania.
He added, “With Shell Helix Ultra, which is made from natural gas, drivers have the assurance that every oil change comes with cutting-edge technology that delivers unmatched protection for the ultimate engine performance.  For our trade partners, it is the confidence in knowing that they are able to offer their customers the best lubricant products in the market and we have their backs covered at all times.  Best of all, everyone who chooses Shell Helix enjoys instant benefits and rewards.” 
 
Troy Chapman, Shell Lubricants Executive Director – SEA & Oceania
 
At the core of the campaign is an integrated consumer and trade loyalty programme called Shell Advantage and Rewards (SHARE), and Malaysia is the first market in the world to launch SHARE.
Motorists who purchase either a Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology, High Mileage, HX7 or HX5, just need to complete a simple online registration at www.shell.com.my/share to gain access to a world of rewards with SHARE.  These include a storewide Lazada voucher for first time sign-up with purchase, a buy-3-free-1 offer for purchases of Shell Helix Ultra, oil change reminders and seasonal promotions.
Those with cars below eight years old and 150,000 km on the odometer also qualify for the free Shell Helix Engine Warranty (SHEW) when they service their cars with Shell Helix Ultra, High Mileage or HX7.  The unique, first-in-the-market engine warranty is now part of the SHARE programme.
To support the programme, Shell has developed a user-friendly SHARE mobile app for trade partners to help them better engage and retain customers and manage their inventories. The app also enables both workshop owners and mechanics to collect points with every participating Shell Helix product that they sell to consumers and redeem attractive prizes.
In conjunction with the launch of the campaign, the Shell Helix ‘Drive On’ Roadshow will be held at selected locations nationwide from 13 October to 24 December 2017, with attractive prizes to be won.  Twenty five lucky winners will also be taking home Ferrari merchandise in the Shell Helix #IDriveFor social media contest with details at www.shell.com.my/driveon
 
Alex Lim, Shell Lubricants Marketing Manager – Malaysia & Singapore, Troy Chapman, Shell Lubricants Executive Director – SEA & Oceania, Desiree Cheng, Shell Helix Brand Manager – Malaysia & Singapore, and Baljit Singh, Shell Lubricants General Manager – Malaysia & Singapore (L-R)
 
As Malaysia is one of Shell’s most important markets in Asia, local consumers have had the privilege of enjoying numerous firsts from Shell Helix. In 2014, Shell Helix was the first (and still is the only) brand to introduce motor oils with an ultra-clean base oil made from natural gas using Shell’s proprietary PurePlus Technology that cleanses the engine from inside out.
In 2016, Shell Helix was the first motor oil brand to offer the unprecedented Shell Helix Engine Warranty or S.H.E.W. This year, Shell Helix partnered Waze in an accident-prone spots alert campaign during the Ramadan and Aidilfitri period, which was a first in Asia. Malaysia also became the first market to roll out the Shell Malaysia Official Online Store on Lazada Malaysia and made genuine, officially-sourced Shell Helix motor oils accessible to consumers nationwide via the online marketplace.
For more information, head over to www.shell.com.my/share
Photos courtesy of Shell Malaysia.
 
The Macallan Dinner at Gobo Upstairs Bar & Grill, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur

 
Something that’s not really news however I thought I’d share my dining experience which might be of use to couples looking for a nice dinner and spot to snap some Insta-friendly photos. Mikasa, Janet and I recently headed over to Gobo Upstairs Bar & Grill for a casual whisky dinner with the nice folks from Edrington and Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  Now as it was a casual dinner and not a pairing one, we sipped on The Macallan 12 Years Sherry Oak and Double Cask (which was launched in Malaysia last year during Toast The Macallan which you can read here – https://timchew.net/2016/10/08/toast-the-macallan-kuala-lumpur-2016/) while enjoying the delicious food prepared by Chef Mun who helms the restaurant, while good conversations and laughter flowed.
 
Our appetiser platter was a combination of three (3) of the restaurant’s starters
Air Dried Beef Bresaola and Buffalo Mozzarella, Balsamic Marinated Tuna, and Vodka Cured Salmon with grilled asparagus, lemon zest, pickled shallots, crème fraîche caviar (Left to Right)

The Lobster bisque with tarragon cream was a most heartwarming dish indeed!
Our first main was two of the restaurant’s signature dishes from the grill combined into a sharing platter – Lamb Loin and Baked Fillet Cod Marinated with Miso Honey

 
The highlight of the evening though was the Wagyu Tomahawk which was carved tableside by Chef Mun himself!
 
                        
Absolutely gorgeous and flavourful wagyu! My favourite dish at Gobo Upstairs Bar & Grill.
And it went well with the whisky too!
Ending the meal with the restaurant’s famous dessert – Cherry Bommm
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZggLlxHAGS/?taken-by=mikasachong
 
After dinner, we took opportunity of the restaurant’s unobstructed view of the Twin Towers to snap some photos.
It’s not easy using a compact camera to get the ambient light which in this case most importantly was the Twin Towers, however with some custom settings on the Panasonic Lumix LX10, I was able to get some nice shots of the girls!

 
Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill is located on the 6th floor of:
Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
 
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/traders/
 
Operation Hours (Lounge): 10:00am to 1:00am
Operation Hours (Grill):        
LUNCH: 12:00pm to 2:30pm Monday to Friday
DINNER : 6:30pm to 10:30pm daily (10:15pm – last order)
Reservations (Gobo Upstairs): 603 2332 9910
Hotel’s Telephone: 603-23329888
Email: goboupstairs.thkl@tradershotels.com
  
Thanks for having us!
 
The BrandLaureate Brand ICON Leadership Awards 2017 
 

 
Jessy and I were honoured to be invited to attend The BrandLaureate Brand ICON Leadership Awards 2017 gala dinner, held at The Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 28 August 2017. The gala dinner was organized by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (APBF), The BrandLaureate Brand ICON Leadership Awards to recognize leaders whose achievements have contributed significantly to the development of their countries and communities.
Over 700 guests comprising Malaysia’s top corporate leaders, brand owners and leading personalities attended the dinner, while gracing the night as the Guest of Honour was Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dato’ Sri Haji Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia and Patron of the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation. Other prominent attendees includes YAB Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry bin Abd Kadir, Chief Minister of Perak and YB Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth & Sports Sarawak.
The theme for this year’s award was ICONS – A Life of Significance. ICONS create their own paths, innovate their own methods and set the bar high. ICONS  set out to live a life that defies all odds. An ICON is a tower of strength, brave, tough and bold enough to go the distance. ICONS are passionate about their goals and speak from their hearts, instinctively knowing the right decision and course of action to take, thus enabling them to convince, persuade, influence and ultimately win supporters and adversaries alike.  Many can achieve success but not everyone can live a life of significance like real ICONS! 
Plated in 24-karat solid gold, The BrandLaureate Brand ICON Leadership Awards trophy is designed to be refined, sturdy and prestigious. With both hands stretched high and standing on a solid base, the trophy reflects the ICON’s adaptability and agility to fly with times, bringing in winds of change that transform for the better. Each trophy is a finely handcrafted masterpiece of art intended to reflect the standard of excellence.
In his welcome speech, Dr KKJohan, President of The BrandLaureate highlights the theme for the night,
“BrandLaureate’s ICONS live a life of significance which is the theme of this year’s award, A Life of Significance. These BrandLaureate ICONS have gone above and beyond the trusted and tested into unchartered territory. While most people go for the safe, tried and tested route, they  create their own paths and innovate their own methods. They set out to live a life that defies all odds. Many can achieve success but not everyone can be significant. Success is measurable as in how much are you worth, what is the value of your business. You can put a value on success but where significance is concern, you cannot put a value to it, yet the value is so great and monumental.”
He also added, “I am so proud of all the icons here tonight. I wish you all the best as you move on to achieve more milestones in what you set out to do. We know that you will never rest on your laurels of success. You will be forever pushing the envelope to seek more as no valley is too deep and no mountain too high for you to climb. BrandLaureate ICONS, the legacies that you have built are priceless and a great source of inspiration for all of us and the future generations to come.”
The highlight of the night was the presentation of The BrandLaureate Quintessential Brand ICON Leadership Award to YABhg Tun Jeanne Abdullah, Wife of the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia and who is the Chancellor of Open University Malaysia, Patron of Malaysian Paralympic Council and Chairman of Landskap Malaysia.
The award presentation was followed by The BrandLaureate Nation Building Brand ICON Leadership Award. Recipients were YB Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Minister of Defence of Malaysia who received the Brand Influencer ICON; YAB Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, Menteri Besar of Perak, the Game Changer ICON and YBhg Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr. Lim Kok Wing, President & Founder of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology was awarded the Unity and Harmony ICON. YABhg Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Dr. Aishah Ong, Pro-Chancellor of University of Malaya received The BrandLaureate Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement Brand ICON Leadership Award.
Other Award categories included The BrandLaureate Premier Brand Icon Leadership Award, The BrandLaureate Most Eminent Brand ICON Leadership Award, The BrandLaureate Business Entrepreneur Brand ICON Leadership Award, The BrandLaureate Grand Master Brand ICON Leadership Award and The BrandLaureate Industry Champion Brand ICON Leadership Award.
For the very first time, The BrandLaureate official theme song was launched during the gala dinner. The BrandLaureate theme song, titled “That’s You” was performed and composed by Award-winning composer, Dato’ Wah Idris. He famously composed the KL Commonwealth Games 98′ “Standing in the Eyes of the World” and reorchestrated Malaysia’s national anthem, “Negaraku”.
There was also a presentation of the BrandLaureate Business World Review Cover Issue by Managing Editor, Ms Ida Ibrahim to YAB Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, Menteri Besar of Perak. During the gala dinner, we were kept entertained with performances by Emcee Noixe & DJ Hawk, violinist Dr. Joanne Yeoh, a powerful performance by Malaysia’s singing sensation, Shila Amzah and Dayang Nurfaizah.
 
                              
 
Winner’s Listings
The Legendary Icon

The BrandLaureate Royal Quintessential Brand ICON Leadership Award

              YABhg Tun Jeanne Abdullah,
Wife of the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia
Chancellor of Open University Malaysia
Patron of Malaysian Paralympic Council
Chairman of Landskap Malaysia

The BrandLaureate Nation Building Brand ICON Leadership Award 

Brand Influencer ICON
YB Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein,
Minister of Defence of Malaysia
Game Changer ICON
YAB Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir
Menteri Besar of Perak
Unity & Harmony ICON
YBhg Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr. Lim Kok Wing
Founder & President of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology

The BrandLaureate Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement

Brand ICON Leadership Award
YABhg Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Dr. Aishah Ong,
Pro-Chancellor of University of Malaya
 
The Classic ICON

The BrandLaureate Premier Brand ICON Leadership Award 

YBhg Tan Sri Robert Tan Hua Choon, Chairman & Non-Executive Director of Marco Holdings Berhad
YBhg Tan Sri Datuk Seri Tan Kean Soon, Executive Deputy Chairman of T7 Global Berhad
YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr R Palan, Chairman of SMRT Holdings Berhad
YBhg Dato’ Lim Kuang Sia, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Kossan Rubber Industries Berhad
YBhg Datuk Andrew T.K. Lim, Managing Director of SOGO (K.L.) Department Store Sdn Bhd
YBhg Dato’ Sri Ir. Kunasingam A/L V. Sittampalam, Co-Founder & Executive Director of HSS Engineers Berhad

The Visionary ICON

The BrandLaureate Most Eminent Brand ICON Leadership Award 

YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Hj Yahaya Ibrahim, Executive Chairman of Yahaya Ibrahim Educational Services Sdn Bhd
YBhg Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin, Chief Executive Officer of Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC)
YBhg Datuk Badlisham Bin Ghazali , Managing Director of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad
YBhg Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Bin Salleh, President & Chief Executive Officer of Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd
YBhg Dato’ Dr. Abd Latif Mohmod Director General of Forest Research Institute Malaysia
YBhg Dato’ Izham bin Yusoff, Group Managing Director of Bina Darulaman Berhad
Puan Puteri Mariana Abdul Majid Chief Executive Officer  of Mutiara Teknologi (M) Sdn Bhd

 
The Business ICON

The BrandLaureate Business Entrepreneur Brand ICON Leadership Award 

YBhg Dato’ Teh Kean Ming, Managing Director of JKG Land Berhad
YBhg Dato’ Ong Theng Soon, Executive Director of Binastra Land Sdn Bhd
YBhg Dato’ Sri Princess Dr. Becky M. Leogardo, Founder of BML, Alexa & Gluta Products
Mr Cher Ng, Managing Director of Zouk Kuala Lumpur & Co-Founder TREC Kuala Lumpur
Mr Tee Chee Seng, President cum Techno Adviser of Nano Silver Manufacturing Sdn Bhd

 
The Celebrity Icon

The BrandLaureate Grand Master Brand ICON Leadership Award 

YBhg Professor Dato’ Wah Idris, Composer, Musician & Producer
YBhg Datuk Marina Chin ,Chef De Mission, Malaysian Contingent, SEA Games 2017, Majlis Sukan Negara Malaysia
YBhg Dato’ Kee Hua Chee, Writer & Blogger
Joanne Yeoh, Violinist
Shalin Zulkifli, Ten Pin Bowler
Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Malaysian Sprinter
Cheong Jun Hoong, Diver
Dayang Nurfaizah, Diva
Shila Amzah, Diva

 
The BrandLaureate Industry Champion Brand ICON Leadership Award 

Brunsfield: Integrated Real Estate Solutions
Chow Tai Fook: Jewellery
Great Eastern: Life Assurance
Kossan: Manufacturing – Gloves
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology: Globalising Malaysian Education
Mah Sing: Property – Premium Lifestyle Developer
Malaysia Airport Holdings: Global Airport Management
MARDI: R&D – Agrofood
Philips: Consumer Lighting Solutions
Public Bank: Banking
Public Mutual: Financial & Wealth Planning – Unit Trust
Sarawak Convention Bureau: MICE & Destination Branding
SCS: Dairy Butter & Cheese
Sothys: Beauty Care
Toyochem: Printing Ink & Solutions

 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Photos courtesy of The BrandLaureate.