Archive for March 2018

Hi merry goers!

Anchor Food Professionals Pastry and Culinary Challenge is back to shape Malaysia's Future Master Chefs! An unrivaled leader in the dairy foodservice industry, Anchor Food Professionals has once again raised the benchmark in the industry by hosting the highly anticipated Anchor Food Professionals Pastry & Culinary Challenge 2018.

The Challenge was a four-day competition starting 13 until 16 March based on three categories namely Culinary, Cake and Pastries. Culinary and Pastry maestros were invited to form the luminary panel of judges with Chef Jean Francois Arnaud MOF serving as the Head Judge in Pastry Category, along with Chef Nazeri Ismail, and Chef Arthur Heng in this category. In the Culinary Category, Chef Gerhard Albrecht serves as the Head Judge, along with Chef Fami Taufeq and Chef Sabri Hassan.

Linda Tan, Director of Anchor Food Professionals shared that competitions like this are important for the industry as it provides a platform for the sharing of experience and knowledge, nurturing the potential of Malaysia’s future culinary and pastry artisans and elevating the standards of the food & beverage industry. This especially is stepping stone for amazing young chefs in the country who can reach greater heights with the right encouragement.

Each day of the challenge will see different contestants from different industries competing in Pastry (13 March; Bakery channel), Cake (14 March for Bakery Channel and 15 March for Hotel Channel) and the newly added Culinary Category (16 March for Hotel Channel). In the Pastry Category the contestants wee required to create a simple croissant and a Danish whereas under the Cake Category each contestant were required to create two types of cakes with Mango and Strawberry themes respectively.

I was invited to witness the finale for the Culinary Category where the theme was Land and Sea of Malaysia with an inculcated twist of Modern French Cuisine. Contestants were required to prepare a 3-course meal based on the theme and criteria given.

Each dish has to be make full use of Anchor's leading products in the dairy segment namely Anchor Cream Cheese, Anchor Butter Sheet, Anchor Butter, Anchor UHT Milk, Anchor Whipping Cream, and Anchor Extra Yield Cooking Cream. During the Culinary Category, mystery ingredients were revealed which has to be incorporated in both Hot/Cold Starters and the Main Course.

After the grueling challenge, Nigel Walter Lazaroo (The Face Suites, Platinum Victory Resort), Muhammad Ikhwan Bin Mustafar (One IFC Hotel) and Muhammad Khidir Bin Md Augusti (Hotel Istana) impressed the panel of judges and topped the rest with their dishes.

The winning dishes were really innovative and it amazes me how some of them have really great skills despite having minimal experience working in the industry. Kudos to Anchor Food Professionals for pushing the limit and revealing all these gems in the Food industry!

Til the next challenge,

xoxo

Miriam

Hi merry goers!

If it has been a while since you last visited Genting Highlands, you will be in for a huge surprise! Exciting attractions await at Level 4 of SkyAvenue and you can look forward to dinosaur rides, zombies, oddities and a trick art museum.

While waiting for the theme park to be completed, there are plenty of exciting attractions to provide entertainment for the whole family at Level 4 of SkyAvenue Mall, Resorts World Genting. Once you step into the area, you will immediately be greeted by armored elephants as they welcome you to Ripley's Believe It Or Not Adventure Land.

No more the small attraction that it used to be as Ripley's Believe It Or Not Adventureland takes it to the next level as children will have the time of their lives as they go on a ride on moving dinosaurs such as the Triceratops and Parasaurolophus. Even the ticketing counter is one of a kind with a massive model of a Trojan horse. The whole area is filled with arcade games perfect for the toddlers.

The PlayTime! Video Games Park promises the best range of cutting edge games for arcade lovers. The Spacetime Squad Virtual Reality game takes it to the next level to give players an out of this world experience.

I gave this a try and oh boy was it exhilarating! Players must try to stay alert whilst a horde of flying evil robot destroyers and their bosses attack from every side and see the avatar annihilate them systematically. Take note, you might look a little silly playing this VR game in the eyes of others. There are tons of other arcade games that have built in 4D experiences which both you and your friends can try at.

Games are played using a cashless system with the EZiCash card. You just have to top up your card at the main counter and play to your hearts content!

Everyone has surely had a fascination with dinosaurs at one point of time. The Jurassic Research Center is the answer to everyone’s childhood dreams with massive figures of different species of dinosaurs spread throughout the centre such as the Brachiosaurus, the Triceratops or even the sabre-toothed tiger. There is no better way of learning than interactivity and this centre does that best. Visitors will be startled when a Tyrannosaurus Rex magnificently roars as they walk by and witness a strange looking Gigantoraptor rear its head at them which really brings the place to life.

Here, visitors can get up and close with dinosaurs like never before. There is even a fossil laboratory to study the different specimen models of dinosaur fossils with detailed inscriptions. The exciting highlight is a 4D experience of witnessing velociraptors wrecking havoc in a discovery lab. It's like being on the real set of Jurassic Park. I'm amazed at how realistic each specimen looks like and trust me that there are tons of photos for you to take!

The most thrilling and terrifying attraction of all, Zombie Outbreak is definitely not for the faint hearted. Think you've got the heart to face these zombies? Well you can experience what it is like to be one of the last survivors of a nightmare Zombie Apocalypse.

Built like a maze, you have to go through the course not knowing what new terror awaits you at every corner. Definite horrors await within with only one way out and no turning back. My experience with this once was more than enough! But for those of you who feel you've got guts, I dare you to go through the Zombie Outbreak.

At the Alive Museum, be prepared to enter a world fun and engaging optical illusion art. With the artwork specially commissioned by artists from South Korea, the skilful brush strokes, careful details and amazing choice of colours result in the wonderful 3D images. You will even spot paintings of famous celebrity figures such as Lee Kwang Soo, Gong Yoo and Song Joong Ki and for the chance to take a photo with them.

I was blown away by the world of imagination created by the murals that cover almost every inch of the space with imaginary scenes such as a UFO and prominent landmarks such as the Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The trick art Alive Museum is a must-visit for those wanting to add something special to their social media. I loved the Alive Museum a lot! Definitely great to have a group of friends to go snap crazy photos together.

Those into anything and everything extraordinary will have a spectacular time at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Odditorium. Boasting over 400 exhibits, a cabinet of curiosities including artifacts of lost worlds has arrived at Resorts World Genting for a time of wonderment and interaction.

The bizarre and wacky collection includes the model of a Vampire Woman, Mike the Headless Chicken, and a model of David Beckham’s legs made out of worn-out bills. There is also a fantastic model in commemoration of the World Trade Centre made entirely from matchsticks.

Operation times are from 10.00am to 10.00pm. Prices for the attractions may be purchased separately or in a combo of two or three attractions. Prices vary for standard tickets for adults and children and for Genting Rewards members.

For more information, call +603 6101 1118 or visit www.rwgenting.com.

Hey merry goers,

If I were to ask you what are your memories of dining on a plane, what would be the first thing that strikes your mind? What if I told you that you could actually enjoy freshly-prepared meals in an aircraft and be given a private tour of the cockpit after your meal? Say farewell to those memories taking a flight, stuck in a tight space for several hours and eating pre-packed meals.

This photo of Dinner in The Sky Malaysia is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Say hello to Plane In The City this April, touted to be the next top attraction in Kuala Lumpur! TwoSpicy Entertainment Live, the company behind the immensely popular Dinner In the Sky Malaysia, is set to launch the first of its kind in Malaysia, Plane In The City.

This will be a 90-minutes experience revolving around an actual Boeing 737 aircraft, during when its ‘passengers’ will get a chance-of-a-lifetime to do things such as taking a ‘selfie’ while sticking their heads out of the Pilot’s cockpit, walking on the wings of the aircraft, enjoying a fine-dining meal serenaded by today’s hit music and many more. Located at SKYLAND at Jalan Bukit Bintang, one cannot miss the aircraft while driving past, as it stands out against the city’s many skyscrapers.

“We live in an era of experience. Consumers are now demanding newer and more interactive models of products and services. They want to experience different realities and Plane In The City allows them to do just that”, said Arvin Randahwa, CEO of TwoSpicy Entertainment Live who conceived the idea. “This is a great way and place for locals and tourists to treat their loved ones, friends or clients and have an unforgettable outing,” he added.

Sitting only 20 people per session, you will be sure to enjoy an exclusive 3 course or 4 course dining experience (depending on the type of package) by the chefs of Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. There are three standard packages: Economy Class (RM199/pax), Business Class (RM399/pax) and First Class (RM999/pax). On top of these standard packages, Plane In The City plans to launch celebratory packages such as birthdays and anniversaries plus serving as an event venue fitting up to 60 pax at one time.

It sure was not an easy task transporting and transforming the decommissioned aircraft used for Plane In The City. From police escorts to multiple cranes, it was a technical and length journey with the help from Dulux and AkzoNobel, the official paint sponsors. Runway lights used around the aircraft are actual runway lights used on airport runways around the world, courtesy of ADB Safegate, airport technology specialists.

Plane In The City will definitely elevate your dining experience to a whole new level and satisfy the cravings of all your five senses. This is one experience that you DO NOT want to miss out on. So who's with me? For further inquiries, look up www.planeinthecity.com and hurry book your tickets as ticket sales will begin on 26th March 2018.