My favourite seafood – a luxury treat from Datin Su Wai Fun Day. She knows her food, as she is not only a chef trained by Le Cordon Bleu Academy but is also organiser of the annual Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival or MIGF.
Garibi Gui @ Da On Fine Korean Cuisine
Charbroiled fresh scallops. Yumz.
Da On Fine Korean Cuisine is at Level 6, Pavilion KL.
Olympus OM-D, ISO 1000, f6, 1/80 sec.
#food #korean #dining #scallops #daon #pavilionkl
Memories Of The Queen Of The Night – Regina Zylberberg,
Was reading a travel article about Formentera island in Spain. It is next to another famous Mediterranean island, namely the party capital known as Ibiza. The trio of Balearic Islands off Spain include Majorca.
To Europeans, Ibiza is like how Bali is to Malaysians and Singaporeans. A much loved holiday destination of sun, sand and sea. Few Malaysians will know Ibiza except the very wealthy and royalty who considered it a playground. I first heard of Ibiza when I interviewed the disco empress or queen of the international glitterati Madame Regine as she was known.
Madam Regine was in KL in to open a gltzy club in Kuala Lumpur in the 80s. She had clubs in New York, Paris, Monte Carlo, Rio de Janeiro, Saint-Tropez and many other party capitals such as Ibiza which she cited a few times. Regine was credited with the invention of live disc jockeys. the modern-day discothèque, by virtue of creating a new, dynamic atmosphere at Paris’ Whisky à Gogo, where the ubiquitous jukebox was replaced by live disc jockeys utilizing linked turntables. I introduced my childhood friend, DJ Odin, to work at Regines KL. Not the EDM DJ of the same name. Must have been nerve wrecking for Odin. Lost contact; last I saw him was in Ampang Jaya or Ulu Klang viilage. Was a sweet Malay kampung boy Anybody knows him?
Regina Zylberberg, is a Belgian-born French singer and night-club impresaria. She dubbed herself the “Queen of the Night. She is now 88 and owned a grand network of discos around the world, all called Regine’s. Although the local club in Plaza Atrium survived briefly, and thinking back, it was quite a bold and daring investment by the diva and local partners. Was an honour to have met her.
Visit Ibiza and find many hotels at MyCen Hotels here: http://www.mycen.my/ibiza-hotel-deals-finder
Picture of Régine au festival de Cannes in 1997 from Wikimedia
Colony In The Valley – Part 9.
After lunch, I went to get a stick of ice cream at a local grocery shop.
The kedai runcit was known as the provision shop to the English doctors and nurses during its heydays.
Today, it is the village grocer in the true sense of the word. A meeting point for villagers.
I call the lady grocer Leng Lui, like how her Chinese customers call her. Malay, Indian and Indonesian customers call her Ah Moi.
The lady declined to be photographed, so her fat cat will represent her.
She has 10 cats, all rescued as abandoned kittens. I asked her if the cats are spayed, neutered and vaccinated. She said every one of them are and it cost her a fortune.
She also feeds the other stray cats and dogs which she also gave names. How to not like her?
She’s naggy and motherly. Tough and street smart. Can lift two cooking gas cylinders and has a tattoo on one breast, bits of the ink showing teasingly.
I asked jokingly if I can see the full tattoo and she gave me an uncharacteristically coy answer; “My mother won’t allow that” she said softly. Lol.
When I picked a lime ice cream, she said you shouldn’t eat sour stuff if your tummy is empty. I mention that I was at a Taoist temple earlier and couldn’t get any info as not a single soul was around.
Leng Lui seemed startled and concerned.
She: OMG! You are very brave.
Me: Why?
She: No one wanders alone in the deserted parts here!
Me: I usually work alone. Why?
She: You are lucky you didn’t get robbed! Recently two female reporters from Taiwan had all their camera gear stolen at knife point.
Me: Who are the robbers?
She told me the answer and it fits into the bigger scheme of things. Derelict houses attract all kinds of uninvited tenants, including criminals and drug-dependent occupiers.
To be continued.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 640, f4, 1/250 sec.
#streetphotography #groceryshop #grocer #leprosarium #cat #sungaibuloh #village #documentaryphotography #colony #settlement #sonyalpha #a7r #zeiss #tvssblc
Another hotel-related story, this time about a man who has a town named after him – Gohtong Jaya.
I had many friends working on the hill resort at one time or another. One of the most fascinating anecdotes I heard, was that they feared getting sacked by the late billionaire owner, if they mistreated guests. The owner hated it when a staff member looked down on a illiterate country bumpkin or village people. They may not know how to press the confusing lift buttons to get to rooms in the world’s largest hotel, at one time.
Owner and founder Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong himself didn’t finish his education being a school dropout. He arrived in Malaysia from Fujian, penniless, and set out to build to build an empire to become the country’s wealthiest man at one time. It was touching to hear about a tycoon remembering his roots and to impart a culture of treating poorer people respectfully Staff remember him fondly as he taught them about humility and to treat everyone with respect and empathy.
Employees were also fearful as there were like a million Lims and anyone one of them could be a relative and bring their grievances to the owner. My mom is a Lim too, so you can say I am biased.
An international show agent told me this story. Uncle Lim, asked (I think was) Copperfield who was performing at the resort to reveal the secret to one of his acts.
David was hesitant but finally relented and showed him backstage. After seeing it, the old man declared: “SUMUA BOHONG!” (all bluff). Haha.
My favourite anecdote is the following but can be an urban legend. He hosted a dinner for the King and PM at his mansion. When the dinner was over, the tycoon in black tie, sent his VVIP guests to their cars and motorcade. As he shook their hands, he blurted out “Ada Senang Mari Ah” Literal translation from Hokkien meaning “Please come when you are free” Being a billionaire and top tax payer has its privileges, I guess.
While writing this story, I checked to see if there are deals for hotels in Genting. Saw many good deals and discounts offered:
http://www.mycen.my/genting-highlands-hotel-deals-finder/
#gentinghighlands #resortsworld #hillresort #hotel #genting
I Met The Teh Tarik Poster Boy Called Hang Tarik.
F&N Beverages Marketing launched the F&N Teh Tarik Mega 2017 event at Mydin Hypermart USJ yesterday.
On hand was Radhi Khalid, aka Hang Tarik F&N. He demonstrated his skills in making the frothy or pulled tea while performing Malay martial arts or silat, and dancing to traditional Hari Raya tunes.
The tea is a unique Malaysian concoction where it is a popular drink at roadside tea stalls. A cultural icon in many ways.
The pulling is the mixing from two containers to mix the milk and tea well and also to cool the brew, and to make it frothy. It is the showmanship element in dragging a long stream of tea between two vessels that made it appealing and legendary.
According to Hang Tarik, who is also the brand ambassador, the secret to a perfect cuppa is to ‘kahwin’ or marry F&N’s Sweetened Condensed Milk with F&N’s Evaporated Milk.
I had one iced version served there, made with F&N’s Evaporated Milk and I loved it very much as It is less sweet. Will try this at home.
Pic of Hang Tarik pulling hot milk tea pulled from publicity posters.
#fn #fntehtarik #tehtarik #tea #milktea #posterboy #fntehtarik #fnmilk #malaysian #mamak #hangtarik
