Volkswagen & Suzuki Roadshows, Mitsubishi’s 58th Showroom Launch

[Automotive News]
Volkswagen On Tour Roadshow

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Volkswagen Malaysia embarks on its inaugural nationwide brand showcase, the ‘Volkswagen On Tour’, kicking off at Queensbay Mall, Penang, giving members of the public free admission and a chance to experience the brand in an exhibition area of more than 11,000 sq. ft.
Globally, deliveries from the Volkswagen Group have seen encouraging growth of 4.7% to 8.68 million vehicles, compared to the same period of that last year. In the Asia-Pacific region, numbers were also positive, with a 15.1% increase in deliveries to 3.29 million vehicles.
Following Volkswagen’s participation at KLIMS 2013, ‘Volkswagen On Tour’ serves as a platform to engage Malaysians nationwide in a Customer dialogue, and is also a public outreach initiative aimed to share Volkswagen’s product range and brand values with Malaysians – its distinctive philosophy, safety technology, ‘Think Blue.’ attitude and cutting-edge innovation that go into Volkswagen’s range of vehicles.
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Throughout the 13-week tour, visitors to the roadshow will be able to view, explore and test-drive the various Volkswagen vehicles on display including the recently launched 2014 Polo Sedan, the current World Car of The Year (you can read more about it here – https://timchew.net/2013/11/06/launch-of-the-2014-volkswagen-polo-sedan/), the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf or the iconic Beetle.
‘Think Blue’ is one of the highlights and visitors will be able to learn more about fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions for sustainable mobility, as well as how Volkswagen is applying innovative and award-winning automotive technology to achieve a better tomorrow.
Visitors will also get a chance to familiarize Volkswagen’s advance safety technology i.e. range of child safety seats and ISOFIX (child seat anchor).
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There will also be interactive displays and fun-filled activities featuring the automotive marque’s sporty side such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI and a driving simulator as well as the celebration of Volkswagen Motorsports recent win of the 2013 World Rally Championship (WRC).
Visitors can participate in the ‘Volkswagen On Tour’ Photo contest, which requires you to snap a picture of yourself with a complete coaster puzzle obtained at the roadshow. They just post the photo with the hashtag #VolkswagenOnTour on Instagram and follow the @VolkswagenOnTour account or on Facebook and tag the Volkswagen Malaysia Facebook page, to stand the chance of winning one of nine prizes of an extended two week test drive with any of your favourite Volkswagen models.
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The ‘Volkswagen On Tour’ road show will be heading to 13 locations nationwide from 13 December till March 2014.
Here are the first six locations of the ‘Volkswagen On Tour’ show: –

Stops

Date
State
Venue

1

13 – 15 Dec 2013
Penang
Queensbay Mall outdoor carpark

2

20 – 22 Dec 2013
Perak
UO Angsana

3

27 -29 Dec 2013
Penang
Sunway Hotel carpark

4

03 -05 Jan 2014
Selangor
Aeon Bukit Tinggi

5

10-12 Jan 2014
Negeri Sembilan
Port Dickson TF Value Mart

6

17 – 19 Jan 2014
Melaka
Mydin MITC outdoor carpark

For more details of ‘Volkswagen On Tour’, head over to www.volkswagenontour.com.my
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Mitsubishi Motors Opens New 3S Centre along Jalan Cheras

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Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) together with authorized dealer Wegro Sdn Bhd celebrated its official launched the latest Mitsubishi Motors 3S (Sales, Service, Spare parts) Centre in Jalan Cheras on 2 November 2013.
This 3S Centre is located at Lot PT 4523 (D), Batu 4 ½, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, with a total investment of RM 8 million and is the 58th Mitsubishi Motors showroom in Malaysia.
The centre has a built up area of 37,300 square feet which houses a fully-equipped workshop with parts storage area, a premier customer lounge with Wi-Fi connectivity and free car wash for all Mitsubishi customers. The centre is also equipped with 13 service bays and has a maximum capacity to service up to up to 30 cars a day.
At the centre, you will be able to view/ test-drive MMM’s current line-up of vehicles which includes the Mirage ECO car, Lancer GT and Sportbacks sedans, ASX Crossover, Triton pick-up trucks, Pajero Sport and Pajero Exceed SUVs, electric car i-MiEV and the newly launched Attrage. You can read about my post on the launch of the Attrage here – https://timchew.net/2013/11/29/launch-of-the-mitsubishi-attrage/
In 2012, MMM sold a total of 12,600 cars, and operates 58 showrooms (out of which 41 are 3S Centres) and 50 service outlets throughout Malaysia. MMM plans to open another 2 more showrooms by end of the financial year.
For more information, head over to http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my or https://www.facebook.com/MitsubishiMotorsMalaysia
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Suzuki Mega Roadshow

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Suzuki Malaysia Automobile (SMA) kicks-off the brand’s first nationwide Suzuki Mega Roadshow in Kuala Lumpur on 29 November 2013, giving consumers a year-end bonanza of fantastic deals, exciting prizes and test drives.
Among the models on promotion is the multiple award-winning Swift, which received the Autocar Asean Car of The Year 2013 award, under the Supermini/ Small Sedan category, while the Swift Sport was the clear winner in the Small Sports/ Performance car category. The Swift is also touted as the “Best Local Assembled Compact Car” by Asian Auto Allianz Industry Awards 2013.
The Swift is a stylish and nifty car that swiftly cruises through the streets – perfect for the hustle and bustle of city living, and has a 4-STAR scoring accorded by NCAP Crash Test 2013
The promotion in December 2013 also offers customers cash rebate amounts of up to RM12,000 (subject to the value of the trade-in vehicle):
Swift GL* – RM4,000 cash rebate
Swift GLX* – RM3,000 cash rebate
*Buyers of these two models also get to enjoy the low financing rate of 1.88% per annum from either MayBank or RHB Islamic Bank.
Swift Sport – RM500 cash rebate (auto and manual transmission)
The Alto – RM4,000 cash rebate
Grand Vitara – RM8,000 cash rebate
SX4 hatchback – RM5,000 cash rebate
Kizashi – RM12,000 cash rebate
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Test-drive a Suzuki vehicle at the roadshow at the following locations:
29 Nov – 1 Dec (Friday – Sunday) – Berjaya Time Square, KL
30 Nov – 1 Dec (Saturday – Sunday) – Desa Park City Mall, KL
5 – 7 Dec (Thursday – Saturday) – Aman Jaya, Sungai Petani, Kedah
13 – 15 Dec (Friday-Sunday) – City One Mall, Kuching, Sarawak & One Borneo, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
19 – 21 Dec (Thursday-Saturday) – East Coast Mall, Kuantan, Pahang & Mydin Mall, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
27 – 29 Dec (Friday-Sunday) – Gurney Plaza, Penang & Dataran Pahlawan, Melaka & City Square, Johor Bahru, Johor
The first 500 Suzuki SWIFT customers who successfully register at any of the Suzuki Mega Roadshow venues will stand a chance to participate in the lucky draw. Prizes range from the Grand Prize of an all expenses paid trip two to Japan, a 60” LED TV & Home Theater system, Savings Accounts with ASN/ASB worth RM10,000 and Parkson shopping vouchers valued at RM5,000.00 (terms and conditions apply).
More info at http://www.suzuki.net.my/
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Photo credits: Volkswagen Malaysia, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, and Suzuki Malaysia

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Gift Ideas for Her – Superdry Spring Summer 2016 Womenwear Collection

[Fashion]

The Superdry Spring Summer 2016 sees a fusion of exquisite textures, quality fabrics and intricate detail.
Superdry’s latest SS16 collection has “Premium Style” as its theme with bright bursts, shearling detail and summer-ready linings establish Superdry as the destination brand for holiday style. Adorned pieces, lux leather and artisan selvedge denim are statement looks with brand new handpainted prints paramount throughout the collection.
For women, feminine prints and fresh colours dominate key looks with minimal branding, creating a sophisticated collection for women who appreciate quality detail. Elegant lace tops and skirts, kimonos, dresses, suede jackets and boho tassel boots and bags meld together to create the ultimate in Coachella festival style. Polka dot prints, nautical stripes, Bardot tops and scuba skirts are summer must haves while ditsy prints, crochet tops and flattering floral jumpsuits add a touch of prairie chic to the diverse collection. For a night on the town, slinky maxi dresses, sequin tops and midi and body-con silhouettes scream urban glam while brand new denim styles and washes offer a look for every occasion.
Swimwear has a range of print and block colour bikinis and swimsuits with built-in cup support. Fluro-pop tops, draped knits, dip-dyed embroidery shorts and Hawaiian jumpsuits epitomise Palm Beach swagger. While mix and match bikini tops and bottoms in three vibrant colours and styles ensure ladies get the best shape and size for their poolside look.
The latest Sport Collection is this season’s must-have fitness look. Flattering and breathable hi-tech fabrics featuring the hottest colour trends assure a stylish look with professional performance. Designed with comfort in mind, bursts of fluro coral, purple and charcoal compliment the finest brushed soft-touch fabrics.

Superdry is available in Malaysia at Pavilion KL, Mid Valley Megamall, Sunway Pyramid, and Gurney Plaza, Penang.
More info at http://www.superdry.com/
Images courtesy of Superdry (FJ Benjamin Malaysia).
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French Riviera Ambience and Mediterranean Cuisine at Nizza, Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara

[Review]

We recently headed over to Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara to try the menu at Nizza – the hotel’s new specialty French – Mediterranean restaurant. Nizza is a refined contemporary yet casual French Riviera-inspired restaurant, with modern interior architectural – with light colours playing off in its interiors and a striking blue-and-white flooring. The chic pool deck ambience outside meanwhile is reminiscent of the coastline of Cote d’Azur with modern glass parasol pool bar, comfy beach cabanas, and low modular seating.
The restaurant has a show kitchen where you can watch the chefs whip up a variety of specialty items a la minute. This 135-seat restaurant features a variety of seating arrangements, and is suitable for intimate dinner for two, to communal tables for groups of four or more, depending on the occasion of course. The tables are interspersed adequately apart so you won’t hear what the other table is saying while the ambience has an emphasis on unique finishing ranging from highly-detailed art deco and ceiling mural to exotic lightings and a wine cellar with a good selection of wines.
On the menu are a whole range of dishes including Duck Liver Pate, Marinated White Anchovies, Nizza’s Garden Salad, Summer Niçoise Salad, Cheese Board, Garlic & Herb Crusted Spring Lamb and White Sturgeon Caviar. Among the recommended dishes are Turkey “Salchichon”, Truffle & Mushroom Croquettes, Garlic Prawns, Bouillabaisse Cote De Opal, Charcuterie Board, Salted Baked Whole Snapper, White Sturgeon Caviar as well as the Provencal and Lamb Sausage Pissaladiere. Hand-crafted cocktails and fine wines are also available to complement the cuisine.

 The restaurant has it’s own wine “cellar” where you can pick your wines

 If you’re having a bottle of bubbly you might want to try sabering the top off if you dare!
 There’s a very stylishly designed bar outside in the al fresco section which also has a big screen which I’m told screens some sports matches such as football and F1
 We started off the meal with some cocktails and wine from the bar

 Chef Jasper helms the kitchen

House-baked focaccia with pesto dip to start the meal.
I’m a bread person and I just love good breads! This one has got to be in my top five (5) best breads! In fact, you could just give me this one and a nice cup of coffee for breakfast any day! It was great however I had to control and stop myself from eating too much otherwise there’s no way I could eat what’s coming next.

Garlic Prawns – RM38
Olive Oil, Chilli Flakes, Bario Salt & Toasted Baguette
This dish (gambas al ajillo) is a staple Spanish tapas dish that’s pretty common in Spanish restaurants. It was perfectly executed at Nizza though with prawns that were very fresh and juicy, and went nicely atop the toasted slices of baguette. A must order tapas if you like prawns!

Strawberry Salad – RM43
White Anchovies, Pistachio, Crème Fraiche, Balsamic
A strawberry salad? Well surprisingly it went pretty well with the greens as well as the savoury white anchovies and pistachios! The creme fraiche and balsamic vinegar kept this one creamy yet light and refreshing! An unusual but nonetheless a very delicious salad (this coming from someone who really dislikes salad too)!

Forestière – RM42
Smoked Turkey, Mushroom, Boiled Egg & Gruyere
Hard boiled egg on a pizza? Well if it goes well why not? In this instance it did go well but I really liked the fact that Gruyere cheese was used to top the pizza and not the normal Mozzarella. This was quite a hearty pizza and the smoked turkey provided a nice amount of savouriness to it!

Seafood Tagliatelle – RM61
Tiger Prawns, Grilled Octopus, Manila Clams & Chili Flakes
No Mediterranean meal is complete without some seafood and we opted to go with the Seafood Tagliatelle which was pretty well loaded with seafood like tiger prawns, grilled octopus, and clams! Now this pasta dish was cooked in Italian style, meaning to say that it’s NOT flooded in sauce (like in a lot of restaurant in Malaysia which pretty much ends up masking the taste of the ingredients which is sometimes done on purpose especially when the ingredients aren’t exactly too fresh). However, this pasta still has lots of flavour despite the sauce used sparingly, as it allows the true flavours of the seafood to shine through! We enjoyed this one with a glass of house white wine.

120-day Aged Black Angus Rib Eye (300gm) – RM156
with Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes, Ratatouille and Béarnaise sauce.
A tender and juicy rib eye which was beautifully cooked and came with a nice char on the outside! Please PLEASE don’t order this one cooked above medium rare or else the cow would have died for nothing! The herb roasted baby potatoes and Ratatouille ensured that this was a filling dish indeed while I actually enjoyed the béarnaise sauce with them more than the steak as I always think that a good steak should be good enough to be eaten on its own… or with a glass of red wine! And as such, we enjoyed this dish with a glass of house red wine!

Apple Tart Tatin – RM30
Caramelized Apple. Almond Frangipane, Vanilla Gelato, Raisin Compote
A very pretty dessert and is my pick for the Instagrammable dish of the night!

 After dinner, why not head outside and continue over some drinks? There are some cosy sofas as well as both low and high tables, or opt to sit at the bar and watch the bartenders in action.

 The sofa table which is surrounded by a body of water is a nice place to chill against the backdrop of the Hong Leong office tower.

I really enjoyed the relaxed and romantic atmosphere at Nizza. It is definitely a good option if you’re looking to bring your date out for a nice dinner in Damansara Heights. The restaurant can also be used for private functions especially when you take into account the large al fresco/ bar area outside.
Nizza is open every Wednesday to Monday (ie. it’s closed on Tuesdays) from 4:30pm to 12:00 midnight. Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, there will be DJs spinning at Nizza (at the outdoor bar area).

For more info, head over to https://www.sofitel-kualalumpur-damansara.com/

Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara is located at:
No. 6 – Jalan Damanlela,
Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2720 6688
Email: HA123-FB3@SOFITEL.COM
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Italian Prosecco Brunch at Villa Danieli, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur

[Review]

Villa Danieli has long been one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, largely due to the fact that it’s a free-standing trattoria hence you don’t feel like you’re walking into a commercial restaurant but more like into a Tuscany styled Italian cottage in the countryside. Of course through the years chefs have come and gone hence the style of the dishes changes a bit – from very traditional to the slightly more modern (while keeping to the authentic fundamentals of Italian cuisine of course) and everything in between.

 Chef Gaetano Di Stefano (left)

I was very blessed to be able to try Chef Gaetano Di Stefano’s (the current chef at Villa Danieli) creations at two (2) different events over the past year namely:
Dining in the company of gourmands at the Chaine Des Rotisseurs “An Italian Christmas Affair” Dinner
https://timchew.net/2016/12/21/chaine-des-rotisseurs-an-italian-christmas-affair-dinner/
“A Chanterelle Affair” featuring a very mushroom inspired dinner
https://timchew.net/2016/07/13/july-happenings-at-sheraton-imperial-kuala-lumpur-hotel/
Gaetano cooks up authentic and traditional Italian favorites, with signature dishes like Pappardelle with Lobster in Tomato Basil Sauce, Oyster and Sea Urchins Risotto and Pizza Siciliana. However being (relatively) young, he is not afraid to be adventurous and incorporate modern ingredients or cooking styles into his dishes, especially for special menus or occasions.
He began his culinary journey when he was 20 years old at the Stagione Estiva “Fiat Playa”, Punta Marana, Italy. He developed a profound passion for cooking, which drove him to many towns and cities in Italy to obtain valuable knowledge from well-known chefs all-over before exploring the world.
He started as a Commis de Cuisine at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, Gozo, Malta, and wa eventually promoted to become the restaurant’s Chef de Partie. He then joined the Sheraton Jumeirah Resort & Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as Sous Chef and was in charge of the Italian Ciao restaurant. In 2014, he was appointed the Italian Chef for Hilton Labriz, Seychelles, Silhouette Island before coming to Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur to helm the kitchen at Villa Danieli.
This time round, we headed over to try Villa Danieli’s brunch which runs from 11.00am until 3.00pm every Sunday. This is no ordinary brunch as while parents dine-in, a fun and exciting cooking class will run by Chef Gaetano, teaching the little ones cooking tips and tricks during the Italian Prosecco Brunch time from 11am till 3pm. Working in teams of two to four, children will be taught to prepare simple and easy recipes which they can try at home. The cooking class is held in Villa Danieli’s kitchen, and participants are presented with Sheraton Hotel’s apron, a Chef hat as well as taking away the prepared food back home. Each Sunday will feature different recipes that the little ones can learn and enjoy.
Back to the brunch, there’s a Villa Sommeliar Apperitif Selection@Bianco Bar in Villa Danieli from 11.00am to 12.00pm afterwhich you can enjoy the brunch where a wide selection of fresh baked pastries and antipasto, a la’-carte dishes and fruits, desserts and free flowing Prosecco awaits!
The salad and antipasto bar serves appetisers such as the Confit Baby Octopus with Kalamata Olive, Chargrilled Cod with Potatoes, Cannelini Beans with Baked Salted Ricotta Cheese and EVOO, Homemade Smoked Salmon with Capers, Beef Carpaccio with Mustard Dressing and more. There’s also an assorted selection of freshly shucked oysters which is extremely popular (but is constantly refilled), Boston Lobster Ravioli with Shimeji Butter Sauce, Honey Pumpkin with Gorgonzola Soup, Red Mullet with Garlic Crostini and Steamed Fresh Mussel with White wine.

 These were very fresh and as expected – very popular among diners. But fret not as they are constantly replenished.
 Best enjoyed with toms bubbly Prosecco!
 Or even some cocktails!

 Smoked duck – tender and flavourful!
 Fresh seafood galore!
 Loads of cheese!

 Accompaniments for the cheese
 Freshly baked bread!
 The pizza oven
 The pizza was totally unlike the commercial/ fast food ones. Baked to perfection and smothered with melting cheese!
 The carving station had tender roast beef with side dishes like roasted pumpkin

 Seared tuna – a really pretty sight!
 The salad bar for those who like their greens
 The culinary team hard at work preparing the food for us. As the restaurant has an open kitchen, it can be quite fascinating watching the chefs in action!

The main a la’-carte dishes are freshly made to order and includes Homemade Squid Ink Fettucine Aglio Olio with Salmon Roe, Sauteed fresh Clam with Garlic, Coriander and Saffron Jus, Rosemary Marinated Lamb Rib on Roasted Garlic Potato, Shallot Red Wine Sauce and Dried Fruit Salsa and Grilled Loin Strip with Parmesan-Potato Pave, Balsamic Braised Yellow Onion and Porcini Jus.

 Live band duo – Tango performs some soothing tunes during the brunch to keep guests entertained
 The made to order appetisers were served in mini form which was great as we could try more dishes! VIlla Danieli’s famous mushroom soup (luxurious with lovely hints of truffle oil) is a must have though so don’t skip it!

 The lasagna was the star main of the day. As a lasagna lover, I must say that this was the best that I’ve ever had. Cheesy, flavourful and loaded with meat.
 The risotto was also extremely delicious and loaded with seafood!

 A traditional branzino
 The grilled seafood platter was also pretty good!

 The pasta was cooked al dente which is not cooked through, the traditional Italian way. The Malaysian way though is to cook it to death until it becomes totally limp and soggy.

 The squid rings may look a bit burnt but they somehow were not!

 For dessert, there’s an array of Western-style mousses and creams, flans, tarts, cakes and crumbles and ice cream!

 A puff pastry filled with dark chocolate!

Unlike many seafood buffets out there which usually becomes quite a “pasar malam” or market as guests rush for the premium food items like oysters, etc.etc., the buffet at Villa Danieli was very civilised. In fact the atmosphere was very relaxed with groups of friends and families enjoying the fare, as well as the live band. We did notice a group of aunties however they were not the noisy kind although I’m sure they exchanged lots of juicy gossip.
I must say that this was a very relaxing and enjoyable brunch where we took our time to savour the food with lots of bubbly in between. Definitely a very nice place to bring your loved one or friends for an afternoon of good food, company and conversations!

Price
RM148 nett/person, RM74 nett/kid (9-12 years old) – Food Only
RM248 nett/person – Sommelier’s Red & White Wine Selection, Beer, Soft Drinks and Chilled juices, Coffee & Tea
RM336 nett/person – Prosecco, Sommelier’s Red & White Wine Selection, Beer, Soft Drinks and Chilled juices, Coffee & Tea
Every Sunday, 11:00am to 3:00pm

Hours :
Lunch-11.00a.m to 3.00p.m (Mon-Sat & Public holiday)
Dinner-6.30p.m to 10.00p.m (Daily)
Shisha Lounge-11.00a.m to 10.00p.m
Villa Sommeliar Apperitif Selection@Bianco Bar – 11.00 a.m – 12.00 p.m (Sunday)
Phone : +603 2717 9922 , +6032717 9900
Website : www.villadanielirestaurant.com/
Email : villa.danieli@sheraton.com

 Thanks for having us!

 Panasonic Lumix LX10
Photos shot with the Panasonic Lumix LX10.
To find out more about the camera, head over to http://www.panasonic.com/my/consumer/cameras-camcorders/lumix-digital-cameras/advanced-creative/dmc-lx10.html

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Coach Unveils Next Generation Retail Concept at Suria KLCC Store

[Event]

Coach unveiled the company’s next generation retail concept with a private reopening party at its Suria KLCC store on 25 August 2015. The leading New York design house of modern luxury accessories and lifestyle collections, kicked off the night’s festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with celebrity guest, Korean-American sensation Jay Park, Mr. Ian Bickley – President of Coach International Group, Mr. Andrew Stanleick – President of Coach SEA & Oceania and Mr. Andrew Brien – Executive Director & CEO of Suria KLCC.
The new store design was developed by Coach Executive Creative Director Stuart Vevers, in partnership with world-renowned creative firm Studio Sofield, led by Designer and President William Sofield. The concept drawing from a wide range of influences, and places a premium on contrasting textures and luxe materials.
The 1,600 square foot retail space is warm and inviting, reflecting the sophisticated yet playful refinement of New York – reminiscent of the city which the brand calls home. The new store features a mix of custom-designed cabinetry fabricated from natural and ebonized ash, blackened steel, antique bronze and mahogany trim. The store interiors consist of iron spot brick pavers, reclaimed heart-pine wood flooring with custom hand-tufted wool carpeting and statement mid-century furniture punctuating the elegant lines and muted colours.
“We are thrilled to open our modern luxury concept store here at Suria KLCC, one of the most fashionable and iconic shopping malls in Malaysia,” said Stanleick. “I believe the new incarnation of the Coach store that Stuart and William Sofield created will trigger a powerful change in the perception of Coach; it is sophisticated and refined, yet playful and authentic.”
The event saw a variety of guests, including members of the press and socialites and celebrities like Joe Flizzow, Sona One, Joanne Yew, Juliana Evans, Debbie Goh, Nazim Othman, Cristina Suzanne, Jane Chuck and Yumi Wong among others dressed in Coach latest Fall Winter 2015 collection.

 Venice Min and Juwei Teoh
 Jane Chuck aka Chuckei
 Yumi Wong
          Sarah Lian             Natalia Ng of Fox Sports
          Juliana Evans             Farah Ann
          Evangeline and Cherrie aka Duogigs             Debbie Goh
          Juliana Evans

The event continued with an after party at Marini’s 57 with a special musical performance by Jay Park.

 MHB’s Stephanie Lim and Chelsea Chil with Miss World Malaysia 2012 Lee Yvonne
          MHB’s Stephanie Lim and Chelsea Chil             Fox Sports’ Natalia Ng with Stephanie Lim             Beautiful models Evelyn Marieta and L’oreal Mok
 Fox Sports’ Natalia Ng with Fly FM DJ Magdeline Wang
 L’oreal Mok, Stephanie Lim and Evelyn Marieta

The performance by Jay Park had the girls absolutely thrilled!

The Coach Suria KLCC store is located at:
Lot G01A – G01C, Ground Floor,
Suria KLCC,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Open daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm.
Telephone: 03-23001300

Photo credits: Coach Malaysia and author’s own

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Dior Pre Fall/ Fall 2016 Shoes & Accessories

[Luxury Fashion]

The DIOR boutique in Kuala Lumpur is located at:
G20,21,22,25, 26,27 &28, Indulge Floor,
Starhill Gallery,
181, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Telephone: 603 21431886

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

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Vivo Launches the New Vivo NEX 3 Smartphone with 64MP Camera in Malaysia

[Tech & Gadgets]

Vivo Malaysia launched the new Vivo NEX 3 at the Glasshouse in Kuala Lumpur on 18 October 2019. The Vivo NEX 3 combines vivo’s latest breakthrough innovations and redefines the standard of flagship devices for consumers looking for an outstanding premium mobile experience.
With the NEX 3, Vivo ventures into the premium flagship smartphone market with a device packed with innovative features such as the notch-free Waterfall FullView™ Display design, triple camera setup that includes a 64MP main camera, and more.
“NEX 3 is the perfect device for consumers looking for the best all-around flagship smartphone experience. The ground-breaking POLED Waterfall FullView™ Display flows into infinity, providing users with an unprecedented visual and interactive screen experience, while the triple camera provides full focal coverage for outstanding photo quality. This is all supported by excellent battery, computing performance and upgraded AI capabilities. With NEX 3, we have gone beyond the edges of innovation and the smartphone industry – to offer one of the most premium mobile experiences available today,” said Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of Vivo Malaysia.

Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of Vivo Malaysia is presenting a speech
Khor Ting Ting, Product Specialists of Vivo Malaysia, Jeremy Lim, Chief Sales Officer of Vivo Malaysia, Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of Vivo Malaysia, Lewis Zeng, Chief Marketing Officer is presenting vivo NEX 3 during photo op session (L-R)

The ground-breaking new POLED Waterfall FullView™ Display provides users with a smartphone screen with curved edges that flow with sleek elegance. Building on its predecessor’s FullView™ Display design, NEX 3’s screen extends along two sides – the dual curved borderless design provides users with broader views and a more immersive visual experience. At 6.89 inches, the notch-free display has a significantly improved screen-to-body ratio of 99.6%.
The display’s multi-scenario ambient light on the curved screen’s edge comes with music rhythm recognition and unique notification reminders. An ambient light show can take place, for instance, when users play music or when calls are incoming.
The NEX 3 hides physical buttons from sight, creating a seamless, touch-controlled unibody design. Thanks to its X-axis Haptic Vibration motor, Touch Sense can respond with haptic feedback just like physical buttons for some functions, delivering an experience that’s tangible, comfortable and futuristic. The In-Display Fingerprint Scanning eliminates a visible fingerprint sensor, and provides security for the device.

On NEX 3’s back cover sits a round panel with three cameras, recreating the classic Lunar Ring Camera System. The NEX 3 makes a huge leap in photography capabilities with a 64MP main camera, 13MP wide-angle camera and a 13MP telescopic camera.
The fairer sex will be happy to know that this flagship comes with Portrait Master’s Hyper-HDR of up to 7.65eV – designed for portraits, which increases dynamic range accuracy between a user’s face and the background’s lightest spot, to ensure that the focal point stands out against backlight. Additionally, there’s a Pro Mode for more advanced users.
With a 16MP Elevating Front Camera, NEX 3 carries on the signature NEX style, creating a perfect FullView™ Display. The front camera has a purpose-fit motor and customized gear box that ensures smooth elevation.
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus and UFS 3.0 high-speed flash memory, the NEX 3 provides top computing performance and smooth multitasking capabilities. A super capacity battery (4500mAh) powers the device, complemented with the vivo FlashCharge 22.5W and C-DRX power-saving technologies. The Vapor Chamber Cooling System ensures that the device remains cool even with heavy usage. NEX 3 is equipped with 256 GB storage.
Vivo’s AI assistant Jovi has been upgraded again on NEX 3, enabling a fully intelligent flagship experience based on the vivo Computation Acceleration Platform (VCAP). The platform boosts hardware performance, from CPU, GPU, DSP to NPU. It also optimizes AI algorithms, increasing the efficiency, speed and smoothness of all AI features while consuming less power.
With VCAP, AI-based tasks have been upgraded. Jovi has several upgraded applications, including Jovi Smart Scene which supports users with daily tasks, and Jovi Image Recognizer, which is now faster and more accurate than ever before. It helps users categorize their albums, perform smart searches within them, detect scenes and group faces. It makes scanned documents look perfect, and much more.
The Vivo NEX 3 comes with the AK4377A independent audio chip that delivers a superior vivo Hi-Fi experience, allowing users to enjoy a more immersive music experience.
NEX 3 in Glowing Night is currently available in Malaysia priced at RM3,899.00
For more info, head over to http://www.vivo.com/my

Photo Credits: Vivo Malaysia
.

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Boost Introduces New Features for a More Rewarding Cashless Experience

[Digital/ Tech News]
 Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Boost explaining the new features and rewards

Headed over to Nexus Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur on 30 October 2019 for Boost e-wallet’s launch of three (3) new and upgraded features – BoostUP, its new rewards programme, CashUp, a new savings feature for online shopping and UnionPay QR, which allows users to use their Boost e-wallets at UnionPay International (UPI) merchants nationwide and soon globally. The new features were designed to give consumers a better reason to go cashless and seamlessly transact while enjoying a more rewarding cashless experience. As a Boost user myself (I love e-wallets!), I was quite interested to see what they had in store for users.
“Today is an important day for us as it sets the tone for the next phase of Boost. We are making our famous Shake Rewards even more rewarding. BoostUP is designed to gift loyal users a more comprehensive and exciting set of prizes, unforgettable lifestyle experiences on top of cashback.
“CashUp is a new savings feature that gives a boost to the online shopping experience, where users can automatically enjoy cashback from our online retail partners. Both BoostUP and CashUp function on a simple mechanism where the more you perform transactions with Boost, the more rewards you earn all while providing users with a safe and convenient way to transact.
“The UnionPay QR payment service, on the other hand, is a new feature that will give consumers more options and greater accessibility to go cashless with ease in Malaysia and soon at 11 million UnionPay QR merchants across 31 countries. This will hopefully further encourage new and existing users to make going cashless a natural part of their daily lifestyle,” said Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Boost.

 Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Boost and Ungku Liza Ungku Halmie, Director of Product and Marketing of Boost
 Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Boost and Ungku Liza Ungku Halmie, Director of Product and Marketing of Boost

Boost e-wallet started 2 years ago with an aim to revolutionize the way Malaysians transact daily and to solve cash-related pain points consumers experience everyday. Fast forward to today, Boost has achieved many significant milestones – from enabling users to pay for on-street and gated parking, utility bills, buy pre-paid top-ups, order food delivery and roadside assistant services, book and purchase public transport tickets, make e-donations as well as provide micro-financing and micro-insurance solutions to merchants. It has also powered 24 cashless campuses and 120 religious institutions across the country. To date, it has over 4.8 million users with the widest nationwide coverage of around 115,000 merchants.

The three new upgraded features are:
1) BoostUP – Stepping up from the much-loved Shake Rewards, BoostUP is a rewards programme that will now allow users to enjoy more exciting rewards starting 1 November. Just by performing regular daily transactions, users can earn coins and Shake rewards. The Shake rewards are now bigger and better in which users can get extra coins, exciting prizes or Golden tickets. The more you spend with Boost, the more coins you earn which can be used to redeem prizes including premium gadgets, entertainment and gaming content, cashback, vouchers and many more from the rewards catalogue. Golden tickets earn users unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences that include a Mediterranean cruise, a day out with an A-list celebrity, a romantic getaway at Pangkor Laut Resort, exclusive VIP access to movie premiers or enjoy the thrills of extreme sports overseas.
To kick off, Boost is giving out rewards and prizes worth RM8 million including fuel vouchers up for grabs in addition to exclusive benefits just by flashing the Boost app at selected partners in F&B, retail and airport lounges.
Some examples of prizes from the rewards catalogue:

Gadgets

iPhone 11
Samsung Note 10
Samsung 4K 43” TV
Dyson hair dryer
JBL speakers
Google Home

Entertainment

MBO
Spotify
Viu
iflix

Telco

Celcom Xpax
Digi
Maxis
U Mobile

Gaming

Steam
Garena
Razer
PlayStation

Online

Shopee
Zalora

Fuel

Setel

2) CashUp – A savings feature curated specially for online shopaholics, there are over 100 international and local online retailers such as Shopee, Zalora, Lazada, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Klook, Sephora, JD Sports, Kinokuniya, Amazin’ Graze and counting under this rewards plan. Users can easily earn cashback of up to 13.5% from their favourite online retailers when utilizing the CashUp feature.
Users can track cashback earned through the CashUp page in the Boost app. After online merchants validate the transaction, users can transfer earnings directly into their Boost e-wallet and continue shopping. CashUp is available from the 2nd week of November 2019 onwards.

3) UnionPay QR Payment Service – Boost users can now pay at any UnionPay QR merchants in Malaysia, giving consumers more options and accessibility to go cashless. The partnership officially kicks off in Malaysia and with this payment service, Boost will have a total of almost 125,000 merchants nationwide. Boost also has expansion plans to allow users to pay with Boost at 11 million UnionPay QR merchants across 31 countries in the near future.
This service is available 1 November 2019 onwards. Until 31 December 2019, users will be able to earn an instant RM 3 cashback upon activation of the UnionPay QR payment service in their Boost e-wallet. With a minimum spend of RM 300 at these UPI merchants – Duty Free, Dimensi Exklusif, Colours and Fragrance – within any airport in the country, users will earn an instant cashback of RM30.

 A pic with Julie Woon who was the MC for the event. Always nice meeting her. SMDJ alumni are the best!

Boost can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and App Store.
For more information, check out the website at https://www.myboost.com.my/
Photo Credits: Boost and author’s own
.

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EMAGINE Launch at Best Western Dua Sentral 280213

[Event]
Attended the EMAGINE launch at the Best Western Dua Sentral Hotel on 28 February 2013. Watching TV will never be the same. I won’t try to explain so just watch the video below to find out more about it.
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More info at https://www.facebook.com/MyEMAGINE
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Kamoshibito Kuheiji Sake Pairing Dinner by TMI Trading at DC Restaurant by Darren Chin

We recently attended the Kamoshibito Kuheiji Sake Pairing Dinner by TMI Trading (the exclusive importer and distributor in Malaysia) at DC Restaurant by Darren Chin on 2 October 2020. Kamoshibito Kuheiji Sake is produced by the Banjo Jozo Brewery which was founded by Kuheiji family back in 1674.
I’ve attended many tastings and pairings over the years, from whisky to cognac, vodka, tequila, mezcal, wine and of course sake. However, every sake pairing that I’ve attended was always with Japanese food, as sake being a Japanese product naturally goes very well with Japanese cuisine.
Therefore, I was quite intrigued to attend this pairing of Kamoshibito Kuheiji Sake at DC Restaurant by Darren Chin, which serves modern French fine-dining cuisine. How would sake pair with the rich flavours of French cuisine which typically contains butter, cream and cheese, which is in stark contrast to the clean, fresh flavours of Japanese cuisine.
Kuheiji grows its own rice in Kuroda-Sho, Hyogo Prefecture, Akaiwa, Okayama Prefecture, and Camargue, France. Kamoshibito Kuheiji is brewed without added alcohol and bottled without reduction, with the nihonshu sakes all in the premium junmai-ginjo or junmai-dai-ginjo categories.
Kamoshibito Kuheiji sakes have a higher-than-average level of acidity, a high level of minerality, and an extremely rich character, allowing them to pair perfectly with Western cuisine, which uses more oil and butter than Japanese cuisine. This goes against the common perception that sake can only be paired with Japanese food.
Brewed as naturally as possible, the sakes are also very resilient: once a bottle has been opened it can be stored in the fridge for at least two months.
“Devotion to handcrafted sake, meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality. From growing their own rice to koji making, the Kuheiji sake making process is entirely human-monitored and handmade”.

Chef “snacks”-Tempura of oba leaf with king crab, Uni and fresh wasabi--Crispy White fungus in mushroom stock, fresh goat cheese and bottarga boreale skrei pearls-mini tartlet of cured mackerel and pickled daikon-K.crab mascarpone, heirloom tomatoes, crispy skrei fish skin
Paired with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo ‘Kyoden’
The  Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo ‘Kyoden’ has a refreshing scent of tropical country fruits, with nuances of Japanese herbs such as perilla, tree buds, and Japanese pepper. An elegant acidity is present in the extension of the bitterness and astringent taste of grapefruit skin, making this premium sake a good match for oily and richer dishes. The wild taste, which is the greatest feature of Omachi, is linked to the umami and lingering taste by polishing the rice to 40%.

1st CoursePacific oystersTempura, sweet corn velouté, Lofoten umami sprinkle, white & yellow heirloom beets
Paired with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo *’Hinokishi’
On the nose, we got the scent of pear and delicate jasmine flowers, and fennel notes, finished with the spicy aroma of white pepper. Over time, richer and more spicy notes will begin to appear, like the aroma of the slightly damp earth. On the palate, the sake feels youthful, imparting the same notes as the aroma. It has a long finish, typical of the delicacy of Yamada Nishiki.

2nd CourseSpencer gulf Hiramasa Australian king fishWith jalapeño, “kaviari” gold standard Ossetra caviar, aged ponzu
Paired with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki *’Eau Du Desir’
“Eau du Desir” means “water of hope”. The  Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki *’Eau Du Desir’ imparted lush aromas of grapefruit and herbs. On the palate, we detected gentle honey-like sweetness followed by soft acidity and a hint of minerality. This sake is adopted by 3-Star Michelin restaurants in Paris and widely popular among ladies. The sweetness of the sake worked to complement the umaminess of the king fish and caviar.

3rd CourseScottish Diver ScallopsWith Leeks a la étuver, bone jus reduction, last season’s white truffle paté
Served with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo ‘Betsuatsurae’
The Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo ‘Betsuatsurae’ has aromas of Andean melon, pear and apple skin, with a faint scent of lychee, leaves and cypress. On the palate, we got the sweetness of white chocolate with a slight astringency like the white part of mandarin orange peel. This elegant sake is creamy and rich, matching beautifully with the scallops.

4th Course – Choice of mains

Norwegian wild Skrei Cod encrusted with crispy edible potato scales, carrot puree, black trumpet mushrooms, whipped beurre blanc sauce
Served with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo Omachi ‘Sauvage’
Or

Australian Sanger Lamb (Pasture fed)Grilled over binchotan with sweet potato coffee cream, roasted sweet potato and nashi pear.
Served with Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo Omachi ‘Sauvage’
The Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo Omachi ‘Sauvage’ is perfectly balanced sake that is refreshingly dry with flinty mineral notes and a mildly bitter aftertaste. When it is served in a big red wine glass, its mineral character becomes more expressive, making it perfect to accompany meats like lamb.

4th Course – Choice of Dessert or Cheese

Chitose StrawberriesChitose Cameron strawberries in honey and lime, white chocolate mousse wrapped in strawberry gellee, pistachio dacquoise, yuzu-strawberry tarragon sorbet.
Or

Le Fromage5 types of A.O.P cheeses from our cheese trolleyAccompanied with fresh honeycomb, wild flower nectar collected from the hills ofMae-rim Province, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Us with Takahito of TMI Trading (left) and Makoto Saito of Sushi Hibiki (centre) which also carries  Kamoshibito Kuheiji sake
Us with Chef Darren Chin of DC Restaurant
The Kamoshibito Kuheiji sake pairing menu is currently available at DC Restaurant.
Kamoshibito Kuheiji (https://kuheiji.co.jp/en/) sakes are distributed in Malaysia by TMI Trading.
TMI Trading Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated in Malaysia on 20 May 2016 and is primarily engaged in trading, import, export, warehousing and organizing food fairs to meet both local and international market demand.
TMI Trading supplies food and food products, raw materials and semi manufactured products for the processing industry, wholesalers, retailers as well as some of the top restaurants and bars in Malaysia.
For more info, email info@tmitrading.com.my or head over to http://tmitrading.com.my/

Photo credits: TMI Trading and author’s own

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ASUS Launches the Vivobook S14 and S15 in Malaysia

[Tech and Gadgets]

Headed over to Sunway Damansara on 18 September 2019 for ASUS Malaysia’s launch of their new VivoBook S14 (S431) and VivoBook S15 (S531), a pair of ultraportable laptops featuring the five unconventional color‑blocking finishes that add a dash of personality to mobile computing to appeal to a younger audience.
These laptops incorporate the new frameless four‑sided NanoEdge display design that gives them more compact dimensions, and an immersive viewing experience thanks to an up to 88% screen‑to‑body ratio. Powered by up to Intel® Core™ i7 processors and NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 discrete graphics, these laptops also feature up to a 1TB PCIe® SSD. These are also the first VivoBook models to feature an infrared (IR) camera, and Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax).

The VivoBook S15 comes with a metal chassis finished in Moss Green, Punk Pink, Cobalt Blue, Transparent Silver or Gun Metal, while the VivoBook S14 comes in Gun Metal and Transparent Silver, with each colour featuring complementing accents to give the laptops colour‑blocking designs that really pop.
The nature‑inspired Moss Green is paired with Energetic Orange accents to showcase the spirit of exploring the great outdoors, while the street‑styled Punk Pink with Moss Green trim represents the rebellious streak of a younger generation that’s not afraid to stand up for their beliefs.
To appeal to a younger market, these are the first in the VivoBook range to feature the VivoBook logo on the lid, and a tactile textured finish to further set the series apart. There are also intricate design touches like twill‑inspired vents and speakers on the underside of the chassis.
The NanoEdge display design provides the VivoBook S14 and VivoBook S15 with a more compact chassis footprint. Weighing just 1.4 kg and 1.8 kg respectively, they easily slip into a messenger bag or backpack, which is great for mobility.

The frameless four‑sided NanoEdge displays provide the VivoBook S14 and VivoBook S15 with up to 5.2mm‑thin bezels and 88% screen‑to‑body ratios, giving more immersive visuals for work or play. The ErgoLift hinge tilts the keyboard by 3.5° to provide users with a more comfortable typing experience; its one‑piece construction also results in a much more durable hinge.
Intel-powered Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) delivers superfast networking speeds that are up to 3X faster than Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), with 4X the network capacity and 75%-lower latency to reduce large 4K video transfer times by up to 70%. The built‑in IR camera offers hands-free face login: advanced biometrics work seamlessly with Windows Hello, allowing users to wake their laptops and log in with a simple look. In the audio department, Harman Kardon‑certified audio provides users with high‑quality detailed sound.

The VivoBook S14 and S15 also include stickers featuring unique designs and phrases that go well with each of the five different VivoBook colours, allowing younger users to further personalize their VivoBook.

VivoBook S15

Specifications
VivoBook S15 S531FL

VivoBook S15 S531FL

Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-8265U processor 1.6GHz quad‑core with Turbo Boost (up to 3.9GHz) and 6MB cache

Operating system
Windows 10 Home

Display
15.6″ LED‑backlit FHD (1920 x 1080) panel with 16:9 aspect ratio
Frameless four‑sided NanoEdge display with 88% screen‑to‑body ratio
178° wide‑view technology

Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM

Memory
4GB 2400MHz DDR4 on board + 1 empty memory slot (Maximum up to 12GB)

Storage
512GBPCIe SSD + 1 empty expansion slot

Wireless
802.11ac Intel® Wi‑Fi 5
Bluetooth® 4.2

Connectivity
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C™ (USB‑C™) Gen 1
1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1
2 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI
1 x Combo audio jack
1 x Micro SD card reader

Keyboard and touchpad
Full‑size keyboard with 1.4 mm key travel
Touchpad with palm rejection technology and precision Touchpad (PTP) technology with four‑finger smart gesture recognition

Audio
ASUS Sonic Master with surround sound and smart amplifier technology
Array microphone with Cortana voice recognition
Certified by Harman Kardon

Software
ASUS Splendid
ASUS Tru2Life Video
ASUS Audio Wizard

Battery
Fast charge to 60% capacity in 49 min
42Wh 3-cell lithium-prismatic battery
90W power adapter

Colors
Moss Green / Punk Pink / Cobalt Blue / Transparent Silver / Gun Metal

Size
180 x 357.2 x 230.3 mm

Weight
1.8 kg

Price
RM3199

VivoBook S14 (S431FA)

VivoBook S14 (S431FA)

Processor
Intel® Core™ i7-8565U 1.8GHz quad‑core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.6GHz) and 8MB cache

Operating system
Windows 10 Home

Display
14″ LED‑backlit FHD (1920 x 1080) panel with 16:9 aspect ratio
Frameless four‑sided NanoEdge display with 86% screen‑to‑body ratio
178° wide‑view technology

Graphics
Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics 620

Memory
8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 on board

Storage
512GB PCIe SSD
Intel® Optane™ memory H10 with Solid State Storage

Wireless
802.11ax Intel® Wi‑Fi 6 with Gig+ (802.11ax)
Bluetooth® 5.0

Connectivity
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C™ (USB‑C™) Gen 2 (Up to 10Gbps)
1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI
1 x Combo audio jack
1 x SD card reader

Keyboard and touchpad
Full‑size keyboard with 1.4 mm key travel and optional backlight
Palm rejection technology
Precision Touchpad (PTP) technology with four‑finger smart gesture recognition

Audio
ASUS Sonic Master with surround sound and smart amplifier technology
Array microphone with Cortana voice recognition
Certified by Harman Kardon

Software
ASUS Splendid
ASUS Tru2Life Video
ASUS Audio Wizard

Battery
Fast charge to 60% capacity in 49 min
47Wh 2-cell lithium-polymer battery
45W power adapter

Colors
Transparent Silver / Gun Metal

Size
18.0 x 323.3 x 213.7 mm

Weight
1.4 kg

Price
RM3899

For more info, head over to:
VivoBook 15: https://www.asus.com/Laptops/ASUS-VivoBook-S15-S531FA/Features/
VivoBook 14: https://www.asus.com/Laptops/ASUS-VivoBook-S14-S431FL/Features/
Photo Credits: Asus Malaysia and author’s own
.

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Touch ‘n Go eWallet Now Available as a Payment Method on Lazada Malaysia

[Tech News]

Touch ‘n Go eWallet announced its collaboration with eCommerce platform Lazada Malaysia on 29 October 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, enabling its over 5 million users to use their eWallet as a payment method on Lazada Malaysia.
Touch ‘n Go eWallet users can now select the new eWallet payment option during checkout on their Lazada shopping cart, for a faster, seamless and more rewarding shopping experience on the Lazada app.
With over 100,000 physical retail points, this collaboration is in line with Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s mission for the Touch ‘n Go eWallet to be made available across all lifestyle touchpoints in the everyday lives of Malaysians, including online platforms.
Ignatius Ong, CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd at the launch said, “Beyond offline retail points, we are excited to present Lazada Malaysia as our first local online retail partner. In Malaysia, the online marketplace is home to 16.5 million online shoppers (according to the Malaysia E-Commerce, International Trade Association, August 2019). That’s the size of half our population and a huge target market. We know Malaysians love online shopping because it’s easy, fast, convenient and mobile. With this collaboration with Lazada, we are offering online shoppers a payment method that is seamless and secure.”
“We are encouraged by the growing number of our shoppers opting for digital payment methods and driving the shift towards a cashless society. We are pleased to have Touch ‘n Go eWallet onboard the Lazada platform to better serve the needs of the ever-evolving consumer as we prepare for the year-end sales season, beginning with 11.11. As a lifestyle destination for all Malaysians, Lazada is constantly innovating and adopting solutions for a sustainable, future-proofed digital economy,” said CEO of Lazada Malaysia, Leo Chow.

 Ignatius Ong, CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd with Leo Chow, CEO of Lazada Malaysia (L-R)

 Serena Tang, Director of Partnerships and Business Development, TNG Digital Sdn Bhd; Wilson Soon, CFO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd; Ignatius Ong, CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd alongside Kevin Lee, CBO of Lazada Malaysia; Leo Chow, CEO of Lazada Malaysia and Diana Boo, CMO of Lazada Malaysia. (L-R)
 CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd, Ignatius Ong was demonstrating the seamless payment method on Lazada Malaysia via the Touch ‘n Go eWallet!

The launch event showcased the hassle-free shopping experience with the Touch ‘n Go eWallet through a bricks-to-clicks pop-up store. The physical shopping structure was made possible with the support of other notable brands namely L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, Garnier, NYX Professional Makeup, Nestle and Unilever who presented their products for purchase.
Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s collaboration with Lazada Malaysia provides its users with a rewarding experience, with amazing promotions and cashback just in time for Lazada’s popular 11.11 and 12.12 annual shopping festivals.
Users can also receive a RM5 discount with a minimum purchase of RM50 on Lazada Malaysia from 29 to 31 October 2019. Users simply need to redeem a RM5 “Collectible Payment Voucher” via the Lazada app, spend a minimum of RM50, and pay with the Touch ‘n Go eWallet to get the RM5 discount (limited to 3,000 transactions and each Touch ‘n Go eWallet User is entitled to receive One (1) RM5 off throughout the Promotion Period)
Going forward, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, looks to reward its users with more offerings on the platform, beyond retail purchases like movies and flight tickets, shopping, mobile reloads, entertainment and F&B deals.
For more information on the Touch ‘n Go eWallet promotions on Lazada, head over to https://www.tngdigital.com.my/promotions or log on to http://www.facebook.com/touchngoewallet/
The Touch ‘n Go eWallet is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Touch ‘n Go eWallet is Now Enabled at All 7-Eleven Outlets in Malaysia
 Lena Tan, Chairman of 7-Eleven Malaysia; Colin Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of 7-Eleven Malaysia; Ignatius Ong, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd with Jasmine Ng, Chief Executive Officer of Razer Fintech officiating the launch partnership between Touch ‘n Go eWallet and 7-Eleven Malaysia (left to right)

The Touch ‘n Go eWallet announced its partnership with 7-Eleven in downtown Kuala Lumpur on 31 October 2019. The new collaboration will provide the ewallet’s 5 million users the convenience of cashless payment and reloads across all 7-Eleven’s outlets in Malaysia.
This collaboration is part of Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s continuous expansion effort to make the Touch ‘n Go eWallet usage more commonplace and increase its presence at more retail touch points, covering urban and untapped areas alike. Acceptance of the Touch ‘n Go eWallet at 7-Eleven means convenient payment for patrons of the store who are constantly on the go. Additionally, Touch ‘n Go eWallet users can also purchase the reload pins at any of the 7-Eleven outlets that are available 24/7.
“Malaysians are driven by speed and convenience, both of which are the essence that the Touch ‘n Go eWallet lives by. We are excited to be a payment partner with 7-Eleven, Malaysia’s largest convenience retailer as this will supercharge the rakyat’s lifestyle to live, pay and transact digitally anywhere in Malaysia. The addition of 7-Eleven to our large pool of retail points, brings an immense value to our presence and users, ” said Ignatius Ong, CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd.
“The central theme to 7-Eleven’s commitment has always been about catering to consumer needs, in which the key driver of our business is 24/7 convenience. We believe our partnership with Touch ‘n Go eWallet, Malaysia’s leading e-wallet provider, keeps us on point with the ever–changing business landscape, at the same time fulfills our consumers’ evolving payment preferences as well as supports the Government’s drive for the rakyat to adopt digital payments,” said Colin Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of 7-Eleven Malaysia.

 Lena Tan, Colin Harvey, Ignatius Ong and Jasmine Ng showing how payment at 7-Eleven outlet becomes more convenient with the Touch ‘n Go eWallet (left to right)

The usage of Touch ‘n Go eWallet at 7-Eleven outlets is enabled by Razer Merchant Services. Jasmine Ng, CEO Razer Fintech added, “We are very happy to enable the partnership between Touch ‘n Go eWallet and 7-Eleven with our innovative solutions.” Razer Fintech is Southeast Asia’s leading merchant services provider. Users of the Touch ‘n Go eWallet will simply have to ‘pay-and-scan’ to complete the payment.”
In conjunction with this partnership announcement, first time users who choose to go cashless with Touch ‘n Go eWallet at 7-Eleven will enjoy RM8 cashback by keying in the reload PIN: TNGJG7N1
As part of 7-Eleven’s anniversary celebrations, users can also take advantage of these special promotions:
●     From 1st to 7th November 2019, users of the Touch ‘n Go eWallet who spend RM11 and above in a single receipt will receive a one-time cashback of RM7.
●        From the 8th of November until 31st December 2019, with every spend of RM20 in a single receipt, Touch ‘n Go eWallet users are entitled to receive RM4 cashback. This cashback, is limited to (2 times) per user throughout the campaign period.
For more information, head over to https://www.tngdigital.com.my/promotions or https://www.7eleven.com.my/

Photo Credits: Touch ‘n Go eWallet and author’s own
.

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Gift Ideas for Her – Dior Paradise (2015) Collection

[Fashion]

The new Dior Paradise collection features a range of bags and small leather goods which are boldly coloured and playfully adorned with large urban flowers, utopian phrases and skateboard inspired badges.

Lady Dior bag in white paradise calfskin, badges and flowers in embossed leather, large strap
« Lady Dior » bag in white « Paradise » calfskin, badges and flowers in embossed leather, large strap.
Sac « Lady Dior » en veau « paradise » blanc, badges et fleurs en cuir embossé, bandoulière large.
화이트 파라다이스 카프스킨 소재의 레이디디올 백, 엠보싱 레더 소재의 배지와 플라워 장식, 라지 스트랩.

Lady Dior bag in black Paradise calfskin, badges and flowers in embosses leather, large strap
« Lady Dior » bag in black « paradise » calfskin, badges and flowers in embossed leather, large strap.
Sac « Lady Dior » en veau « paradise » noir, badges et fleurs en cuir embossé, bandoulière large.
블랙 파라다이스 카프스킨 소재의 레이디 디올 백, 엠보싱 레더 소재의 배지와 플라워 장식, 라지 스트랩
Diorama bag in red paradise calfskin, badges and flowers in embossed leather, enamel framed badge closure
« Diorama » bag in red « paradise » calfskin, badges and flowers in embossed leather, enamel framed badge closure.
Sac « Diorama » en veau « paradise » rouge, badges et fleurs en cuir embossé, fermoir badge brodé d’émail.
레드 파라다이스 카프스킨 소재의 디올라마 백, 엠보싱 레더 소재의 배지와 플라워 장식, 에나멜 프레임의 배지 클로저.

Diorama bag in pink lambskin inlaid with a flower in leather and exotic fish marquetry
« Diorama » bag in pink lambskin inlaid with a flower in leather and exotic fish marquetry.
Sac « Diorama » en agneau rose incrusté d’une fleur en marqueterie de cuir et poisson exotique.
핑크 램스킨 소재의 디올라마 백, 레더와 이그조틱 피쉬 마커트리 소재의 플라워 장식.

Diorissimo bag in white paradise calfskin, badges and flower in embossed leather
« Diorissimo » bag in white « paradise » calfskin, badges and flower in embossed leather.
Sac « Diorissimo » en veau « paradise » blanc, badges et fleur en cuir embossé.
화이트 파라다이스 카프스킨 소재의 디올리시모 백, 엠보싱 레더 소재의 배지와 플라워 장식.

Dior Bubble bag in white paradise calfskin, badges in leather
« Dior Bubble » bag in white paradise calfskin, badges in leather.
Sac « Dior Bubble » en veau paradise blanc, badges en cuir.
화이트 파라다이스 카프스킨 디올 버블 백, 레더 배지 장식.

Diorissimo Voyageur in black paradise calfskin, badge and flower in embossed leather
« Diorissimo » Voyageur in black « paradise » calfskin, badge and flower in embossed leather.
Voyageur « Diorissimo » en veau « paradise » noir, badge et fleur en cuir embossé.
블랙 파라다이스 카프 스킨 소재의 디올리시모 보야져, 엠보싱 레더 소재의 배지와 플라워 장식

Silk twill scarf, Paradise Dior, hand-rolled hem
Silk twill scarf, Paradise Dior, hand-rolled hem, 90 x 90 cm.
Carré en twill de soie, inscription Paradise Dior, bords roulottés main 90x90cm.
실크 트윌 스카프, 파라다이스 디올, 핸드 롤 처리한 단, 90x90cm.

Dior Shades earrings in metal with palladium and gold finish
10 – « Dior Shades » earring in metal with palladium and gold finish.
Boucle d’oreille « Dior Shades » en métal finition palladium et or.
‘디올 쉐이드(Dior Shades)’ 이어링, 팔라듐과 골드 마감의 메탈 소재.

« Dior Shades » earring in metal with palladium finish.
Boucle d’oreille « Dior Shades » en métal finition palladium.
디올 쉐이드(Dior Shades)’ 이어링, 팔라듐 마감 메탈 소재.

Dior shades earrings in metal with palladium finish and black marble
« Dior Shades » earring in metal with palladium finish and black marble.
Boucle d’oreille « Dior Shades » en métal finition palladium et marbre noir.
‘디올 쉐이드(Dior Shades)’ 이어링, 팔라듐과 블랙 대리석 마감의 메탈 소재.

Dior Shades earring in metal with palladium finish, red glass and white howlite stone
« Dior Shades » earring in metal with palladium finish, red glass and white howlite stone.
Boucles d’oreilles « Dior Shades » en métal finition palladium, verre rouge et et pierre de howlite blanche.
‘디올 쉐이드(Dior Shades)’ 이어링, 팔라듐 마감, 레드 글래스와 오프화이트 하울라이트 스톤

VeryDior2N sunglasses from the Cruise 2016 fashion show. Structured square shape in opaline ivory acetate and silver metal. Graphic temples with silver metal endips. Khaki lenses
« VeryDior2N » sunglasses from the Cruise 2016 fashion show. Structured square shape in opaline ivory acetate and silver metal. Graphic temples with silver metal endips. Khaki lenses.
Lunettes de soleil « VeryDior2N » du défilé Croisière 2016. Forme carrée structurée en acétate ivoire opalin et métal argent. Branches graphiques avec embouts en métal argent. Verres kakis.
2016 크루즈 컬렉션의 ‘VeriDior2N’ 선글라스. 오팔 아이보리 아세테이트와 실버 메탈 소재의 구조적인 스퀘어 셰잎. 실버 메탈 엔딥의 그래픽 템플, 카키 렌즈.

Paradise key chain in metal and multicolor enamel
« Paradise » key chain in metal and multicolor enamel.
Porte-clé « Paradise » en métal et émail multicolore.
파라다이스 키 체인, 메탈과 멀티컬러 에나멜 소재.

The DIOR boutique in Kuala Lumpur is located at:
G20,21,22,25, 26,27 &28, Indulge Floor,
Starhill Gallery,
181, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Telephone: 603 21431886
More info at http://www.dior.com

Images courtesy of Dior Malaysia.

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Castrol ‘Instant Protection’ Launch 170611

[Quickie]
Castrol Malaysia launched a new campaign promoting Castrol Magnatec with a roadshow in Mid Valley Megamall which includes a game on Facebook called the ‘Castrol Magnatec Augmented Reality Monster game’. Check it out now and who knows? You might win yourself some exciting prizes!
http://www.facebook.com/castrolmalaysia
Girls, girls and more girls...
Use a good quality engine oil like Castrol Magnatec to protect your engine from wear and tear
Play with the girls erm I mean play the augmented reality game
And you might just win yourself some exciting prizes from Castrol!

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Versace Menswear Fall/Winter 2018

[Luxury Fashion]

Versace proclaims that their FW ’18 Men’s collection is so typically Versace, that it will give you that familiar feeling of coming home. The Versace Men Fall Winter 2018 features a wardrobe for a man who isn’t afraid to explore his wildest side, and is all about playing with the house codes and re-interpreting them, through younger eyes, through different subcultures, through that ironic yet comfy Versace twist. A collection that re-invents the rules, ignores boundaries and celebrates the art of individuality, with a look-at-me personality that’s taken to another level.

 Donatella Versace

THE WILD SIDE – that untamed part of a man that he has always known he had. Equal parts bold and refined, the Versace man takes risks in color and texture, never doubting his style.
Printing is key – the ‘Amore e Psiche’ print brings out his Versace side, referencing ancient Greek elements on a vivid color palette.
The ‘Sipario’ print is found on velvet featured on outerwear and accessories, draws the curtain on the drama.

HOME RUN – inspiration is taken from the intimacy behind closed doors at the Versace ‘casa’ where the only rule is that there are no rules. Pure anarchy reigns.
Accessories are crafted from lush interior elements: heritage velvet prints on clutches and travel bags recall velvet curtains and drapes.
Homeware takes center stage: bracelets are crafted from forks and knives. A chesterfield-style couch from Versace Home is re-born on outerwear and accessories featuring couch button details on leather and velvet. Retro Medusa headphones and phone covers, the new men’s essentials, revamped with that Versace fun.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CONTEXT – the 5 Ws: worn with what, on who, where to, when, and why not? Styling is unexpected. Looks blend elements that go from work to play: the Versace bathrobe becomes outerwear worn over sharply tailored suits.
Mix and match tartan prints of different colors create unexpected new patterns in suits and coats, while pants are super tight or loose, but all cut short, way above the ankle.
Even materials don’t play by the rules: basketball jersey are crafted from the finest silk, masculine tartan is complemented by flamboyant prints, silk cushion inserts are placed on cotton sweatshirts. This is the mix of elements that define subculture – the epitome of individuality let loose.

A CHAIN REACTION – launching in this show, THE new iconic Versace sneakers with its unmissable chain-link sole that speaks directly to the millennial generation. An original design element reinforcing the link between the tailored and the casual – and the many different sides of the Versace man.

And here are some photos taken backstage by Kevin Tachman.
(Click on the individual photos to view a larger version).

The Versace boutiques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are located at:
LC-G02, Ground Floor, Suria KLCC Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: +603 2162 0109

Lot 2.25 & 3.27, Level 2 & 3, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: +603 2141 0677

More info at http://www.versace.com/

Visuals courtesy of Versace Malaysia.
.

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Stylekandi Launch & arTHURSDAY

[Events]
Remember how Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers attended the Stylekandi soft launch at the Desire Club back in March this year (see my old post here)?
Well Stylekandi has finally had its launch party at Aural, KL City Walk which is a new pedestrian mall off Jalan P. Ramlee (opposite Aloha). Check out the Stylekandi Facebook page for more info.
Time to party baby!
MHB's Andrea and Erica
A pic with Andrea who's one of the newer members in MHB
Check out the Stylekandi website (click this pic)

Then the following night it was the final arTHURSDAY event at the Backyard Pub in Sri Hartamas where four (4) bands were vying for the two (2) spots to perform at Arthur’s Day 2011 which will take place on 23 September 2011. Check out the Guinness Malaysia Facebook page for more details on how you can get the exclusive passes to this party!
2 reasons why I love Guinness events apart from the Guinness of course
Roosevelt rocking the house. Yes that's Serena C helping to hold down the chair!
I'm looking forward to seeing these 2 honeys along with dozens others at Arthur's Day 2011! To Arthur!!!
More photos from these two (2) events and lots more are on my Facebook page (click here).

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McLaren 650S Launch

[Automobile]

Mention the name McLaren and many would instantly associate it with the highly successful Formula One team which was founded back in 1963 by Bruce McLaren. Many legendary F1 drivers including Aryton Senna, Alain Prost, and Niki Lauda, and more recently Mika Hakkinen, David Coultard, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikonnen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton drove for the highly acclaimed team which is the second oldest active F1 team and one of the most successful teams in F1.
McLaren Automotive located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey manufactures luxury, high-performance sports cars bringing the expertise and technology from 50 years of involvement in F1 to the road. Following the company’s global launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive launched the groundbreaking 12C and 12C Spider, followed by the McLaren P1™ keeping with their goal of launching a new model every year.
With that in mind, I eagerly headed over to the McLaren Kuala Lumpur flagship showroom in Mutiara Damansara for the media preview of their latest model – the McLaren 650S!

The McLaren 650S is McLaren Automotive’s fastest, best equipped, and most beautiful series-production supercar. The 650S was inspired by the design of the McLaren P1 and is specifically developed to give enthusiast drivers the ultimate in luxury, engagement and excitement, on both road and track.
 Commenting on the launch of the 650S in Kuala Lumpur, George Biggs, McLaren Head of Sales and Operations Asia-Pacific, said: “We are very excited to bring the McLaren 650S to Malaysia. This car really stands out on its own as no other series production sports car on sale today offers such a breadth of capabilities. Since launching McLaren in Malaysia last year we have been impressed with the passion and enthusiasm our customers have demonstrated for the brand and our products. We are pleased to continue to showcase the McLaren brand in Malaysia by bringing our latest edition of ground-breaking supercars to the region. There is a lot of potential in the market and we look forward to bringing more products to Malaysia.”

 The beautiful MC of the launch Patricia K with the McLaren 650S Spider
 McLaren 650S Spider

The 650S follows the McLaren design ethos of ‘form follows function’, with the front bumper providing a dramatic, yet clean, appearance while the integrated front splitter contributes to increased levels of down force. This offers a greater level of steering feeling and confidence to the driver on turn-in, while also adding to the agility and handling balance. Unique door blades behind the front wheels, on the leading edge of the dihedral doors, direct air from the trailing edges of the front splitter, further benefit front-end grip and vehicle balance.
The exterior styling includes full LED headlamps derived from the McLaren P1™, providing a distinctive illumination of the road ahead, and echoing the signature McLaren ‘speed marque’ logo in the design. The bonnet features the new McLaren badge, inspired by the badge fitted to the iconic McLaren F1. The rear of the McLaren 650S has been designed to optimize aerodynamics, with a 12C GT3- inspired three-piece bumper.

 McLaren 650S

The 650S badge designation refers to its engine output: 650PS (641 bhp). The British-built McLaren M838T twin turbo V8 engine produces 650PS (641 bhp) and 678 Nm of Torque, propelling the 650S Spider from zero to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds, reach 200km/h in 8.6 seconds and has a top speed of 329km/h.
Refinements to the engine include newly designed pistons and cylinder heads, and new exhaust valves while the cooling circuits have been optimised. The camshaft timings are unique to the McLaren 650S, to improve throttle response and help reduce CO2 emissions.
The car utilizes a unique single piece constructed carbon fibre tub as the chassis, which is better known as Mono-Cell, reducing the total dry weight to 1,330kg for Coupe and 1,370kg for Spider.

Even with the low weight and impressive performance more similar to a stripped out super car, the 650S still packs everyday convenience and luxury features on board; including Meridian high-end performance speakers, parking sensors, rear-view parking camera, electric and heated seats, dual climate control and more.
The pioneering ProActive Chassis Control (PCC) suspension system, developed by McLaren, has been further enhanced for the McLaren 650S. A feature of the system is the ability to adjust the ride and handling modes – Normal / Sport / Track – in isolation from the drivetrain, which gives complete freedom in terms of ride and handling. These settings, for both powertrain and suspension, have been recalibrated to improve driver engagement. The updates are especially noticeable in Sport mode.

 McLaren 12C

McLaren Automotive has partnered with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology including Akebono, AkzoNobel, ExxonMobil, Pirelli, SAP and TAG Heuer. The company also pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production over the past 30 years, and since introducing a carbon chassis into racing and road cars with the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 and 1993 McLaren F1 respectively, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.
Click on the individual photos below to open a larger version.

McLaren Kuala Lumpur is the sole distributor of the iconic British brand of high-performance sports cars in Malaysia, and is owned and operated by Sime Darby Auto Britannia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sime Darby Motors. The McLaren Kuala Lumpur’s flagship show gallery is located at the Ground Floor of Menara Mudajaya in Mutiara Damansara, while all McLarens in Malaysia have access to the McLaren Kuala Lumpur Service Centre in Temasya Industrial Park, Glenmarie. The Service Centre has a fully-equipped workshop where the employees have been professionally trained at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey (UK) to ensure that the supercars remain in peak condition at all times.
McLaren Kuala Lumpur is currently retailing the new 650S; limited numbers of the 12C and 12C Spider; and the McLaren P1™, and the showroom in Mutiara Damansara is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Sunday.
For those who are interested in registering to preview the 650S, call +6019-3396888 for more info
McLaren Kuala Lumpur’s website: http://www.kualalumpur.mclaren.com
McLaren Kuala Lumpur’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mclarenkualalumpur
McLaren’s (principal) website: http://www.mclarenautomotive.com
McLaren’s (principal) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mclarenautomotive

Here are more photos of the McLaren 650S provided courtesy of McLaren.
Click on the individual photos to open a larger version.

 McLaren Kuala Lumpur showroom in Mutiara Damansara

McLaren 650S Coupe Technical Specifications
POWERTRAIN

Engine: M838T
Engine capacity (cc): 3,799
Format: 90° V8
Technology: Twin turbo, dry sump
Valvetrain: 32 valve, DOHC, VVT
Max rpm: 8,500
Power: 650 PS (641 bhp) (478 kW) @ 7,250 rpm
Torque: 678 Nm (500 lb ft) @ 6,000 rpm (95% @ 3000-7000 rpm)
Transmission: 7- speed Seamless Shift dual clutch Gearbox (SSG)

 CHASSIS

Suspension Type: ProActive Chassis Control
Differential: Open differential with Brake Steer
Driver Aids: ABS, Traction control, ESC, Launch control
Wheel Size: 8.5″ x 19″ / 11″ x 20″ (F/R)
Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 235/35 R19 / 305/30 R20 (F/R)

PERFORMANCE

Maximum Speed 333 kph (207 mph)
0-60 mph 2.9 s
0-100 mph 5.7 s
60-0 mph 28.5 metres
100-0 mph 81 metres
0-100 kph 3.0 s
0-200 kph 8.4 s
100-0 kph 30.5 metres
200-0 kph 123.0 metres

EFFICIENCY

Fuel Consumption (combined): 24.2 mpg (11.7 l/100 km)
CO2: 275 g/km

BODY

Dry Weight: 1,330 kg (or 1,301 kg lightweight)
Body Structure: Carbon Fibre MonoCell with aluminium front and rear structures
Aerodynamics: Active Aerodynamics incorporating Airbrake and DRS

McLaren 650s SPIDER Technical Specification
POWERTRAIN

Engine: M838T
Engine capacity (cc): 3,799
Format: 90° V8
Technology: Twin turbo, dry sump
Valvetrain: 32 valve, DOHC, VVT
Max rpm: 8,500
Power: 650 PS (641 bhp) (478 kW) @ 7,250 rpm
Torque: 678 Nm (500 lb ft) @ 6,000 rpm (95% @ 3000-7000 rpm)
Transmission: 7- speed Seamless Shift dual clutch Gearbox (SSG)

CHASSIS

Suspension Type: ProActive Chassis Control
Differential: Open differential with Brake Steer
Driver Aids: ABS, Traction control, ESC, Launch control
Wheel Size: 8.5″ x 19″ / 11″ x 20″ (F/R)
Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 235/35 R19 / 305/30 R20 (F/R)

PERFORMANCE

Maximum Speed 329 kph (204 mph)
0-60 mph 2.9 s
0-100 mph 5.8 s
60-0 mph 28.7 metres
100-0 mph 82 metres
0-100 kph 3.0 s
0-200 kph 8.6 s
100-0 kph 30.7 metres
200-0 kph 124.0 metres

EFFICIENCY

Fuel Consumption (combined): 24.2 mpg (11.7 l/100 km)
CO2: 275 g/km

BODY

Dry Weight: 1,370 kg (or 1,341 kg lightweight)
Body Structure: Carbon Fibre MonoCell with aluminium front and rear structures
Aerodynamics: Active Aerodynamics incorporating Airbrake and DRS

FUEL CONSUMPTION for Both McLaren 650S CoUpÉ/Spider
URBAN: 16.1 mpg (17.5 l/100 km)
EXTRA URBAN: 33.2 mpg (8.5 l/100 km)
COMBINED: 24.2 mpg (11.7 l/100 km)
Carbon Dioxide (Co2) Emissions: COMBINED 275 g/km

Here’s a look at how McLaren has evolved over the years.

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Burberry September 2016 Show

[Luxury Fashion]

Burberry started a week-long programme of activities with the presentation of its inaugural straight-to-consumer collection at Makers House in the heart of Soho, London on 20 September 2016. The entire collection, including the make-up look is now available to purchase globally, including through Burberry’s physical and digital retail network, shipping to over 100 countries.
Burberry Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bailey said, “Tonight’s show marked a very special moment for us – it was the culmination of a series of important changes we made designed to bring our collections closer to our customers. The collection was influenced by Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando – a love letter to the past and to English history, and a kind of dressing up box to visit and revisit.
The show also celebrates the start of a partnership with The New Craftsmen. Together, “Makers House” is a space for visitors to experience the British design heritage as well as admire the work of some of the most exciting creators, and the innovation and inspiration behind their craft.”
Guests attending the show included actors Lily James, Felicity Jones, Jenna Coleman, Nicholas Hoult, Kris Wu, Freida Pinto, Vicky Zhao, Charlotte Le Bon, Jeon Do-yeon, Anya Taylor-Joy, Joe Alwyn, Ella Purnell, Burberry models Edie Campbell, Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Amber Anderson and Clara Paget, as well as Mario Testino, Steve McQueen, Tom Harper, Alexa Chung, Poppy Delevingne, Adwoa Aboah, Lady Amelia Windsor, Sandy Powell, Luke Edward Hall, Olivia Palermo and Huda Kattan.

Burberry’s September 2016 collection was unveiled on the runway which spanned across three rooms painted in dusty hues of pink, green and yellow, echoing the colour palette of the collection. Elements inspired by interior designer Nancy Lancaster were found throughout the space, including cornicing on the doorways, fabric-covered benches and the hand-woven carpet that was laid throughout featuring a pattern based on a ceiling tile found in a house she had updated.
A 21-piece orchestra accompanied by pianist Rosey Chan and vocalists, performed ‘Reliquary’ a score written by British composer Ilan Eshkeri, exclusively for the show.
The origins of the new men’s and women’s collections, which were shown together for the first time, are found in the spirit of Nancy Lancaster’s interior and garden designs and Virginia Woolf’s novel ‘Orlando’.
Inspired by a reflection on the way a house changes its character over the centuries driven by the people, clothes and cultures that inhabit it, the collection combines noble and authentic fabrics, blending denim and sweatshirting with cashmere and pyjama silks. It blurs masculine and feminine, casual and formal, night and day, all mixed together to create a new reality.
Highlights from the collection include deconstructed trench coats, regimental capes, coats and jackets (including The Cavalry Jacket, The Military Tailcoat and The Parade Jacket), waisted field jackets (including The Floral Field Jacket), pea coats, pyjama-style trousers, shirts and shorts, and ruffle-neck shirts. Also previewed was The Bridle Bag, a new runway design for men and women, which takes its inspiration from classic British equestrian designs and Burberry’s outdoor heritage.
Guests were given a preview of Makers House, which is open to visitors from 21 to 27 September, with a daily changing programme of activities and installations showcasing original works by some of Britain’s finest craft makers, as well as a display of the entire September collection. Celebrating the craft and inspiration behind the September 2016 collection, Makers House features different stations and spaces where makers from The New Craftsmen will be demonstrating various crafts and techniques. Spaces include:

Precision Workshop, which celebrates the meticulous nature of craft with saddlers, embroiderers and bookbinders perfecting their delicate and intricate work.
Sensory Lab, which demonstrates the experimental and expressive way of crafting and creating with colour, opulence and scent.
Library, featuring a JAMES PLUMB staircase inspired by the library scene in Orlando, which will host live readings from Virginia Woolf’s work by Pin Drop daily at 1pm for the public.
Gabardine Tent, representing a place of interaction and exchange where different makers invite the public to choose words, bring garments, share stories and sit for portraits throughout the week. In this space, the Burberry archive team will also journey through the pivotal moments from the company’s 160-year history.
‘The Studio’, a purpose-built creative set at Makers House, where guests can become part of the new September collection experience. The Studio allows visitors to publish short dynamic edits to Instagram and other social media channels. Guests will also receive a photographic print from The Studio.
The New Craftsmen Shop, a shop selling products and designs created by The New Craftsmen. Limited edition reissues of ‘Orlando’, with the cover artwork recreated from the book’s first edition and a new foreword by Christopher Bailey, will also be for sale in the shop.

The show was streamed live on Burberry.com, YouTube, WeChat, and, for the first time, on Facebook Live, allowing users to watch the runway show in real time.

Burberry also launched on Facebook Messenger, giving users a unique way to discover the collection in real time and offering live customer service on Messenger. Users were invited to uncover the inspiration behind the collection, explore the new show space and unlock content exclusive to Messenger.
For the first time, Burberry is allowing followers to buy a piece of the collection, The Bridle Bag, exclusively on WeChat through in-app purchase. Two editions of The Bridle Bag, the new runway design, are available to purchase exclusively on WeChat. The experience is activated through a bespoke HTML5 mini site, with unprecedented access to the show and a takeover from Chinese actors Kris Wu and Vicky Zhao.

Burberry stores in Malaysia are located at Suria KLCC, The Gardens Mid Valley and in Parkson Pavilion.
More info at http://www.burberry.com/
Images courtesy of Burberry.
.
Updated with the latest Burberry video which is directed by Academy Award-winner Asif Kapadia and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Dominic West and Lily James. This is one of the most creative advertisements that I’ve ever seen and I think it has the potential to become a mini-series (the video itself looks like a trailer).

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Liquido Malaysia Miss Bikini 2013 Auditions Session 2

[Event]
There are times when I do miss my FHM days especially the photoshoots. There is nothing nicer than to go to a photo studio on a Monday morning and observe a professional magazine shoot. Of course it’s even better when the model is a celebrity like Hannah Tan, or Julie Woon, or FHM Girl Next Door winners like Yvonne Sim, Crissty Chiang or Angie Ng.
Well I got to relive my memories again as Malaysia’s Hottest Bloggers is the official digital media partner for the Liquido Malaysia Miss Bikini 2013 search and I was invited to attend the second audition session (I missed the first one as I was recovering from a crazy Oktoberfest party the night before) at the Andy Kho Photography studio on 14 October 2013.
Liquido is a swimwear and fitness apparel brand set up by a family in 2001 in Brás, Sao Paulo, which produces and sells products of high quality, but yet reasonably priced, for their clients. The popularity of their products grew through client recommendations and of word of mouth, and soon, other stores were opened in Sao Paulo.
As the swimwear and fitness apparel industry is very competitive, the focus of Liquido products has always been on producing using only the finest fabrics, with exclusive prints, at a fair price. As Liquido grew to become a big company, the family decided to open doors for entrepreneurs to open Liquido stores throughout Brazil and most recently here in Malaysia, and throughout the world; at the same time maintaining a close supervision on the identity and quality of brand.
Liquido celebrates proud, strong and confident young woman. A woman who is not afraid to show the world who she is and carries herself with pride. Liquido’s mission in Malaysia is to advocate that a confident woman is a beautiful woman. If a woman truly believes she is beautiful and loves herself and her body, then the whole world will believe it too. Liquido also encourages women to be fit & healthy and look good while they are working out by offering stylish and sexy fitness wear.
Liquido Malaysia is in search of a role model who represents beauty, confidence and also practices a healthy lifestyle. The winner will be the face of Liquido for 2013/2014. She will be the main brand ambassador, featured in all Liquido marketing campaigns for 2013/2014.
The finalists of the search stand to win themselves some exciting prizes!
1st Place – RM5,000 cash + Ambassador contract with Liquido Malaysia + RM500 worth of Liquido products + Sponsored Prizes
2nd Place – RM2,000 cash + Ambassador contract with Liquido Malaysia + RM250 worth of Liquido products + Sponsored Prizes
3rd Place – RM1,000 cash + Ambassador contract with Liquido Malaysia + RM250 worth of Liquido products + Sponsored Prizes
.
 The girls getting ready, making sure everything is supposed to be where it is supposed to be.
 Putting on makeup
 First up was the question and answer session to ensure that the girls have brains as well as beauty. After all Liquido’s ambassador cannot be a bimbo!
 On the panel were Malaysian songstress Atilia, Liquido Malaysia founder Nadia, and celebrity photographer Andy Kho
 The last time I saw Atilia was when she attended my FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2009 party!
 I wish for world peace! Lol. No in case you were wondering, the questions were NOT that simple. It was stuff about being confident, self-esteem, women empowerment, etc. etc. Heavy topics for a Monday morning but the girls handled it well.
 Waiting for their turn
 Let the photoshoot begin!

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I’m not going to give away too much so do follow Liquido Malaysia’s Facebook page for more updates – https://www.facebook.com/LiquidoMalaysia
More info on the search at http://www.liquido.com.my/miss-bikini-2013.html
More info on Liquido at http://www.liquido.com.my
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New Menu at Urban Restaurant Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur

[Romantic Dining Spots]

Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur along Jalan Sultan Ismail/ Jalan Raja Chulan in the city’s “golden triangle” has been a mainstay 5-star hotel for many years now, and is still very popular as a business hotel especially for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. Unknown to many though, the hotel has a modern European cuisine restaurant named Urban tucked away behind the Sports Bar, which serves up modern European dishes with an Asian influence. The new menu was specially crafted by Chef Buoy and his culinary team, presenting a dining option that is very unlike the other offerings at the hotel.

 A baby grand piano in the lounge area of the restaurant
 There’s also a comfy sofa where you can have your pre/ post dinner drinks
 The wine chillers which offers a decent selection of wines to go along with your meal. Or simply bring your own wine as there’s NO corkage charge.

 This shot was taken around 6.30pm meaning there was still sunlight coming in through the glass windows. As the night wore on and it grew more dim the romantic ambience was enhanced
 The restaurant is also suitable for private parties and can fit up to 50 pax seated and spaced out comfortably
 Or bring your loved one over for a nice romantic dinner

The restaurant is currently running a few set menus namely; Lunch Express 59 – a three (3) course lunch menu priced at RM59.00nett, and three (3) different dinner sets to suit different budgets.

3 Course Dinner – RM150 nett (Appetizer / Main Course / Dessert)
Gourmet Special 3 Course Dinner – RM210 nett (Appetizer / Gourmet Special Main Course / Dessert)
7 Course Degustation (prior booking required)

There’s also the a la carte menu however we decided to try one 3 Course Dinner set and one Gourmet Special 3 Course Dinner set, the only difference being that you get to choose a main from the Gourmet Specials Mains if you selected the latter set. The dinner sets provide way more value for money than ordering piecemeal/ a la carte actually, therefore unless you’re a really small eater and only want a main I’d highly suggest that you take a set.

Appetizer

Foie Gras
Celeriac Vanilla Mousseline, Glazed Peach, Yogurt Passion Fruit Crisp & Truffle Sauce
If there’s one dish that I really love it would have to be grilled foie gras and this one was cooked to perfection! What was even better is that it was made more luxurious with the addition of a truffle sauce while the mousse, peach and berries added some sweetness and piquancy to balance out the rich earthy flavours of the foie gras which can be quite overwhelming (but not to me!) for beginners. If you know how to eat foie gras for goodness sake order this winning appetiser!

Seafood Terrine
Prawn & Black Mussel, Peruvian White Asparagus, Baby Leek, Fuji Apple & Celery Salad, Warm Potato Dressing
This was a really pretty dish which tasted good too! Less heavy than the foie gras but nevertheless still flavourful with lighter and refreshing flavours. Pair this one with a nice glass of white wine!

Diver Sea Scallops
Hazelnut crusted, butternut coulis, gazpacho saffron vegetable dressing, salmon rillette club sandwich and fennel emulsion
The chef was being generous and gave us a third appetiser which was served in a square-ish Petri dish. This was quite an elegant appetiser which combined many different tastes and textures all into a somewhat “experimental” dish (well it was served in a Petri dish after all) which was cool yet intriguing! I gave up trying to discern the individual flavours and just enjoyed the mix altogether which is pretty much the way it’s meant to be eaten anyway. (Us snobby media like to dissect everything much to the chagrin of chefs I’m sure ha ha!)

Main Course

Crispy Duck Breast (from the normal mains selection)
Crusted with Jordan Almonds, Beef Bacon Crème Caramel, Sauteed Savoy Cabbage, Red Cherry Jus
Yes a creme caramel (which is a dessert) with the main course. But you know what? It worked! The sweet, savoury and rich flavours went well to balance the earth flavours of the duck breast which had a lovely crispy outer layer of almonds. This one had a nice combination of tastes and textures especially when you factor in the Savoy cabbage which has a distinct savoury taste. The red cherry jus was a nice touch to add a hint of sweetness to the dish.

Roasted Venison Loin (Gourmet Specials Main Course)
On Red Cabbage, Orange Segment, Pumpkin Puree, Red Current Jus, Milky Foam
Beautifully pink centre cooked to perfection (I do so hate it when restaurants overcook my proteins). Tender, juicy and flavourful – great for those who know how to appreciate the earthy flavours of venison. The accompanying ingredients did their part to add a balance of flavour preventing the protein from being too overwhelming on the palate. This one would go so well with a full-bodied red wine.

Dessert
The chef was extra generous and decided to give us three (3) different desserts to try (instead of two). I’m not much of a dessert person however my dining partner for the evening really enjoyed the desserts!

Homemade Apple Tart
Creamy Almond Puree, Cinnamon Gelato, Apple Chip

Manjari 75% Semi Freddo
Dark Chocolate, Caramel Pop Corn Ice Cream
DECADENT but very addictive! If there’s one dessert that I love it has to be anything with dark chocolate especially a high quality dark chocolate like Manjari by renowned Valrhona.

Hazelnut Pate A Choux
Caramelized Nuts, hazelnut Maison Cream, Cranberry Puree

I must say that I was quite impressed with my meal at Urban. The chef employed some modern cooking techniques and was not shy to incorporate non-traditional flavours to the dishes. The pricing is pretty reasonable too and the best part is that you can bring over your own wine to enjoy with your meal without being charged a corkage fee.
While the premium dining scene in Kuala Lumpur has been stagnant for a while no thanks to the faltering economy, having a restaurant like Urban which serves semi-fine dining fare in a nice romantic atmosphere and most importantly – at reasonable prices certainly does add a welcome breath of fresh air into the F&B scene. I honestly never thought I’d ever be having a romantic modern European meal in a business hotel like Hotel Istana but I was quite happy to be proven wrong.

Urban Modern European Restaurant is located at:
Ground Floor, Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur,
73, Jalan Raja Chulan,
50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: 603 2141 9988
Website: http://www.hotelistana.com.my
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/istanakl/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HotelIstanaKualaLumpurCityCentre/

Operating Hours:
Lunch (12:00 noon to 2.30 pm),
Dinner (6:30 pm to 10:30 pm).
*On Saturday, Urban is open for dinner only. It is closed on Sunday and Public Holidays

 Panasonic Lumix LX10
Photos (excluding the selfie) shot with the Panasonic Lumix LX10.
To find out more about the camera, head over to http://www.panasonic.com/my/consumer/cameras-camcorders/lumix-digital-cameras/advanced-creative/dmc-lx10.html

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