Hospitality + Issue 6 2008 by Origomedia

EDITORIAL

SELAMAT DATANG

VOLUME 1 - NO 6 - 2008 Publisher + PT Artha Cipta Pratama Editor in Chief + Graham Pearce

August/September Welcome to this edition of Hospitality+. I know you will enjoy all the news about travel, hotels, restaurants, food and wine. Indonesia is enjoying an upsurge in interest and we see articles in many overseas newspapers and magazines about its attractions for foreign visitors, especially is unique culture, history and ancient architecture. After a recent visit to the JCC and the superb handicrafts exhibition which showcased handmade objects from all over the country, it prompted us to think about ways to export these things, so generating jobs and income. As veteran handicrafts guru Warwick Purser has often repeated: Indonesians need to appreciate what they have here (some of it the envy of more ‘sophisticated’ nations) and what we make should still be relevant when it is taken overseas.

Chief Photographer + Adam Glen Production House + Origomedia Graphic Designers + Tody, Marco, Lea, Cerri Senior Promotion + Evy Yulianti Marketing Executive + Uchie Susilowati, Indria Hapsari Website + www.origomedia.com Email + info@origomedia.com ORIGOMEDIA Jl. Setiabudi III / 2A Setiabudi, Jakarta Selatan 12910 Indonesia p +62 21 5292 1638 / 7031 6882 f +62 21 5292 1637 e info@origomedia.com www.origomedia.com

We found one example this month and we liked so much we put it on our cover. It is a superb piece of hand-made glass from Japanese artist Seiki Torige and we found it in Alun Alun. Do go there when you are in Jakarta; this is just one of hundreds of pieces that are appearing in boutiques and galleries everywhere. Happy travelling (and buying)… Graham Pearce

teapot and tea glasses by Seiki Torige at Alun Alun. Table runner by Warwick Purser Lifestyle.

Contact: Editorial: Graham Pearce gp@origomedia.com

Advertising: James Weston jim@origomedia.com

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without prior permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed within Hospitality+ are those of the authors not the publisher. Hospitality+ will not be held responsible for copyright infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and contributors.

CONTENTS

Table of Contents 44 WINE

there will soon be a wine shop near you! The drought on convenient places to purchase bottles is being broken by restaurateur Eddie Sugiri who plans to take top vintages to every out-of-the-way place in Indonesia – not to mention the suburbs of Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung

70 HOTEL NEWS

we pay a visit to the new Tugu art hotel just opened in Lombok. As usual, they refute every cliché in the hotel building business

80 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Daniel Aylmer in Beijing

52 FOOD NEWS

At last, convenience products that will save you hours of grinding spices. Its ambassador is no lesser person than William Wongso

64 BALI HOTELS ASSOCIATION

things are looking pretty bright for tourism in Bali. Most optimistic are members of the BHA and especially their chairman Michael Burchett

66 OLD BALI

Taking you off the beaten track into history and nature

82 WELCOME 86 SPIRITS

We taste the world’s Number One single malt whisky 88 WHERE IN THE WORLD?

VISIT INDONESIA 2008

17-31 August Coastal Community Cultural Festival, Batam

September F1 Power Boat Racing, Bali

3rd week August Swimming Buffalo Race, Banjarmasin

September International Surﬁng Competition, Mentawai Island

23-26 August Pacu Jalur Canoe Racing, Teluk Kuantan, Indragiri Hulu

Information on all these events: www.my-indonesia.info

25 August Lake Tempe Festival, Sengkeng, Wajo (South Sulawesi) 25-30 August Krakatau Festival, Remembering the volcano’s eruption more than a century ago, Lampung 25 August Labuhan Festival, For the Sultan’s birthday, Ritual at Parang Kusumo Beach, to Nyi Roro Kidul, legendary goddess of the South Seas, Yogyakarta 4th Week August Borneo Festival, Honoring the Dayak and Malayu cultures all over Kalimantan, Banjarmasin August Flora & Fauna Expo, Exhibition of plants, ﬂowers; painting, photography competitions. All at Taman Lapangan, Jakarta August Nusa Dua Festival, Bali September Professional Women’s Tennis Tournament, Bali September International Travel Fair, Jakarta September Sam Po Kong Celebration, Semarang 11 September Karapan Sapi, Wonderfully colourful bull racing, Madura September World Tourism Day, Jakarta

CHEF TALK

Chef David King’s life so far has been a colourful culinary adventure. His travels have taken him all over the world, to the place he now calls home, The Westin Hotel in Kuala Lumpur where is Director of Kitchens.

King comes to Malaysia from South Korea, where he was Director of Cuisine at the ‘W’ Seoul-Walkerhill, the latest addition to what has been called the “world’s foremost hotel brand” in Asia. The W group is renowned for groovy buildings and innovative restaurants. King headed the team in all the hotel’s restaurants - Namu, Kitchen and Tonic. Before that he was Executive Chef at the Begawan Giri Estate in Bali which, during his time there, for two consecutive years, was named as the ‘World’s Best Spa,’ and the World’s Best of the Best Resort or Hotel in all categories’ by Condé Nast Traveler. King describes himself as a “South African but now Australian and an honorary Balinese.” He graduated from the University of Queensland before embarking on his career which saw him working in some of Australia’s most prestigious restaurants, culminating in a partnership in the celebrated Darley Street Thai Restaurants. He was also named “Best Young Chef” in Australia through a Gastronomy Scholarship sponsored by Mumm Champagne.

CHEF TALK simplicity in form – not atypical hotel food but modern and unfussed, focused on produce and great technique,” explains King. “In Asia you are sometimes forced to import some ingredients to be true to a dish and I have no hesitation in importing things other people do best: such as olive oil,” says King

TRAVELS When he started travelling, King worked with some of the world’s best – including Alice Waters at her iconic Chez Panisse in San Francisco which he describes as “the birthplace of Californian cuisine and truly inspiring;” with the three-Michelin-starred Roux Brothers at Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn in London. Add to this, time in France at La Tante Claire (3 stars) in Paris, Apicius and Les Crayères (both 3 stars) in Reims and at Michel Rostang (2 stars). His adventure continued when he returned to Asia and the flagship Lai Ching Heen at the Regent in Hong Kong – always with side-trips to Bangkok where he honed his mastery of modern Thai cuisine. Now in Kuala Lumpur, King also sits on the Starwood Asia Pacific Food & Beverage Council where he designs restaurants and menus for the region. “It sounds posh but I regard the culinary profession as a labour of love,” says King. “And that means constantly exploring possibilities. Ultimately, I look for inspiration through the language of the ingredients, or sometimes teach the ingredients to speak new languages,” he says. “Apart from that important aspect, travel and the exposure to different cultures has had enormous influence on my food philosophy,” says King. “Food is culture and vice versa. And immersing yourself in a country’s culture can lead to inspirations. This applies especially to living in Asia – and following Asian sensibilities determines that you cook or create in a certain way – more in harmony with the climate and environment.”

“In this day and age, to remain competitive, you really have to look at the world as one global market and source the best based on your experience, your knowledge and research. Food is an on-going education – you never stop sourcing, you never stop looking – one inspiration leads to another. Supporting primary producers is important, too. Those people who are trying to establish themselves and have great potential; growers and farmers who do what they do because they believe in it and are passionate about making it the best – these people deserve to win and that’s not always the case in such a commercialised world. I believe chef’s have an important responsibility – especially if they have a certain buying power.” “Having said that, here at The Westin, it is quite often the simpler dishes that people love the most. But again, it’s all about great produce and sound technique – the skill of the kitchen is what people pay for. At the moment, we have some fantastic wagyu beef from Australia – it differs from others as it is in fact the Kobe genetic breed – and I’m using some of the lesser more unusual cuts – those that are normally braised, like oyster blade – they have great character and are big on ﬂavour,” he enthuses. “And in KL, just as anywhere else in Asia, cooking with Asian sensibilities is paramount – sometimes it’s just a matter of what you choose to put on the menu. We live in the Southern Hemisphere; we are not interested in sauces that take three days to boil down – it’s got to be light and fresh, sustaining and satisfying but not heavy.” “Local Asian inﬂuences will invariably creep into the menu,” he says. Absolutely, it’s unavoidable – crossing continents in a dish is a no-no, however.”

“I also draw enormous inspiration from chefs I have worked with – Alice Waters, of course, but also Michel Roux, Neil Perry and David Thompson, who founded Darley Street Thai in Sydney.”

KUALA LUMPUR “Being the Director of Kitchens here at The Westin means overseeing six restaurants – so the menus follow the restaurant concepts but they all follow a doctrine of

CHEF TALK

LIFE Life all good chefs, David King lives and breathes food – but what does he enjoy himself, off duty? “I appreciate whatever is prepared lovingly by somebody else,” he says. “You can tell if someone has cooked with love straightaway – if I had to pick favourite cuisines, I love Indian and really good Chinese – so singular in its purity it rivals Japanese. And there are some exquisite Balinese dishes I love – after all, my wife is Balinese. And another thing I ‘discovered’ while I was in Bali is the musthave kitchen necessity, the mortar and pestle. Seriously, it is invaluable; there is a kind of symbiotic, ergonomic relationship with what you produce. It’s the perfect tool. Timeless.” But he does love to eat out too and names his favourite restaurants. “In my ex-home town, Sydney, I love Marque, Rockpool, Bistro Moncur and BBQ King,” says King. “And if you ask me to go further aﬁeld, my pick of the best are Bukhara in New Delhi, Nasi Kediawatan in Ubud, L’Arpège in Paris and Huen Penn in Chiang Mai.” “We have travelled a lot and I can say I’ve probably enjoyed Japan the most – it just has such a great feel; the food is sensational, it’s curious, exotic, yet sophisticated. Although Amanjiwo at Borobudur in Java has to be my most favoured spot – at sunrise, looking over the plains of Borobudur ﬂanked by volcanoes, the colours make you feel as if you are at the dawn of time – the centre of the universe.” “Here in KL, I am as busy as most chefs but I do enjoy Sundays off. And then I love having a great breakfast – I also love good dim sum, a great bowl of noodles. And nothing is more satisfying than a curry especially if my wife cooks it for me (usually with tempe and chicken). The paste is handpounded; the coconut is freshly grated and squeezed into milk – you cannot get better than these labours of love.” “Chefs everywhere are beleaguered by a life that is full of stress,” says King. “So, I need stress releases. These are usually as simple as walking down the street or time with my

Tostones, salsa, caviar, sour cream

family. We have two daughters, so they are my main stress releases. It’s great to spend time with them, whatever we are doing. And music? Korean pop, of course!” www.starwoodhotels.com David King does like cooking at home occasionally, and one of his favourites is mushrooms on toast, but deﬁnitely not an ordinary dish. He shares the recipe with H+.

CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS ON TOAST (4) 400 g Chanterelles 20 g Red shallots, peeled and finely chopped 5 g Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 0.5 g Parsley flat leaf, sliced finely 20 g Butter Salt and pepper 70 g Crème fraîche 4 Slices rye bread or good sourdough 1. Gently clean the mushrooms with a small paring knife or pastry brush to remove any dirt. 2. If the chanterelles are large, slice them, otherwise leave whole. 3. In a saucepan, heat the butter until it is foaming 4. Add the chanterelles, salt and pepper. Sauté on a high heat for 3–5 minutes. 5. Add shallots and garlic, and cook for another minute. 6. Add the cream, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are coated with a silky cream reduction. 7. Toast and butter the slices of rye bread. 8. Place in the centre of each place – pour the mushrooms over the toast and sprinkle with the parsley.

Black cod salad with apple eggplant

PERSONALITY

It is obvious Bryan Tilaar has inherited his mother’s work ethic, some even call him a workaholic and his focus is the business his mother founded. Slight of build, he is bursting with energy and this is never more obvious than when he is talking about the current state of the company and its ambitions. “Our current business strategy is multibranding in multi-market segments,” enthuses Tilaar. “Indonesia has many layers of status and wealth – so we are concentrating on the lower to middle end with our Essence of Beauty branded products. For the higher end, our brand is Dewi Sri Spa products and these are only sold in the Martha Tilaar centres and in Sogo in Bali.” “The Essence of Beauty line has been established now for some 38 years and this uses only traditional Indonesian cosmetics and natural elements. We have our own plantation in Cikarang where we grow everything – coconut, turmeric, even seaweed which is a good anti-wrinkle product for the face. Even common old rice – which when the husk is burned, is great for the hair.” “As you know, the recipes for jamu, medicinal treatments and things that are good for the body have been handed down by wordof-mouth for centuries. We have recorded these and we still use them, although now we produce them using modern technology,” says Tilaar.

MARTHA TILAAR

Martha Tilaar, the woman, is a legend. Martha Tilaar, the business, is currently undergoing a huge expansion, both in product development and in marketing –and especially the burgeoning spa business. While Mrs. Tilaar is still chairman of the board, the day-to-day operations have now passed to her children – notably the scion of the family, Bryan Tilaar who is now president director and heads the board of directors for the commercial division.

“The business was inspired and developed by Mrs. Martha Tilaar,” says Bryan Tilaar formally of his mother. “She is still the chairman and her forté remains with ideas for new products. In the beginning the research was all hers. Now we have a huge R&D department and we are proud of the many experts in our laboratory who are making new discoveries all the time. At the moment, they are doing great things with anti-aging treatments,” he says. “We are the largest and the best of the Indonesian beauty companies and our concept is “from top to toe.” That means from the hair, all the way down to the feet. Totally natural products from skin care, to hair care and now make-up.” “For the upper market, the positioning is “total natural beauty;” we get more into antiaging and more reﬁned skin care and spa products,” says Tilaar. “And you can tell our products when you see them on a person.

PERSONALITY

Just like you can tell a person up with MAC products in “Right now the biggest aging and skin whitening “The inspiration for the Indonesian women want to be Hillary Clinton or course they cannot,” isn’t it that people darker skin…?”

has been made America.” expansion is in antiproducts,” he says. consumer is that whiter skin – they want Cindy Crawford but of he laughs. “Strange, in the West want to have

“As for antiaging, we have a huge range - and some new products, such as Botulike. We wanted something like Botox but Botox is not natural. So, we experimented and came up with this, which is natural and not injected; you simply rub it on your skin.”

SPA “Spas are an incredibly important thing these days – every hotel has one, others are free standing – and, of course, we have our own chain throughout Indonesia,” says Tilaar.

not really. Ideally, you should try and go to a spa once a week but in Jakarta, people tend to make it once a month.”

MARKET “We are heavily involved in both consumer and trade marketing,” explains Bryan Tilaar. “Our brand managers work very hard to attract the attention of consumers directly. And we do this by advertising, public relations and direct contact with potential customers. “And a great deal of time is spent with promotions in the trade. For example, research shows that when a consumer goes to a store, she will have a tendency to pick other products than Martha Tilaar. That is why we are heavily into trade marketing, right there in the stores. It is actually true about “eye level” purchases: people buy things they can see easily.” So, we are participating in promotion with Carrefour and Hero supermarkets, for example. And in other cities, we are working with local chains, especially in places like Semarang and Yogya. This is not easy - I know, because I am the one who looks after this trade division.”

“For those, we have launched the Dewi Sri Signature line, a collection of very high-end products and I must say they are walking out the door.”

“As for exporting, we are already in Malaysia and Brunei. We have focused on the South East Asian area but we are now organizing our own trade expos which we call ‘Martha Tilaar Fashion of Beauty.’ These have already happened in Thailand and China; next year we will do them in Australia and South Africa. Then, it will be time to look at Europe and the United States,” he adds.

“We currently have a 10-20% growth in market share because we are very serious about the consumer side of business,” explains Tilaar. “Spa products contribute a lot to this growth and we also have a highly-motivated team of people who market them.” “We also now have hair care products and we cooperate with Rudy Hadisuwarno. They have a licensing agreement with us so Martha Tilaar manufactures the products and they distribute them through their hair salons,” he says. “We market mostly to women, and they are mostly looking for full body treatment. Our spas provide a “de-stress” and relaxing experience because living in a big city is always stressful and the environment is often dirty. You cannot always see it but the grime does get into your skin and that is not good,” he says. “Men also need cleansers, moisturizers and other products.” Does this mean you have to have a lot of spare time to be stress-free and beautiful? Bryan Tilaar chuckles out loud: “No,

FAMILY “Mrs. Martha Tilaar is the founder and still the chairman of the company,” says Bryan Tilaar of his mother. “She is also president commissioner of the manufacturing company and she sits on the board of shareholders to give inspiration and ideas for products but management and business have been taken over by the second generation.” “I have three younger sisters and one

PERSONALITY

younger brother, Kilala who looks after the spas and spa products.” “As I said, I am President Director and I look after the commercial division so all that does not leave much time for relaxation,” he says. “I don’t like golf so much but I do love to swim. Swimming exercises the whole body so I do it as often as I can,” says Tilaar with his slight American accent – which came from his education. “I went to college in Southern California, at UC Irvine and the University of Redlands in Riverside County,” he says. “I studied business administration which looks nice on paper but what they teach you in academia rarely seems to apply in the real world. There is nothing like learning on the job,” he laughs. “But I still have fond memories of my time there and I love the area, especially Laguna and Newport Beach.” “I don’t get to travel much these days for fun. Although, being in charge of the commercial division and sales management, I am always on the road, especially in Java and Sumatra but I do enjoy that.” He gets in a ﬁnal plug for his products which help in this busy life. “Yes, I do use the products myself; I use the hair care and restorer products and I use the cleanser for body and face. And my wife uses all the MT products for her makeup and skin care.” So the now multi-generational business seems to be in good hands but all this time, he keeps referring to his mother in the third person and refers to her as Mrs. Martha Tilaar. So what about at home? “I call her Mum,” he smiles. www.marthatilaargroup.com

GALLERY

A mine-is-better-than-yours war has broken out in Sydney, hard hit by a drop in tourism figures, after noisy British chef Gordon Ramsay decided to open his first Australian restaurant in Melbourne. Ramsay told dumb-founded Sydneysiders he chose Melbourne because of its long-standing food culture. “I don’t think you open in Sydney before opening in Melbourne,” he said. “Melbourne is like New York. It has that culture of foodies who are finicky, hard-assed and very possessive about their city. Sydney’s a lot more relaxed. A lot more cosmopolitan and flashier.” Ramsay said there were significant differences in food style between the two cities and “you only have to look at the wine lists in terms of who orders what and the integrity that goes into it.” In contradiction to previous reports, Ramsay said his will be an independent operation in Melbourne and not part of a casino or hotel. “I’d rather be independently set up. It’s something we’d invest in heavily.” He was somewhat perplexed by the sale of some 1700 of his new cookbook in Sydney: “Are they buying the books because it seems glamorous? There’s f---all glamour in cooking, I’ll tell you. It’s a s---fight,” he said in his typically elegant phraseology.

Almost 120 Asian and Indian Ocean companies and organisations have walked away with gold at the inaugural World Travel Awards in Shanghai. Some 800 nominees were in the running – from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Palau, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. India took the award as Leading Asian Destination; Cathay Pacific Airways as Asia’s Leading Airline and Singapore’s Changi as Asia’s Leading Airport. Suntec in Singapore was named Asia’s Leading Conference Centre; Pan Pacific Singapore, Asia’s Leading Business Hotel; The Sarojin Khao Lak, Thailand, Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel; swissôtel GRAND, Shanghai, Asia’s Leading City Hotel; the Maia Hotel, Seychelles, Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort; Hilton Sanya Resort & Spa, the Leading Spa Resort. A complete winners list for the World Travel Awards Asian and Indian Ocean Ceremony 2008 is available at www.worldtravelawards.com

GALLERY

The famous Champagne house of Krug in partnership with London’s Connaught Hotel, has launched the first opportunity in the world to buy its Clos d’Ambonnay 1995 by the glass. This wine is Krug’s eagerly anticipated first new champagne for over two decades and only 3,000 bottles have been produced. The Connaught launched The Coburg Bar only this year, in remembrance of the hotel’s original name. The stylishly classic but contemporary bar is designed by critically Paris-based India Mahdavi and is one of the first stages of the hotel’s £70 million refurbishment. The Coburg Bar will hold 12 bottles enabling Krug lovers the unprecedented chance to sample this exceptional vintage. By Appointment Only, of course. Guests will be greeted by a Connaught host and escorted to a reserved table within the bar where he will be offered a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée which will act as their initiation to the heart of the Krug wine making and blending philosophy. Finally, you will have a glass of the Clos d’Ambonnay 1995, which as been nurtured in the Krug cellars for a full 12 years. You will not be concerned about the price – just £780 a glass Reserve your glass of Krug by emailing F&B Manager Mark Tucker at mtucker@the-connaught.co.uk

The wine industry is just one more that face new challenges from global warming and soaring fuel costs. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine said, however, price increases will be bearable. We suppose that depends on where you buy it. The IOVW’s newly re-elected director-general Federico Castelluci says it will be producers who can make better wine even with rising costs who will be the winners. (Which seems pretty logical.) “The carbon footprint will be eating into wine along with everybody else - the cost of glass, the logistics costs. We do have some problems of water supply and climate change,” he says. Some innovations currently being researched include lighter bottles and even boxing wine in other materials. “I think there will be a restructuring of properties to larger areas. We’ve gone from 0.7 hectares to 1.2 hectares on average in the last ﬁve years, now we might go to ﬁve hectares, say, in coming years,” says Castellucci. “Quite apart from that, world export growth has outpaced consumption by a three-to-one volume margin since the mid-1990s,” added Castellucci. “This means traditional European producers have enjoyed strong sales even in the face of competition from “new world” producers such as the US and Australia.” But, just as in many other industries, nobody should become complacent…

GALLERY

A new resort called Veranda Chiang Mai has opened in a private valley with spectacular panoramic views over the forested hills of northern Thailand. The new resort is sister to the chic and highly successful Veranda Resort Hua Hin. It features terraced gardens and a dramatic inﬁnity-edged hillside swimming pool. The new boutique hideaway is nestled in hills on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, the ancient northern capital renowned for its rich culture, traditional crafts and a wealth of tourist attractions including the famous Night Bazaar, a zoo and ‘night safari’, championship golf courses and elephant jungle treks. Veranda Chiang Mai – The High Resort comprises two distinct zones – one representing the cultural heritage of the north and the other in contemporary Asian style. Dining options include The Higher Room, a fusion of contemporary northern Thai design, serving international cuisine with an extensive wine cellar and Rabiang Cha, a modern version of a traditional Thai rice granary, serving cuisine based on northern Thai recipes with a modern touch. www.verandaresortandspa.com

We don’t know why it works. We are not even sure if it works at all. But talking to some old wives who should know about these things, you put a dryer sheet (one of those ﬂimsies you put in the electric dryer to stop lint gathering) and it will keep away mosquitoes. Anything is worth a try as the wet season approaches…

Qatar Airways now flies non-stop daily from Doha to Kozhikode in the state of Kerala - its 83rd destination worldwide. The new route (using an Airbus A320) takes Qatar Airways’ capacity to India up to 58 flights a week spread across nine cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Cochin and Nagpur. Formerly known as Calicut, Kozhikode is Kerala’s third largest city with a population of almost 500,000 people and is a perfect retreat for holidaymakers looking to relax with the worldrenowned Ayurvedic health treatment centres. It is also home to fascinating emerald backwaters, waterfalls, exotic wildlife and sprawling plantations. www.qatarairways.com/kozhikode The American carrier United is the latest airline to start charging for a single check-in bag on domestic flights. (American Airlines already is already doing it to offset soaring fuel prices.) It will cost $15 and it will go with other moves, such as raising the fee to check three or more bags, overweight bags or items that require special handling to $125 from $100, or to $250 – up from $200. The airline was also the first to introduce a $25 fee to check a second bag (all this generating extra revenue of around $275 million a year). In Australia meanwhile, budget carrier Virgin Blue is also considering charging for check-in bags which, they say, costs more than checking in a passenger. Be interesting to see how it would work in Indonesia when many travelers check in groaning under bags of oleh-oleh - or even a mini fridge as H+ saw at Soekarno-Hatta recently.

GALLERY

They are celebrating at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore after 10 years overseeing “green” projects and initiatives that embrace economic and environmental sustainability earned the hotel the Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (SEAA) – Merit. Dubbed the “Green” Oscar,” this prestigious award was developed to inspire organisations to become more committed to environmental and social responsibilities. The hotel was judged on several criteria for the award, including the re-engineering of its entire air-conditioning and mechanical ventilating systems, saving approximately S$1.2 million a year (also sound business sense). The savings are the result of the reduced use of energy and water, while also reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint. In addition, new “green” initiatives this year include recycling water from the laundry plant for non-potable application (including the attractive waterfall) and recovering condensation from the air-conditioning systems for use in the cooling towers. In addition, all guestroom windows are covered with a solar ﬁlm that not only provides increased comfort for our guests, but also boosts energy efﬁciency. The hotel is also currently working on a Trigeneration project for the simultaneous production of three useful energies - heat, power and cooling from natural gas. Following the successful implementation of Trigen, the hotel will produce some of its own electricity and use waste heat to produce hot water, steam and refrigeration, further reducing carbon emissions by nearly 3000 tonnes per year. www.hyatt.com

TRAVEL

By: Michael Ward General Manager/Director of Personal Training Gold’s Elite Rasuna, Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum

EQUIPMENT

Travelling and Fitness are as combatable as chicken and red wine. But there is reason to be optimistic. With equal parts of effort and knowledge, you can maintain your fitness while you are on the road. As soon as that plane takes off, your strategies should be put into instant effect. If you are reading this article, the challenge is what drives (or flies) you. Of course, if you travel frequently, landing and arriving is the most important thing on your mind. But you should be preparing for that landing while you are still in the air. It is imperative to achieve physical wellness and you can help do that by following three simple rules: - Physical activity and exercise - Diet - Lifestyle In the “World Health Report 2000”, on the state of health on the planet, the World Health Organization pointed its finger at sedentary lifestyle as a leading risk factor for heart disease or other serious illnesses such as diabetes and even certain types of cancer. And sedentary is a fact of life while you are in the confines of an aeroplane or in a hotel room.

A remarkable product is now on the market from Technogym, a leader in the fitness equipment industry. Their new ‘Wellness Bag’ is compact and lightweight – a veritable travelling sports kit. It can be conveniently packed into a suitcase or even an attaché case to offer mobile exercise options to the busy traveller. The accessory bag offers two different sets of elastics with handles that can be used for resistance training in a hotel room. Ankle weights, foot straps and an exercise manual complete this mobile workout unit. A simple 15-20 minute strength workout combined with a 15-20 minute jog or brisk walk will keep your regime in order in the event you occupy a hotel without fitness facilities. It takes effort and discipline to continue working out while you are on the go. But this effort will be rewarded with more energy and greater efficiency at work. Simple things like taking the stairs while at the airport instead of the escalator will help burn extra calories and improve circulation. Your goals should be achieving adequate aerobic capacity and maintaining a resistance training routine. When travelling, it is your free time that must be targeted for these activities. Involving a partner or business associate will make the experience all the more rewarding. Just keep ‘moving’ and you will be happily surprised at the difference.

TRAVEL

NEW HORIZONS IN With the rapid development of this big and historic city, it seems all the good things have centred on the area called Makati City which has become the “Beverly Hills” of the Philippines’ capital. And centre of all that is the Shangri-La Hotel. Graham Pearce plays tourist. 22

TRAVEL

The newspapers are full of stories about soaring rent prices in Makati. All the major international companies are in this area and the Manila Stock Exchange is nearby. According to one article, the “local property sector – as well as the broader economy – will likely benefit from any economic slowdown in the US as more Northern American firms cut cots and send back office operations overseas.”

at very reasonable prices. And, being of Latino, origin, cigar bars are also very big. All this is walkable from the Shangri-La. The Filipinos have produced excellent tourist brochures and guides. Just pick up one of these, hail a taxi and off you go. Or if you are feeling particularly brave, take a jeepney. And it will answer the question almost everybody asked me. Can you go inside Malacanang Palace? The answer is yes; even though this former summer home of the Spanish Governor General is still the presidential residence, part of it is a museum. Memorabilia, photos and other quirky items from each president are displayed in the museum, but unfortunately Imelda Marcos’ shoe collection is not among them. For nightlife, go to Malate – dance, dance, dance!

Makati City is the modern face of Manila; it is the complete opposite of Intramuros, the old walled Spanish colonial sector. Major malls are there, business centers, sundry international hotels – its skyline is stunning. It is also only a 20-minute drive to the airport, if you are going on to places like Boracay, Bohol and Cebu. SHOPPING Ayala Center in Makati is a mecca for shopping, dining and entertainment. It is a sprawling area consisting of two major developments - Glorietta and Greenbelt. Glorietta itself has four wings where the not-so-expensive shops are located. High-end stores (including Filipino fashion, accessories and jewellery) are in the Greenbelt which, despite its name, is a contained series of air-conditioned gallerias. The nearby Landmark is a local department store and has super bargains, especially in casual clothing and necessities (like underwear). They also stock a good selection of Filipino shirts for men, the barong tagalong. And most heartening of all are the wine bars and groovy little cafes where you can have a glass of wine and a snack

TRAVEL

SHANGRI-LA The Makati Shangri-La has become the business hostelry in Manila. It is an oasis for weary businessmen and holiday travellers alike. The people there are proud of its building, its totally renovated post-modern rooms and suites, its restaurants, function and meeting rooms and its state-ofthe-art business centre. The Horizon Club (named for James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon, as are many of the other features of the hotel) is an executive floor of all deluxe rooms which provide for pre-registered check-in and express check-out; a private lounge for complimentary buffet breakfast, afternoon tea, and cocktails; full concierge service; and complimentary use of the Health Club. Otherwise, when all the paperwork, there’s no better way to relax and unwind than with a good meal or a long drink in one of the hotel’s eight restaurants and bars. GASTRONOMY They like to recall Hilton’s novel often and liken their service philosophy to the original Shangri-La - “a carefully crafted Asian paradise, a sanctuary of moderation and grace.” Circles Events Café is a hip and trendy restaurant that features five theatre kitchens and their “event islands”. Asian cuisine is prepared using Chinese flaming woks and there is an authentic tandoori oven. Mouthwatering steaks, pizzas and countless pasta recipes are offered in the Western theatre kitchen while large selections of seafood items lure you to an amazing display of succulent sushi and sashimi.

If you like pure Japanese, tradition ﬁnds a contemporary twist at Inagiku. Sample the rich authenticity of world-class Japanese cuisine served in an aesthetically provocative setting. For authentic Cantonese food, there is the ShangriLa signature Shang Palace.

TRAVEL

This area has the bonus of a program they call Fashion Watch Quartet – parades of the latest designs from Filipino designers – four at a time. Since its inception a decade ago, Fashion Watch has debuted countless visionaries and had discovered several promising young designers, the dynamism and richness of their creations, such as the one pictured by Cary Santiago. It became a trailblazer in the fashion scene, and a lively symbol in general for the new sense of style in Manila’s most exciting business and lifestyle centre: Makati. red is a restaurant and bar with a totally new stylish concept; it is entirely themed in red – and this runs all the way to the food: red meat, red vegetables, red fruits, red seafood, red cocktails and, of course, red wine. A must is their modern twist on Filipino classics.

www.shangri-la.com

Conway’s (named after the hero of Lost Horizon) is the perfect place to unwind. It is a bar with occasional live music and they also serve food. Makati Shangri-La’s Lobby Lounge, meantime, has become a venue for Manilanos as well as tourists. Here they have recaptured the splendor and elegance of the English High Tea, with a variety of premium teas, traditional Filipino delicacies, savories, scones, pastries and sandwiches, all served on Wedgwood china.

PERSONALITY

Women have been known to run entire countries, been captains of industry and diplomatic experts. Perhaps one of the last bastions of male-dominated industries is the hotel business. So H+ thought it would be interesting to talk to one of the world’s few female general managers of a ﬁve-star international hotel. Amanda Elder is the General Manager of the prestigious St. Regis Hotel in Shanghai. She came to China from a position as regional DSM for Starwood hotels and resorts in the Asia Paciﬁc region (16 properties); this after being DSM at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. She is no stranger to Asia: before Sydney, she was regional DSM for South East Asia for Starwood (12 properties in in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Bangladesh) and she was opening DSM for the Sheraton Saigon. Before that, a stint as GSM with Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket; this after leaving her native Australia where her career with Starwood began.

H+ - With the lead-up to the Olympics, how are you ﬁnding life in China? AE - I really enjoy being in the host country at this time, as the news media is very focused on the Olympics and the incredible stadia that Beijing is offering athletes. I also see so much pride from the Chinese people and I believe this Olympics will be very special and long remembered as highly successful, so it is a magical time to be in China. H+ - Tell us about the St. Regis Shanghai. AE - Apart from featuring the largest standard rooms in Shanghai (48sqm), The St. Regis is also the only hotel in Shanghai to offer around-the-clock butler service. Our butlers provide ever-present yet unobtrusive service while anticipating guests’ needs and customizing each guest’s stay according to his or her speciﬁc tastes and preferences. Our Butlers can also escort guests on personalized excursions around the city, visiting local artist’s studios and galleries that are not usually open to public.

PERSONALITY

H+ - Are you regarded as an anomaly by your colleagues in the industry, overwhelmingly and traditionally men? AE - Actually Starwood Hotels have five Female GM’s now throughout China and so I am not entirely different. H+ - Were there any out-the-the-ordinary problems or issues being a female as you rose in the ranks of management? AE - I have been very vocal and open about the fact that I was never stopped or overlooked for a promotion throughout my 20 years with my company because I was a woman. I have had every opportunity presented to me and was given my first big promotion when I was five months pregnant with twins, so I can’t say I have ever felt any kind of glass ceiling! I have lived in four different countries with my family who support me as much as my company has supported me. H+ - It is a fact of life in the hotel industry that everybody has to eventually move on to another place. What will be your best memories of China?

And The St. Regis Shanghai boasts a wide variety of dining options from the international selections at Saints International Restaurant to local Chinese delicacies at Carrianna. For contemporary cuisine, Danieli’s has consistently been voted as one of the best Italian restaurants in Shanghai.

AE - I cant imagine leaving at present because we love it here so much. However, I will always take away the smiles of the people and incredible work ethic that I witness every day….

H+ - Are you involved with the Olympics? AE – Yes, our very best experts in certain ﬁelds of hospitality are acting as consultants to assist our sister properties in Beijing. All Starwood Hotels intend to be the best hosts for visiting athletes, dignitaries and guests and so we are drawing on our immense experience to assist our sister Hotels. H+ - Are there any issues you have found managing a hotel in China that do not apply in other parts of the world? AE - I can’t say I have come across anything too different as yet. Staff is a major emphasis here - if you have great training programs and you have staff who have pride in their work then there are few issues that cant be resolved. I have also found this to be true in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and China H+ - China has at least one female Vice Premier. How have the Chinese taken to a woman as the GM of a big hotel? AE - I have not had any strange comments or any concerns at all. I have been warmly welcomed by my colleagues, guests and staff alike. I feel very fortunate to be in China where this is not an issue.

WINE

Bordeaux 2007 The ‘Janus Mask’ Year Nervous smiles greeted us everywhere. “What did you think of the tasting, some good wines?” “Yes,” was the polite reply. “But they are only a shadow of what the vineyard can do in a better vintage”. “Lucky 7” has been a mixed blessing in Bordeaux over the last 100 years. The great vintages, 1907, 1937, 1947, and 1967, run neck and neck with average years 1927, 1957, 1987 and 1997. Will 2007 be the tie-breaker? I think not, as new winemaking technologies have enabled some winemakers to produce excellent (if not early drinking) wines, while other wines could readily be consigned to dodgy wine lists. It must be hard for the producers who have managed their vineyards correctly through a difficult year. Taking only

selected fruit into the winery to be crafted by skilled winemakers with the best equipment. These results are the envy of all winemakers from past average years. I say hard because they are facing a nonplussed market that has made up its mind that these wines should be bargains. They know that it is not going to be a profitable campaign despite their efforts. July and August experienced a lot of rain and this was the critical period to set up the development of even ripeness that would see the wines into the final stages of harvest. The sun finally appeared and the game began. The winners held on because of magnificently prepared vineyards, allowing one of the longest, in weeks of harvest in memory. I encountered a number of good to excellent wines that will reward your palate with some bottle age. This is not an investment year unless you have an allocation of the top twenty Chateaux, as they will always be tradable. It is a year that you will find a number of wines that have good flavour ripeness and elegance.

WINE

The best of the Reds and Whites are not green or herbaceous and have the balance to last another decade. I could not taste all the wines of Bordeaux in this year’s 2007 primeur tasting. Here are my impressions drawn from the best of the 200 wines I did try. On the left bank, Pauillac, St Julian and St Estéphe preformed better than those further south, particularly Graves. It’s true there are some great white wines in Graves and the neighbouring sweet whites from Sauternes and Barsac. However, don’t be persuaded that they are all good. I encountered dry whites that reeked of green herbal aromas and sweet whites with what I can describe as ‘snow pea.’ The St Emilion and Pomerol were more consistent at the top end.

Wood age I have not included detailed tasting notes on these wines as they are still in oak. The time they spend there will be critical. The wines are delicate and too much wood could undo what has been achieved in the vineyard. Expect shares in companies that sell new oak barrels to be soft! Some highlights Pauillac: was split between those who picked early and those who hung on, gambling on cabernet sauvignon, the weather - and won. The results are significant. Chateau Pontet Canet has produced another amazing wine considering the challenges. If you are keen to find a birth year wine out of this vintage for a celebration down the track, this is my pick. Chateau Lynch Bages scoured the vineyards for the ripest fruit to allocate to the classified wine, and it shows. Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal could also be good future buys St Julian: was particular with the vineyard in the straight line inland from the ‘Sea of the Gironde’, doing well. Chateau Beychevelle, Chateau Branaire-Ducru, Chateau Gruaud Larose and Chateau Lagrange, all making wines of good colour with elegance gathering in tannin the further inland you go. Chateau Talbot, Chateau Langoa Barton and Chateau Léoville Poyferré are also worth a taste. Saint Estéphe: Chateau Phélan Ségur Chateau LafonRochet and Chateau Ormes de Pez thoroughly exploited their Cabernet Sauvignon to make excellent wines. The latter might be the bargain of the vintage Graves: Neighbours Chateau Haut-Bailly and Chateau La Louviére pulled off a nice double with success in both white and red, while very few other reds were this successful. Naturally Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Pape Clement produced a stylish wine with good balance and texture but

WINE

lacking the “greatness” of previous years. The Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc is lively with a touch of asparagus in the aroma as is Chateau Malartic-Lagraviére

Pomerol Chateau la Conseillante Chateau La Pointe and Chateau Petit Village express more elegance with vibrant fruit.

Sauternes and Barsac: Chateau Coutet has intense richness and is quite remarkable that there is no detectable acidity as it is swamped by the richness. Chateau Suduiraut Chateau Rieussec and Chateau Doisy-Daëne have great balance. Chateau d’Yquem is likened to the great 1967. It is closed now, elegant and long on the palate; it will last for decades!

The wines mentioned above should be sought out after they are bottled and released. You can then assess them for your personal preference. In my view, they are some of the superior wines in the vintage at this stage

Moulis and Listrac: There were some stylish wines here with my pick going to Chateau Clarke, Chateau Poujeaux and Chasse-Slpeen. Vibrant juicy wines that will drink well in 5 years.

On reflection there is plenty to smile about in the 2007 vintage as long as you take it in context. This is why I would like to call the last 100 years for ‘7’ as a dead heat. Roy Moorfield is a wine consultant based in Melbourne. For many years he has been a wine adviser to Cathay Pacific Airways. He is wine director to Chinkara Wines.

Margaux: There is something about Margaux in recent difficult vintages while the bulk of the Chateaux have not handled them well. For me, Margaux at its zenith makes wines with elegance and silky flavours that are consistent with age. Try these wines with eight years bottle age and you will get the idea. Chateau Cantenac Brown, Chateau Giscour and Chateau du Tertre took advantage of their Cabernets and applied gentle handling to get flavour and some length. Chateau Lascombes is also worth consideration. St Emilion and Pomerol: The small sample I tasted leads me to the conclusion that there will be lots of delicious wines to be found here. Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliére, Chateau Angelus Chateau Beau-Séjour Bécot Chateau Pavie Chateau Troplong Mondot and Chateau Figeac showed deep colour, fulfilling fruit flavours and subtle texture tannins. Chateau Cheval Blanc is excellent but you have to push out the memories of amazing recent vintages. The second wine Le Petit Cheval almost upstages it at this stage, with upfront richness and full middle pallet. In

Roy Moorﬁeld with Bernard Arnhault, chairman of LVMH, owner of Chateau d’Yquem

GALLERY

Hard to believe we have talking about Oz, the Wizard and those red shoes for nigh on 70 years. Well, this month, the Yellow Brick Road leads all the way to the doors of the posh London hostelry Claridge’s. It is timed to celebrate the opening of a dazzling production The Wizard of Oz as a musical at the Royal Festival Hall this summer. It is directed mainly at children who, from the moment children arrive through the revolving doors, will be transported into the enchanting world of the mystical Emerald City. There will be picnic baskets lined in blue gingham cloth full of traditional Claridge’s sandwiches and cakes, blueberry hurricane milkshakes, slabs of yellow brick road chocolate and a limited edition ruby red chocolate slipper in a bespoke box specially created by Claridge’s pastry chef. Tickets to the show are also available, as well as your own DVD of the legendary MGM movie starring Judy Garland (herself a long time fan of Claridge’s). www.theclaridgeshotellondon.com

Australians take their wine seriously (well, some of them do) and this month, that includes the bottle it comes in. More speciﬁcally, the stopper on that bottle. The wine industry has taken to the screw cap exponentially, now on some 70% of bottles, largely because it prevents them from being, well, corked. However, the industry is now preparing to do battle with the Portuguese - where most of the corks come from. They are preparing to counter a new campaign to market cork as the ‘ethical’ choice for wine drinkers. It will move across, newspapers, magazines, billboards - even T-shirts - with the slogan “save Miguel.” It is a fairly desperate move by the Portuguese cork industry to persuade an ecoconscious consumers that cork is ‘greener’ than plastic or metal caps. According to one industry study, the production of one ton of aluminium screw caps generates four times more greenhouse gases than a similar quantity of cork. The ads will put the point that if Australians continue to choose caps over corks, then the forests, along with 60,000 jobs and the rare ﬂora and fauna that depend on them, will disappear.

GALLERY

Here is news for your next convention or MICE event: it is not your PowerPoint presentation or your powers of persuasion that will influence a client – it is the humble biscuit you serve during a coffee break… According to research by the Holiday Inn Group, top business professionals say the humble biscuit plays an integral role in influencing company directors, entrepreneurs and budget holders at boardroom meetings. In fact, the quality and type of biscuit presented in a meeting can make or break a deal. In what is considered the first ever “Business Biscuit Study”, Holiday Inn surveyed more than 1,000 business professionals across the UK where some 58% said the biscuits served in a meeting can “positively influence a company’s first impressions”, with a massive 80 per cent stating that biscuits improve the quality and outcome of a meeting. Those in the legal profession are most likely to be influenced by a good quality biscuit (67%), followed by sales, media or marketing professionals (65%) and public sector workers (59%). Surprisingly, biscuits were also deemed the second most important aspect of the boardroom, behind only tables and chairs, and were prioritised over lighting, technology and artwork. And the top biscuit: the chocolate digestive, ahead of shortbread, oat biscuits, jam rings and Bourbons (dark chocolate sandwich creams). www.ihg.com

GALLERY

News from Perth in Western Australia: upscale restaurants are being forced to recruit staff from Europe and South America because of a labour shortage. This, of course, means the outbreak of a money war between competing restaurants, some now offering $30 an hour in salary. At the large restaurant ‘C’, most of their 80-strong front-of-house staff is French because advertising failed to bring in enough local response to job openings. To keep staff from leaving, they are offering long-term salary packages instead of casual rates. These include bonuses, free meals, regular days off and teambuilding exercises such as paintball and football. Seems like a chance for Indonesians to gain foreign experience in the booming hospitality business.

Here is something for anyone with a conscience about imbibing alcohol. It comes from America, of course, and it could be a trend for the future. First among equals is a product called Square One vodka. To be certified by the USDA as an organic, the spirit must be made of ingredients grown on certified organic farms and processed in a certified organic distillery. That means no pesticides and fertilisers on the grains and no nitrogen or other chemicals in the distilling. And it seems to be paying off in the marketplace with three hotel chains - Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Kimpton Hotels - now carrying organic beverages in their bars. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay also stocks Square One cocktails. Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin is already on sale in Britain while they already have organic vodka called UK5. These are produced by The Organic Spirits Company which also makes Highland Harvest Organic Scotch Whisky, Papagayo Organic White Rum and Papagayo Organic Spiced Rum. www.squareonevodka.com

In the Soong Dynasty centuries ago, it was so difﬁcult for Chinese rebel leaders to get together and make plans to attack back the invading Mongols. Somebody came up with the brilliant idea to pay honor to the Mongol King in the form of thousands of sweet cakes in the shape of a moon. However, each contained a message of rebellion and proved a masterpiece of communication. The mission was a huge success and in 1368, the Mongols were beaten, and the Ming Dynasty took over. Ever since, a mid-Autumn festival commemorates the victory – and the mooncakes have been an eternal tradition. John Ng, the Dim Sum Chef at Teratai Chinese Restaurant in the Hotel Borobudur Jakarta brings the tradition to Jakarta and has produced a full menu of mooncakes, including snowy mini mooncakes with white lotus seed, the same with custard. He has plain mooncakes with custard along with both single yolk and double yolk variety with white lotus seed. Available through 14 September in both Teratai and the hotel’s patisserie. www.hotelborobudur.com

GALLERY

When Philippe Starck takes over the redesign of a hotel, everything old must go. So it is at one of Paris’s grandest hotels, the Royal Monceau – everything from teaspoons to tables. After the sale, the four-star travellers’ haven located on a luxury avenue a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe, will close for a year while Starck does his magic. It’s estimated that a million euro’s worth of furniture and other odds and ends will make up the auction before a performance-style VIP “Demolition Party” is invited to smash up whatever is left. The Royal Monceau was built in 1928 and has hosted people such as Ernest Hemingway, Walt Disney, the Aga Khan, Dwight Eisenhower, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Robert de Niro. In 1990, Madonna made her clip Justify My Love there. New owner Alexandre Allard, a 39-year-old IT billionaire purchased the valuable realty in 2007, and then decided to change everything to an ‘art-deco revisited’ style - to the tune of €100 million. www.royalmonceau.com

Hong Kong has a new foodie haven in SoHo called VIVO. A hip and intimate neighbourhood brasserie, VIVO is the flagship of new lifestyle brand Ankh Concepts, launched by Aqua Restaurant Group founder David Yeo. At its great location in Elgin Street, it will have a “food savvy, wine wise” concept of contemporary European cuisine with Italian influences. At the helm is Australian Beverly Wood, who was once described by Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine as “a phenomenon somebody should bottle”. As an added little extra, VIVO will serve a novel hangover cure of “Egg & Bacon” pizza for weekend brunch. “It is somewhere to go for an exceptional satisfying neighbourhood meal, or late night drinks and snacks in a hip and intimate venue,” says Wood. www.ankh-concepts.com Mix tropical romance and continental sophistication this summer at Cubix with a selection of ginger based cocktails. Cubix is the bar at the boutique urban lifestyle hotel The Fleming in Wan Chai and, as part of the promotion, they will launch the unique French Indochine ginger root liqueur Domaine de Canton in the form of cooling cocktails. The liqueur is all the rage in Europe and the U.S. and was recently awarded ‘Best in Show’ with a double gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirit Competition. It comes from Cognac in France and made from a base of eau de vie, enhanced with VSOP, XO and Grand Champagne Cognacs, with fresh baby ginger and hints of Tunisian ginseng, Provençal and orange-blossom honey, and Tahitian vanilla beans. The menu will include a mojito, a cosmopolitan, a negroni, a mimosa and the ‘white orchid’ - with vodka, orange liqueur and white cranberry juice. www.thefleming.com.hk

DESTINATION

Anyone old enough to remember the old TV series of that name will recall the romance and the excitement of wandering around the South Seas in a beautiful sailing schooner. Well. Today that adventure is a reality again - right here in Indonesia. The Seven Seas is traditionally built Buginese schooner, 33 metres long and hand-made, plank by plank, by methods handed down through countless generations. The hull was purchased by the current owners, Australian Mark Heighes and Hollander Jos Pet, who are now partners in the boat charter business with their wives Tuti and Lida. The interior of the Seven Seas now represents “new standards in Indonesian liveaboard luxury.” It is customdesigned over three decks to accommodate up to 16 guests in eight staterooms, each with air conditioning and warm-water ensuite bathrooms. The galley is ﬁtted with the latest culinary gadgets and the chef welcomes guests who want to join in and prepare special snacks or meals, especially the ﬁsh they catch. There are two sun decks for lazing around that can also be used for outdoor dining. The indoor lounge and dining

areas are air-conditioned and there are of course a few 21st century mod-cons such as DVD system and even a small library. The Seven Seas is perfect for both diving and simply relaxing. She sports the latest Nitrox diving and safety equipment, three speed boats and satellite communication, which means she can sail anywhere with confidence and comfort. The dive guides share their knowledge of marine life and the local area as well as guiding you to the best dive sites around this great archipelago. PEOPLE Mark Heighes is a certified dive master who worked for some time as assistant underwater photographer to the legendary Ron and Valerie Taylor off the Australian coast. He also worked on expedition cruise vessels as a marine naturalist and dive master. In 1997 he settled down in Indonesia and started Dive Komodo – and his family. Jos Pet also a fisheries management expert and married to Lida Pet-Soede who is also Dutch. She became hooked on diving while a student in Sri Lanka before she moved to Indonesia to complete her PhD in collaborative management of small-scale tropical coastal fisheries. She also still works as consultant on tropical marine and coastal conservation and fisheries management, now

DESTINATION

working in a full- time for the Indonesian government. She is also the enthusiastic spokesperson for the Seven Seas expeditions. “It is hard not to be in love with this ship,” she says. “I count the days when I can get back on board and take guests sailing. These days I have to fit it in with my ‘day job’ with the World Wildlife Fund’s program in marine conservation,” she laughs. SAILING “We love to watch the guests as we leave port; you see the feeling of leaving the world behind creep over everybody, including the crew,” she says. “Internets, emails and phone calls – there is no access to any of these. We want people to leave their work worries behind and we feel very strongly about this. Some are a little edgy but it usually takes only two days for people to unwind and then it is clear sailing, as they say. “Cruising around these beautiful islands slows you down; there is a strong feeling of being close to nature and the notion that there is more to the world than work!” “The main reason most guests come is scuba diving of course,” Lida explains. “For the first couple of days, people like to have a quick breakfast and then their first dive. Then it is back for a full-cooked breakfast, another dive, back for lunch. Some do another in the afternoon and others even enjoy a night dive. But most everybody (especially after they have been out a while) likes to call it a day and watch the sunset over a glass of wine.” “Apart from diving, people can read in the shaded areas of the deck; many doze off it is so relaxing. Then others like to find a little island, kayak to the beach for a swim or a snorkel. It is a wonderful feeling being alone on a tropical island,” she enthuses.

DESTINATION

WHERE? “We can pretty much go anywhere and everywhere,” Lida says. “Generally we follow the seasons for the best location. From November to April it is Papua season, so we fly to Serong and cruise around Raja Ampat. The weather is perfect and the seas are generally calm.” “The islands there are very wild and we love to hike through a jungle occasionally. But the diving is fantastic – the reef and the fish. You know Indonesia has the highest number of fish varieties in the world, more than the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef. Sometime, you don’t know where to look first, it is so beautiful down there” she laughs. “Between seasons, there is an amazing cruise to the Banda Sea – that is 12 days,” says Lida. “And then, April to October is Komodo season and people fly there to board the Seven Seas. The fish are great there and the reef is much more colourful,” she says. “And, yes, you do see the dragons. You wouldn’t think they could swim, they are so big. But they can swim and very fast so we tell people to always watch out and there is always a local guide, especially to the quiet beaches.” “Many people always ask about the weather,” says Lida. “That is out of our hands, of course. It is unlikely it ever gets rough but if it does, we can easily pull into one of the islands where it is safe.” “The minimum cruise is a week and it would be a shame not to be out there for at least seven nights. Most of our cruises are 12 nights and we now have repeat guests asking us if they can stay out for three weeks.”

DESTINATION

LIFE ON BOARD “It is a very simple life,” says Lida. “Relaxing and diving. And people love to fish, except in the Komodo National Park area. We love to eat it fresh as sashimi. We also barbecue and Spanish mackerel makes an excellent steak.” “It makes for a very romantic evening on the dining deck. And after the first couple of days, people get to know each other and take an interest in their diverse lives. You know my husband and I met on a cruise like this - after a month we decided to get married.” “The number one comment we get from departing guests is about the crew. People love them,” she says. “And I must say they stand out compared to any others I have encountered. Tommy, the dive master is fantastic. The housekeeper is always thinking ahead, he will bring you what you want before you think you need it. But you have total privacy and safety is always utmost in everyone’s minds. They help you in and out of the boats; they are always watchful and Mark Heighes really knows about Indonesia and the local customs.” “People usually book well in advance,” says Lida. “I am embarrassed to say we just had to turn down Prince Albert of Monaco; we had no space. He is a patron of the Monaco Conservation Society and they also have the big oceanographic centre there. He loves to explore and he is keen to see the new species of fish we have found; some even don’t have a name yet,” she says. “So, the prince will have to wait until 2009.” www.thesevenseas.net

HOTEL NEWS

Apart from anything else, the new Crowne Plaza is the ﬁrst global brand name to be located at Changi Airport. And that is another image you can forget: your average airport hotel.

When you think of the brand Crowne Plaza, certain images will inevitably spring to mind. Well, forget those – the new Crowne Plaza in Singapore is a world trendsetter. Graham Pearce goes to stay. 40

The nine-storey hotel was designed by award-winning architects WOHA to encapsulate elements of both a city and a resort hotel. And it is uniquely Singaporean – tropical, Asian and multicultural yet also high-technology, efﬁcient and global in outlook. Its lines are sleek and modern; the interiors are minimalist and stunning. But the whole building remains connected to nature, almost a hideaway resort feel. The sound of aircraft overhead seems strange when you are resting by a pool where several islands of palm trees soften the whole effect. Instead of traditional corridors, Crowne Plaza Changi has open walkways with luxuriant greenery, one-of-its-kind sky gardens, beautiful water features and private resort-style access to rooms. You cannot miss it as you land, it is just at the airport’s control tower and it is from the air you can appreciate its fabulous screen façade, again softening the image of a modern steel and glass building. At night you can still see the gardens which are softly lit by concealed lamps. When you check in, you will see warmly familiar little touches – such as the batik panelling behind the desk.

HOTEL NEWS

Crowne Plaza Crowne Plaza is the well-established upscale brand under the umbrella of the InterContinental Hotel Group that is targeted at both business and leisure travellers. The hotels have a focus on meetings and related services and are located in major and secondary cities around the world. There are currently 278 Crowne Plaza hotels globally and 52 across the Asia Paciﬁc region.

Changi Airport The first question you may ask is why should I stay at an airport hotel when all the action is in the city? The answer is, if that is what you want, then you shouldn’t. But the positive points of staying at the airport are many. It is obviously perfect for people with difficult connecting flights and who don’t want to cope with traffic and the stress of the city-airport drive. The hotel is already attracting business from people whose flights are delayed and so the connection time is much longer.

HOTEL NEWS

Probably the best reason is that you can take your trolley right to the lobby door from Terminal 3 (although it is directly connected by sky train to the others and you can still walk or take the people mover). Or, you could choose to have Crowne staff meet you and escort you and your luggage directly. It is again perfect for the time-challenged business person who wants to meet people from other parts of the world and ﬂy directly out again. And there is something to be said about staying at the airport, coming home to sleep instead of making the trip next morning. As you know Changi Airport is a shoppers’ paradise but you will now be surprised how many boutiques and restaurants have sprung up on the land side of immigration. You will also be surprised at how many locals now go there to eat and shop. And when you feel the need to relax again, all these are walkable from the Crowne Plaza lobby. You can retreat to the ‘secret gardens’ – even enjoy a spa treatment.

MICE Corporate, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions), transient and transit travellers alike will especially appreciate the hotel’s close proximity to the Singapore Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (the largest purpose-built exhibition and convention centre in Southeast Asia), Changi Business Park. And if you want to stay in the area, you will ﬁnd world-class golf courses and East Coast Park Beach, one of Singapore’s most popular recreational, entertainment and dining spots, especially with its seafood restaurants.

HOTEL NEWS

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has a large ballroom and several oval meeting rooms that allow ﬂexible use of space. WiFi connectivity throughout the building means guests can easily hold informal meetings in the numerous cosy spaces around the hotel. A little extra service for MICE guests who are staying at the hotel: rooms for delegates are pre-registered to ensure quick check-ins on arrival. Delegates can also check out of their rooms while still in a meeting.

Accommodation The 320 guest rooms and suites are a delight – their ultramodern sleekness softened by surprising semi-opaque murals of tropical ﬂowers. Minimum size is 36sqm and some 27 have two queen sized beds. Of course, they have all the service and high-tech necessities of the modern hotel – with a few extras, taking aspects of both city and resort hotel – hi-tech yet warm and rich, plugged in yet chilled out. Some have private patios and poolside sundecks; there is smoking and non-smoking and one nice little touch: the Bedside Shopping menu for business and personal items you may have forgotten to bring along.

Dining You will be delighted by your ﬁrst impressions of the bar and restaurant areas of Crowne Plaza – again the design is startlingly original. These are all in the capable hands of Eric Neo, a talented Singaporean chef who is famous for fresh, simple food with robust ﬂavours. Azur is the all-day dining restaurant built around a show kitchen with menus from all over the world. In The Lobby lounge, guests can surf the internet or relax with friends over afternoon high tea and evening drinks. Bar ’75 is a sports bar offering a variety of experiences with its three distinct zones. Of course, there is 24-hour room service and for Club guests, a beautiful and private Club Lounge next to the huge swimming pool. As well, the hotel houses a brand of the famed Cantonese chain Imperial Treasure, surely some of the best Chinese food in the world. Apart from anything else, it is just nice to know that a bedroom, a bathroom and this veritable oasis is waiting for you at the terminal – while others are still waiting for a cab.

WINE

An Indonesian ďŹ rst with the announcement of a new chain of wine boutiques that will bring ďŹ ne wine to the furthest reaches of the archipelago.

WINE

“We will be working in combination with the hotels, so guests will be able to enjoy food and wine pairings. Or perhaps a good cigar with a single malt, oysters and champagne or foie gras with ice wine,” he adds. “Our staff is all specially trained, so they can answer questions for locals and expats alike. And they will not be snobby about suggesting something for novice connoisseurs – if a man wants a varietal with no tannins or acidity, he will able to have it; if a woman prefers something fruitier, she will be able to have perhaps a Moscato or a Prosecco,” he says. “I should point out that we will also have premier to 5th growth Bordeaux, some top notch Rhône wines, and premium vintages from California, Australia, even an Alma Viva from Chile.”

The Champa

The concept is called The Peak Connoisseur Shop and it is the brainchild of Eddie Sugiri, well-known businessman and restaurateur - he has The Champa in Kebayoran Baru. It should also be mentioned that he himself is an enthusiastic aﬁcionado of good wine, not to mention cigars and tobacco – and the best quality pipes in which to pack it.

“White wine will be available chilled; in fact, the whole boutique will be temperature controlled to preserve the red wines as well. And we will need this when we introduce later: cheese, chocolates, pralines, trufﬂes and specialties such as foie gras.”

At the Aston Tropicana, Bandung

Eddie Sugiri hails from Bandung where he also has the iconic Peak Restaurant, high up on Jalan Padasaluyu Utara, where they already take their wine list very seriously. However, he has decided to house his new wine shops in other locations, notably in popular hotels. The ﬁrst has already opened at the Aston Tropicana in Bandung – and there are plans for eight more around the “Paris of Java.” And that is just the beginning. Sugiri has plans to open in West and Northern Java; there is one very soon for Semarang, Surabaya, Bali (one already planned for The Villas in Ubud), Sumatra, Kalimantan and even Irian Jaya – “many of the remoter places in Indonesia,” he says. WINE Even though the boutiques will be small, they will have some 400 wines in stock – from France, Australia, Chile, the U.S., New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Italy and South Africa. And these will include Champagne and other sparkling wine, along with dessert varietals. “We will also have a complete range of premium spirits as well as cigars, good tobacco and a pipe collection, not to mention accessories, glassware and decanters,” says Sugiri.

WINE

“At the Tropicana already, you can take wines from the boutique to the dining room directly with corkage or you can order from their wine list,” explains Sugiri. “But apart from working closely with hotels, we will be offering other outside services as well: we will maintain a person’s cellar with an automatic repeat order facility; there will be a delivery service and our experts will design a wine list for your dinner party, all depending on the dishes you want to serve and your budget. All you have to do is telephone or SMS,” he says. “I am also very

excited about bringing the boutiques to Jakarta – we will open ﬁrst in the west and in the north and then others will follow,” says Sugiri. “We are working on an interactive website so people will be able to order by email.” Current email: wine_shop@yahoo.co.id

GALLERY

Hooked On Fishing An interesting diversion if you are holidaying in Vietnam: the Nam Hai beach resort now offers a day out with a local fisherman. They tell us the waters of the South China Sea are some of the best in the world for snapper, grouper and king prawns. Guests will learn how to spread a traditional Vietnamese fishing net into an effective circle, lift it out of the water, and maneuver the thung chai-a little round bamboo basket boat Vietnamese fishermen have employed for centuries to ply their trade. The hotel will also cook up your catch and serve it in one of their restaurants. Fresher, healthier and tastier. www.ghmhotels.com

In-Room Duty Free Shopping Now here is something for black-belt level shoppers. The Shilla Hotel in Seoul is the ﬁrst to introduce in-room duty free shopping. The new service allows guests to choose from a range of duty free goods, from premium wines and spirits, cosmetics and fragrances, to jewellery, clothing and accessories from the world’s leading luxury brands. A catalogue in each room and suite enables guests to relax and shop at their leisure, and submit their order. Payment can be made by credit card at check-out. On leaving South Korea, duty free purchases can then be collected at one of two duty-free shops newly opened by The Shilla at Incheon Airport. www.shilla.net

New Luxury in Singapore Four Seasons Hotel Singapore has revealed a new look and feel in the refurbished guestrooms. With interior design provided by Hirsch Bedner and Associates, the hotel’s 255 guestrooms and suites feature elegant textured wall fabrics with furnishings in soothing earth tones of mocha, beige and ivory with burgundy accents. Still keeping some Asian influences, carpets are patterned with plum blossom motifs; there are Chinoiserie-inspired artworks and furniture pieces reflecting a blend of Asian and European influences. They say they are the most spacious rooms in the city. www.fourseasons.com/singapore

GALLERY

Third Time in a Row They are celebrating in Southern India where the Kumarakom Lake Resort has been declared India’s Leading Resort at the World Travel Awards 2008, for the third time in as many years. A heritage 5-star property, Kumarakom Lake Resort is on the tiny island hamlet of Kumarakom, renowned for its unique ecosystem on the banks of Kerala’s famed backwaters. It has 59 heritage villas and rooms that echo the grandeur of yesteryear, being constructed with bits and parts of traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back over two centuries. This award adds to another from the Wall Street Journal as ‘the place for a holiday pamper’ and as ‘India’s Leading Resort, 2006’ and 2007, along with others for architectural excellence. www.thepaul.in

New in Thailand With eight successful hotels already under its management, Rixos Hotels has opened their newest in Khao Lak, Thailand. The Rixos Premium Khao Lak’s 300 rooms and suites are able to host over 500 guests per night and it will be the first all-inclusive hotel in the region and its first in Asia. The Rixos luxury hotel concept is the brainchild of the Turkish businessman Fettah Tamince and was first launched in Antalya. All Rixos hotels are designed, built and operated by the chain itself, the chain presently owning and operating luxury hotels in the Mediterranean Region, Eastern and Central Europe, the Gulf and Central Asia, with several others set to open later this year. www.rixos.com

MotherShip “Eve” Just in case you didn’t see it, here is Virgin’s new WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft that will ferry SpaceShipTwo and thousands of private astronauts, science packages and payload on the first stage of the Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space travel. Virgin Galactic has christened her Eve, in honor of Sir Richard Branson’s mother, who performed the official naming ceremony. It has a wingspan of 140 ft, the wing spar being the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured. The vehicle has a maximum altitude over 50,000 ft and its U.S. coast-to-coast range will allow the spaceship to be ferried on long duration flights. It is powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines, which are amongst the most powerful, economic and efficient available, with the twin fuselage and central payload area configuration allowing for easy access to WK2 and to the spaceship for passengers and crew. WK2 will be able to support up to four daily space flights, is able to carry out both day and night time operations – its maiden commercial flights scheduled for next year. www.virgingalactic.com

GALLERY

Angkor Spa at Le Méridien Angkor has won ‘Cambodia’s Leading Spa’ for the second year running at the prestigious World Travel Awards. Le Méridien Angkor at Siem Reap offers such things as the Ancient Angkor Massage, which draws on knowledge passed down the generations and involves pressure techniques and gentle stretching to stimulate energy meridians in the body. They also have Japanese Shiatsu, Thai, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Swedish and Balinese techniques, using specially blended massage essential oils of sandalwood, patchouli and ylang ylang. Le Méridien Angkor combines elements of traditional Khmer creativity with chic contemporary décor, as you can see in this photo. www.lemeridien.com/angkor

Environmentally conscious Sir Paul McCartney has one - and now The Langham Auckland has three! The hotel has installed Australasia’s first fleet of hybrid limousines – and no cramped compact – Lexus LS600hL, the world’s first V8 hybrids, operating on a fuel consumption of 9.3L/100km, less than that of a Toyota Camry. The Langham Auckland will use the luxury vehicles by the fivestar hotel’s corporate, diplomatic and leisure guests for airport transfers, business meetings, and for shopping and sightseeing tours. As an added service, they have en-route check-in where guests are able to check-in to the hotel during their journey from the airport. The designer limousines also have a rear seat entertainment system with a 9” LCD DVD screen, rear privacy shades and self closing doors. They retail in Auckland for a tad over NZ$250,000. This follows the hotel’s other green moves: such as their guest key cards made from corn starch. www.langhamhotels.com

Soﬁtel’s Gran Mahakam Hotel in Blok M will celebrate the 63rd Indonesian Independence Day with a program called “Time Honored Cuisines of Indonesia.” It has been designed to boost our consciousness of traditional cooking, along with some modern fusion selections. There will be more then 300 menus on offer at Le Gran Café – each highlighting a well-known area in Indonesia. . To whet your appetite, you will be able to try fresh and tender Iga Bakar Soup, Nasi Madura and Nasi Bali Saté Lilit, which has also become a signature dishes at Le Gran Café. This is the dish served with organic rice, local vegetables (lawar), spicy marinated chicken, crispy sliced beef, Javanese boiled egg, chicken saté, lilit ﬁsh saté, peanut crackers, lemon grass and soy sambals. For dessert, the chef has invented a new version of caramelized bananas. www.granmahakam.com

FEATURE

Bumbu

INDONESIA! Legendary foodie William Wongso is a great advocate of local food. But don’t call it “Indonesian Food” – he says there is no such thing; “we only have ‘regional island cuisines.” But he is about to help rationalize all that – with a TV show, a book and overseas promotions – so that people around the world will be able to better understand the food we love, be able to cook it – and he has found a way to make it easy.

FEATURE

“People overseas have a cliché idea of Indonesian food – nasi goreng, beef rendang and saté - and Westerners always talk about Indonesian food as they know it: spicy! But they never quite know the difference between spicy – and spicy hot!” says Wongso when we speak to him at his demonstration TV kitchen in Jakarta. “In October this year, I will be hosting the culinary aspect of a program called Indonesia Inspired at Asia House in London. I will show people that beef rendang is not just beef curry but a highly sophisticated, caramelised beef dish, stir-fried and long-roasted with coconut until it is blackened. The appetiser will be a ﬁsh soup simmered in a herb broth with ginger, garlic, shallots, galangal, lemon, and chilli. And I will show them how to make nasi goreng and the way you can do absolutely anything with rice,” he explains. “People here will never comment on the meat or the rice – they will say the ‘bumbu’ is fantastic. Nobody asks where you get the beef from or the chicken – it is the bumbu, it is the secret of every household.” “But people no longer have the time to shop for spices, grind them and then mix them, usually to a recipe handed down through generations by word of mouth. It is very complicated and that is where Knorr Bumbu is a timely arrival on the scene,” he says. “It comes from Unilever Foodsolutions and there are three basic spice pastes: RED, with a base of chili, shallot and garlic, YELLOW with turmeric, shallot and garlic and WHITE with candle nut, shallot and garlic. It gives you so much ﬂexibility, like painting with a good colour base. You know I even use the red Bumbu for Arabbiata pasta sauce – spicier than the original,” says Wongso. “All you have to know is about the basics of the original recipe and you can play around with the pastes; this is the most authentic thing I have come across,” he adds. “They come in one kilo tins but it is very easy to break up the paste into portions and freeze it until you need it. This is the perfect solution, especially for busy people – and that is all of us now! You can do a stir fry; you can make fried rice, a curry, anything using this product.” With this he leaps up to make a simple chicken curry: with a mixture of all three Bumbu, chicken breast, lemon grass, sugar, salt and coconut milk. All in less than 10 minutes. And delicious! www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk www.metrotvnews.com/cookingadventure

EVENT

No, not kiddies’ half-sized meals but something very grown-up. The leading chefs from Jakarta’s top hotels have got together to raise money for underprivileged children and in the best way they know how: cooking. The result will be a gala one-off dinner in a chef’s table concept at the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place on Wednesday, 27 August. All the funds raised will go to Yayasan Putera Bahagia and the chefs hope to raise some Rp.500 million with this unique event. There are 19 participating chefs: Vindex Tengker, Executive Chef of Four Seasons Andre Buser, Executive Chef of InterContinental Midplaza Sean MacDougall, Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Pacific Place Olivier Piganiol, Executive Chef of The Dharmawangsa Eduard Betz, Executive Chef of The Borobudur Joris Rycken, Executive Chef of Shangri-La Gilles Marx, Executive Chef of The Park Lane Dieter Speer, Bakery Consultant and owner of Boulangerie bakery Francis Mestre, owner and Chef of Latellier Du’Chocolat Petrus Nugraha, Executive Chef of The Financial Club Rahmat Kusnedi, Pastry Chef of Four Seasons Peter Fritz, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Pascal Clair, Executive Pastry Chef of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Bruno Bohl, Executive Chef of JW Marriott Memet Tarmedi, Chef Pastry from Hyatt Aryaduta Ajaj Kishan Zalte , Executive Chef from Alila Hotel Michael Finch, Executive Chef from Crowne Plaza Hotel Temmy Taufiqurahman, Pastry Chef Crowne Plaza Aan Nurhasanah, Pastry Chef of The Ritz Carlton Pacific Place And the kids won’t be missing out on good food either; the gala dinner will be preceded by several events where the chefs will cook for the kids as well. If you want to support this terrific cause: this unique culinary experience for a six course menu is only Rp.2, 500,000nett. To enjoy, contact Fransiska Kansil from the HPRA: f_kansil@hotelborobudur.com

GALLERY

We know the talent is out there. Maybe it just takes someone with a good eye to bring it out. Such an eye belongs to the curators at the marvellous Alun Alun in Jakarta – the new concept store in the Grand Indonesia upscale shopping mall that features Indonesian handicrafts, fashion, jewellery, textiles and antiques from all over the country. We happened to spy the pieces for the cover of H+ this month while we were looking through the store and wandered into their homewares section. The teapot and tea glasses are the creation of glass artist Seiki Torige, Japanese by birth but now living and working in Bali. He uses recycled Asahimas glass (another Indonesian product) so it is safe for both using with food and for the environment. Torige has trademark colours of watery green, deep green, cobalt blue and clear and several unique ﬁnishes. Furthermore, he has taken and art form and transformed it into useful objects for the home (vases, candle holders, plates and many other things). His textures are also varied – clear, sandblasted (frosted), chiseled, spun glass grain, Japanese paper and gold laminate. Beautiful! See his work at Alun Alun at Grand Indonesia or in Bali at Galeri Esok Lusa in Seminyak. (The place mat is from Warwick Purser Lifestyle, also at Alun Alun.)

GALLERY

Shannon Bennett Goes to Singapore

One of Australia’s best chefs, Shannon Bennett has the restaurant Vue de Monde in Melbourne. News just out is that he has been asked to Singapore as a consultant with Muse, the hip new eatery at the Singapore National Museum. Muse is owned by hotelier Yenn Wong who says the relationship started after she ate several times at his restaurant in Australia. She loved the food - and she loved his personality “and the celebrity element will not do any harm, either.” Bennett, however, is quick to point out that he ‘hates the celebrity chef idea and I do not celebrate myself and nor do my guests. All I care about is that their restaurant experience lives up to their expectations. He added a word on Singapore, noting that very high rents prevented a lot of chefs from going there, except to big hotels. This is his second overseas venture: the first is in the Al Bustan Palace in Oman, just undergone a US$200 million renovation. www.muse.sg

Park Lane Anniversary The Park Lane Hotel in Jakarta is celebrating its anniversary this month. Celebrations will include A Taste of Japan in CAFÉ ONE. Chef Gilles Marx will introduce ‘the world’s best curries’ (Indonesian lamb kare, Thai red and green chicken curries, Indian Vindaloo and Malaysian Fish head Curry, among them) between 16-30 August to commemorate Independence Day. This will be accompanied by a wine promotion – a choice from six at Rp.45,000 a glass. And then it will be party, party, party downstairs at Stix for the whole month. Look also for their special French dishes, including a delicious pot-au-feu. www.parklanejakarta.com

GALLERY

In a wonderful and sophisticated program, Asia House in London will host a month long tribute to the diverse and culturally rich archipelago that makes up this modern country still so steeped in tradition. Asia House is a non-proﬁt, non-political body dedicated to the promotion of understanding with Asia. The program is co-sponsored by Preserve Indonesia, a Jakarta-based organization, begun by Kestity Pringgoharjono, to advance Indonesia’s many talents within and outside the country. The London program, which runs all through October this year, will feature architect and scholar Soedarmadji Damais who will talk about Indonesian design; Obin, the famous producer of hand-made textiles who will talk on Indonesian Fashion: from Tradition to Glamour; cinema expert Nan Achnas who will present Indonesian ﬁlm to it present day development and legendary foodie William Wongso who will talk about Indonesia’s diverse culinary traditions. (See him elsewhere in this edition of H+). www.asiahouse.org Email: preserveindonesia@aol.com

GALLERY

Melbourne Takes The Mickey Melbourne has secured the right to be featured as one of the world’s four great food cities at Florida Disneyworld when the biggest food festival on the planet is staged this September. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival hopes to see more than a million visitors through its doors. According to Melbourne’s tourism people, the plan is to recreate Melbourne’s groovy laneways complete with their street art, into a main exhibition area where a food and wine tasting area would recreate the iconic Queen Victoria Market. Melbourne will join other great food cities - among them Copenhagen, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. The Melburnians will also feature food and wine seminars and dining events, with Melbourne chefs, winemakers coming together to showcase the best Victorian wines and local produce. The festival runs from September 26 to November 9. www.disneyworld.disney.go.com

Celebrating People

The Sheraton Hotels group has taken a step to maximize the new trend of internet travel. With the introduction of the new Sheratonresorts.com they are inviting travellers to customize their vacation.

This Hyatt International program is celebrated globally, devoting three consecutive days every year to recognizing and acknowledging They stress unique local experiences to be had at and employees as the company’s most important asset. near each property and the website is also designed to direct people with speciﬁc interest – perhaps diving, food, Each Hyatt hotel pairs with a sister hotel to celebrate this event golf or artistic attractions. and, in this case, the Grand Hyatt Bali’s sister hotel is the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. The launch of the new website coincides with Sheraton Hotels’ global initiative to enhance and differentiate the The highlight of the program is to help an orphanage in each guest experience at each of its 406 hotels across 71 location and the planting of 100 palm trees in line with Hyatt’s countries. commitment to the environment, called Hyatt Earth. For example, there is an elephant trek at the Sheraton So 60 orphans took part in a fun day with the children of Hyatt Hua Hin in Thailand; the wild horses that roam near the employees in the hotel’s Coconut Garden. Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Arizona. Or, lay back and relax on a one-hour private yacht charter through the The palm trees were planted in the East Village and, when fully South China Sea at the Sheraton Dameisha Resort in grown, will be donated to the surrounding community. Shenzhen. www.hyatt.com

Says Hoyt H. Harper II, Senior Vice President for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, “we want to help consumers do more than just book a vacation – we want them to discover a resort that reﬂects their ideal destination and creates a truly memorable travel experience.” www.starwoodhotels.com

GALLERY H+ loves a cheeky marketing ploy. And we like this one from the Amari Resort in Krabi: it is called the Girlfriends Getaway Package. They are asking you to gather your girlfriends and hope over to Southern Thailand for a luxurious holiday at the resort on beautiful Tub Kaek Beach and a pure indulgence and pampering at Amari Vogue Resort. The package includes: 4 days/ 3 nights in a Deluxe room (based on twin sharing and we have no comment on that), American breakfast, return VIP van transfer, a speedboat trip to the surreal beauty of Hong Island, a 4-hr Amara spa package at Sivara Spa and an afternoon extravagance with ice cream and sorbet. As their blurb says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enjoy giggles, gossiping and extravagance, beauty and luxury in this most cherished getaway with your girlfriends at Amari Vogue Resort, Krabi.â&#x20AC;? www.amari.com/vogue

GALLERY

There, that’s got your attention! These are just three of the labels who are taking part in London’s Berkeley Hotel promotion called the Spring/Summer 2008 Preta-Portea collection. Biscuits, fancies and frou-frou mousses are all set for an haute-couture makeover in the style of the world’s top fashion designers, others being Christian Dior, Lanvin and Stella McCartney. It has been designed to add a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea, with the cakes and pastries inspired by the latest fashion season’s catwalk designs. On the Knightsbridge hostelry’s menu this summer will be such fashionista delectables as Christian Dior pink chocolate bikini biscuits, the Chanel lime green tea cake clutch handbag and a Luella yellow frill vanilla dress biscuit. The crown of the collection is the stunning new creation of the cutting edge design duo Victor and Rolf with a shot glass of pink grapefruit mousse and pale pink chocolate frill with violin accompaniment. For the ultimate fashion touch the hotel has forged links with Thomas Goode of Mayfair who have produced a bespoke collection of Paul Smith ﬁne bone china to be used for the tea and for the icing on the cake chilled champagne is served in Baccarat crystal ﬂutes. All this for 35 quid, 43 if you have champagne. You have to love the English… www.maybourne.com

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PERSONALITY

BALI

HOTELS

bright future

People are smiling in Bali, especially hoteliers. Things are looking up and there a few crossed ďŹ ngers that the trend is solid and ongoing. One of the smiles belongs to Michael Burchett, chairman of the Bali Hotels Association. 64

PERSONALITY

The BHA has some 80 members - large and small hotels and resorts. The criterion for membership is that they be star rated. It does not include small villas with one or two rooms.

“One of our major problems at the moment is that there are not enough airline seats into Bali. Not enough from any of our markets.”

“It is basically a voice, a collective voice that can make known our concerns and our joint efforts and our marketing,” says Michael Burchett.

“Garuda has introduced two more ﬂights to Australia and we understand that will probably increase when they get more aircraft. But Singapore Airlines, for example, wants another ﬂight direct to Denpasar but they cannot get approval. And nobody will tell us why,” laments Burchett.

“We have a number of areas of expertise and directions and our board has committees that look after these.” “They are: • Business Development • Marketing (and this includes being able to leverage with our joint buying power in dealing with suppliers and the like) • Security (and this has to do with natural disasters as well as man-made concerns. This has been a key issue for the last two years but we now have a close working relationship with the Counter Terrorism Desk in Denpasar as well as with the Balinese police. We ensure we have a system of minimum operating standards in place and we share our knowledge and expertise with other operators, corporate chain hotels and the smaller properties.)” “Apart from that, the BHA is a great networking organization where properties, represented by their GMs, can jointly lobby. We are now quite a voice, especially with the ministry of tourism and the provincial government in Bali,” says Burchett. EDUCATION AND TRAINING “The BHA now has a scholarship program and we currently support 32 young people with STP fees and living allowances. These are children of BHA member hotel employees at employment entry level. There are no fees involved here so the generations move in and are able to get jobs in hospitality.” “We also have a coordinating course and opportunities with the Australian Hotel Association, chieﬂy in Perth,” he says. “We get great support from the Australian embassy in Jakarta, adds Burchett (who is himself an Australian). “We have a pilot group of 10 waiting to go for a one-year training program but we want eventually to increase this to 2000 a year. They get invaluable on-the-job training in Australia and they have a chance to learn English and see a different lifestyle.” “We also have a training program here in Bali and that is mainly for the smaller hotels whose corporate infrastructure does not allow for it,” he says. MARKETING

BALI “The last 10 months has really seen things starting to move again. Our exposure from the World Climate Control conference, for example, was huge.” “We are the major employer on the island and we are the biggest generator of tax revenue. But money aside, we put a strong focus on maintaining this beautiful island as best we can. We have 18 Green Glob certiﬁcates among us and we are always looking at new ways of recycling waste, water treatment, solar power options and so on.” “Infrastructure is expanding, especially with residential villas. And apart from them, there are 1500 villas out there, selling themselves like hotels. The trouble is, most of these do not address environmental concerns such as power, water and waste disposal. Something has to be done soon or we will be awash with waste.” “Apart from that the BHA also tries to be a good citizen: we have several community programs, including linen drives, help for orphanages, a stop-plastic campaign and an educational program we hope will prompt people to look after the environment. As you know, without a tropical paradise, you don’t have anything to sell – therefore your income stops, so does your children’s education, health care and housing.” “Having said all that, we don’t want the BHA to grow into something huge; we want it focused and effective. And we see it as in a supporting and guiding role for the PHRI (the national Indonesian Hotels Association),” says Burchett. “And I should point out, this is not a bule operation – at least half our GMs now are Indonesian. We enjoy our monthly meetings and we are all glad to share best practices. And I emphasize we always want to be part of the community.” All these ﬁscal and environment concerns aside, Michael Burchett looks around his own hotel (the Conrad) and the bustling business and it makes his smile even wider…

“This is a key focus for us. Business is good at the moment and we are optimistic that will continue. So, the BHA’s job is one of coordination again. We have recently been to the Perth Travel Show and ITB in Berlin, where 40 of our hotels took part and we shared the costs. For that we have a joint logo and slogan: Bali Is My Life.” “We now have a full time executive director of marketing in the person of Djinaldi Gosana and we have taken ofﬁce space next to BTA, PATA and the PHRI in Denpasar,” says Burchett. “And we also do some joint advertising.”

HOTEL NEWS

LAND CRUISING

Old Bali

Suddenly, I felt like all that fitness training I did all these years was a total joke. There I was, speechless and stunned at seeing Balinese men and women climbing effortlessly uphill, piles of stones on their heads and all with big smiles. The stone blocks are about five kilograms each and they are used to build temples and shrines. Yet, they carried them like The Rock carrying a baby. Okay, perhaps I exaggerate a little but still I couldn’t help but be amazed. This was the scene in Tegal Jadi Village, my first stop on the exciting journey Waka Land Cruises organizes around the ‘real Bali.’ One looks onto a quarry where people are cutting stones (known as paras) out of a cliff in a way they have done for centuries. It is a huge step back in time. And this was just the beginning of my memorable experience to discover the heart and soul of mystical old Bali. We were only four, including Putu Bonet, our chatty and friendly English-speaking Balinese cruise director, who also proved his experience and skill behind the steering wheel. The Land Rover is comfortable and it was a short drive to our next stop, a tiny hamlet called Malgunung. Our host was a local with another huge smile. He ushered us into his family farmhouse made entirely from bamboo with a render of a blend of mud and rice husks. He proudly showed us around his garden where there are trees of banana, mango, rambutan, salak, jackfruit pineapple, tapioca, as well as vanilla, cloves, coffee and cacao. We then chilled out with some coffee and tea on the terrace.

This is taken with so-called Balinese donuts, after which we waved goodbye to the family - and to a group of black ducks busy bathing in a tiny pond near the house. It begins to become more exciting as we climbed over 900 metres up the sacred Mount Batukaru. The cooler air began to brush my skin as my eyes were spoiled by the postcard-beauty views of the lush green terraced rice ﬁelds of Jatiluwih. Who then, couldn’t resist the temptation to capture the scenic beauty of all that with a camera? So, after a quick stop, we were driven to the rainforest camp high on the slopes of the mountain, where lunch was waiting. I should point out this was after a ‘comfort stop’ where a short stroll into the wilds had me in a state of total wonder. In the middle of nowhere, I was embraced by unspoiled jungle.

HOTEL NEWS

Still amid the greenery, a rustic bamboo-built restaurant that somehow conveyed the romance of what old Bali must have been like. We were served a simple but tasty buffet of Balinese mountain food complemented with red or white wine. No quibbling here: a Cognac was served with the sweet and delectable local dessert called ‘bubur ketan hijau.’ It was an experience to rival any ﬁne restaurant. On our return drive, we stopped off at a bubbling hot spring at Banjar Belulang where the water gushes out at 30º, making me think there must be some great natural ways around the energy crisis… I must say that, despite tiny roads, sometimes mere tracks with rough and rocky surfaces, along with twists and turns, ups and downs, the sturdy Land Rover did not miss a beat. Its strength gave us comfort as it negotiated some of the roughest terrain on the island. It would have been a much drier trip too without Putu’s sense of humor as he continued to ﬁll us in on the curiosities of life and culture well away from the tourist strips. He also stopped often when something of interest came along and he was happy to oblige a spontaneous request from us when we saw something especially interesting in the countryside – whether it was an unusual plant or tree, a manmade structure - even local food stalls. Far from being taxing, the whole experience was truly relaxing – actually a lot of fun. It is a cool adventure through the Bali you don’t see around Kuta and Seminyak. I can still see the wild tracks, the colourful orchids, the birds and I remember with unusual pleasure, lunch in the middle of a forest. Most of all I remember the cheerful waves of the locals and smiles that make you melt. Waka Land Cruise (part of Waka Resorts & Cruises) T. (62-361) 426971, 426972 F. (62-361) 426971 E. wakalandcruise@hotmail.com http://www.wakaexperience.com

GALLERY According to a recent report, Asia (including Indonesia) hosts the world’s fastest growing number of millionaires.

Jewels

Journeys

In India, the number of millionaires leapt nearly 23% (123,000), in China 20% (415,000), South Korea 19% (118,000), Singapore 17% (77,000) – and Indonesia up by 16.8% to 23,000 dollar millionaires.

This comes from The World Wealth Report carried out by the investment firm Merrill Lynch who say that, despite the upheavals in global markets, Asian countries are driven largely by domestic consumption and continue to grow wealth. Interestingly, these new millionaires have very definite tastes: they have an unquenchable appetite for luxury items – including high end travel. Personally, they love jewellery, watches first and then things such as art, yachts and personal airplanes. However, when they do travel they love to go to upscale spas and designer clothing destinations. There must be a message there for tourism operators in Indonesia: what we probably need to do is look at our infrastructure, support a proper marketing campaign and persuade Indonesians to holiday and buy at home. And then we could market this wonderful country in China, India, Singapore, Korea – and the other fastest growing market, which is Brazil.

Emerging Tourism Markets The Coming Economic Boom (Fingers Crossed...) Some interesting facts from the recent UK Tourism Society Conference: * International tourism in emerging and developing markets has grown at an average rate of 6-8% over the past decade - twice the rate of industrialized countries. * Tourism is a crucial contributor to these countries’ income - up to 70% for the world’s poorest countries. * Development financing from global Trade; Poverty Alleviation and Climate Response should recognize the long term potential of tourism as a sustainable growth engine. With international travellers projected to almost double by 2020, the action will be mainly in India, China, South East Asia, the Gulf states and Eastern Europe. Many of these are becoming important outbound markets, backed by growing middle classes on the one hand, and liberalising policies promoting mobility on the other. Chinese tourists already spent about US$ 30 billion abroad in 2007, according to UNWTO figures. The domestic travel potential of emerging markets – in 2006 China registered 1.6 billion trips and India 461 million - is a further proof of their long term importance for international tourism. Addressing the UK Tourism Society Conference, Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman identified investment in infrastructure and human resource training, as key issues to make this trend sustainable. He also discussed the importance of credible long term climate response strategies – which allow these countries to realize their tourism growth potential. www.unwto.org

GALLERY

Jakarta is site for the ﬁrst Kempinski Private Residences to open in South East Asia. Gerhard Mitrovits, General Manager of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski which manages the complex including the hotel, grand ballroom, 10 restaurants and also Kempinski Private Residences in Jakarta, says “the city has proven to be an internationally competitive city and I am certain an increasing number of a global jetsetters will appreciate the highest standard of quality lifestyle by owning a Kempinski Private Residence or using one of the serviced apartments for a long stay.” The 58-storey residences are designed with inspiration from Indonesian contemporary art and style, featuring luxurious furniture as well as high-tech equipment and facilities. Apart from all the 5-star services you would expect, the complex has a rooftop swimming pool in a ‘botanical garden,” a spa, medical service and Sky Lobby Bar. www.kempinski-jakarta.com

DESIGN

The Tugu Group love to break all the rules. And, with the obvious exceptions of service and quality, their new hotel in Lombok is no exception. Graham Pearce goes exploring.

The new Tugu Lombok does not even try to be a cookie-cutter ďŹ vestar resort. It unashamedly evokes the history and the romance of the island, often lost in political and regional issues that seem to hog the headlines. So, you will see thatched roofs, lots of bamboo, old ďŹ&#x201A;oor tiles and many reminders of the legendary past of the island. It occupies six hectares of a former palm plantation on the blazingly white sand beach at Sire. To get your bearings, the Oberoi is just across the bay and the Kosaido Golf & Country Club is right next door. Apart from that, you will only see traditional villages where people live as they have done for centuries. You can swim and snorkel off the beach or just sit in the breeze among the palms and enjoy this tropical oasis by doing absolutely nothing. Following the theme of the three existing Tugu Hotels in Bali and Java, the Lombok property stands as a monument to history and tradition, art and romance.

DESIGN

Lombok and Bali were closely connected by history, art and culture. The kingdom of Bali actually occupied Lombok from 1794 until the Dutch took over at the request of local leaders in 1894. The Dutch landed in Ampenan, the ancient capital of the island, and some 16,000 lives were lost in the ensuing war. In 1895 Queen Wilhelmina bestowed a special award for the war heroes of Lombok.

The lobby is a centuries-old house that once belonged to a Malay trader from Sumatra who erected it in Ampenan before it was bought by a Chinese trader. This is the reason it has Arabic, Chinese and Malay inﬂuences. They have relocated the original tiles and even some of the furnishings of this old house. As you move around the place – your room, the bar, the restaurants, the spa and the pavilions – you will see hundreds of original artworks and antiques painstakingly collected and assembled as a loving testament to the long forgotten, original culture of Lombok. (Even the design of the waiters’ “uniforms” ﬁts in with the tropical getaway feel).

The mix between the Hindu Balinese and the Sasak natives, the animism and modern Islam, along with other inﬂuences brought by the Javanese, Malay, Dutch, Chinese and Arabic immigrants has resulted in a unique culture. Although Lombok is famous for many arts and handicrafts, the markets are some distance away but they have thought of that as well: Tugu will have its own Art Shop with a rare collection of items ranging from rare antiques from Bali, Java and Lombok as w e l l as other southeast Asian table wares, textiles, jewellery, statues and paintings.

LOMBOK Lombok is a mere 20-minutes ﬂight from Bali or 2.5 hours by speedboat across the Lombok Strait. There are direct air services also from Jakarta and Singapore. It is an unpolished jewel overshadowed by its neighbour and few know about its beaches, its lush countryside and its overall feeling of serenity. Sasak children are wide eyed in greeting you. And then there is the underwater world, living and breathing reefs in tranquil aquamarine ocean. Sleepy bays and volcanic mountains stretch for as far as the eye can see.

Lara Djonggrang Bar

DESIGN

TO DO? If golf is not your bag, Tugu will have its own private ketch that will take you to the Gilis, three small coral-fringed islands, each with superb clear water, coral reefs and brilliantly colored fish – and only 20 minutes away. All guest accommodation is in traditional building style. The Bhagavat Gita suites remind one of Dutch colonial times with high thatched ceilings, tall antique doors and furnishings, private tropical gardens, lotus pond, two bathing areas with tubs carved out of boulders, private plunge pools – all within steps of the beach. The Aloon–Aloon villas are suites, each in individual buildings built around a tropical garden plaza, all with a garden, outdoor dining and lazing areas. The Kampong Lombok bungalows are intimate units with a traditional atmosphere, characterized by the wood and bamboo of an authentic native Lombok Village but still with modern luxury. Of course, there is a restaurant and bar and several public places to sit and relax. There is also an indoor/outdoor spa that also offers yoga and meditation. You relax between views of the ocean and the majestic Mount Rinjani on the land side. Lunching and dining can be had at Warong Tugu Lombok for gourmet Indonesian dishes and fresh seafood and a brickwalled wine cellar is attached to the restaurant. The Bale Kokok Pletok is a rustic open air space with a 15-metre ceiling overlooking the ocean, lotus ponds and the tropical landscape, serving fine international, pan-Asian and authentic Indonesian cuisine. You can also choose to eat in private, anywhere on the property. The Beach Bar is perfect for that sundowner in the evening. And the hotel is already geared for small conferences and romantic weddings. You will see listed: dance classes, cooking classes, bike tours, horseback riding and horse-drawn bendi rides to the glorious Tiu Pupas Waterfall. Surfers also come from all over the world for the waves nearby. And you come back to the Tugu – a good measure of design and sense of place – it looks like it has been there forever. lombok@tuguhotels.com www.tuguhotels.com

GALLERY

New Brand

A new branding approach known as Sterling Personality makes its debut on the revamped. website: www.SterlingHotels.com. The innovative website engages visitors with interactive features and the same playful wittiness and unexpected surprises that have proven successful in drawing smart business travellers and savvy vacationers to Sterling Hotels, a brand of Preferred Hotel Group. It is working within the industry as well: it has attracted 12 new privately owned and operated member hotels to the portfolio in the past few months, from India to Indonesia and Brazil to Colorado and California in the U.S. New Sterling Hotels in Asia Paciﬁc include Aston Bali Resort & Spa in Nusa Dua, Bali, a hotel whose design evokes a modern Javanese palace, Aston Rasuna Residence in Jakarta, an all-suite property in the famed ‘golden triangle’ and Leonia Holistic Resort in Hyderabad, India, spread over 250 acres of lush landscaping. www.sterlinghotels.com

Best Hotel Design

of the Year JIA Shanghai, the city’s ﬁrst design-led boutique residence has been named ‘Best Hotel Design of the Year’ at the annual INTERIOR DESIGN China (IDC) Hospitality Design Awards.

Competition judges included renowned international architects and interior designers, professionals, academics and editors from INTERIOR DESIGN China and HOTELS China magazines. Among them were Rao Liangxiu, ex-president of CIID and senior design professional with China’s Architecture Design Institute, Spanish designer Jaime Bouzaglo, American architect Michele Saee, and editors from Canada’s Intérieurs magazine and Italy’s Area magazine. JIA is a converted 1920’s building with 55 guestrooms and suites on fashionable Nanjing Road. Issimo, its signature restaurant serves the truly authentic home-style Italian cuisine of celebrity chef Salvatore Cuomo. www.jiashanghai.com

Sip wine bar has opened in Seminyak. Strictly French, good wine – project of wine guru Christian Vanneque. Perhaps they say it best: “At Sip we don’t purée vegetables, the vinegar is not balsamic and nothing is on a bed of something. We don’t talk non-essential biodynamic, cult or boutique wines. The food and attitude are simply genuine and fun but most of all here, wine is King! www.sip-bali.com

GALLERY

It is sort of everything against American eating trends but they have banned trans-fat in New York. Even the most upmarket and recognized pastry chefs have been ordered to make changes. New York is the first U.S. city to adopt such a radical rule with the artery-clogging substance already banned from cooking oils last year. The ban covers almost all prepared food in restaurants, bakeries, cafeterias, salad bars and food carts. So, chefs who relied on trans-fats to make pie crusts flaky, crackers crispy and muffins moist are working overtime to find substitute ingredients. They have burned through hundreds of litres of oil, shortening and margarine trying to retool old recipes without damaging flavour, texture or colour. That wonderful canolli in Little Italy is already a distant memory.

FatBan

The Hard Facts Interesting news for people who live in the tropics and where fruit is always part of the daily diet. New research says a slice of fresh watermelon has effects similar to the impotence drug Viagra. Watermelon contains an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra. Scientists in the U.S. say that citrulline found in the flesh and rind of watermelons reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that also benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems. Arginine boosts nitric oxide which has the same basic effect that Viagra has could be used to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it, came the news from Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre. “Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.” In other tests, researchers said the proviso is that one would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body’s arginine level. This also introduces a sugar problem which causes cramping and then there is the diuretic problem…. Oh, well. It is one of the morning delights anyway.

A funky new sister venue to legendary Los Angeles burger & wine bar 25 Degrees has opened at the Hotel G Beijing, just in time for the arrival of those ravenous Olympians. (Incidentally, 25 degrees is the precise temperature difference between a raw and well done hamburger). The Beijing branch introduces a new twist on the traditional American diner concept – complete with funky music and cool “bordello meets burger bar” décor. Rather than familiar fast-food burgers, diners can have tender and juicy variations of prime ground sirloin steak and fresh free personal preference with a choice of 10 gourmet cheeses: from gorgonzola, mozzarella and Point Reyes blue.

range chicken – grilled according to brie, goat cheese and cheddar to emmental,

Toppings include sautéed mushrooms, sauerkraut, jalapeno pepper, fried egg, sun dried tomato, green chili, bacon and Parma ham along with a dozen signature dipping sauces. And, of course, they all come with best fries, drizzled with trufﬂe oil or seasoned with sea salt and thyme. www.hotel-G.com

GALLERY

The InterContinental is bringing the best of Korean cuisine to Jakarta. Guests will be taken on a tantalizing culinary journey that explores the exquisite flavours of Korea in a stylish lunch and dinner buffets and, to ensure authenticity, two chefs will be flown in from the InterContinental in Seoul to oversee the acquisition of fresh ingredients and food preparation. Kim In Sik and Kim Jae Yong will be working hard behind the scenes at Java Restaurant to recreate Korean regional recipes, including national specialties such as Bulgogi, Kimchi and Abalone Porridge. This is the first promotion by the InterCon in an ongoing series of events to showcase regional food from all around Asia. www.intercontinental.com

The Hilton Beijing Wangfujing is designed as a chic, intimate lifestyle hotel, featuring 255 guestrooms including 58 suites, ideally located on Wangfujing Commercial Street, one of Beijing’s most prestigious addresses. Just open, the property provides easy access to the city’s prominent commercial and cultural centres, and is a short walk from many major tourist and shopping attractions and night-life. Guestrooms, among some of the largest in the city (beginning at 50sqm), are bright and airy with dark woods and soft, natural hues of honey, ivory and chocolate. The hotel has two signature restaurants – Vasco’s Macanese restaurant, a blend of traditional Portuguese, Indian and Chinese cuisines, centering on fresh seafood. Chynna is a contemporary gourmet Chinese restaurant with modern interpretations of Cantonese, Sichuan, Anhui and Hunanese cuisines. www.hilton.com

Perhaps an idea for Bali or Java? This piece (called “Arms Race”) is made of hundreds of cans of food. It is part of this year’s annual competition from Construction, “A National Charity of the Design and Construction Industry created by the Society for Design Administration.” Architects and engineers, and just about anybody, compete to see whose team can build the most spectacular structure using little more than cans of food for the exhibition in New York. Afterwards, all the cans go to the food bank. You can see the whole exhibition at www.canstruction.com

GALLERY

Bintan Lagoon Resort has unveiled a new look for all its hotel rooms in its one year long upgrading program. Luxurious beds, spacious living areas and designer furniture pieces are just some of the S$8.26 million upgrade program at the 300-hectare beach resort which sits next to two golf courses. The new Bintan Lagoon room merges modern local Indonesian touches seamlessly with latest contemporary requirements of modern business and leisure travelers. Furniture pieces have been specially chosen from acclaimed Indonesian designers. Custom-made teak furniture and ﬁttings blend with the occasional splash of bright persimmon against the predominantly white walls. A wavelike feature wall gives the illusion of looking out to seas while new rattan light ﬁttings add a special tropical touch to the overall resort feel. www.bintanlagoon.com

It is months away but if you are travelling, the time to decide is now. Clever people at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park are already advertising a Christmas package in London. They call it their “Christmas Extravaganza” and, apart from an accommodation special, they are offering priority arrangements at Harrods ‘Christmas Grotto’ – and you can buy all your presents there; tickets for the Royal Albert Hall’s ‘Christmas Carols by Candlelight Concert’ and ‘Winter Wonderland Ice-skating’ in Hyde Park. And they have thoughtfully included a gift collection and wrapping service. Priced from ₤2525, a family of four is assured of two inter-connecting rooms (complete with Christmas decorations) over three nights and a slap up Christmas Day Lunch at Their Park restaurant, Father Christmas in attendance. www.mandarinoriental.com

EVENT

Bolshoi Borobudur at

It was a sparkling night of culture and cuisine at the Hotel Borobudur when it played host to the renowned Bolshoi Ballet, visiting Jakarta from Moscow. Borobudur’s executive chef Eduard Betz and his talented team were delighted to let their creative juices flow and create a special menu for the occasion, all inspired by Imperial Russia - the food would have done the Tsars proud. After a spectacular performance by the Bolshoi, guests in Borobudur’s ballroom enjoyed a spectacular dinner with each dish honoring a Russian ballerina. It was all part of a program to enrich the cultural life of Jakarta by the Hotel Borobudur - known unofficially as the “state guest house” because, apart from hosting presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens, the hotel very often caters for State dinners at the presidential palace, which is just a short distance away.

EVENT

Menu Mathilde Kschessinskaya Kholodny chilled Duck Borscht topped with sour cream and caviar quenelles

Olga Preobrazhenskaya Olga Preobrazhenskaya Coulibiac of Pike Perch and Ural River CrayďŹ sh, Kamchatka Salmon Roe in a White Wine Sauce with cucumber pearls and fresh dill

Tamara Platonovna Ukrainian Green Apple Sorbet

Galina Sergeyevna Russian Casserole of Portobello Mushrooms with slow cooked Veal Tenderloin glazed with Novorossisky Cheese

Agrippina Yakovlevna A Faberge style White Chocolate Egg studded with Sugar Diamonds ďŹ lled with Strawberries Romanoff

Anna Pavlovna

Petit Fours Prime Ballerina

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Daniel Aylmer General Manager | The Westin Beijing

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Aylmer is serious about his profession: “I specialize in implementing new strategies and initiatives aimed at increasing occupancy and profitability within this highly competitive industry,” he says. “I am passionate about delivering exceptional service standards at all times whilst exceeding budgets, targets and business objectives.” This is a philosophy that has paid off over the years; his tenure at the Sheraton Sanya saw it award the Asia Pacific “Hotel of the Year” Award, he was “Manager of the Quarter” while at Hawks Cay and he received an honorary professorship last year from Suzhou University last year. It is not all intense work, though. “I do enjoy sports and music in my spare time,” says Aylmer. “And I like to get out onto the field for a friendly game occasionally, having played rugby at an international level for in the under 21division in Belgium.” His new position as GM of the chic Westin Beijing sees him ensconced in the fashionable Chaoyang district. It opened earlier this year and sits in the heart of the Chinese capital, a 34-storey hotel that is part of a large mixed-use complex in Liangma He, which comprises office towers and extensive retail shopping. All 550 guest rooms and suites are oversized; there is an indoor swimming pool and an all day dining room as well as six additional upscale restaurants and bars. The hotel has two ballrooms and eleven meeting rooms, tailor-made for themed events and wedding banquets. Not to mention the frenetic buzz off the Olympics in Beijing this month. Daniel Aylmer is a true example of the international man. He was born in Britain but departed from the norm early on and went to school in Brussels where he majored in English, French, History, Biology and Chemistry. He knew his career lay in the hospitality industry so he then went on to graduate from the Cesar Ritz Hotel Management School. This then, his career has been largely centred in Asia.

www.starwoodhotels.com

He has been working with the Starwood group since 1997, culminating at the 565-room Westin in Beijing where he was also part of the pre-opening team. The hotel has already hosted visits by Olympic Games delegates, not to mention the President of the United States. He is no stranger to China. Before moving to Beijing, Aylmer was GM at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Suzhou, hotel manager at the Sheraton Sanya Resort in the Yalong Bay Tourist District, Director of Sales & Marketing at the Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel & Towers in Nanjing. People in Indonesia will remember him best from his time as director of Sales and Marketing and Director of Convention Services with the The Westin Surabaya. Apart from four restaurants, this hotel is also home to the famous Java Jimmy’s Irish pub. So he adds Bahasa to his languages – already ﬂuent in English, French, German and Mandarin. He came to Surabaya from Hawks Cay Resort & Marina in Florida where he was banquet, conference and sales manager.

WELCOME

STEPHEN JONES Executive Chef OBEROI LOMBOK The Oberoi Lombok, the 5star luxury property with its two restaurants that specialize in Indonesian, Indian, Asian and Continental cuisines.

RYAN SOUTH Director of Club InterContinental INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT MASAMI OKAMOTO JW MARRIOTT JAKARTA Masami Okamoto is the new Japanese chef at Asuka restaurant in the JW Marriott in Jakarta. Over the last 17 years, Okamoto has worked in France, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia and Britain as well as his native Japan. It is not his first time in Jakarta; he was Executive Chef at the Japanese Embassy here under two ambassadors. In between, he was with Umu Restaurant in London. In his new role, Masami will oversee the kitchen operations at Asuka, as well as the Japanese cuisine served within the hotel that include Japanese menu for meetings and weddings. His specialties are Japanese traditional and fusion cuisine. And among his qualifications, he lists the preparation of puffer fish and dishes to accompany the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. (Look out, incidentally, for the special brunch in Asuka every Sunday.) www.marriott.com/jkjw

Australian born South recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary with InterContinental Hotels Group.

ADAM RILEY Resort Manager INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT

He began his career in Sydney – at the Crowne Plaza Parramatta, Holiday Inn Potts Point and Crowne Plaza Terrigal. Before moving to Bali, he was Rooms Division Manager for Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.

With a 20-year career in the hospitality industry spanning all aspects of operations and management, Riley has worked extensively with the Parkroyal chain, rising through the levels of hotel hierarchy with his first overseas appointment as GM of the Centra Resort Pacific Harbour in Fiji. He was born in New Zealand and has had several general management roles in diverse locations such as Queenstown in New Zealand, the Northern Territory in Australia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Starting in 2005 Riley embarked on two years of consultancy work for a number of significant hotel/ resort projects before he was joining the Duxton Hotel Saigon to oversee a refurbishment programme and reposition the property in the global marketplace. Before coming to Bali, he was GM of Duxton Hotel Perth, a 5-star property in the CBD.

Ryan’s appointment as Director of Club InterContinental will see him assume overall responsibility for the daily operations of Club InterContinental, a private wing within the resort featuring an exclusive range of accommodation and facilities. www.bali.intercontinental.com

www.bali.intercontinental.com

And he is no stranger to Indonesia; he was also executive chef at the super luxurious Amankila resort in Bali, arriving there from the Mahakua-Hacienda de San Antonio in Colima, Mexico. He went there from Australia after stints with De beers Restaurant at Whale Beach outside Sydney, Restaurant C.B.D, Cuccagna DeliCafé, Le Kiosk, Kirkton Park Country House Hotel and the Sydney Hotel Intercontinental. He was born in Wales and began his five-star career at the Chester Grosvenor Hotel in England with a time at the famous Dorchester Hotel. Jones says his passion is the blending of multicultural flavours and creating simple fresh contemporary cuisine focused on quality. www.oberoihotels.com

WELCOME

KENNETH ROGERS Country Manager ASCOTT INTERNATIONAL

PRATIWI TJAHJA SANUR PARADISE PLAZA

DAVE MAMANGKEY Genegar Manager GRAND TROPIC SUITES HOTEL JAKARTA A long-time familiar face with the Accor group, Dave Managkey now oversees thenewly renovated 196-suite Grand Tropic in the Slipi area. He comes there after a stint as DSM for Synergy covering Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Before that, he was GSM for Accor Indonesia, based in Jakarta, rising in the ranks from DS-Business and DS for the Hotel Ibis, also in Slipi. His major hotel background is in F&B and he was restaurant manager at the Tonelle Fine Dining Restaurant at the Daiichi Hotel in Jakarta. He did his ‘onthe-floor’ training in banqueting athte Jakarta Hilton. Mangkey is a marketing graduate from Cornell University in New York, a graduate of the London School of Public Relations and the Bandung Hotel Insitute.

Pratiwi Tjahja is the new Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel & Suites in Bali, a property of 329 rooms and 84 apartments in Bali and recently undergone a complete renovation. Pratiwi has previously worked at the InterContinental and before that at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Beach Hotel. After that, as DSM at the Harris Resort in Kuta, she was lauded as introducing it spectacularly to the Bali tourism market. She comes to Sanur from her position as Director of Sales at Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort.

Kenneth Rogers is Australian and was previously Ascott International’s Country General Manager in Korea. He comes to Jakarta to oversee the management of all Ascott and Somerset properties in Indonesia including operations, finance, sales and marketing and business development. Ascott International Management is the largest global serviced residence operator in the Asia Pacific, European and Gulf regions. Prior to joining Ascott, Rogers’ career has spanned two decades in the hospitality industry, including management in privately owned and chain deluxe hotels throughout Australia, China and Hong Kong.

www.sanurparadise.com

www.grandtropic.com

WELCOME

FLORENT MICHAUD Corporate Food & Beverage Director ASTON INTERNATIONAL Florent Michaud has built a wealth of experience in the industry having worked in France, Vietnam, England, and Indonesia over the past fifteen years. After two years as F&B Director at the Aston Bali Resort & Spa, Michaud has been promoted to the corporate office where he will oversee F&B operations throughout the entire group – 15 already operational with growth estimated to grow to some 25 properties by 2010. He hails from France and he speaks four other languages besides French. www.aston-international.com

KEITH HARDIE General Manager LE ROYAL Meridien Shanghai GUNNAR KUCHENBECKER Executive Chef IMPERIAL ARYADUTA HOTEL and COUNTRY CLUB German by birth Gunnar Kuchenbecker will be responsible for all kitchen operations at the Imperial Aryaduta Hotel & Country Club in Karawaci. These include a café, several restaurants (including Chinese and Japanese), banqueting and room service. Kuchenbecker has 14 years extensive experience at hotels in Germany. In 1997 he began his career in the kitchen of the Hafen Hotel in Hamburg, staying for eight years. In 2002, he moved to the Park Hyatt Hamburg as sous chef and head of banqueting, here winning the five star diamond award from the American Academy of Hospitality. In 2006, he moved to the Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall as executive sous chef, eventually promoted to executive chef. www.aryaduta.com

In his new role, Keith Hardie will be responsible for all aspects of Le Royal Meridien Shanghai operations. A 31-year hotel industry veteran, Hardie has been with Starwood Hotels & Resorts for 14 years, most recently at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit in Bangkok as GM. Previously, he was GM of the El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel, Towers & Casino in Cairo. Before that he held management positions at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel, Shangrila’s Fijian Resort, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila and The London Marriott in Grosvenor Square. A Briton, Hardie began his career as a graduate management trainee with Trust House Forte in 1977 and received his first overseas posting to Dubai 29 some years ago. He lists his leisure pursuits as golf, sailing and rugby. www.starwoodhotels.com

WELCOME

Elvis LIVES…. in BRISBANE NYOMAN PUNIA Residence Manager KEMPINSKI PRIVATE RESIDENCES

ANDREW PHILIPS EXECUTIVE CHEF HOTEL INDONESIA KEMPINSKI Chef Andrew will head of kitchen, which is not only in charge of the production and quality of the food served in ten restaurants, seven kitchens, two spacious ballrooms but who is also charged with the creation of new and innovative menus and staff training. Phillips, has worked in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Fiji, Vietnam, and had his latest stint at the Movenpick in Dubai. “The historic Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta presents me with the challenge to offer the best world-class culinary experience, while maintaining Indonesian distinctive cultural identity,” he says. www.kempinski-jakarta.com

Nyoman Punia brings 20 years of experience in property management and serviced residences to the Kempinski in Jakarta will be responsible for managing and operating the 260 luxurious private residences. His last portfolio is at The Grand Tropic Suites Hotel where he was General Manager. Punia has worked in Miami after he graduated from Florida International University and later his career took him from property manager to general manager so he as a rich knowledge of managing five-star properties. www.kempinski-jakarta.com

We don’t know if he can sing or not but he is certainly happy about his new appointment. Elvis Soiza, Chief Concierge of the Sofitel Brisbane has been appointed President of the prestigious organisation for professional Concierges- Les Clefs d’Or Australia. Elvis, who has been a member of Les Clefs d’Or for the past 23 years, is the first Concierge outside of Sydney to be appointed National President of the organisation. He has been in the hospitality industry for over 33 years, starting out as a page boy in London before going on to work for legendary 5 star destinations such as The Sheraton London, Hyde Park, the Norfolk Hotel and The Londonderry Hotel. Elvis has had many highlights during his career, including one at a London hotel where he successfully procured a real-life pink painted elephant for a sheikh as a surprise for his wife’s birthday. Les Clefs d’Or is an international organisation based in Paris, with members spread across 37 countries. The distinctive gold crossed keys worn by Les Clefs d’Or members are recognised by travellers around the world and are a signal their wearers can do just about anything, from pink elephants to something as simple as impossible-to-get theatre tickets. www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au

SPIRITS

It is no small feat that Macallan 18-year-old Whisky is ranked numberone in the world by Whisky Magazine (the industry bible) by: Louise Compagnone

SPIRITS

Cracker joke: Q: What would you rather be without if you had to choose between whisky and women? A: It all depends on the vintage. It is often thought that the key to a good whisky is the age or vintage. An 18-year-old whisky is better than a 12-year-old, is better than a 5 year-old. Macallan Whisky, one of the world’s most revered distilleries, would argue that it simply ‘aint that simple. To take the cracker joke seriously for just a moment, whisky (like women) should be judged on a variety of characteristics. Look for the delivery of a rich, sensuous character, without artificial qualities, but with an enticing appearance nonetheless. (Please note that, in the interest of the female readership, this same criteria applies for selecting men.) And, most importantly, they’ve got to be single! Macallan take their whisky seriously, creating it impeccably – obsessed with using the finest barley, yeast and water, and maturing the best cut of spirit in quality oaks. They are not interested in the age of vintages so much as perfecting unique, complex characteristics. It is no small feat that Macallan 18year-old Whisky is ranked number-one in the world by Whisky Magazine (the industry bible).

With a flavour as rich as its history, Macallan whisky upholds a number of key tenets in production. Starting with hand-cut grapes from the vineyards of Jerez, Spain, and ripe bunches of Palamino and Pedro Ximenez grapes, this is soon replaced by aged sherries and left to mature for three years. Matured at the spiritual home of the Macallan – Speyside Scotland – their choice variety of barley was abandoned by most distillers because it is arduous and costly to grow. Fresh yeast is used in each fermentation, and only a small proportion of the distilled spirit is taken (called the “cut”) to concentrate the flavour of the single malt. The whisky is then watched carefully, selected at the moment when each cask is at the peak of its maturation. Receiving accolades such as “the Rolls Royce of single malts” (Harrods Book of Whisky), “the single malt against which all others must be judged” (Wine & Spirit Magazine) and “the Chateau Margaux of malts”, Macallan have had over 180 years to perfect this meticulous process. Macallan Whisky Maker, Bob Dalagarno, has been called “one of the most dedicated Whisky Makers I have met.” (John Hansell, editor and publisher of Malt Advocate). And it shows – Macallans is one of the world’s most acknowledged whiskeys. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

While distilled at the Macallan distillery in Speyside Scotland, the process begins in a place you might least expect – Northern Spain. Here, casks are “hand crafted and toasted over fire-fuelled oak cuts”. These flames change the chemistry of the wood – the key to the maturation of Macallan whisky and the secret behind its intricate flavours. The 12-year-old Whisky is deliciously smooth, with hints of dried fruits and sherry, and balanced with woody smoke and spice; whilst the 18-year-old has notes of spice, clove, orange and sweet toffee. Neither product can be considered “better” than the other, just in different stages of maturation – both of which have distinctive merits. For those of you less educated in the area of whisky, you might be wondering: “what exactly is Scotch whisky?” Often simply called “Scotch”, Scotch whisky is distilled and matured in the country whose name it bears. The most complex of whiskeys, single malt Scotches are made from malted barley (dried in kilns fired with peat) and are the product of a single distillery. Macallan’s process of distillation and maturation is unique to the distillery – a 300-year-old Jacobean manor house built in 1700.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

In each edition of Hospitality+ we will feature a photograph from a hospitality establishment somewhere around the world. If you think you recognise the location above send an email to info@origomedia.com We will draw two winners who will each receive a lovely bottle of The Macallan Single Malt scotch whisky courtesy of our sponsor Maxxium. Congratulations to David King and Michael Ward who both correctly identiďŹ ed Uluru, Australia. MAXXIUM SINGAPORE - INDONESIA REP OFFICE Graha Satria 2, 3rd Floor Jalan RS. Fatmawati No. 5 Jakarta 12430 Tel: 021 - 75910425