A World of Ingenuity and Discovery - conclusion

This is the lovely chandelier that mesmerises guests the minute they walk into the hotel.

Meetings is a way of life for corporate players.  Indulge the mind in a setting that can create breakthroughs.

The RM5,000 per night presidential suite

A Must Read

only the freshest blooms are found in the Renaissance

with Jasmine Chee (left) and Natalie Chin (right)

Alas, it was time to bid adieu to the Renaissance.

  

    

I had a most pleasant stay at the Renaissance Johor Bahru. Now I am about to embark on my next adventure.

I'm heading to Gunung Jerai, formerly known as Kedah Peak. Standing at 1,217 metres, it is the highest mountain in Kedah.  Having discovered the world of finesse and luxury, I am now going to a world of deafening silence.  That was what I was told.  It's a sojourn into the self, of sort, which is where one can discover the art of  joyfulness.

For more on the Renaissance Johor Bahru, please go to

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery II

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery II

01 January 2014

Passion for creating culinary masterpieces 

 

Foong Wai Loong, 33, is the executive chef of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel in Permas Jaya. He has 20 years of culinary experience in Chinese cuisine.

By Chuah Bee Kim

I hate books. Actually,  I think it is more appropriate to say I hate to read. Because I hate reading, it is only natural that I did not do well in my studies.
  I was forced to leave school at the age of 14 to look for a job, and that is how I got to be where I am today.
  I was born in Ipoh. My first job was as a kitchen helper in a Chinese restaurant in my hometown.
  I was fascinated by the activities going on in the kitchen. It looked so exciting. I was filled with enthusiasm as I watched the cooks prepare the dishes.
  After two weeks of working as a kitchen helper, I begged my seniors to impart their culinary skills to me.
  From sweeping the floor to washing the cutlery and wiping the dishes, I was soon allowed to cut the vegetables and meat.
  After working there for two years, I headed to Singapore and spent 10 years there honing my culinary skills. Then, I went to work in Batam.
  Later, I was hired by the five-star Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta. I was their first executive Chinese chef. I crafted a fine dining menu for a Chinese banquet.
  I like to create. Sometimes an idea hits me, but I may not necessarily get to it straightaway.
  Like in a meeting, for instance, I would be doodling. It may not make any sense. It's just something I see on paper. And then, the very next day, I'd get this idea that I want to present the dish that I doodled.
  I love creative presentations. I don't want guests to just eat to satisfy their hunger. I want them to be wowed by it, to discover something they have never knew existed. I like to see the expression on diners' faces as they try my culinary creations.
  When I was on a holiday in Denmark, I visited some friends and there was this restaurant where they serve the food with an iPod. When the guests put on their earphones, they are transported to a different world. I love that experience.
  For example, when a guest is savouring a crab dish, I want them to hear the sound of the sea as they dine. Not everyone hears it, only the diner.
  Malaysians get to eat a variety of ethnic recipes and fusion dishes. I want to create a cuisine that is truly Asian. I have tried French cuisine, Italian cuisine, and now I envision bringing Asian cuisine to the world.
  For me, presentation of the food is very important. It stimulates the senses of sight and smell before it tantalises the taste buds.
  I am the only chef in my family. I have an older sister, but she doesn't share my passion, just as I do not share her passion for books.
  I don't really believe in recipes. Every chili, every water spinach is different. If I were to write down a recipe, and I say add chili, you may just throw in a chili.
  But, when you cannot get the taste that you want, you are going to blame me for giving you the wrong recipe.
  It's not like that. A chili from Cameron Highlands will have a different flavour from a chili grown in the soil of Kuantan or Johor. And there are so many varieties of chili. To you a carrot is a carrot. To me, it is not as simple as that.
 Some of my signature dishes include mango Peking duck, pomelo mango sago, coffee chicken and dancing durian puff.
  I think a chef is like an artist, and the canvas is the cooking pot, and the dish... the masterpiece.

A Journey of Ingenuity and Discovery

I Hate Goodbyes

Captivated by this altar in Mary's house, I can't help asking the question: "Why must things change when they're already going so well?"

There was a time when I'd skip off to work.  When a friend heard this, she found it hard to believe.  She said no one actually likes their work.   

For me, it was not like that at all. Once upon a time.

But I know all things happen for a reason, and setbacks are not there to discourage you, but to show you what you're capable of.

You meet new people, form new friendships.  Lynn Mazlina A. Majid and Taufik Salimin from a Malay daily were two new friends I made over the last year.  Lynn came to JB a year and a half ago.  She still remembered the day we first met.  It was at a Press conference at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre.  She came in and introduced herself.  At that time, I did not know she was the new "ketua biro of Kosmo".

(from left) Shella, Lynn, Mary, Me, Taufik

with Mary's Mom and sis, Anne, and that's Ibrahim Isa on the far right.

The little elf

Mary's Mom is a great cook.  For the gathering, she churned out fried mee, nuggets and wedges.  And Aunty also made rasem, which is one of my favourite soups.  I drank it from a glass like it was a hot beverage.  It was very soothing to the throat.

Meanwhile, Lynn's farewell speech went something like this.
  
"What I was most afraid of is saying goodbye... But ya....life moves so fast. Many thanks for being my friend,  not just when it was convenient, but at all times. Truthfully, there's nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Again, many thanks for being present in my life, all the time... all the way. Thank you also for giving me beautiful memories that I'm going to cherish for a life time. I'm blessed to have friends like all of you.

And remember... Don't let anyone steal your joy. We'll see each other again..."

People come into your life for a reason. Cherish the friendships that you have now.  Every moment is a gift.

That's life... we are all here for a little while, and then we're whisk off to somewhere else to start anew. 

Lemon, oh Lemon

Today I tried another traditional homemade remedy for cough after a fellow blogger gave me this tip.

WestGirl says the simple remedy for dry heaty cough is drinking warm water with lemon juice.  She says I can add a teaspoon of Manuka honey if I like. 

And like the garlic with honey mixture which I tried yesterday, this one is also  dazzingly delicious. I'm going to have another glass after my dinner.

Here's a link to the benefits of drinking warm lemon water.

ENGLISH VERSION and MANDARIN VERSION of Lemon Tree

A Spoonful of Honey with Garlic

As cough syrup makes me feel drowsy, I decided to try something traditional.  It was my friend Mary who suggested trying the garlic with honey mixture to cure my cough.  This morning Nona Shella prepared it for me.

Shella pounded four cloves of garlic, before squeezing the juice out.

That's Mary at the centre of the pic flanked by Shella (left) and the crazy cougher yours truly.

It was "sedap gila" (yummilicious) --- the garlic honey mixture --- way better than cough syrup.  It warms the throat as the mixture goes down.  Hmm.

Garlic, a herb commonly used to season the cooking oil when frying or in soups, is known to treat a wide range of ailment.  Among them, bronchitis, hypertension, liver disorders, flatulence, colic and fever.  It is also used to prevent cancer.

Christmas Three

with Lynn Mazlina A. Majid and Mary Victoria Dass.

Many thanks to Mary, her mom and the rest of the wonderful Dass family for the kind hospitality in their home yesterday.  We were there with Taufik Salimin, and we all enjoyed the delicious meal prepared by Mary's Mom.

Need to rest now.  Selamat Malam.

The Vow of Kai and Mika

"...that all we can ask is that we leave it having loved, and being loved." 

from the novelization of "47 Ronin" by Joan D Vinge

I love the epic 47 Ronin.  It was sheer visual splendour.  I've always been fascinated with stories that have shape shifters, sorcerers and witches. The CGI effects was done just right, not over-the-top.

I don't totally disagree when people say Keanu Reeves's acting is "wooden", or that he and Kou Shibasaki who played his love interest in the movie, lacks chemistry.

In spite of that, I still enjoyed the film that depicts courage, loyalty and honour.  Such qualities are indeed rare.

The tale is about a band of samurai warriors who lost their master, and became a ronin.  They vowed to avenge their master's death, even if it meant they would eventually have to die to achieve this. To garner such steadfast loyalty, Lord Asano must have been a leader who had earned the respect of his men.

But what stirred me even more was the vow made by Kai (played by Keanu Reeves) and Mika (Kou Shibasaki).

Kai said: "I will search for you through a thousand worlds, and 10,000 lifetimes until I find you."

"And I will wait for you in all of them..." was Mika's reply.

It may be mushy, but that scene just melts my heart.  What if.... they do come back, and in all the lifetimes, they came back in different forms with multiple character flaws?  For instance, Kai came back as handsome as his former self but he isn't the gallant warrior anymore.  He's a selfish bloke with pent-up angst and anger.  And he doesn't treat women with much respect.

And Mika was reincarnated not as her former virtuous nor ravishing self, but someone with tonnes of negative traits.  But because of the vow, they meet again.  Will true love prevail and stand the test of time?

I would love to think YES.  True love will conquer all, no?