Samsung Smart TV Launch

[Tech]
Samsung Malaysia launched a range of futuristic SMART TV 2012 that offers consumers three highly interactive solutions in form of SMART Interaction, SMART Content and SMART Evolution on 19 April 2012 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Met MHB’s Yuki there trying out the features of the Smart TV
A camera is mounted at the top of the screen to detect your hand movements. Yes your hand controls the cursor on the screen ie. your hand is the ‘mouse’. Cool right? The Smart TV also responds to voice commands although you must be in a relatively quiet environment for it to work properly.
With SMART Content, families will enjoy enhanced content and connection abilities from device to device and web storage to device that is easy and convenient.
Yes believe it or not they have a fitness app for you to workout in the privacy of your own home
Already have a LCD/ LED TV? Well this Samsung DVD player will make it a Smart TV! Samsung’s home entertainment system delivers impeccable high-definition audio and Samsung’s 3D Sound Plus, with more natural, richer sound that is more harmonized. Both the home entertainment system and Blu-ray player are built-in with Wi-Fi, to provide access to web-connected entertainment as well as Samsung’s SMART Hub and Signature Apps.
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Samsung’s cutting-edge SMART TV technology seeks to redefine home entertainment. SMART Interaction is an intuitive platform offering Motion Control, Voice Control, and Face Recognition commands for the TV, great for those of you who don’t like remote controls.

More info at www.samsung.com/my and www.facebook.com/samsungmalaysia.

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Burg Smart Watch Phone, Asahi FMFA Pre-Parties & O’Galito Restaurant & Bar Launch

[Upcoming Event]
Asahi Future Music Festival Asia 2014 Pre-Parties

Asahi Super Dry continues its sponsorship of Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) coming in as the official beer partner for 2014. This time round, Asahi will be presenting the Haunted House Arena stage in this year’s festival, featuring their Super Dry AllStars.
Prior to FMFA 2014 and staying true to its promise of Igniting Possibilities, Asahi Super Dry will be hosting two (2) pre-parties and rewarding Asahi fans around Malaysia for their supreme support by giving them a chance to win VIP and FMFA passes. Consumers will also get a chance to win passes at Asahi’s in-outlet contests.
The coming pre-parties will take place on Friday, 28 February at Prodigy (previously Butter Factory) featuring DJ’s Ramsey Westwood, Mr Nasty & Guru Guru and Monkey & Funkzu.
The following week, the second pre party will happen on Thursday, 6 March at Play at The Roof featuring DJ’s Nikki and Partners.In.Crime.
More info at https://www.facebook.com/AsahiMalaysia

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Burg Smart Watch Phone Launch
[Event]

Headed over to the launch of the Burg Smart Watch Phone at their new concept store Mad.Is.On in Bangsar Village 2 on 23 January 2014. The watch is a phone by itself (using a micro SIM) and doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone. There are four (4) different BURG watches in four different settings namely Sports, Leisure, Corporate and Night Life.
If you’re an 80’s baby you would probably remember how Michael Knight in the 80’s TV series Knight Rider used to talk to his car Kit via a watch? Well fast forward 25 years and that little gadget has become a reality! What’s more, put a micro SD card inside the Burg smart watch phone and you can store photos captured with your watch or play your fav music tracks. How cool is that?
The launch was hosted by Joey G, and was graced by celebrities such as Patricia K, Pamela and Vanessa Chong (Amazing Race Asia) with their brother Vince Chong (of Akademi Fantasia), Moots from Popshuvit, and Bernie Chan.

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Burg smart watch phones are priced from RM999.00 and are available at:
Mad.Is.On
G27, Bangsar Village II,
Jalan Telawi,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
More info at http://burgwatch.com or https://www.facebook.com/BURGMY
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Photo credits: Burg Malaysia and author’s own
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O’Galito Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar Launch
[Event]
 Nadia Heng and Linora Low
A new Mediterranean food outlet names O’Galito Restaurant and Bar recently opened its doors on 19 February at Pavilion KL. During the launch the restaurant proudly paraded their signature dishes from the likes of Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain, including Italian Linguini with freshly sourced seafood, Portugese Chicken Piri-Piri, tender Braised Beef Cheeks and Tiramisu.
Unfortunately I cannot tell you how they tasted as guests were only served canapes apart from the drinks. The kitchen is run by half Italian, half Spanish Chef Domenico Piras who first received his culinary diploma at the tender age of 16, and was trained by Chef Mauro Ernesto, the Godfather of Italian food who earned his world-renowned reputation by being one of the first chefs in Italy to earn a Michelin star.
Since completing his intense training with the Godfather, Chef Domenico has worked around the world for personalities such as the Ranieri Family of Monaco, the President of Kazakhstan and various Italian actors and celebrities. His culinary skills have more recently brought him over to our part of the world – Brunei, Libya, Singapore and finally Malaysia.
Besides the signature dishes, O’Galito also serves great pasta and pizza made in a stone oven, Spanish Tapas and is pork free.
 Photo courtesy of O’Galito
 MHB’s Kelly Siew

O’Galito Mediterranean Restaurant and Bar is available for private and corporate functions, and seats 100 people comfortably, or 180 people standing.
O’Galito Mediterranean Restaurant and Bar is located at:
C3-05-00, Connection Level 3,
Pavilion Shopping Mall,
55100, Kuala Lumpur.
Email: info@ogalitokl.com
.

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Sony VAIO Duo 13 and VAIO Pro 13/11 Ultrabook

[Technology]
Sony Malaysia announced new additions to the 2013 VAIO line-up with the introduction of VAIO® Duo 13 and VAIO® Pro 13/11 at the press launch at Aloft KL Sentral on 10 July 2013. The launch featured a new slider hybrid PC – VAIO® Duo 13 which is both a tablet and a laptop, and the ultra-portable VAIO® Pro 13/11 are designed to complement and enhance individuals’ lifestyles, and completes the 2nd quarter of 2013 VAIO line-up with the existing entertainment-centered VAIO® Fit 14.
The VAIO® Duo 13 and VAIO® Pro 13/11 showcases Sony’s innovative display, digital imaging, and sound technology, as well as provides some new personal computing experiences. “Our aim with these unique new models is to provide customers with a variety of new ways to use their PCs. We have achieved this by combining powerful Sony technologies with new form factors,” said Satoshi Hatano, Director of Sony Malaysia, “We’re aiming to make devices that will enhance and enrich individuals’ lifestyles in both work and play. One example of this is the VAIO® Duo 13’s camera functionality. It has the ability to take crisp images of documents using the computer’s camera as if it were a scanner. Images are clear enough to recognize and tag text, allowing for easier, more effective and efficient searching and editing.”
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Jeremy Teo from Red FM was the MC for the event
After the customary speeches, the new VAIO models were introduced!
Product demo of the VAIO Duo 13 which is both a tablet and an ultrabook running on Windows 8 64 bit by Sony’s Shoko Miura from Japan.
The new models – VAIO Duo 13, Pro and Fit
The product that caught everyone’s attention was the Sony VAIO Duo 13 – pictured here in laptop mode (left) and in the tablet mode (right). It’s able to change mode with just a slide of the LCD display
In both modes you can use the digitizer stylus the operate VAIO® Duo 13 or if you prefer just use your fingers.
Use whiever mode you prefer or change modes in just a second depending on the situation.
There was always the issue of the tablet being the most portable but not very practical when it comes to work whereby wjhile the laptop was good for work it was a pain to carry around.
Franklene showing off her “masterpiece” created with the stylus.
The keyboard mode perfectly accommodates conventional PC usage such as quickly editing documents. The convenience of slate mode, combined with the efficiency of keyboard mode, creates a really versatile and practical mobile PC.
The battery life is 15 hours based on MobileMark® 2007. This is equal to 18 hours in JEITA-BAT1.0, 11 hours in JEITA-BAT1.0 (a) and 10 hours in MobileMark® 2012. The actual battery run time will vary depending on the settings and usage condition.
The VAIO® Duo 13 can maintain constant connection to the internet, even while in sleep mode, giving it the ability to continue updating applications and receive emails when it’s asleep. It’s also able to wake from sleep mode in less than one second eliminates the need to wait for the PC to resume.

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VAIO® Duo 13’s 8 megapixel built-in rear camera featuring the “Exmor RS for PC” image sensor has made it possible to take images of documents clear enough for the computer to recognize and tag text in photos taken of documents and blackboards. This ability, combined with the “CamScanner” application, allows the VAIO® Duo 13 to be used as if it were a scanner. “CamScanner” also has the ability to straighten images of documents and photos taken at odd angles (by automaticlally adjusting the keystone); so users just need to focus on taking photos of important material instead of lining up the perfect shot.
VAIO® Duo 13’s OptiContrast™ panel allows for a more accurate and natural writing experience when using the digitizer stylus. The digitizer stylus enables users to take notes in the memo taking application, “Note Anytime for VAIO,” or easily create their own works in “Active Clip” using pictures stored on their PC. You can even impress your clients by using it when giving PowerPoint presentations!
The TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile allows users access to a wide palette of rich natural colors thanks to Sony’s BRAVIA expertise (tech from their TVs). This technology has made it possible to express differences in colour more accurately. It can display the subtle differences of various reds, blues, and greens, as well as emerald green. For example, TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile has the ability to reproduce the variety of reds found in a rose or blues in the sky.
The full HD display combined with Sony’s super resolution technology, X-Reality™ for mobile, analyzes each image and reproduces lacking pixels to optimize quality for the sharpest videos. It analyzes elements depending on the scene and adjusts them based on pattern, outline and color composition. It strengthens subtle patterns and accurately portrays their detailed feel, as well as reinforces bold outlines. It also enhances color composition, vividly reproducing hard-to-display natural colors.
But what is great picture without great sound quality and Sony ensures a complete AV experience by including the ClearAudio+ mode which was developed with Sony’s own signal processing technologies.
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Product Specs

DUO 13

SVD13211SG (Touch)

color
black & white

Price
4999

Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)

Architecture
Intel® Core™ i5-4200U Processor 1.60 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.60 GHz*1

Main Memory
4 GB (4 GB (On Board)) LPDDR3 SDRAM*2 (Max)

Storage
SSD: 128 GB*3 (128 GB x 1, Serial ATA)

Optical Disc Drive
–

Graphics
Intel® HD Graphics 4400

–

Display
13.3 inch wide (Full HD: 1920 x 1080) TFT colour display (TRILUMINOS DISPLAY for mobile, LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive), OptiContrast™ Panel)

X-Reality for mobile, Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)

NFC function
Yes

Camera
Full HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for pc” (Resolution: 1920 x 1080, Effective Pixels: 2.07 Mega pixels)

8M Camera powered by “Exmor RS for pc” (Resolution: 3264 x 2448, Effective Pixels: 7.99 Mega pixels)

Audio
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, “Clear Phase”, “xLOUD”,  “VPT”, “Voice Zoom”, “Sound Optimizer”*9, Playback during sleep mode

Battery Life
VGP-BPS36 Lithium-ion battery: up to 11.0 hours of use*10

Size
330 x 9.2 (maximum 19.5) x 210 mm

1.325 kg (including the supplied battery)

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Ultrabook™ VAIO® Pro 13/11
Jeremy and I trying out the VAIO Pro’s HD webcam which is powered by the “EXMOR R for PC” which provides a 1280 x 720 resolution.
Equipped with 2x USB 3.0ports and a HDMI port
The VAIO® Pro 13/11 also features a wide key pitch and stroke to allow for an extremely natural typing experience, while providing a unique palm rest that gradually merges into the desk allowing for better comfort and less strain while typing.
Extremely light and portable starting from only 0.87kg and achieves this by using carbon fiber throughout the case. (Lighter than a women’s magazine!)
This somehow reminds me of the 2009 Pixar movie “Up”.
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The VIAO Pro 13/11 also features the TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile and ClearAudio+ mode.
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Product Specs

PRO

SVP11216SG (Touch)
SVP13213SG (Touch)
SVP13218PGB (Touch)

Colour
Black & Silver
Black & Silver
Black

Price
3599
3799
4999

Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit (English Version)

Architecture
Intel® Core™ i5-4200U Processor 1.60 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.60 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i5-4200U Processor 1.60 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.60 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i7-4500U Processor 1.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.00 GHz*1

Main Memory
4 GB (4 GB (On Board)) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (Max)
4 GB (4 GB (On Board)) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (Max)
4 GB (4 GB (On Board)) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (Max)

Storage
SSD:128 GB*3 (128 GB x 1, Serial ATA)
SSD:128 GB*3 (128 GB x 1, PCI Express x 4)
SSD:256 GB*3 (256 GB x 1, PCI Express x 4)

Optical Disc Drive
–
–
–

Graphics
Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Intel® HD Graphics 4400

–
–
–

Display
11.6 inch wide (Full HD: 1920 x 1080) TFT colour display (TRILUMINOS DISPLAY for mobile, LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
13.3 inch wide (Full HD: 1920 x 1080) TFT colour display (TRILUMINOS DISPLAY for mobile, LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
13.3 inch wide (Full HD: 1920 x 1080) TFT colour display (TRILUMINOS DISPLAY for mobile, LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))

X-Reality for mobile, Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
X-Reality for mobile, Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
X-Reality for mobile, Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)

NFC function
Yes
Yes
Yes

Camera
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for pc” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for pc” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for pc” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)

–
–
–

Audio
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, “Clear Phase”, “xLOUD”,  “VPT”, “Voice Zoom”, “Sound Optimizer”
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, “Clear Phase”, “xLOUD”,  “VPT”, “Voice Zoom”, “Sound Optimizer”
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, “Clear Phase”, “xLOUD”,  “VPT”, “Voice Zoom”, “Sound Optimizer”

Battery Life
VGP-BPS37 Lithium-ion battery: up to 7.5 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS38 Lithium-ion battery: up to 8.5 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS38 Lithium-ion battery: up to 8.5 hours of use*9

Size
285 x 13.2 (maximum 17.2) x 197 mm
322 x 12.8 (maximum 17.2) x 216 mm
322 x 12.8 (maximum 17.2) x 216 mm

0.87 kg (including the supplied battery)
1.06 kg (including the supplied battery)
1.06 kg (including the supplied battery)

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VAIO Fit and Fit E
The new VAIO Fit and VAIO Fit E models offer a wide range of touch-enabled notebooks to suit your needs and budget and are available in 14” screen size and is powered by Sony’s visual and audio technology.
With One-touch listening, included in all of the new VAIO models, users can seamlessly transfer music playing on their VAIO to an NFC (Near Field Communication) compatible Bluetooth Speaker.
Available in a variety of colours!
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Product Specs

FIT E

SVF14212SGW
SVF14217SG (Touch)
SVF14218SGW
SVF14219SG (Touch)
SVF1421MSG

Colour
White
Black, Pink & White
White
Black, Pink & White
Black & Whtie

Price
1999
2299
2399
2699
1599

Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)

Architecture
Intel® Core™ i3-3217U Processor 1.80 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i3-3227U Processor 1.90 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i5-3337U Processor 1.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.70 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i5-3337U Processor 1.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.70 GHz*1
Intel® Pentium® Processor 987 (1.50 GHz)*1

Main Memory
2 GB (2 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)
4 GB (4 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)
4 GB (4 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)
4 GB (4 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)
2 GB (2 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)

Storage
HDD: 500 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
HDD:500 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
HDD: 500 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
HDD:750 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
HDD:500 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)

Optical Disc Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive

Graphics
Intel® HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Intel® HD Graphics

–
1 GB DDR3
1 GB DDR3
2 GB DDR3
–

Display
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight)
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight)
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight)

Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)

NFC function
–
Yes
Yes
Yes
–

Camera
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)

–
–
–
–
–

Audio
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT

Battery Life
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9

Size
342 x 24.9 x 242.5 mm
342 x 25.9 x 242.5 mm
342 x 24.9 x 242.5 mm
342 x 25.9 x 242.5 mm
342 x 24.9 x 242.5 mm

2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.4 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.4 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)

Fit E

SVF14219SG (Touch)
SVF1421MSG

Colour
Black, Pink & White
Black & Whtie

Price
2699
1599

Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)

Architecture
Intel® Core™ i5-3337U Processor 1.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.70 GHz*1
Intel® Pentium® Processor 987 (1.50 GHz)*1

Main Memory
4 GB (4 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)
2 GB (2 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3 SDRAM*2 (upgradeable up to 8 GB*3)

Storage
HDD:750 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
HDD:500 GB*4 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)

Optical Disc Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive

Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Intel® HD Graphics

2 GB DDR3
–

Display
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
14 inch wide (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display (LED backlight)

Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)

NFC function
Yes
–

Camera
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)

–
–

Audio
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, Clear Phase, xLOUD, VPT

Battery Life
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9
VGP-BPS35A Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.0 hours of use*9

Size
342 x 25.9 x 242.5 mm
342 x 24.9 x 242.5 mm

2.4 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)

FIT

SVF14A15SG (Touch)
SVF14A16SGS (Touch)

Colour
Black & Silver
Silver

Price
3299
3999

Operating System
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)
Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit (English Version)

Architecture
Intel® Core™ i5-3337U Processor 1.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.70 GHz*1
Intel® Core™ i7-3537U Processor 2 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz*1

Main Memory
4 GB (4 GB (On Board)) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (Max)
8 GB (4 GB (On Board) + 4 GB (SO-DIMM) x 1) DDR3L SDRAM*2 (Max)

Storage
Hybrid HDD 750 GB*3 (HDD 750 GB + NAND Flash Memory for cache 8 GB*4, Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
Hybrid HDD 750 GB*3 (HDD 750 GB + NAND Flash Memory for cache 8 GB*4, Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)

Optical Disc Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive
DVD SuperMulti Drive

Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 735M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 735M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology / Intel® HD Graphics 4000

2 GB DDR3
2 GB DDR3

Display
14 inch wide (WXGA++: 1600 x 900) TFT colour display (LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))
14 inch wide (WXGA++: 1600 x 900) TFT colour display (LED backlight, Touch screen(Capacitive))

Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)
Color mode setting (Vivid, Natural, Text)

NFC function
Yes
Yes

Camera
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)
HD web camera powered by “Exmor R for PC” (Resolution: 1280 x 720, Effective Pixels: 0.92 Mega pixels)

–
–

Audio
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, ClearPhase, xLOUD, VPT
ClearAudio+ mode (Music, Video), S-FORCE Front Surround 3D, ClearPhase, xLOUD, VPT

Battery Life
VGP-BPS34 Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.5 hours of use*10
VGP-BPS34 Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.5 hours of use*10

Size
338 x 22.1 x 235.7 mm
338 x 22.1 x 235.7 mm

2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)
2.2 kg (including the supplied battery)

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Sony’s latest range does provide something for everyone no matter for work or play and it looks like this will be the next trend in mobile computing.
More info at http://www.sony.com.my
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HP Pavilion X2 Preview

[Tech & Gadgets]

Attended the preview of the new ultra-portable HP Pavilion x2 detachable PC on 6 November 2014 at the Pulp Cafe in Bangsar. The new X2 is designed for users who want to simplify their life with a single device that transforms from tablet to laptop. Simply put – people who want a single very portable and capable device for work and play.
The HP Pavilion x2 is a full-featured 10-inch diagonal Windows tablet that easily transforms to a full-featured laptop and comes with a detachable dual-purpose keyboard/cover that both protects the screen and serves as a multi-position stand.

The HP Pavilion x2 is a portable, and affordable 2-in-1 PC powered by the latest-generation Intel Atom® processor, and features front-facing speakers with DTS sound and a battery that HP claims can last up to 11.45 hours on a single charge.

“Customers have told us they want devices that offer flexibility and performance while reflecting their personal sense of style,” said Serena Yong, General Manager, Printing & Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia. “The HP Pavilion x2 includes innovative designs, vibrant colors, choice of operating system and computing power to enable the way that customers communicate, play and live.”

Technical Specifications:
Processor: Intel® Atom™ processor Z3745D
Operating System: Windows 8.1 64
RAM: 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3L SDRAM
Memory: 32 GB eMMC Storage
Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics (1.33 GHz, 2 MB cache, 4 cores)
Screen: 10.1” diagonal HD2 antiglare touchscreen
Colours:

Moonstone Grey
Tiffany Blue

Other features:

Detachable keyboard for built-in comfort and adjustable cover
Ultra slim and light design
Adjustable stand
Fanless design
Long battery life
Microsoft Office 365 Personal included 1-year license
HP Connected apps
Ports on tablet
HP Care Pack Services

The HP Pavilion x2 is currently available in Malaysia at a starting price of RM1,199.
More information at http://www8.hp.com/my/en/home.html

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MHB Christmas Dinner 2017 Presented by Calvin Klein Watches and Jewelry

[Special Event]

MHB recently had our Christmas Party 2018 Presented by Calvin Klein Watches & Jewelry, with the venue and dinner provided by Samplings on the 14th at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, and supported by Kronenbourg 1664.
Samplings On The Fourteenth is located at the East Tower on the 14th floor of Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, and offers Western cuisine and a large collection of vintage wines. Since opening its doors in 2011, Samplings On The Fourteenth Restaurant has distinguished itself with its service standards, innovative menu, comfortable ambience, and beautiful view – all coming together to form a unique culinary experience for diners.
The restaurant’s main dining room seats 60 people with an addition of 2 private rooms that accommodates 8 and 12 guests respectively. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Val Murugan who has more than 24 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Under Chef Val’s stewardship over the years, Samplings on the Fourteenth Restaurant has received multiple awards with the most recent being Best Fine-Dining Restaurant, World Gourmet Award (2017) and notably the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, MIGF (2015), where the restaurant received 12 awards.
Adding a touch of glam and bling to the evening was Calvin Klein jewelry as the presenting partner of the event. Calvin Klein watches and jewelry is a partnership established in 1997, of two 90’s iconic and pioneer established companies:  Swatch Group and Calvin Klein.
The Calvin Klein watches and jewelry collections feature seductive yet clean and often minimalist aesthetic, with innovative, bold, progressive and seductive designs. First launched in 2004, the jewelry collection takes everyday life and the world as its source of inspiration. The original geometrical creations have given way to designs that are more fluid, organic, sensual and integrated; a reflection of the modern trend.
Calvin Klein Watches and Jewelry stores are located in Pavilion KL, Suria KLCC, Sunway Pyramid, and Sunway Velocity. The products are also available at authorised dealers nationwide.

The venue for our Christmas dinner was Samplings on the 14th at Berjaya Times Square Hotel

We got a lovely view of the KL skyline

The chefs preparing our meal

Put a bunch of girls and Insta-friendly food and you can be assured that all the cameras and smartphones will come out first for photos before a single bite goes into the mouth!

Appetizer
Pan-Seared Scallop
Avocado Tian with Mango-Tomato Salsa
Not one or two but THREE scallops accompanied by a rich avocado and mango-tomato salsa which added some lovely piquant and sweet flavours to the umaminess of the scallops! A wonderful starter with lovely vibrant colours and tasted as good as it looked!

Soup
Cream of Asparagus
with Mushroom Crostini
This heartwarming soup was well-balanced and not too creamy while letting the flavours of the asparagus shine. We moped up every last drop with the delicious mushroom crostini!

Main Courses

Grilled Cod Fish
with Truffle Risotto and Saffron, Fennel Coulis
Each of us got to select our own main course for the evening and the cod fish was a favourite. The beautifully cooked fish was paired with a rich truffle risotto and topped off with a saffron and fennel coulis! Talk about luxury indeed!

Baked Chicken Picatta
Mushroom Fricassee and Aged Balsamic Sauce
The baked chicken picatta showcased the chefs skills in making a tasty yet tender and moist baked chicken, rounded off with a mushroom fricassee and some sharpness from the aged balsamic sauce.

Christmas Turkey
with Chateau Potato and Glaze sweet potato, Mushroom Fricassee
Topped with Cranberry Gravy
As Christmas was around the corner, this dish was immensely popular among our influencers as it reflected the season’s festive mood! The delicately cooked Christmas turkey was accompanied by potatoes and mushroom fricassee, with a lovely sweet cranberry gravy on the side.

Dessert
Christmas Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Yet another dish in line with Christmas – a hearty traditional Christmas dessert which provided a sweet end to the meal.

It was a wonderful meal with great company, flowing conversations, and good food and drink – a fitting way to end a very eventful year for MHB! Here’s to an even better 2018!

Throughout the evening, we had Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, the French Premium Wheat Beer that is very distinct as it comes in a light blue hue coloured bottle. The refreshing cloudy liquid has a unique smooth-taste with hints of citrus and coriander spice, making it a favourite among many female beer drinkers. The beer is brewed with the caviar of noble hops – Strisselspalt hops, which offers an exquisite aromatic flavour that embodies the elegance of France.
For more info on Kronenbourg 1664, head over to https://www.facebook.com/KronenbourgMY/
Currently, Samplings on the Fourteenth is offering a special Chef’s Indulgence menu which is a 3-course set dinner priced at RM 88 nett per set. Samplings on the 14th also has a special Valentine’s Day menu prepared for 14 February and you can read about it at – https://timchew.net/2018/01/19/valentines-day-2018-menu-at-samplings-on-the-fourteenth-berjaya-times-square-hotel/

Samplings on the Fourteenth is located at:
14th Floor, Berjaya Times Square Hotel,
1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Telephone: +60 (3) 2117 8000 ext. 8131
Website: http://www.berjayahotel.com/kualalumpur
Email: bth.samplings@berjayahotel.com

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Photo credits: Andy Kho Photography (www.andykho.com)

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Editor’s Note – October 2017

[Editor’s Note]
Food & Hotel Malaysia (FHM) 2017
 Cooking demos galore!

I recently went to visit the Food & Hotel Malaysia (FHM – but not the FHM magazine that I used to work for) 2017 trader show at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre which featured many different suppliers of food and beverage as well as equipment related to the F&B and hospitality industries. To my dismay, apparently the organiser did not vet through the registration of the visitors properly and as a result, I daresay that at least 50% of the visitors were there just to freeload on the food and beverage samples.
This year’s exhibition spanned nine (9) halls in the KL Convention Centre and it took quite a few hours to visit all the halls, partly due to the crowd of freeloaders. Below are some photos of stuff that caught my attention. There were a lot more exhibits though, way too many for me to capture entirely. Anyway, here are some highlights from my visit:

 View this post on Instagram

 Food & Hotel Malaysia 2017 #wagyu #sake #donuts #wine #craftbeer #pastries #croissant #cupcakes
A post shared by  Tim Chew (@timchew1311) on Sep 27, 2017 at 8:18pm PDT

Bumped into my friend Chanel’s booth which provides refrigeration solutions for cakes and pastries.

 Not this are not smartphones but sweets!

The Better Beer Festival Ban and the Rise of Bigotry in Malaysia

I am truly truly disgusted by the bigotry shown by many of those in the majority race in Malaysia who somehow thinks that it’s fine to bully the minorities by forcing their beliefs and values on them. Of course, this whole situation was brought about by a scheming political party fishing for votes with no qualms about sowing the seeds of discord, division and hatred amongst the community.
A large portion of the population has been brainwashed to think they are superior (surprisingly not too unlike facist/ Nazi ideology) hence when these opportunists come along shouting and screaming in the name of religion, they end up stirring the majority race into a frenzy, promoting the concept of extremism in secular Malaysia.
While the moderates, enlightened and progressive citizens no doubt see through their evil schemes, it’s extremely disheartening to see some political leaders and powers that be pounce on this opportunity and actually inflame the situation by unconstitutionally imposing the ban on beer festivals and making statements that cause further division and unrest. Such actions might result in a breeding ground for religious extremism and eventually may lead to great divisions in society that are irreparable, even perhaps (God forbid!) to the point of civil war in the future, tearing the country apart like Syria or Yemen.
Hence, I urge all moderates – especially Malay Muslims to speak up and promote moderation, understanding and mutual respect among the various races and religions in Malaysia. Only together can we prosper as a nation. Don’t let the loud extremist braying  of extremist parties tear us apart for their own political gain.
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Gift Ideas for Her – Dior Accessories Selections for Christmas

[Fashion]

If you have a headache about what to buy your loved one for Christmas, have a look at the latest collection of accessories by Dior.
The cruise 2016 accessories collection by Raf Simons for Dior features colourful handbags, graphic earrings and patchwork footwear, and are a reflection of silhouettes, paragons of freshness and lightness.
The collection is available in the Dior boutique in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur and is subject to availability.

Bags

Footwear

Accessories

For more info, head over to http://www.dior.com/
Images courtesy of Dior Malaysia

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Breakfast at Ultime Atelier & Boulangerie

[Premium Dining]

We recently paid another visit to Ultime Atelier & Boulangerie, which is located at Menara Noble Land, just a stone’s throw from Changkat Bukit Bintang in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Before you proceed further, if you have not yet read my previous posts regarding Ultime, you can do so here:

https://timchew.net/2021/03/09/preview-of-ultime-atelier-boulangerie-kuala-lumpur/

https://timchew.net/2021/03/06/ultime-atelier-boulangerie-kuala-lumpur/

This time round, we were there to try their new breakfast menu, which is available from 8 am until 11 am. The menu is rather interesting as you can order one of the courses, or add on course upon course. We went for the whole nine yards (4 courses), as well as trying all the various mains available.

1st Course – RM35
Choose two (2) French and Danish pastries and breads from a wide selection, paired with a cup of black coffee.

2nd Course – Add RM25
Add on either a garden salad, granola or eggs prepared your way. If you’re a big eater, you might want to add on something more substantial to the first course.

Granola topped with yoghurt

Garden Salad
A nice fluffy omelette made with Kenkori eggs – from a local farm, with some greens on the side. This was my favourite for the 2nd course.

3rd Course – Add RM35
If you’re a really huge eater or intend to skip lunch, you can opt to add on a pasta marinara, or grilled Ora king salmon (+RM 20), or A5 wagyu hamburger (+RM 35) with port wine and grilled vegetables.
Pasta marinara
Grilled Ora king salmon
Wagyu burger. Being a meat lover, I really enjoyed this juicy and flavourful wagyu burger! Perhaps I would opt for the 1st course then add on this burger (while skipping the other courses)

4th Course – Add RM18
If you’re a sweet tooth, you might want to end your BIG breakfast with some of Ultime’s signature desserts like burnt cheesecake, brownies, pandan layer cake, chocolate tart and pecan pie.

Pecan pie
Pandan layer cake
Chocolate tart
Brownie

We could barely walk after the meal. I would think that three (3) courses would be more than enough for me, and that’s with me not choosing the pasta. My choice would be two French pastries (one of which being a croissant), omelette, and maybe if I’m famished, a main. I’m not much of a sweet tooth so desserts don’t really appeal much to me. Perhaps the fairer sex would appreciate them more.
If you want to impress a date, this breakfast would be something different from the run of the mill cafe breakfast.

For a limited time, enjoy an introductory rate of RM25 (for the 1st course).

Ultime Kuala Lumpur is located at:
Unit 4-1, Level 4, Menara Noble Land,No. 2, Jalan Changkat Ceylon,50200 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.
Telephone: 012-858 8016 or 03-2704 0988
For more info, head over to https://www.facebook.com/ultimeMY or https://ultime.com.my/

Don’t forget to take a nice photo at the Insta-spot near the entrance
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The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur’s Crystal Summer Party – May 2017

[Event]

Not many people know that the idea for Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers actually hatched during one of our pool parties years ago back in 2010. Back then we were having monthly pool parties at a rooftop bar/ swimming pool in downtown Kuala Lumpur and had our lovely FHM Girl Next Door finalists as well as FHM Girlfriends/ Cilipadis with us.
So it was with some degree of nostalgia that MHB’s Andy Kho and myself together with our friends Jean and Winnie made our way over to the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur for their Crystal Summer Party on 20 May 2017. This inaugural pool party at the hotel was held at the glitzy and glamorous Crystal rooftop bar and the poolside area. The bar was inspired by the multi-facets of the precious gem it is named after, and is Kuala Lumpur’s latest playground for the city’s socialites and elite.
The hotel utilises LED media technology not only in their renowned ballroom but also adjacent to the rooftop swimming pool next to Crystal bar with a large 7m x 4m LED media wall which is extremely useful as a backdrop for events or private launches or live screenings. The indoor areas on the ground and first floor of Crystal bar are more of a classy and sophisticated lounge, while the al fresco area on the ground floor allows you to be closer to the action in the pool. The outdoor areas on the upper deck though is great for private parties and offers a panoramic views of KL city and surrounding areas.
There was a RM70.00 cover charge to enter the pool party which was inclusive of one (1) drink. On the decks providing the entertainment for the party were DJs Mr. Q, Chinois, Alex Martin, Felix T,  Xami, and Dora, taking turns from 4.00pm till late night.

 Half a dozen DJs provided the tunes for the party
 Carlsberg and Asahi were partners of the event
 Miss Chinese Cosmos Carrie Lee (right) was also there
 We discovered that the upper deck of Crystal Bar offered an awesome view of the pool below as well as the KL skyline so we spent some time up there enjoying some drinks with the view
 Andy took the opportunity to snap some photos of Jean
 Andy and Jean
 We got there early however later in the evening the crowd started coming in
 The girls soon took the pool, splashing around with the pink flamingo and unicorn floats
 The girls had a splashing good time
 BTW in the background is the large 7m x 4m LED media wall

 While I was chilling upstairs, enjoying the drinks and catching up on the latest socialite updates and stories with Jessy

Crystal rooftop bar is located at:
Level 6, St. Regis Kuala Lumpur,
No 6 Jalan Stesen Sentral 2,
Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2727 6690
Email: crystalbar@stregis.com
Website: http://www.stregiskualalumpur.com/
Opening Hours: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM Daily

Photo credits: Andy Kho Photography (www.andykho.com)

 Thanks for having us!

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Amber Chia Academy Graduation Show – Spring / Summer 2013

[Event]
It was a rainy Friday evening on 3 May 2013 and I was feeling rather lazy after a long working week but as I promised Amber and Benjamin a week earlier during the Paradigm Mall Spring Summer Fashion Show Gala that I would attend their graduation I made my way over through the crazy rush hour LDP jam to Paradigm Mall. Arrived there early and helped myself to a couple of cold Kronenbourg 1664 lagers and did my usual mingling with the sponsors, models and celebs before the show started.
Amber Chia Academy’s (ACA) third graduation show was in conjunction with Paradigm Mall’s “In Style Spring / Summer 2013” fashion week, and had over a hundred modelling, kids modelling, makeup, and photography students graduating from both ACA Jaya One as well as ACA Berjaya Times Square.
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Kronenbourg 1664 was the official beer sponsor
Amber with MCs for the night Nadine Ann (L) and Nadia Heng (R)
Amber Chia giving her welcome address
Catwalk guru Benjamin Toong showing his “Gentleman” moves
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Highlights of the evening consisted of a presentation of “Era Makeup Evolution”, which presented notable and fashionable makeup trends evolving as the eras go by; a “Garden Fairy Bride” makeup show, with the models parading Keith Kee Couture; “Red Revolution” and Key Ng fashion showcases; and also a “Joy of Colours” fashion show by kid models.
Makeup Guru Jil Yong, Makeup Coach Pinky Chia, and Makeup Instructor Quennel Quan, also debuted their “Post-Apocalyptic Avant Garde” makeup masterpieces, whereby the models were also sporting nail art by Nail Art Instructor Yannie Wong.
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But it was the kids who really stole the show and had the parents and adults cheering them on

The Amber Chia Academy team

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After the fashion shows and makeup presentations, ACA students received their graduation certificates from Principal Amber Chia. This was followed by the award presentation for Fan Favourite ACA Model, Most Promising (Female & Male) Kid Models, Most Promising Makeup Artist, Most Promising Photographer, Most Promising (Female & Male) Commercial Faces, and Most Promising (Female & Male) Models.
“It feels like ACA was born not too long ago, and I cannot believe that this is our third graduation show already! I am truly grateful for the opportunity, through ACA, to be able to discover and train fresh talents for the industry, and I hope these new talents can go on to make Malaysia proud on an international level,” shared Chia. Hmmm actually I was there for the opening of her first academy in Jaya One PJ. Three years seemed to go by in a flash! Guess I was having a lot of fun.
Since its inception almost, ACA graduates have been competing and subsequently winning various model searches (including Victor Yong who won the FHM Girl Next Door 2013 Search recently), beauty pageants, and makeup competitions, in their efforts to carve promising career paths for themselves in the industry.
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More info at https://www.facebook.com/amberchia.academy
More photos at https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers
Subscribe to my public updates at https://www.facebook.com/timchewkc
or follow me on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/timchew1311
Photo credits: Amber Chia Academy and author’s own
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Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Launches the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé (2021)

[Automotive News]

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia unveiled the new E-Class Coupé on 12 August 2021, officially debuting the latest addition to the illustrious Mercedes-Benz dream cars collection to the Malaysian automotive market.
The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé is available as AMG Line, and reinforces its upgrade with expressive proportions, and a clear sensual design, showcasing the brand’s innovative tradition, elevated with a new iconic look and intuitive new technology.
The E 300 AMG Line Coupé embodies ultra-modern style with refined sportiness, with its balanced proportions coupled with the classic-A diamond-block grille and muscular lower bodywork. The E-Class Coupé is also the only pillarless coupé in its class.
“This is a car that is sure to stir emotions. With its luxury appeal that is unique to the Mercedes-Benz brand and its new enhancements, the E 300 AMG Line Coupé not only offers customers an exhilarating and spirited drive but also sportier styling, which exudes character. We are confident that this new dream car by Mercedes-Benz will exceed expectations and will continue to be a top choice for motoring enthusiasts.”Sagree Sardien, President & CEO, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia

The Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder petrol engine that generates an output of 190kW (258 hp), 370 Nm of torque, capable of an acceleration of 0-100km/h in just 6.4 seconds. The enhancement of DYNAMIC SELECT, 9G-TRONIC transmission and AGILITY CONTROL suspension offers an optimum ride comfort and driving stability.
The E-Class Coupé features design that is seductive, with the signature AMG styling for front and rear spoiler, diamond radiator grille with pins in chrome, and 19-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels.
A new highlight of the muscular rear section is the completely redesigned inner workings of the two-piece taillights. The E 300 AMG Line Coupé is further equipped with MULTIBEAM LED that offers brighter and more natural illumination at night. Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus controls the LEDs by switching between low, partial main beam and main beam automatically.
Paint colours available for the E 300 AMG Line Coupé are Polar White, Obsidian Black, Rubellite Red, Graphite Grey, Mojave Silver, Brilliant Blue, High-tech Silver, Emerald Green and Selenite Grey. Also available are the designo diamond white bright and designo patagonia red metallic with an additional cost.
Ed – My 2nd cousin and Malaysian squash queen Nicol David is one of  Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s brand ambassadors! Pictured here with the Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé wearing an exquisite gown made by Carven Ong Couture for #MBFWKL

“The sporty and luxurious Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé is the latest introduction to the Mercedes-Benz dream cars portfolio. With its perfect proportions, the new coupé exhibits a surface-accentuated design with reduced lines and sensuous forms, emphasizing the Coupé’s sporty and luxurious personality. The four frameless, retractable side windows and the absence of a visible B-pillar underlines the dynamic looks of this new coupé. It conveys an air of luxury and style alike. It is, truly a masterpiece,”Michael Jopp, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Passenger Cars, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
The interior of the coupé combines contemporary style with sporty luxury. The essential lines of the interior have a clear definition. The upper section of the dashboard appears to hover; it rests on generously proportioned trim elements that flow through into the doors. The exceptionally high-quality materials selected, together with the quality of craftsman-ship employed, serve to emphasize the car’s sporty, stylish character and exude outstandingly high-class appeal.
Other luxurious features include a panoramic sliding sunroof, ambient lighting with 64 colours and three-zones to create a host of individual highlights, and the legendary Burmester® surround sound system.

The Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé is fitted with an entirely new, intelligent steering wheel. The control surfaces sport a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surrounds have a silver shadow finish.
The new Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé is equipped with the latest generation MBUX multimedia System (NTG 6). The information in the instrument cluster and on the media display is easily legible on the large, high-resolution screens. Dual 12.3-inch displays create a widescreen cockpit with a wide range of personalization.
The new Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé has the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz driving assistance systems providing cooperative support to drivers. This results in an especially high level of active safety: the Coupé is able to react quickly and intelligently if the driver is unable to do so. The hands-off detection feature of the steering wheel now works on a capacitive basis, thereby enhancing user-friendliness when driving in semi-automated mode.
In addition to the standard safety and assistance features, the E 300 AMG Line Coupé is also equipped with Driving Assistance package, which includes Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, Active Brake Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and PRE-SAFE Plus
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Line Coupé is priced at RM 495,071.47 (OTR without insurance).

Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
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Kronenbourg 1664’s L’Aperitif Fashion 2013 Finale

[Fashion]
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur played host to the grand finale of Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion on 7 November 2013 which showcased the interpretations of this year’s theme ‘French Masterpieces’ by nine local budding fashion designers.
The search is like Project Runway and involved a 7 month-long of effort, from entry submission, public voting, short-listing of 20 finalists, design conceptualization, creating the outfit, to fitting, hairdo and choosing their models for the runway.
In case you missed the launch of the search earlier in the year, here’s a look at the press conference where I got to enjoy ice-cold Kronenbourg 1664 (lager which is my fav variant!) on a blisteringly hot day!
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As I mentioned earlier, the search is like Project Runway and this year the organisers took the search a step further by capturing the progress of the search on video which you can watch here – http://www.youtube.com/user/Kronenbourg1664MY
The winner of the search would get a money-can’t-buy 3-month internship with the world acclaimed fashion designer Nicolas Georgiou in London, recommended by the Patron of Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion Datuk Prof. Dr. Jimmy Choo, O.B.E.
Now 7 November was a busy day for me but I made sure that I attended the finale which is the culmination of Kronenbourg 1664’s key campaign of 2013. After all I was there during the launch of the brand two (2) years ago at The Hill, Damansara Heights and you can read about the brand’s events here – https://timchew.net/category/drinks/kronenbourg-1664/
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 Veron with my two fav Kronenbourg 1664 girls – Hanli and Estelle!
 Lots of Kronenbourg 1664 lager and Blanc for us to enjoy throughout the night.
 A pic with Datuk Prof. Dr. Jimmy Choo OBE who is the patron of Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion, Henrik Andersen the Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia, and Andy Kho (L-R)
 I really like the Kronenbourg 1664 promoter girls uniform
 Spotted some Malaysian celebs – Malaysian songstress Chelsia Ng with Miss World Malaysia 2005 Emmeline Ng
 Miss World Malaysia 2012 Lee Yvonne with Hazel Loke
 Wish I could bring one of these cool Kronenbourg 1664 beer towers home
 This was not your typical fashion show runway or setting!
 The panel of judges consisted of Juliet Yap, Marketing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia, international fashion designers Khoon Hooi and Keith Kee, Rubin Khoo Managing Editor of August Man and Mindy Teh Editor in Chief of Marie Claire with mentor Gillian Hung.
 Elecoldxhot provided some flashy entertainment with their LED dance!
 Nigel Chia Kay Thuan with his ‘Le Fantome D L’Opera’ Collection
 Laura Yep Ai Mei – ‘Quasimodo’ Collection
 Lorenzo Peh Chin Yee – ‘Corsetheus’ Collection

 Shin Mei Chian – ‘Pure Evil’ Collection
 Ivy Kerk Mee Sian – ‘Further’ Collection
 Alice Ng Sheng Min – ‘Charm De Ligne’ Collection
 Michelle Soong – ‘Love Antoinette’ Collection
 Ellie Lim Mei Li – ‘L’Art’ Collection
 Phuna Boon Yi – ‘Clermont-Ferrand’ Collection

 But there can only be one winner and after the break where guests got to enjoy a delicious buffet spread provided by the Majestic Hotel KL, Ellie Lim was declared the winner of the Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion 2013. She later remarked, “This has been an amazing journey for me. I am truly grateful to Kronenbourg 1664 for giving me not only an opportunity to learn but the chance of a lifetime to intern in London with a renowned fashion icon like Nicolas Georgiou. Taking part in L’Aperitif Fashion has been a remarkable journey for all of us, having been guided and monitored by mentor Gillian Hung on our collections.”
 The winner with Dato Jimmy Choo, Juliet Yap the Marketing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia, and the judges
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Supporting the Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion were iconic The Majestic Hotel; providing the Official Venue for the entire campaign, L’Oreal Professionnel who was the Official Hair Stylist and Diva Productions was the official makeup partner.
More info on Kronenbourg 1664’s L’Aperitif Fashion at http://www.kronenbourg1664.com.my/LAF
More info on Kronenbourg 1664 at http://carlsbergmalaysia.com.my/web/brands/br_kronenbourg_1664.aspx or https://www.facebook.com/Kronenbourg1664
Photo credits: Kronenbourg 1664 Malaysia (Carlsberg Malaysia), Andy Kho (www.andykho.com) and author’s own
Follow me on Instagram @timchew1311
The Chinese press release is below after the photos.
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KRONENBOURG 1664 L’APERITIF FASHION总决赛冠军得主诞生
年轻创意设计师展现具有Kronenbourg 1664风格的法式杰作
吉隆坡，2013年11月12日——Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion时尚盛会已经在吉隆坡Majestic Hotel圆满落幕！9位本地时尚界新秀设计师成功在这项总决赛中，展现他们对“法式杰作”的完美诠释。从呈交作品、公众投选、评选20位决赛圈入围者、设计概念化、缝制参赛服装到试装、发型设计和选择伸展台模特儿等长达7个月的努力之后，Ellie Lim终于成功打败芸芸竞争者，脱颖而出成为冠军得主，并成功获得Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion名誉赞助人拿督Jimmy Choo博士教授O.B.E推荐，前往伦敦知名时尚设计师Nicolas Georgiou旗下，实习3个月。
马来西亚Carlsberg董事经理Henrik Juel Andersen在提到该啤酒品牌如何与时尚平台挂钩时表示：“Kronenbourg 1664是法国排名第一且享誉全球的优质啤酒品牌。为了忠于其源自法国文化、生活和魅力的品牌精神，Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion一直致力于推动本地时尚领域的发展，并且为有创意的年轻设计师提供一个展现才华的平台。”
Andersen补充说：“今天，我们见证了梦想成真以及愿景成为现实的历史性时刻。秉持着发掘时尚精英以及为时尚界新秀设计师提供实验性竞赛的使命，Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif是一个专业的时尚平台，让年轻设计师有机会表达他们对‘法式享乐艺术’的诠释，并且把他们的想法转化成为真实作品，然后通过伸展台呈现于世人眼前。”
聚集服装设计师与酿酒师且结合奢华时尚以及法式享乐艺术的2013年Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion。让参赛者在经历了准备总决赛的种种磨练之后，交出令人惊艳的成果。总决赛当天，参赛者所呈现的一系列法式时尚作品，充分反映了法国第一优质啤酒Kronenbourg 1664的独特风格，也完美体现了法式文化、纪念性建筑和文学精髓。
第一位参赛者Shin Mei Chian呈现了一系列以“纯粹的邪恶（Pure Evil）”为主题的作品。她的作品融合了戏剧元素和风格，并且完美结合了复古与现代法国风情。随后登场的Ivy Kerk Mee Siang则以“更进一步（Further）”为设计主题呈现了一系列灵感来自巴克莱资本银行（Barclay Capital Bank）的作品。接下来，Michelle Soong为玛丽安托内特加入了现代化的元素，带来一系列以“情迷安托内特（Love Antoinette）”为主题的时尚服饰。精致考究中带有淡淡的哥特式风情，Alice Ng Sheng Min以其名为“线之魅力（Charme De Ligne）”的系列作品，让观众为之着迷。
经过短暂的休息时间之后，晚会也迅速进入高潮时刻。穿着大胆前卫服饰的模特儿，完美诠释了Nigel Chia Kay Thuan以“Le Fantôme De L’opéra（歌剧魅影）”为概念的系列作品。紧接下来，Lorenzo Peh Chin Yee也以“Corsetheus（马甲休斯）”为主题设计出一系列创意服饰，把“紧身胸衣”转变成为高级时装元素。Ellie Lim则带来了更优雅婉约的设计概念，通过“艺之颂（L’art）”的主题，呈现一系列错综复杂且注重细节的精致作品。设计风格完全迥异的是Phuna Boon Yi的“Clermont-ferrand （克莱蒙费朗）”，他以一系列结合传统与庞克风格的混合设计，营造出不拘一格的创新组合。最后一位入围者Laura Yap Ai Mei则是当晚唯一一位呈现全男服饰的参赛者，她的主题是“Quasimodo（卡西莫多）” 。
由Carlsberg Malaysia市场营销总监Juliet Yap、国际时尚设计师Khoon Hooi与Keith Kee、August Man执行编辑Rubin Khoo以及Marie Claire总编Mindy Teh所组成的陪审团，对参赛者所展现出来的非凡才华，感到惊叹。Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion名誉赞助人拿督Jimmy Choo OBE博士教授，和导师Gillian Hung也非常满意参赛者的表现。每一位参赛者的设计作品都博得如雷的掌声。
2013年Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion优胜者XX表示：“对我来说，这是充满惊喜的旅程。我很感谢Kronenbourg 1664给我一个学习的平台，让我有机会到伦敦向Nicolas Georgiou这样的时尚界代表人物学习。对所有参赛者而言，能够获得导师Gillian Hung的指引和教导，让参与L’Aperitif Fashion成为一趟非凡的丰富旅程。”
Kronenbourg 1664 L’Aperitif Fashion总决赛的支持单位包括The Majestic Hotel，负责为活动提供官方场地；L’Oreal Professionals，负责提供官方发型设计；以及Diva Productions，负责提供化妆造型设计。在每一个支持单位的配合下，参赛者所设计的每一件法式时尚作品都展现出无与伦比的美感。
欲知更多有关Kronenbourg 1664的详情，请浏览www.kronenbourg1664.com.my/LAF

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“Abundance of Oysters” and “Abundance of Champagne” with Veuve Clicquot at Soleil, DC Mall, Kuala Lumpur

[Restaurant/ Premium Dining]
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Ruby and I headed over to Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar in Damansara City Mall (DC Mall) recently to try out the restaurant’s “Abundance of Oysters” and “Abundance of Champagne” promotions which happening in October and November 2018, in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot champagne.
Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin has stayed true to its motto “Only One Quality, The Finest” for over two centuries. Over the years, the Maison has acquired extraordinary know how thanks to an exceptional woman: Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, also known as Madame Veuve Clicquot. With a tradition of export, today Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin exports more than 90% of its production to over 150 countries. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne is the world’s second most popular champagne and is considered by consumers to be the most exclusive and the most prestigious.
In my humble opinion, champagne and fresh oysters are a match made in heaven – with the pairing of fresh oysters bursting with umami flavours contrasting with the crispness of champagne. Soleil currently has a promotion whereby you can get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne (normal selling price of RM330++) together with 3 pieces of fresh Irish oysters (normal selling price of RM55++) at a very special promotional price of just RM345++. In addition to that, you can opt to upgrade to half a dozen of fresh Irish Oysters for only an additional RM5++ (which I highly suggest that you do!).
Every Wednesday, Soleil has an evening activity called “Ladies and Gentlemen Night” featuring this very delicious natural aphrodisiac. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne by glass and bottle will be available at discounted prices and there’s also an Oyster Bar at the terrace serving varieties of oysters from around the world with prices starting from RM10 – RM22 and also various packages of Oysters Trays.
Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar has always been famous for Chef Evert’s gastronomic creations with seafood dishes being his specialty – from Belgium Mussel Pots, Clam Pots, Sole Meuniere, North Sea Shrimps and Seared Scallops. On 11th November 2018, the establishment will be organizing a one-day Seafood Festival in partnership with Veuve Clicquot. The event will feature a selection of seafood prepared in the cooking method of your choice, a fresh oyster bar with various selection of oysters, and not forgetting lots of champagne, wines and other beverages on promotion.

Early Bird Packages for Seafood Festival:

Package 1
RM75nett a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne with 3 Oysters
(RM85nett Door Price)

Package 2
RM400nett a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne with 1 ½ Dozen Oysters. (RM460nett Door Price)

Early Bird Packages can be purchased at Soleil Restaurant and Wine Bar Outlet or http://www.eventbrite.com

SOLEIL Restaurant & Wine Bar is located at:
Lot L2-13A & L2-15, Second Floor DC MALL,
Plaza DC, Damansara City,
6, Jalan Damanlela,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia .

Telephone: 03-20118261
Email: asst_rm@soleil.com.my
Website: http://www.soleil.my
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soleilrestaurant/

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Lenovo Vibe Shot – Dinner with Hannah Reyes, National Geographic Young Explorer

[ADV]
Stephanie Lim and I with Hannah Reyes

My MHB blogger Stephanie Lim and I recently attended an exclusive media dinner organised by Lenovo Malaysia at Suria KLCC with National Geographic Young Explorer Hannah Reyes. Hannah Reyes is a documentary and travel photographer from the Philippines, who is represented by National Geographic Creative, and is a member of Cambodia-based Ruom Collective.
Her love for photography has brought her all over Asia, from photographing the illicit production of an ecstasy precursor in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains, surviving the crossfire of shanty demolitions in Manila, creating a moving visual dialogue with a sex worker, to documenting the changing world of Mongolia’s steppe.
She recently completed an expedition funded in part by National Geographic, documenting changing indigenous cultures in Northern Luzon, the Philippines. She hopes to continue documenting hopeful and thought-provoking stories within complex situations created by poverty and inequality.
Her work has been published in print and online in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time.com, NationalGeographic.com, The Diplomat, The Guardian and Lonely Planet, and has been exhibited for the Chilean embassy in Manila; PNoise Festival in Copenhagen; Asian Cultural Festival in Aalborg, Denmark; China ASEAN Photo Festival in Nanning, China, and most recently with National Geographic in Colorado, USA.
She is based in Phnom Penh however through her partnership with Nat Geo and Lenovo, she has been to India, Thailand and Malaysia to shoot with the latest Lenovo smartphone – the Lenovo Vibe Shot.
Prior to dinner, Hannah gave us a presentation of the photos she shot with the Lenovo Vibe Shot during her travels.
Here are the photos Hannah took in Thailand.
Click on the individual photos to open a larger version.

Next up were the photos from India.

And lastly were the photos she shot in our very own backyard.

If I had not known that the photos were shot with a smartphone I’d have thought they were taken with a DSLR or at least a system camera. Of course, Hannah’s photography skills were also a great contributing factor.
We also took the opportunity to play around with the Lenovo Vibe Shot during dinner and later bringing it to the KLCC lake and shooting the twin towers.
The most important function to girls is the front camera and the Lenovo Vibe Shot comes with a 8MP front camera with Beauty Mode
Look how pretty we are!
Then down to the KLCC lake where the fountain was running

Used the panorama function to capture the entire twin towers

Lenovo has lent me the Lenovo Vibe Shot so do look out for my review on it coming soon! In the meantime, you can see the photos I take with it on my Instagram at http://instagram.com/timchew1311/
You can follow Hannah on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hannahreyesphoto and on Instagram at http://instagram.com/hannahrey/
More info on the Lenovo Vibe Shot at http://lenovomobile.com.my/
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LOEWE Men’s Fall Winter 2015 Collection

[Fashion]
The LOEWE Men’s Fall Winter 2015 builds on last season’s take on normality, revealing different facets of the evolving identity introduced with Anderson’s debut collection for the house. The collection features an advanced interpretation of menswear —youthful, functional and aware— in a collection defined by lightness, innovation and materiality.
An imaginary leitmotif unites diverse aesthetic influences, as a distinctive yet elusive character —by turns eccentric, classic, playful, awkward, confident and worldly— is embedded against an anonymous backdrop, creating a multidimensional play on a modern man’s wardrobe.
The outerwear is at the core of this collection, like the pale denim peacoat lined with Spanish shearling, a double-faced duffel coat constructed for maximum comfort, and a navy suede trench made out of skins normally reserved for bags. The designs consist of superior design, rigorous functionality and resolute modernity that characterise LOEWE today.
Silhouette is dictated by ease and volume. Supple knits and wide trousers are contrasted with structure and stripes, while sports references are elevated through high-end materials and refined detailing. A deep military green enhances the Anton backpack, as wallets, scarves, brooches, and a braided heeled loafer, among other accessories, complete the collection.
Visual impact and tactility are achieved through pattern and craft, manifest in a rediscovered French camouflage adapted across the collection, and a lattice of calf over canvas used in briefcases, shoulder bags and the Amazona’s new, roomier iterations. Napa is treated to feel like linen, python juxtaposed with cotton, and mohair brushed for an extra-plush effect.
Marine, saffron and yellow accentuate a muted spectrum of natural shades, from mustard and cognac to chocolate and rust to forest green. Flashes of Oro, LOEWE’s signature hue, appear throughout, reinforcing the house codes in a contemporary way.
Leather and exotic skins are used as supremely modern, versatile and weightless materials, exemplified by an ultra-light yet resilient watersnake blouson with a super-smooth hand and a kangaroo anorak that showcases LOEWE’s pioneering waterproofing technology.
LOEWE’s latest collection is inspired by outerwear with a domestic sensibility and a character that stays the same through constant change, creating a new template for menswear: wearable fashion that is both universal and hyper-specific, and fundamentally modern.
The Loewe boutique in Malaysia is located at:
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Lot. 2.35.01, Level 2,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
No. 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603-2141 0262
More info at http://www.loewe.com/

Apparel

Bags

Footwear

Others

Images courtesy of FJ Benjamin (Malaysia).

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A Date with the Hyundai Tucson 2.0L CRDI Diesel (Car Review)

[Car Review]

I had sooooooo much fun with the Elantra Sport Turbo 1.6GDi during Chinese New Year earlier this year (which you can read here – https://timchew.net/2018/03/06/chinese-new-year-2018-with-the-6th-generation-hyundai-elantra-sport-1-6-turbo-gdi/) that I really couldn’t wait to try out another of Hyundai Motor’s turbocharged engine vehicles.
This time round, it was the latest Hyundai Tucson 2.0L CRDI Diesel, a variant with a turbocharged powertrain that was built for outstanding performance and fuel-efficiency (but low and behold – ALL Tucson variants available in Malaysia have  been granted the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) status from the Malaysia government, meaning that you can park it in EEV reserved spots in certain carparks ha ha!).
The Tucson 2.0L CRDI Diesel engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, providing a power output of 178PS and a whopping 400Nm from 1,750 to 2,750 rpm of torque and a top speed of 201km/h in 9.3 seconds (although I didn’t try to hit this top speed). The R-series CRDI Diesel Engine is also fitted with piezo-electronic injectors that deliver fuel at 1800 bar, with low fuel consumption and 186g/100km CO2 emissions.
New convenient features are also offered with this new variant, which include the LED Headlamps with static bending lights; Auto Hold function that automatically holds the brakes steady once the vehicle has come to a complete stop thereby preventing it from creeping forward or rolling backward; and a smart powered tailgate which opens at the approach of the key-holder. Optional accessories such as three leather packages (colour options: black, red and white), body kit and 19” rims are also made available with the Tucson 2.0L CRDI Diesel.
The one the nice folks at Hyundai Malaysia lent me was with the body kit and sporty and stylish 19″ rims, which I thought would make it a very bumpy and hard ride due to the really low-profile tyres, but to my total amazement – the ride comfort was absolutely fantastic! Way more comfortable than the Hyundai Elantra Sport which I drove over Chinese New Year (I fetched my parents to my grandma’s house for reunion dinner, and safe to say my mom wasn’t a fan of the stiff suspension of the Elantra Sport which, to be fair, was designed for superior handling and to provide a low centre of gravity, than all out comfort).

The Tucson is one of the safest vehicles in its segment and has received the maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. It benefits from a solid body structure featuring 51% ultra-high strength steel for improved torsional rigidity, impact resistance and a host of innovative passive and active safety features. As with all Hyundai models, the Tucson also features a state-of-the-art safety system that offers optimal driving stability. These include the Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system, Hillstart Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with an Automatic Vehicle Hold feature. The 1.6L T-GDI and 2.0L CRDI Diesel are fully equipped with 6 airbags for all round safety.
Designed based on Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design theme, the Tucson employs refined aesthetics with sculpted body forms and sporty contours for an athletic, bold and striking appearance. The front of the All-New Tucson is dominated by the Hyundai signature hexagonal front grille, which connects to the headlamps with LED Positioning Lamps to create a distinctive identity. A wing-shaped appearance to the front bumper, which incorporates the LED daytime running lights, gives the car a unique style and provides a visual reference for the car’s wide track.

I thought it was going to be a bumpy ride, but I was so wrong!

On the inside, the premium wrapped extra-wide instrument panel contours to enhance occupants’ overall sense of interior roominess. A stitched, soft-touch pad is located near the driver’s right knee, for better comfort during long commutes or spirited cornering. Interior touch points have been upgraded with premium, soft-touch materials and all interior switchgear have a more refined feel during operation.

Electric driver’s seat!
Lots of room for passengers in the rear (the driver’s seat has been adjusted for my height – 178cm)
Rear aircon vents – a must for our hot and humid weather!

Ample space in the rear even with the rear seats up

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 Easily fit all the products from our generous sponsors for the @myhottestbloggers dinner at Tangerine recently into the rear compartment of the new Hyundai Tucson 2.0 CRDi. This immensely powerful, super comfortable (yes even with the optional 19" rims and low profile tyres) and convenient baby is currently available at @hyundaimy #hyundaitucsoncrdi #hyundaitucson #hyundaimalaysia #suv #hyundaimotors
A post shared by  Tim Chew (@timchew1311) on Jun 11, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT

As I was loading her up, my hands were full with the boxes and I was trying to carry the boxes with one hand while I opened the boot but the SUV sensed I was at the rear (I had the key on me of course) and opened the boot for me without me having to press any button. Closing the boot was also a breeze, just press the button and it closes. Talk about a smart and convenience!

The Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with an Automatic Vehicle Hold
The Automatic Vehicle Hold feature was tremendously handy in KL’s notorious traffic, which can be stop and go. Just turn it on, and when you bring the vehicle to a complete stop, you can leave it in D and it won’t move an inch. To move, just lightly tap on the accelerator and off you go! No need to shift from D to N (although I still prefer to do so at traffic lights where the wait is long).

My only grouse with this SUV is that the reverse camera is built into the rear view mirror instead of the AV unit

All in all, it was a really comfortable and fun ride! In fact, I enjoyed the comfort element so much that I didn’t really push her to the max, although she did perform quite well on the Tropicana Golf & Country Resort straight, and along its twisty corners. The ride handling was outstanding – hardly any body roll, the chassis easily pointed in the direction of the steering wheel, while the tyres stuck to the road like glue.
There was so much power on tap, definitely more than you’ll probably ever need. But it’s reassuring to know that you have it, and it really makes the Tucson one hell of an exciting ride (although I have to state that you should always ALWAYS place safety first before fun)! Certainly not how I would normally describe an SUV, but this Tucson is really something else!
All Tucson variants are entitled to 50,000km free service with 3 years validity. HYUNDAI-SIME DARBY MOTORS SDN BHD offers a 5-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty on all its new passenger vehicles. A 24-hour road assist service is also now available to new and existing Hyundai vehicles.  For more information or to place bookings, interested parties can head to the nearest sales outlet or call Hyundai’s Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000.

HYUNDAI-SIME DARBY MOTORS SDN BHD has a new price list for their models reflecting the ZERO RATED GST with effect from 1st June 2018:

Model
Variant
Current OTR
Price without Insurance
(RM)
New OTR Price
(ZERO GST) without
Insurance
(RM)

Reduced By
(RM)

Hyundai Elantra
1.6 (A) Turbo
131,488.00
124,088.00
7,400.00

Hyundai Elantra
2.0 (A) Executive
116,388.00
109,888.00
6,500.00

Hyundai Elantra
2.0 (A) Dynamic
120,588.00
113,888.00
6,700.00

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
1.6 (A) HEV
100,388.00
94,788.00
5,600.00

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
1.6 (A) HEV Plus
116,488.00
109,988.00
6,500.00

Hyundai Tucson
1.6 (A) Turbo
145,688.00
137,488.00
8,200.00

Hyundai Tucson
2.0 (A) Diesel
155,788.00
147,088.00
8,700.00

Hyundai Tucson
2.0 (A) Elegance
126,188.00
119,188.00
7,000.00

Hyundai Tucson
2.0 (A) Premium
159,888.00
150,888.00
9,000.00

Hyundai Starex
2.5 (A) Royale
164,088.00
154,888.00
9,200.00

Hyundai Starex
2.5 (A) Premium
173,788.00
164,088.00
9,700.00

Hyundai Starex
2.5 (A) Deluxe
183,588.00
173,288.00
10,300.00

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Nissan X-Trail (3rd Generation) Launched in Malaysia

[Automobiles]

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) launched the All-New 3rd Generation Nissan X-Trail on 23 January in Kuala Lumpur – a premium crossover which has already won multiple awards including the “Indonesia Car of the Year 2014” from Mobil Motor Magazine and Auto Bild Indonesia Magazine, and “Car of the Year 2014” award by China Mainstream Media Automobile Alliance in China.
There are two (2) variants available in Malaysian market; the 2.5L 4WD, and the 2.0L 2WD, and the All-New X-Trail has already gathered over 1,300 bookings since pre-launch bookings started in December 2014.
Mr. Tan Keng Meng, Director of Marketing and Product Planning in addressing the launch of the All-New X-Trail said, “We are delighted to be able to introduce the All-New X-Trail to Malaysians. The previous generation X-Trails were such icons for SUV and crossover fans here, with more than 19,000 units on the road since ETCM first launched it in 2003. The completely redesigned All-New X-Trail combines Nissan’s acclaimed 4×4 heritage with fresh ideas, premium styling and groundbreaking technologies – making it one of the most advanced Crossovers with off-roading capabilities. This innovative premium crossover is further testament to ETCM’s commitment to bringing consumers with the best that Nissan has to offer.”

The locally assembled All-New Nissan X-trail is equipped with the new Active Chassis Control technology which consists of the following three (3) technologies that have been developed to ensure smooth, stress-free driving experience:

Active Ride Control system moderates any pitching motion experienced by drivers on bumpy roads by controlling engine torque and brakes to improve ride comfort
Active Engine Brake system adjusts the amount of engine braking to assist drivers to reduce speed when cornering or stopping
Active Trace Control system automatically applies small amounts of braking to the individual wheels to reduce understeer and help the driver maintain control around corners.

The 2.5L variant is equipped with an ALL MODE INTELLIGENT 4×4 System (4×4-i), for different driving modes based on road conditions

Two-wheel drive
Auto Mode – which automatically changes torque distribution between front and rear wheels when driving on paved or slippery roads
Lock Mode for permanent four-wheel drive.

Hill Start Assist is available in both variants and will hold the car steady when starting from a stop position on a slop. Additionally, there is the Hill Descent Control in the 2.5L 4WD variant which controls the vehicle speed (between 4km/h -15km/h) when descending a steep or slippery hill without applying brakes, allowing drivers to focus on steering the vehicle.
The 2.5L 4WD variant is powered by the QR25DE-k2 engine with Twin CVTC, providing a maximum power output of 171 PS at 6,000 rpm and 233 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The 2.0L 2WD variant comes with the MR20DD engine with direct fuel injection and Twin CVTC, churning out 144 PS at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. Both variants are mated to the Nissan’s Next Generation Xtronic CVT with 7-speed manual mode, and the ECO mode system for better fuel efficiency.

On the exterior, Nissan has designed the X-Trail with Boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, the distinctive ‘V’-shaped Nissan grille and Rear Combination Lamp, which are standard for both variants. Unique to the 2.5 4WD variant are first-in-class LED Headlights with auto function and LED Wing Mirror Signal Lights. Roof Rails and 17-inch alloy wheels give the new All-New X-Trail a striking and imposing appearance.

A highly refined interior is emphasised with quality soft touch materials on the instrument panel, front door and centre armrest. Touches of chrome, geometric metallic and premium piano black finishing further evoke a sense of modern elegance in its interior ambience.
A 5+2 seating configuration makes for an exceptionally spacious cabin, particularly for instances when additional seating is required for children. It also has an impressive load capacity of 1,520 litres (with second and third row seats folded flat); and 550 litres (with third row seats folded flat).
 Load capacity of 1,520 litres (with second and third row seats folded flat)

There are also Zero-Gravity Inspired’ Seats to help reduce fatigue, a best-in-class 5-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display (ADAD), and a first-in-class 360° Around View Monitor for added parking convenience.
 5-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display
 360° Around View Monitor

There is a range of safety features that comes as standard across both variants; including the Dual Front SRS airbags, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Traction Control System (TCS) with Active Brake-Limited Slip (ABLS), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) with Brake Assist (BA)
The All-New Nissan X-Trail is priced at RM165,800 for the 2.5L 4WD, and RM142,800 for the 2.0L 2WD (on-the-road prices with insurance for Peninsular Malaysia). It is available in five (5) colours – Tungsten Silver, Titanium Olive, Diamond Black, Graphite Blue and Brilliant White.

In conjunction with the launch of the All-New X-Trail, ETCM is offering three (3) years or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first), and free three (3) years maintenance service with every purchase.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES FOR THE ALL-NEW X-TRAIL

No.

Parts

Unit Price (RM)

1.

Tinting – V-Kool Elite Security

4,400.00

2.

Tinting – V-Kool Armorcoat

2,850.00

3.

Tinting – Solar Gard

1,450.00

4.

Leather Seat

2,800.00

5.

Ultra Glass Body Coating NEO

2,350.00

6.

Multi-Media Navigation

3,800.00

For more information, call the Nissan Customer Care Line Toll FREE line at 1800-88-3838 or head over to www.nissan.com.my
Photo credits: Edaran Tan Chong Motors

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Sony Alpha 5000 – User Review

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Remember that I attended the Sony Alpha 5000 bloggers gathering at Carcosa Seri Negara (you can read about it here – https://timchew.net/2014/05/12/sony-alpha-5000-bloggers-preview-2/)? Well the nice folks at Sony Malaysia let us bring the camera home to try out and try I did. As I work in the media, I attend lots of different sorts of events and I decided to bring the very portable and light Alpha 5000 with me.
Now I was one of only two (2) people who took home the set with 2 lenses:
The kit lens which was an E-mount 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 which weighs only 116g, , with Lens-based Image Stabilization (SteadyShot)
E-mount 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 Telephoto Lens with Optical SteadyShot
So how would this light and portable interchangeable lens camera perform in my day to day life in the media which consists of attending lots of different events? I call it practical application of sorts while MHB’s Andy Kho calls it a “field test”. Well let’s find out how the camera performed.
First up was an ice cream launch.

Shot this one in Program Auto mode and I’m very impressed with the camera’s white balance. This was not an easy scene to shoot as you can see as the ballroom was bathed in purple light but the camera managed to get this pic right as I enabled the Face Detection function and the camera locked on to Estelle’s face.

 Yet again the white balance was spot on while skin tones come out very natural.

This one was a somewhat tricky shot to take as I was holding the plate of ice cream in one hand and the Sony Alpha 5000 in the other but thanks to the SteadyShot it managed to compensate for the hand shake (mind you that both objects were shaking) to come up with this crisp photo.

Shot this one using Intelligent Auto mode while I was walking in from the entrance to the stage at Future Music Festival Asia 2014. The skies were gray and hazy but somehow this pic turned out pretty nice with the ferris wheel contrasting against the sky.

Girls were very impressed with the camera when I showed them the pics that I shot of them. I guess this is due to the fact that their skin looks pretty flawless thanks to the soft skin effect which has three (3) different settings – low, medium and high. Here’s a shot of DJ Alexis using Soft Skin effect (on low setting).

It was a pretty hazy night in Bukit Jalil. Here’s a shot of the main stage at Future Music Festival Asia 2014 on the second night.

A trip to the Malaysian Formula One GP 2014 followed and this was a shot taken of me winning a pair of gloves signed by Ferrari driver Kimi Raikonnen, which was shot by Stephanie on Intelligent Auto mode. The Face Detection feature is really useful as it focused on my face instead of everything else in the photo.

During the pit walk, I spotted the beautiful gull winged Mercedes SLS which is the Safety Car quietly sitting in the garage. Unfortunately I didn’t bring the zoom lens, so I zoomed to the maximum 50mm focal length and snapped this shot. As I set the camera’s resolution to 20.1 megapixels, I could easily crop this pic and still retain the details.

I was pretty lucky as I got to watch the race in the M-Scape VIP lounge which was right above the Ferrari pits. Switched to shutter priority to catch this action shot of a pit stop.
I really like the fact that there’s a dedicated video record button which is very convenient when you need to quickly shoot video such as in this situation.

I finally found an event to use the 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 lens with the Sony Alpha 5000 and that was during the Mid Valley Fashion Week 2014. Shot this one without flash using Aperture Priority mode.

Had to use the zoom lens at its maximum 210mm focal length for this pic as MC Jun Yong and the models were right at the far end of the stage (I estimate at least 100 feet away). Quite impressed with how the colours and textures of the outfits turned out! I believe the APS-C sensor had a big part in capturing the details.
OK so it’s pretty darn good in good light but how would it perform in night event/ clubbing settings?

This took a few shots to get the focus and light correctly set. And as a clubbing environment has lots of lighting effects, I set the cam to continuous shooting mode and held the shutter button and the camera started shooting at 2.5 frames per second shooting until it reached its maximum of 15 frames at Fine setting. The next day, I downloaded the pics to my laptop and just selected the nicest one!

This was a one in a thousand shot as the club’s strobe light came on at exactly the same time as I shot the photo. Of course I don’t count on this happening very often but if you look at the following two (2) photos you’d see that the camera does pretty well under difficult lighting too. Focusing took 2 – 3 attempts even with the focus assist beam but that is pretty normal under low lighting.

Here’s a shot inside a club taken with Aperture Priority mode with direct flash.

Another shot using Aperture Priority mode which beautifully captures the ambient light. I really the camera’s white balance and I dare say that it’s one of the best among a lot of interchangeable lens/ micro 4/3 cameras that’s I’ve reviewed lately.

OK so the camera’s pretty darn good with people. What about objects? Used Aperture Priority (it’s one of my fav modes) to shoot these five (5) bottles of vodka through a glass case with backlight.

Shot this magnum bottle of vodka in a really dark environment with some light coming from the LED light afixed to the bottom of the bottle. This pic has some background defocus effect focusing the attention solely on the bottle but if you look carefully to the bottom left you can even see the condensation on the outside of the ice bucket as it was almost the same focal length as the bottle. wish there was more lights in the background so I could have the “bokeh”effect but Providence is just one really dark club!

Speaking of condensation, look at the water droplets on these bottles of beer. It’s really quite amazing how such a compact little ICL camera can capture such details and look at the background defocus effect. Makes it look like a professional shot even though it was just me with the Sony Alpha 5000 and no additional lighting. BTW on Intelligent Auto mode you can manually adjust the amount of Background Defocus (see how the background is blurred out in this pic?) and Brightness that you want. This is especially useful for beginners and admittedly lazy photographers like me haha!

This was a tough shot but somehow I managed to get a nice pic as the club’s strobe light happened to turn on during this shot out of the 15 shots I took using continuous shooting.

The night view of Damansara and Bandar Utama from The Roof, First Avenue Bandar Utama using the Hand-Held Twilight mode. I didn’t have a tripod so I held it as steady as I could and the SteadyShot did the rest.

Here I am using the Hand Held Twilight mode again. This time at The Club in Saujana, Subang outside their Italian restaurant Senja. The light from the walkway was captured beautifully. Quite impressive as this was using the kit lens which had a maximum aperture of F3.5

 Stood further back and snapped this shot of the restaurant as I wanted the effect of the light coming out of the windows. Mind you, it was pretty dark where I was standing with the only light coming from the restaurant and the walkway.

There are times when you have to quickly capture a shot at events. I didn’t have time to set this one in any of the P, A, S or M modes so I trusted the Intelligent Auto mode and it got me the photo I needed!

Used Program Auto with direct flash for this one. Had to adjust the EV (Exposure Compensation a bit but this was quite easily done and the camera can go up to +/- 3.0EV).

The tiltable pop up flash was pretty useful too! Now if you look carefully you’ll see that the ceiling is black so not much chance of much light bouncing off that. Luckily behind me was a white wall and as the flast could tilt up to about 110 degrees I managed to bounce the light off the wall giving a more natural colour to the photo as compared to direct flast.

I love doing food reviews because I get to eat lots of delicious food and having the Sony Alpha 5000 with it’s tiltable flash is really handy. Didn’t need any extra lighting (I would normally use the flashlight function on my smartphone to provide some additional light) as I simply bounced the light off the ceiling. Shot this one in Macro mode under Scene.

Another shot using Macro mode.

Natural smile x natural lighting (bounced the light off the ceiling for this pic as well) = one of my fav photos!

Start up time was about a second and it’s great when you have to hurriedly shoot! Aimed the camera at him, the camera was quick to focus and I snapped this shot before this naughty fella who was looking for bananas at the back of my house had time to react ha ha!

One of the key features that I didn’t use was the 180 degree LCD screen for taking selfies. Obviously I’m not a big fan of taking selfies but girls love it and you can read about what some of the MHB bloggers wrote about this feature here – https://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers
Another feature was the creative filters. Well my photos are mainly event photos so I didn’t really bother about this feature either but the more artistic types would certainly appreciate this feature.
And there’s also the WiFi/ NFC connectivity which is why if you follow me on Instagram at @timchew1311 you’d notice that recently all my photos are very nice. This is because I did not have to use the phone’s camera to shoot the photo but instead shoot it on the Alpha 5000 then transfer it to my phone via WiFi.
MHB’s Careen Tan did a very thorough write-up on the NRC/ WiFi connectivity and you can read about on her blog – http://www.careentan.com/
My verdict?
I really enjoyed using the Sony Alpha 5000. Not only was it really portable and light. But it also delivered where it counted and by that I mean crisp photos with beautiful colours even in dark settings. Not once did I need to go to full manual mode to achieve the photo I needed. In fact most of the time I was shooting with P or A modes or the scene modes or when I was in a terrible hurry – the Intelligent Auto mode.
With such capabilities in such a small body, I really don’t see the need for a bulky DSLR any more.

The Sony Alpha 5000 is available in Malaysia from 21 February 2014 onwards with the suggested retail price:-
Single Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens) at RM1,999
 Twin Lens Package (Body + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 + 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3) at RM2,799

For more info and the technical specs of the Sony Alpha 5000, head over to – http://bit.ly/1eLboU1

More info at http://www.sony.com.my or at https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia

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Hospitality News – August 2022

Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur Welcomes New General Manager Blaise Montandon

Blaise Montandon was appointed as the new general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, and eagerly joins the team now that Malaysia has reopened its borders and is once more welcoming visitors from abroad. Montandon, who arrived from the breezy coastlines of Vietnam, brings vibrant energy, buoyant positivity, and a wealth of experience about opulent hospitality with him.

“The past two years have brought so many changes, including what people want from travel. Connection and personalization are more important than ever,” says Blaise. “At Four Seasons, we have long believed that life is richer when we truly connect with each other, and with the world around us.”
Blaise Montandon
The Hotel team is already coming up with fresh and meaningful ways for visitors to rediscover Kuala Lumpur under his direction. Blaise’s objective is straightforward: “for people to fall in love with this dynamic, kaleidoscopic city.” He adopts a resort-style strategy in which he assumes responsibility for the guest’s entire stay, both on and off the property.
Interestingly, Blaise applies the above philosophy not just to vacationers – but also to those travelling for work. He believes business travellers, too, want to engage with the destination, but have a limited amount of time and energy to spare, which is why Four Seasons is also expanding its portfolio of experiences tailored for business travellers: “think short, convenient and unique activities that make a work trip to Kuala Lumpur all the more attractive.”
Growing up in a small Swiss town, young Blaise first fell in love with the idea of hotels while holidaying with his parents around the country and in neighbouring regions. “I was fascinated by it all. The energy, the glamour, the opportunity to meet people from around the world. Even as a kid, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
He gained experience at two renowned hotels in Geneva after graduating from the Hospitality Business School in Lausanne and studied management at the University of Lausanne. He has since managed hospitality teams in a variety of places, including Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand, and India, in addition to assignments in Europe and North Africa. He most recently held the position of General Manager at the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An in Vietnam.
Blaise’s journey through the industry has been somewhat unique because of his zest for new challenges and willingness to learn “how things work from the inside”: from finance to sales and marketing to operations and development, though a wide range of pre-openings and multi-use development projects. Along the process, he has seen how important it is to focus on developing a close-knit team, having fun at work, and spreading happiness and optimism to everyone — including visitors, employees, and the community.
In his current role, Blaise is looking forward to cementing the status of Four Seasons Hotel  Kuala Lumpur as a favourite not just among global travellers but also local residents and expats. “Whether you want to celebrate a special occasion, take visitors out for a good time, or enjoy a staycation with loved ones, we want to be the Hotel of choice for the Kuala Lumpur community,” he says.
On a personal level, he is eager to experience the city’s culinary scene, particularly Kuala Lumpur’s renowned street cuisine. Exploring the local art scene through museums, galleries, and festivals is also on the agenda. Blaise is a creative thinker who enjoys discovering different cultures through their art forms since “they disclose so much about a country and its people.”

Virtù Lights Up The Night With 12 New Cocktails And A Live Dj To Spin The Soundtrack

VIRT at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi offers the ideal location for a sky bar rendezvous with its freshly crafted cocktails and irresistible daily drinking rituals. This chic bar has a cocktail (and a tale!) up its sleeve for every occasion, from after-work get-togethers with coworkers to birthday celebrations with friends. Additionally, the pub now hosts a live DJ every Friday and Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m.
The Paris-meets-Tokyo bar, perched on the 39th level of the hotel, offers several settings to suit any mood. Sit at the bar to talk with mixologists and observe their craft in action, or choose a table near the window for sparkling views of the Tokyo skyline.
More private dining places, ideal for secluded get-togethers with close friends or romantic date nights, are tucked away behind the multicoloured stained-glass wall. With lively views of the entire bar, larger parties can take seats at the main table or on the high sofas.
The skilled bartenders at VIRT pay respect to the art of fine drinking by fusing traditional French flavours and rituals with contemporary Japanese methods and seasonal ingredients. A world-class selection of vintage French spirits and Japanese whiskies is also available.

Guests can now explore a third edition of the cocktail menu, featuring 12 brand-new drinks woven around the seven virtues of VIRTÙ. These timeless virtues are drawn from traditional Japanese tales and French folklore.
The “Loyalty” selection features two cocktails with intriguing connections to the legendary story of Hachiko the dog. The Smoked Ume Fashioned, a blend of homemade brandy Umeshu with Japanese whisky and Hinoki bitters, has Ume (plum) blossoms as its key ingredient. Tsu, the hometown of Hachiko’s master, is famous for these blossoms, signalling “fidelity” in the language of flowers.

The Someiyoshino, meanwhile, finds its genesis in Akita, the Japanese town to which Hachiko’s breed belongs. The region is known for its sticky rice, which forms the foundation of this layered cocktail – a medley of rice shochu, sake and sakura liqueur, accented with citrus notes.
The “Belief” curation invites connoisseurs to savour the best of both worlds with Chuchoter. A base of French gin and Japanese shochu is elevated with the gentle sweetness of kumquat, whose flowers symbolize gratitude. This drink is inspired by the words of thanks whispered by Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, a masterpiece of French literature.
Or taste the virtue of “Bravery” with the Takara, reflecting the classic Japanese tale of Momotaro. The star ingredient is Hekishu whisky from the Aichi Prefecture, home to the Momotaro Shrine and the fabled residence of Momotaro’s grandparents. This concoction of whisky, sweet vermouth and chartreuse shimmers with gold leaf, a nod to the glittering treasure brought back by the folk hero.
Those in the mood for l’amour can sip Thé Hoji Épicé, a “Love” cocktail crafted with Hoji tea vodka, Hoji tea liqueur and ginger beer, anchored with a rose-shaped ice cube that slowly infuses the drink with notes of cranberry.
The menu also features a selection of frequently updated micro-seasonal cocktails. VIRTÙ’s mixologists take an innovative approach to seasonality, dividing Japan’s four major seasons further into 12 micro-seasons, inspired by the traditional Nijusseki calendar. In July 2022, drinks will feature locally harvested peaches and watermelon, while August 2022 brings the unique taste of Muscat grapes and Japanese pine.

Photo credits: Respective brands and properties

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