I am saving the best for last in my little MIGF adventure. Out of the few restaurants I have visited for the 2009 Malaysia International Gourmet Festival last month, Xenri D’Garden Terrace would have to be my favourite. Partly because I love Japanese cuisine, so don’t mind me if I seem a little bias.

A name synonymous with ‘a thousand miles’, Xenri begins their journey in 2004 with Xenri D’RiverView in a reserved location along Old Klang Road. Since then, they have spread their kimonos to Hong Kong with Xenri No Tsuki at Causeway Bay, and in September 2008, Xenri D’Garden Terrace in Menara Hap Seng.

Xenri is famous for their all-you-can-eat buffet spreads during the weekends to larger parties. And this year, for the first time, Xenri D’Garden Terrace participates alongside 23 other restaurants for MIGF 2009 to appease fine diners’ thirst for something Japanese.

What Xenri has planned for the MIGF menu works from mild to strong for the taste palettes. And throughout the menu, if you care to notice, a lot of the ingredients are seasonal and available only during the Fall season, which made the menu a tad special like that.

For an appetiser they started off with the novel and refreshing Homemade chilled silk bean curd with hotaru squid ink sauce. Now, before you get turned off by the prejudicing black sauce, wipe that grimace off your face because you’d definitely like to take a chance on this.

It’s a perfect composition that moulds the smooth bean curd into tiny pots with a cap on, bellying the squid ink sauce that spills out when you break the bean curd. There is a mild saltiness for the sauce that brings taste to the bland bean curd, which I thought started the menu on a very appropriate note.

Complementing the dish is the equally mild Chitose Tsuru Hunmai Tachoizuru Sake, a famous Japanese alcohol with an aftertaste that hits your senses, but yet at the same time, not too overwhelming that it shoots straight into the nostrils.

Let it be known here and now that I am a fan of sashimi. So, it is only right that I anticipate with bated breath for the Sashimi Platter to come next. When it did, it literally blew me away with its adorable igloo sculpture, an extra step taken to preserve the freshness of the raw seafood.

I was enthralled and as I made my way through the jewel pieces, I shut the world out as if I were an Eskimo hiding in my own igloo in the middle of nowhere. And I was genuinely sad when the platter was all cleared out, regardless of how slow I took my own sweet time with them.

Starting things off light is the Hokkaido wild catch scampi, the lightest for the taste buds and the softest with a texture that seems to melt in the mouth; the Japanese green sea urchin with a heightened saltiness harmonised with the scallop; and lastly, the Premium tuna belly that is slightly thawed in its own oiliness to capture the exact taste of the high quality fish.

This platter also comes with a perilla leaf (known in Japan as ‘aojiso’), which is often paired with sashimi, and a stem of its flower buds that are mixed in the soy sauce to provide a fragrant and herbal kick.

Next up is the simmered dish, featuring the Slow poached salmon skin roll with Tsubame ginger broth. Again, another lovable and cute presentation that serves the broth still bubbling in a small pot over a slow fire of a tiny stove. It keeps the soup warm as you take your own sweet time savouring on the supple cod fish and salmon and the firm radish slices. It also contains green slimy but sweet substance made from blended lady’s fingers together with the herbal elements of the soup. Definitely the perfect dish to relish on as you watch the auburn leaves fall in your Japanese garden.

Moving on to something heavier is the featured grilled dish - Kobe Wagyu housyou yaki. Xenri uses Grade A5 wagyu beef, the highest grade available in Japan, wrapped in a layer of fresh soy yuba skin parcel before hitting the grill. This method of cooking is called housyou, and it is tried since the olden Japanese days, which keeps the beef from overcooking and traps the oil and flavours in the meat.

Because of the the skin parcel, the beef is served a tad bit raw and garbed in its own extracted oil. By itself, you cannot really taste the meat, but when paired with Xenri’s homemade sauce, it seems to magically accentuates the wagyu beef.

For the main dish is Xenri’s beloved Chirimen jyako okowa hoba meshi, attributing Japanese rice with bits of baby sardines wrapped in magnolia leaf, plucked from the autumn trees in Japan and flown straight to the Xenri kitchen.

This is not exactly an outstanding dish for me, compared to the others on the menu. The presentation is as exquisite, but it seems to me to be another Japanese rice dish, as sweet and grainy. The baby sardines stood out, however, in every bite with its peppered saltiness, making the dish somewhat unique.

I was a little iffy when Xenri stated their dessert as the Xenri special homemade sunny side up. I mean, are they going to serve us eggs as a finale, or is it a kind of Japanese sweetie of the same name I do not know of? It was neither.

Xenri went out of the box and presented a culinary masterpiece that although appears like the breakfast favourite, is actually a sweetie in disguise. What looks like an over-fertile egg holds dear the many elements that make a dessert a, well, dessert.

The ‘egg white’ is made from panna cotta, a famous Italian pudding prepared from simmering cream, milk and sugar and the slightest tinge of Brandy flavouring; the peach puree as the ‘egg yolk’; grounded sesame seeds as the sprinkled ‘black pepper’; and the dribble of black honey sauce as the ’soy sauce’.

It is definitely a sweet delicacy that is out of the ordinary and one that ends Xenri’s MIGF Menu for this year with a spectacular finish.

The wine selections recommended for Xenri’s MIGF Menu were the La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Black 2008 from Cape town, South Africa for the Sashimi platter and Simmered dish, and the Haute Cabriere Pinot Noir 2005, also from South Africa for the Grilled and Main dishes.

The former is made from organically grown grapes, which contains a rich flavouring of tropical fruits, such as passion fruit, melon, apples and litchi that awakens the taste palettes with its slight tinge of sweetness. It displays a firm structure that is both tempered and well-balanced, with refreshing acidity in the foreground and a steadfast minerality in the background. An apt wine that washes down the saltiness of the dishes. And I like it that it is not acidic and jams up my nose.

As for the Pinot Noir, it is served best to diners chilled and under 11ºC to preserve its fragrant and not turn sour. This red wine displays whiffs of pungent raspberries, cherries and ground black pepper, and dark berries with perfectly integrated tannins on the palettes.

Alright, so I may be a little bias towards Xenri because I love Japanese food. But I have had my fair share of less than perfect Japanese food, and I am all for a restaurant that makes things perfect for the cuisine. I suppose it is safe to say that Xenri is one of them, and I would have to say they have done a pretty good job for their debut into MIGF.

Not only are the chefs and kitchen crew dedicated to what they are cooking, even the waitresses are knowledgeable on what they are serving too. The waitress that served us was patient in introducing each dish to us – the ingredients, the cooking method, why this white wine is chosen, why specifically the red wine is chilled… she knows it all. And I am quite impressed by that.

From the lush green grass padding, to the perfectly symmetrical stepping stones, to the quiet fall of water from one level down the next in the mini fountain, to a restaurant that serves a blend of authentic Japanese recipes with contemporary ingredients and tastes… everything that’s pure and true from the Land of the Rising Sun. Why would you not feel like you are in Kyoto?

Light Festival Menu
RM160++ per person with sake/wine
RM120++ per person without sake/wine

++
Xenri D’Garden Terrace
Podium Block
Menara Hap Seng
Lot No. 2-04, 2nd Floor
Jalan P Ramlee
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Opens daily 12PM-3PM for lunch; 6PM-11PM for dinner
Tel.: +6 03 2078 6688

From the golden curtains hanging off the ceiling to the golden carpeting beneath your feet, from the golden cushions you sit on to the golden table settings displaying your royal dishes. Bunga Emas Restaurant is the newest restaurant in town that provides an ambience and delectable fine Malay dishes that is fit for a king.

Bunga emas plays an important role in traditional Malay customs during special occasions and wedding ceremonies. With that, Bunga Emas Restaurant would like to highlight this beloved Malaysian trademark via the interior designs, as well as the food served on the table.

Headed by Chef de Cuisine Khairul Ghazali, this is his latest culinary concerto in The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, after Sutera Harbour Resort in Sabah, and Langkawi Four Seasons in Kedah, where he became good friends with Executive Sous Chef Sabri Soid, who is just a door away at L’Heritage. (As you follow through, you will see similar usage of ingredients in the menu).

And this is Chef Khairul’s second time participating in the 2009 Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF), first time when he was in the Langkawi Four Seasons, in which he had also won the Most Creative Food category.

As the appetiser is the Udang kara kerdil limau Bali, a baby rock lobster salad topped with a tangy variety of fruits, such as pomelo and orange slices, pandan fronth, and are’nkha caviar pomegranate compote.

This is a weird combo for me. It consists of all four flavours that hit you at one go: sweet from the orange, bitter from the pomelo, salty from the caviar, and spicy from the tomato sauce. We were definitely off to quite an interesting start at Bunga Emas.

The starter is another novel composition of both land and sea – Darat dan lautan. Representing the sea is a ball of grilled salmon with a surprise pineapple and sambal filling, and the land, roulade of quail dressed in peppercorn seasoning that pops like little firecrackers in your mouth, and a dollop of – get this – purple mashed potatoes.

Again, quite an unusual piece. I was a little distracted trying to get used to something so uncalled for. I am not used to eating purple coloured food, and it did not really taste like those golden yellow mashed potatoes. But I like the effort put into the grilled salmon. The stuffing definitely put me off-guard, and it was a just flavour to go with the fish.

For the soup course is Sup ketam labu kundur, made from little spoonfuls of flower crab broths sailing on winter melon rafts on the feather light tomato consume.

This is a very overwhelmingly pepperish dish for me. So much so that it drowned out the taste of the winter melon cubes, as well as the freshness of the tomatoes. It did accentuate the crab meat, but overall, it was too much for me to enjoy.

For half-time, I thought perhaps I can take a breather from the Dadih mempelam, a silky smooth mango custard. Stated as a sorbet course, it is not exactly sorbet since it is a kind of pudding.

I did not think it is a right choice for a half-time sweetie, because the custard is a little heavy on the palettes. Thus, it did not really reset the taste buds properly, especially after the peppered soup. Although it is sweet nonetheless, a good thing after the two spicy dishes prior, but I would still like an icy cool sorbet to refresh things.

But when it comes to the main course, one would feel like they are having another serving of Hari Raya.

On the Festival Menu as mains are the Kerapu merah pais kelapa, baked grouper fish rolled up with a good touch of chilli coconut paste stuffing on the insides, and Chef Khairul’s signature dish, Sendi kambing briyani, lamb shank in briyani gravy. Accommodating the dishes is Nasi pandan gajus, savoury screw pine rice with a tinge of sweetness, and chopped cashew nuts revealed in every bite.

The fish was ecstatically spicy. I thought the chilli coconut paste filling was a good touch – I have not really tasted spicy coconut paste before, so don’t mind me. This dish is guaranteed to awaken your senses with an explosion that is oh so pleasurable.

No Malay meal is complete without a curry dish, and the lamb shank definitely filled in the blanks for the menu. Chef Khairul’s famous is not made famous for no apparent reason. Cooked in briyani gravy with the smooth and tender meat that seems to fall off the bone as you run the knife gently down in between, and the curry gravy that is not too spicy as to overwhelm diners after fighting through the grouper fish.

Concluding this year’s MIGF dining experience in Bunga Emas is their dessert platter – Manisan Bunga Emas, with a plethora of delicacies to bring it home in a sweet note.

The Warm chocolate hazelnut pudding, which was not really warm when it was served to us, was a tad bitter, but the generous drench of strawberry syrup balanced things up and all is well again. As for the Anise tea cream and young coconut ice cream, it is a touch of innovation with coconut slices hidden at the bottom of the refreshing scoop, turning every-day used ingredients in traditional Malay cuisine into a dessert. Not bad at all.

Wine selections recommended for Bunga Emas’ Festival Menu are one of Australia’s best, Kangaroo Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, displaying hints of blackberry and well integrated oak and soft tannins, and Kangaroo Ridge Chardonnay, flaunting aromas of the vivacious melon and succulent white peaches.

It is quite evident that Chef Khairul has put in much effort in originality when it comes to his food composition. He pinpoints the traditional dishes in Malay cuisine, tweaks it with some fusion styles and presents it in a way that would bring Malay food a fresh breath of air. One that might even appease the foreign crowd.

It may get a little too heavy for the taste palettes – i.e. the appetiser, the starter, the soup – but I suppose that is how the Malays like their food, strong flavouring and all, no?

I guess I am more towards traditional Malay food; that would explain why I am trying so hard to get used to the appetiser and starter. Although, it would definitely have been good if beef rendang is on the menu. Heh.

Festival Menu
RM239++ per person with wine
RM159++ per person without wine

++
Bunga Emas Restaurant
The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur
6 Jalan Conlay
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Opens daily 12PM-10.30PM
T: +6 03 2688 9688
W: www.royalechulan.com.my

Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: NME, not a music enemy.

——

Recently inducted to the fine dining scene in Kuala Lumpur is the new French guy, L’Heritage Restaurant, at the equally brand new hotel in town, The Royale Chulan. This French restaurant opened its doors on the very day of the 2009 Malaysia International Gourmet Festival 2009 launch on October 1, 2009.

Although the restaurant may be new, the walls still stank of paint and the surrounding still eerily deserted, the people behind the scene is not, especially Executive Sous Chef Sabri Soid. (Why yes, it is not a Frenchman running the kitchen, but a local Malay). He has seen glory days when he was cooking up a storm in the Langkawi Four Seasons, with guest lists as famous as Mel Gibson, Tony Blair and Michael Schumacher themselves.

Although he has never been to France himself, or pick up a ‘French for Dummies’ as he stirs his pot of soup, Chef Sabri seems genuinely knowledgeable in what he knows about the French cuisine. So, it was quite an interesting feat for me too, to learn about the kinds of traditional food preparation in France.

L’Heritage’s Festival Menu starts with the appetiser of Salmon trout tartare, parmesan tuille, rucola and sorc-l’tranche. The tartare is made from finely chopped raw salmon, smoked salmon and cucumber dices, which is paired with the crispy piece of parmesan tuille, topped with a spoonful of caviar, rucola (arugula) and sorc-l’tranche juice.

I am a fan of raw salmon so naturally, this appetiser works for me, especially when there are bits of refreshing cucumber dices hidden in the tartare. I thought the parmesan tuille was a good touch. Although it has this heavy saltiness going on, I still like it.

For starter, the Quail leg confit with beetroot, languedoc gratin and avocado volute. Confit is France’s oldest and most common way in food preservation, and it is now quite luxurious since it preserves meat without actually refrigerating it.

For this dish, the quail legs are cooked in a very slow fire of 60ºC for three hours to preserve the seasoning alongside the rendered fat in the softened meat. Served with the dish is Languedoc gratin and avocado volute, another traditional food preparation for the French, whereby sliced eggplants, tomatoes and zucchinis are topped with a layer of melted and browned grated cheese.

The quail legs are ecstatically soft and they just fall off the teeny bones when you run your knife through it gently. Too bad quails are not bigger, eh? Heh. As for the volute, in my opinion, anything with melted cheese on it is a good thing. Enough said.

L’Heritage takes things lightly for the soup course with Herbs tomato consume with moref seafood dumpling. Fluffy and water-based with floating bits of mushrooms and sliced moref dumplings, it does not weigh down the senses. It is simple in preparation and without any hanky panky.

Nothing really out of the ordinary for this one compared to the previous two dishes, save for the moref seafood dumpling, which has a texture that is quite similar to a – fishball.

At this point, my taste palettes are getting a little tired out with the constant saltiness from the tuille and the confit and the consume and the cheese. I have lost count of the times I grasp for my glass of water.

So, to take a break from it all, there is the Lemon basil sorbet with calvados. Served in a cylinder shotglass, it is – for a change – sour, with a tinge of the bitter basil and a dash of Calvados, an apple brandy. It provides a quick way to reset the taste buds with a minty sourness that almost makes your eyes water, literally.

For the main course, diners have two choices at L’Heritage. First one being the Stone-grilled wagyu beef, petit romaine old pot green peppercorn juice. I did not really like this because it was really, really salty, so much so that I could not taste anything else on the dish but that lingering taste. And juicy as it was, it sort of bothered me that the beef was oozing blood still. Meh.

Alternatively, there is the Oven-baked red mullet, sweetbread paillaid, capers relish, duck foie gras emulsion. It has a crispy outer layer blanketing the tender soft insides, it is harmonised with the sweetbread that reminds me a lot of hashbrowns. Once again, salty is the main flavour.

Right about now, I was longing for something sweet, and I can definitely count on that for dessert: Mille fuille of berries sabayon with fragrant mint ice cream. Here, we got to sample the Frenchmen’s well known sweetie, mille fuille, a kind of layered pastry alternating with a sweet filling that is usually cream or jam.

Chef Sabri did a bit of self-composition here, changing the pastry to a kind crispy cereal Middle Easterners have for breakfast (which I did not quite catch the name), and having a variety of berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries together with sabayon, a very light custard made with sugar, egg yolks and sweet wine. I thought it was quite a job well done.

However, the complementing mint ice cream seems a little out of place for me. It did not quite give the refreshing finale it was aimed for. And I felt like I need another shot of their lemon sorbet to do the palette reset properly.

It is my first time trying out French cuisine, so I am not sure if it is common for the meals to be taken with extremely heavy flavours. It was a little too much for me to bear palette-wise, to be honest.

The one thing that really did it for me was the dessert; it was original, blending French cuisine’s traditional sweet delicacy with the chef’s own imagination. Other than that, they might need to tone down on the saltiness for me to really enjoy the menu.

Recommended wines for the L’Heritage Festival Menu are France’s Albert Bichot Cotes du Rhone and Albert Bichot Cotes du Rhone Blanc.

Festival Menu
RM239++ per person with wine
RM159++ per person without wine

++
L’Heritage Restaurant
The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur
6 Jalan Conlay
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Opens daily 12PM-10.30PM
T: +6 03 2688 9688
W: www.royalechulan.com.my

Time does fly, and already we are in the midst of another year’s Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF). Which means, another round of fine dining tasting is expected of.

First off, we stopped by the award-winning Tai Zi Heen Chinese Restaurant at Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur, and they have themed this year’s menu as ‘A Hong Kong Encounter’, which features their Chinese Master Chef Ricky Thein Yiew Ming’s signature Chinese cuisine dishes with an extensive combination of homemade dim sum.

Tai Zi Heen starts off the Hong Kong encounter with bite-size teasers on its Appetiser Platter. Move around clockwise starting from the Wok-fried prawn with Asian tomato and black sesame dressing, given an accentuated tangy taste that immediately opens up your taste palettes; the Steamed cod dumpling with crabmeat glaze is like the Cantonese’s own har kao which everyone is familiar with; the Crispy yam puff with foie gras and minced chicken that envelopes a savoury of roughness and heaviness on the tongue; and lastly, the Shredded beef with dried tangerine peel that adopts much of a Vietnamese cuisine with its fruity ingredients of orange peel, sour plum and pomelo – interestingly refreshing to reset the taste buds and to get you ready for the rest of the menu.

For starters, Tai Zi Heen opts for the healthy Duo of duckling and organic yin choy broths with sun-dried seafood, prawn and hairy gourd. The broths are a recipe of concoction that cools your system with its herbal elements, surrounding the towering seafood ingredients like moat to a castle.

For the mains, there is the Honey and soya baked salmon with fragrant crab roe, soya beans, broad beans, honshimeji mushrooms and wolfberry sauce. The salmon used in this dish is the authentic Norwegian Salmon, which has a smoother texture compared to the salmons commonly used in Japanese cuisine. However, the sweetness of the meat is overlapped by the sweetness of the sauce, which some purists find quite a waste.

Another main course to savour on is the Citrus marinated rack of lamb roasted with white sesame seeds, wok-fried baby cabbage, fresh lily bulbs and a spicy minted plum sauce. The minted plum sauce does not go overboard with its chilliness, and the citrus marination provides an unusual tangy juice that extracts from the meat with every bite you take.

Tai Zi Heen also offers a noodle dish of Dan mee with soy-braised beef, carrots, radish and leek with a splash of red wine. Dan mee is a popular noodle served in Cantonese cuisine and it is said that it is best eaten with a spoonful of vinegar. Here, it is harmonised with a spoonful of red wine, which you drizzle atop the crispy noodles to soften the texture. Wrapped in the frizzy layers of dan mee are slices of wagyu beef that comes as a surprise for the taste palettes.

Lastly, savour on the final touches of Tai Zi Heen’s menu with their Dessert Dim Sum, a culinary art that the restaurant takes pride in. There is the sweet and savoury Vanilla ice cream with fresh mango puree, sago and pomelo; the chewy Chocolate whisky siew mai, which is quite an interesting piece of work, but is a little too flour-ey for taste; and the filling Crispy water chestnut spring roll.

This year, Tai Zi Heen complements their Festival Menu with Pernod Ricard Malaysia’s fine selections of Jacob’s Creek Reserve, one of Australia’s premium wines from Barossa Valley.

To go with the appetiser and starter, there is the Jacob’s Creek 2007 Reserve Riesling with a wine style that demonstrates rich characteristics of citrus and floral fruits. It is an ideal wine to partner with seafood dishes, which is perfect in emphasising on the sweetness, sourness and saltiness of the appetiser and starter courses. It is a little too much for me to take because the acidity goes straight to my nose and bites on my tongue.

I much prefer Jacob’s Creek 2006 Reserve Shiraz, selected to go with the main courses. It displays rich fragrant blackberry and plum with a slight hint of spice with integrated toasty cedar oak notes. And unlike the Riesling, this red wine is much smoother and sweeter on the palette with its velvety tannins, which is easier and sweeter to down alongside the meat dishes.

I thought it was quite a good fusion menu. Throughout, you can see how obviously Tai Zi Heen infused common Eastern ingredients on Western ones, kind of like giving a gwai lou a traditional Chinese garment to put on.

I cannot say it was an outstanding piece because here and there, it did not quite work well enough for me. But the restaurant has been known to think out of the box, and I thought they have done pretty good for this year’s menu.

Festival Menu
RM180++ per person with wine
RM120++ per person without wine

Light Festival Menu
RM120++ per person with wine
RM80++ per person without wine

++
Tai Zi Heen
Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur
4 Jalan Conlay
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Opens for lunch Mon-Sat: 12PM-2.30PM, Sun & public holidays: 11.30AM-2.30PM; dinner Mon-Sun & public holidays: 6.30PM-10.30PM
T: +6 03 2170 8888 (ext 8200)
E: restaurants@princehotelkl.com.my

Event: Lipstick Gossip #4
Date: September 24, 2009 (Thursday)
Venue: TwentyOne Kitchen+Bar

Awhile back, I received an invitation to attend TwentyOne Kitchen+Bar’s monthly event, known as Lipstick Gossip.

For those who do not know, Lipstick Gossip is an all girls’ cocktail party. It is at its fourth instalment last month, and it is an invitation-only event, which features a bunch of girlie activities to leave the ladies pampered and refreshed. And of course, free rounds of specially concocted cocktails and finger food.

Work has been bogging me down, and after checking out the list of activities they would be having at the party, I thought why not make a night out of it. It could be fun.

Alas. Lipstick Gossip happens every last Thursday of the month, and being a weeknight, it was hard to round up a few gal pals to attend this party together. Not that I have a lot of girl friends to begin with in KL, but yeah. Everyone was either engaged with another appointment, or was too tired to head out somewhere on a weeknight. So, in the end, it was only me and Ariel.

The party started at 7PM, and after wrapping up work for the day in an untidy bow, we headed down to Changkat Bukit Bintang for a quick girls’ night out.

Once we parked our tired ass on the chairs at the al-fresco area, the waiters came up with a couple of drinks to quench our thirst for the night.

There was the Chocolate Hersheys Bananarama – I think – with a familiar tinge of milky chocolate alcohol that tasted like Baileys.

And another tangy orange spirit, which I did not catch the name, for the non-alcoholic ladies that night.

And some finger food.

There was not much time to waste at the event, what with so much going on simultaneously. Not to mention a queue that was building up as the crowd poured in with more ladies wanting to get their hair done, their nails done, their makeups done… So, it was best to get down to it before the night runs out.

There were hairstylists armed with curlers, giving you a night’s worth of curly hair.

There were manicurists giving your fingers a quick splash of colours.

Makeup artists giving your pretty face a makeover.

A masseur who was more than happy to give your body a quick massaging pamper to loosen up your tensed muscles.

And a caricaturist whipping up portraits after portraits of your cartoon selves.

I was a little disappointed that the tarot card reader was not present that night. I have been waiting for the longest time for another read since my last one in Australia. Meh. But still, I managed to get myself caricatured before the night ended.

Which, in my opinion, did not really look like me. Hmm.

After sitting around with not much else to do, Ariel and I got a little bored. The fact that there was still a day’s worth of office hours the day after sort of dampened the night’s mood for us. Also, it would be nice though to serve more tummy-filling food other than finger food. I mean, it is not really lady-like to keep reaching for the finger food. Heh.

Lipstick Gossip is clearly an event suitable for a party of more than two, and especially when there is much to gossip about among themselves in regards to work, boys and probably other girls that got on your nerves. Heh.

It would definitely be something to check out with your close-knitted girl friends. Perhaps even somewhere you head to to get yourself a total free makeover, before going to another shindig elsewhere. If you were to head home straight after that, it sort of defeats the purpose of curling your hair or getting made up.

Lipstick Gossip #5 is set to be on October 29, 2009.

++
TwentyOne Kitchen+Bar
20-1 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Mon-Fri: 11AM-1AM; Fri-Sun: 11AM-3AM
T: +6 03 2142 0021
E: info@twentyone.com.my
W: http://www.twentyone.com.my

Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: Here comes a regular.

—–

Event: Klang Valley Food Hunt 2009
Date: October 3, 2009 (Saturday)
Venue: Around Klang Valley

We have been trying to go on a food hunt for the longest time now, but it always never seems to fall through. So, when we caught wind of the Klang Valley Food Hunt, organised by Time Out Solutions and Rasa Rasa, we thought this was a good excuse to skip a working Saturday and take part in a long day of chow time.

Initially, I thought it was going to be an Amazing Race kind of food hunt, where we go around town in search of restaurants where we would be doing a series of food challenges like eating nasty food or making hard to make dishes or maybe chow down some food at some obscure restaurant we never knew of.

Boy, was I wrong.

Two days before the hunt, there was a briefing going on in Taman Tun and we got some goodies, as well as a quick low down on what the food hunt was all about.

A decorative leaf pot, which is not a car freshener and does not move, a torchlight-screwdrivers kit, a Man Utd player figurine, which Vincent immediately chucked aside because of his animosity towards the football team, some free samples of instant coffee and oatmeal, Nagomi food vouchers and KVFH bumper stickers for the participating cars.

The one thing everyone moaned about was the need to gather at the start off point at 6ish in the morning. The night before, some of us were out partying and allegedly, one of us came straight for the hunt after clubbing. I, for one, puked at the club, so yeah. And the need to down a can of bad coffee just to stay awake throughout the hunt was equally as nauseous. Bah.

In total, there were about 140 cars participating for the hunt, which is safe to say there were approximately 500 participants. There were two teams of four for us. At the very last minute, one from each team had to back out, one of whom had to tend to his very sick ferret, so that evened us out to three per car.

We were #89 – Edward, Ariel and Nicholas, and #90 – Vincent, Thomas and me. We also honoured Billy’s ferret by calling our team ‘The Dead Ferret’. Heh.

Because the day before everyone was busy with work and some could not come in to the office, thus, they did not get to have a glimpse of the briefing notes till that morning. As we huddled together waiting for the final briefing for that morning, it felt as if we were back in high school, doing the usual last minute cramming before an exam. Heh.

We were also encouraged to dress to impress to win the best dressed team. Some came as chefs, some came as Santa Rina’s, while some came in cowboy hats and wearing sarungs. Heh.

Minutes leading up to the flag off time at 7.30AM, there was a final briefing session before they set us off for our hunt.

Basically, there were two legs.

The first leg involved four locations, Sri Hartamas, Kota Damansara, Damansara Uptown and SS2.

We were handed a bunch of questions that we need to solve when we reached said locations. Now, these questions, are real messed up questions. They were riddles, and half of the time we need to actually rack our brain juice – which was impossible considering it was way early in the morning to do such a thing – to break down anagrams and solve charades. Some were simple, some were just plain mean.

Some questions went like this: “Orang dengar, kami tidak dibenarkan”, “Backcurrent? Park to eat here”, “Turn page, stay alive, go here to be satisfied”, “Mungkin cari makan di sini” or something like that. It was crazy.

And you could not really sit down beforehand over a laidback breakfast to figure out the questions. You had to actually go to the said locations, have a look at what the clues are to pinpoint the answers.

The frustrating thing was that you knew the answers were right in front of you, but you just did not know how to crack the code to find out which one it was. And also when you have gotten the answer right the first time, but because you were iffy so you switched to a wrong answer instead. And also the fact that you were staring at the answer the whole time, and it was so obvious, only you were a little stupid to find out. Meh.

We took quite a lot of time and mental energy for the first leg, and could not really solve some of the questions because we were running out of time.

We were to hand in our answers for the first leg at the mid-leg pit stop – Nagomi at Jaya 33, and over there, we were to take part in a challenge. I was expecting a challenge to down some wasabi-infused sushi, or cook our sukiyaki in the quickest possible way. But, no.

10 pictures were given to us and another competing team, and within 90 seconds, we were to figure out what herbs and spices they were. Real simple, but the time constraint was the pressuring part, and pictures were colourless so it was a little hard in figuring out whether they were mint leaves or parsley leaves, ginger or tumeric or gallangal.

Before we knew it, time was up, and we had to hand in our answers for our questions for the second leg.

This leg, to me, seemed easier than the first. It involved two main locations – behind Jaya 33, Bangsar and Solaris Mont Kiara. And we were given a set of ‘tulips’, which basically were directions to the locations. Initially, I thought ‘tulips’ were stops we had to go through for a series of challenges. Meh.

We did not need much help with the tulips because we kind of knew our way round those locations, so we just needed to know where we should be next to figure out our questions, and we just went there using the quickest route we know of.

There was a congestion in the Jalan Telawi area in Bangsar, and a few teams actually got down from the car to go on foot, figuring out the questions. Thomas and I went on foot as Vincent worked his car out of the traffic to meet us where we would head off next.

Things were quite easy over at Bangsar and Mont Kiara. Bangsar, being like a home turf for Thomas – and also the fact that he seemed to be figuring out most of the questions anyway, heh – and Mont Kiara because Solaris only have so many roads and occupied shops there.

We breezed through these leg and was off in no time.

However, besides doing these, there was a Food Challenge and a Treasure Hunt.

Food Challenge involved the usage of Finder 301, which is a Maxis-based SMS service that offers the closest food outlets or amenities where you shot out the text message. It offers at least three options, each comes with the venue’s address, contact number, as well as a link to a GPS map.

We had to use Finder 301 to look up eight venues – 6 eateries (one of which we had to dine in), 1 ATM/bank and 1 police station along the route of the first and/or second leg. As proof, we had to snap a picture of our search results (to prove that we used the service), and another of our team members posing in front of the venues with our team number – preferably in creative poses.

Oh, and we also needed to develop all 16 photos and hand them in at the finish line. Something Edward, Ariel and Nicholas’ team failed to do so because they could not find the nearest photo developing shop. Darn.

There were quite some complaints on using Finder 301 because the SMS  failed to show results on the locations they were in, and I think Maxis was congested for a while so results came back a little slow.

For the Treasure Hunt, there were three sets of riddles, which were like the leg questions only ten times harder. They were clues to find out what we should get to gain more points.

After spending so much time with the leg questions, we barely had time to finish up the Food Challenge and Treasure Hunt. We only managed 5 venues for the former, and one for the latter, which was wrong anyway. Heh.

We arrived at the finish line in Solaris Dutamas a few minutes after our given time frame. After that, we had to take part in a second challenge, whereby we had to flip a roti canai, spread it out as wide as possible. That was sort of fun.

It was around 2 in the afternoon when everything was done.

They announced the winners during the award dinner that night at 3K Complex in Subang Jaya. They also revealed all the answers for the questions that morning, and there were a lot of forehead smacking and dawning ohhhhh’s for unfigured questions, and cheers and applause for teams that got the answers right.

Too bad we did not win anything. Meh.

I guess it was something different to do on a weekend, though not something most people would opt to do. But it would be more fun if the ‘food hunt’ actually involved food, instead of things just related or not related at all to food.

Like in 60 seconds, stuff your face with as many sushi as you can, or see how many bean sprouts we can pick out from a bowl of char kuey teow, skewer and grill as many satays as you can, tie up ketupat pouches – I know this one is a toughie because I tried it once and failed majestically – things like that.

But their questions were real refreshing and mind-boggling, I’d give them that. It is quite evident that they have spent an immense amount of time coming up with them, and making sure some are not too tough for beginners, while others are not too piece of  a cake for rookies. So, well done anyway, guys.

If you are a fan of the stylish food composition Crystal Jade is good at, you might want to stop by another of their restaurant at Pavilion KL for a whole different set of menu to feast upon.

Established in October 2007, Crystal Jade Meal³ (pronounced ‘cube’) serves up spectacular arrays from three types of cuisine for the bustling crowd in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city. It represents three cuisine they serve in the restaurant – Asian, Eastern and Western. All with Crystal Jade’s tinge of food fashion to appease the customers’ appetite.

Non-veggie eaters (meaning me, heh) can rejoice now! We rarely find ourselves ordering salad dishes as our entree, but here, we can definitely ring up the Golden Pumpkin and Potato Salad. The pumpkin and potato are mashed together with diced cucumbers and dribbled with sweet mayonnaise.

It is tender and sweet, both welcoming on the tongue, and the cucumbers are like refreshing treasures hidden in the comfy blankets of golden yellow. I would have finished up the entire thing, if I was not expecting a line up of dishes to come next.

From the soup menu, there is the Meal³ Signature Soup with three types of mushrooms (button, shitake and black dried), simmering in thick sinful cream soup under the puffy pastry roof.

As you can see, no originality here as the idea derives from Dome’s very own menu. And the soup is not any better than the latter’s, either. It tasted more of cream rather than soup. So, you can imagine how quickly it got too much for me to finish.

The Lemongrass Hot and Spicy Soup is much easier to stomach. Filledseafood delights such as with mussels, squids, clams, dory fish and prawns, it is sweet yet spicy to awaken your taste buds, yet not too spicy to kill off the palettes.

The unique Stuffed Chicken Roll is served with Crystal Jade’s signature brown sauce of onion and black pepper corn. This dish has the insides of the roasted chicken cleaned out and stuffed with Holland onions, carrots and basil. However, their spaghetti has an overwhelming flour taste that just kills off my intention of finishing up this dish.

The Wok Shallow Fried Fish Fillet is a must-try in Crystal Jade Meal³. Served with in-house fish sauce, a big scoop of mashed potato and some steamed vegetables, the pieces of dory fish are succulent with a tang of saltiness to its softened meat. Not to mention the mashed potato was fluffy and addictive. It is also served with dribbles of yellow mustard for an unusual spicy kick.

For those who are not feeling adventurous, there’s always the Hainanese Chicken Rice to fall back on.  This dish comes with the expected chopped up chicken drizzled in onion oil and Hainanese soy sauce with complementing ingredients like cucumber slices, spring onions, Chinese parsley and ginger vinegar. It is accompanied by a bowl of steamy Hainanese rice and chicken soup.

The usual suspect. Nothing to shout about.

Established in the heart of KL city, there are bound to be bustling yuppies running back and forth. Before their seats could grow warm, they are already getting jittery to get up and leave for an appointment.

So, if you would like something quick and to go for lunch, Club Sandwich would surely do the trick. It comes with a side of French fries, coleslaw and a selection of cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, Melbourne super sliced cheese, sliced chicken and fried egg. Whether you would like to have it there and then or pack it back to the office, it is enough to last you till dinnertime.

For desserts, Crystal Jade Meal³ has some Thai-oriented sweeties you can finish off your meal with.

There is the Mango Sago and Jelly with Pomelo, which is a kind of substitute for Thailand’s water chestnut dessert. It comes with three layers: mango cream pudding, followed with strawberry jelly in the middle before topping it off with cream caramel and bits of fresh pomelo and sago.

This one did not get me going. Probably because I was turned off by the caramel topping.

But for the Glutinous Rice with Mango and Custard Sauce, I like. It is a simpler version of the famed mango sticky rice, and don’t you just love the food presentation. Keeping in mind that this would be the last course for the day, and that diners may already have their brims stretched, the dessert comes in a small portion of white glutinous rice capped with dices of fresh mango sitting in a pool of warm custard sauce.

Even though I was full, I could not help making room for this dessert, when there is no room left to make. The warm glutinous rice was like a good pat on the tummy, and the mango slices were extra refreshing especially after the mouthfuls of rice. I would definitely skip right to the end for this dessert in my next visit.

At the end of the day, it is a restaurant you could choose to go to, if ever you are not sure where else to head to for lunch. Most of their food are not hard to stomach. Just make sure to stay off the obvious choices like the chicken rice and sandwiches, then your trip would not be that mundane.

++
Crystal Jade Meal³
Level 3
Pavilion KL
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Opens daily @ 11AM-1AM
T: +6 03 2148 2116
F: +6 03 2148 3116

Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: Howl be thy name.

—–

For the past month, I am sure a lot of you have caught wind about 15Malaysia, a Malaysian filmmakers showcase, that has been taking the country by storm (I’m such a punny cliche, heh).

I will not deny that Malaysian-produced films have been more of a disappointment to me, rather than of standing ovations. When they announced the 15Malaysia project back in August, I did not really mind too much about it. Checked out a few trailers, sure, but it did not make me go whee. Maybe I was afraid this is going to be another roll of badly orchestrated films.

But I was glad it is not. As days go by, I slowly became alright with the local talents. So much so that I had a brief moment when I am actually proud of what we have. For the past few weeks, my mornings in the office started off with something new to look forward to besides the day’s news and instant Nescafe.

Here is my take on the short films.

#1 Potong Saga by Ho Yuhang
15Malaysia premiered on a right note with this first showcase. A Chinese guy, due to the world economic downfall, goes through an unnecessary circumcision to get himself eligible for an Islamic bank account because of misguided information regarding the application from three Chinese ah peks.

It was definitely a laugh-out-loud film to watch, and to kick start the series in a more lighthearted note. Also, I always find Chinese speaking in that twang amusing. Heh.

Note to self: never get information from all around, especially Chinese ah peks. Go straight to the information counter. Heh.

#2 The Son by Desmond Hong
I like this film because the angle is quite refreshing. It’s told from the perspective of a Chinese boy who paid witness to a racial dispute gone wrong. One of those good-guys-turn-bad-at-a-bad-time kind of scenario. It’s also one of those stories that keep the audience glued as they gradually unveil the big picture. Textbook storyline to follow, but they did well on it.

The human interaction shown between the father and son seems to be quite realistic to me. How they would dodge the pink elephant in the room by talking about the son’s exam results and helping out in the father’s store.

#3 One Future by Tan Chui Mui
This is my favourite out of the bunch. Immediately, I caught the similar whiff to George Orwell’s 1984, and I kind of liked it. It shows an extreme situation in the future when the government takes full charge of the country. Despite their goodwill providing jobs and homes to the citizens, even assigning people to different families everyday without regards of the startling racial difference, the latter has no freedom to go against the government with something as simple as speaking.

Pete Teo’s narration is an eerie one in the introduction: “The future. Life is perfect. The government loves everyone. It takes care of everyone.” Note the ‘it’ pronoun for ‘the government’. Although halfway through the tone gets a little humourous, but the message is all the same on high alert for all.

A pretty simple take, yet all the same informative. Well done.

#4 Meter by Benji & Bahir
This can also easily be a favourite. Another comedic piece from the collection, which features Malaysian politician Khairy Jamaluddin, whom, I must admit, put on quite a good act for this film. He did a good portrayal of the typical Malaysians’ attitude towards everything around them, how there is always something to complain about for both sides of the coin. And how we are just a bunch of big talks.

And the passengers he picked up are the few minority in the population that have to put up with the typical Malaysians in all sorts of way – whether if it is getting bashed, telling them off, or simply just walking away. I like it how Baki Zainal, the second taxi passenger, told Khairy’s character off when he confronted the passenger for speaking English when he is a Malay.

There are a couple of films that deserve some honourable mentions. One of them is House by Linus Chang. Despite the acting being not so great, there is a wonderful metaphor going on when the kids smashed Rama’s prototype house and when the constructors came to tear down his house with his mother watching on.

I thought Linus’ work wore a coat much alike to Yasmin Ahmad’s works, what with the pulling of emotional strings. So, who knows, maybe he may be the one to carry on the torch.

Suleiman Brothers’ Rojak! deserves an honourable mention too because of the CGI special effects. As the rojak seller explains how Malaysia is pretty much like the rojak he makes, everything around him goes bam-bam-bam. The protests, the snatch theft, the bullying, the discrimination… every bad that holds the country together like the thick curry he coats atop the many ingredients.

It is one of those shit-happens-to-us-but-at-least-we’re-still-together kind of films, so yeah. It gets overplayed sometimes.

A good half of the collection is made up from a humourous aspect, such as Halal, Slovak Sling and Healthy Paranoia, which also carries a more serious undertone on how we view the country. I guess people tend to take things in more when it is funny. Films like The Tree, Lumpur and Gerhana, tend to get a little boring but the messages are still as alarming.

Chocolate, one of Yasmin Ahmad’s last works, still uses the same characteristics the Malaysian legend has been using since day one. Racial differences – mainly between Chinese and Malay – and the unchangeable view that still prevails after the May 13 riot. It did not do well for me, because it was too open-ended. It left me hanging, much like Yasmin’s sudden death a few months back.

I appreciate Nam Ron’s boldness for Lollipop to open his film with a paedophile masturbating to young innocent children in his little room, but other than that, his metaphoric intention was not as clear as House, and it took some time to link the pedophilia to the Zambry/Nizar political battle. At first glance, the latter seems to be thrown in just for the sake of being involved with the country’s current affairs.

Johan John’s Duit Kecil was probably the least catchy one from the bunch for me. A man visiting the whore house with no small change, and ended up holding a conversation with the prostitutes. Meh.

All in all, 15Malaysia is a collection worthy to be stashed on your shelf. So, well done, Pete Teo and Packet One Networks for spearheading this project. As well as the 15 directors of this series. We may have hope yet.

If ever some day Packet One were to release a DVD of them, be sure to head out there and get a copy. Or, you can do it the Malaysian way – get a ciplakversion, or pirate it off the net. Heh.

You can still head on over to 15Malaysia’s website to check out all the short films, or if Streamyx has been a bitch to download the videos, you can watch them all in one shot at TimeOut KL’s Free Flicks event on September 27, 2009 (Sunday) at the Annexe Gallery. More info here.

I will let you in on a secret. Before Pixie Lott arrived for her interview with us, we at the table shared a little info one of us overheard that she is a little bit of an airhead. Did she prove us wrong on that? Well.

Granted the interview was in the afternoon the next day after MTV World Stage, and we were all still tired from the stalkarazzi and the quarter day standaround we did during the concert, she was pretty – nice. Most of the time.

Very much like Raygun, being kind in answering the questions we bombarded her. But it was not rocket science that she was pooped and would like to hop on a plane and head back to the UK to see her friends, which she mentioned more often than not throughout the interview.

Why Pixie Lott?
It’s a baby name my mom gave me when I was born. I was such a tiny little thing! And the name just sort of stuck around.

How does it feel like being the one female and solo performer at the MTV World Stage?
Haha, it was quite a wonderful and fun experience altogether, especially to share the stage with such amazing bands. I’ve also gotten compliments from fans, so that’s always nice!

Did you enjoy any of the performers last night?
Erm, to be honest, I thought they were pretty much the same thing, what with the rock music and tight jeans and all. Heh. But I thought All-American Rejects were good. And it was also nice to see Raygun perform, mainly because we’re from the same country.

Did you have a chance to hang out with the other bands?
No, not really. The schedule is pretty tight for me and there is barely time for me to take a breather. I had to skip the after party because I’ve already made plans to meet up with a friend of mine in Malaysia for sushi. But I’ve met Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects before, so it was great to see him again here.

At only 18, your music career has kicked off quite early in life. Do you ever worry that things will get jaded for you by the time you hit your 20s, like how it was for Britney Spears?
Nah, that doesn’t concern me, really. My label and parents keep a stern eye on me, and I’m confident they will not let me walk down that road. It’s really a matter of choice when it comes to these kinds of things. I grew up in a neighbourhood that breeds such bad influences and vices, but drugs do not really appeal to me.

So, when you’re not performing on stage, what are you doing during her free time?
Sleep. I need lots of sleep! And also hang out with my friends – go watch a movie, shopping or clubbing.

Being only 18 and underage, do you ever have any problems getting into clubs despite your fame?
Sometimes. A lot of times I tag along with my elder sister, and she could bring me in. That’s the good thing about having an older sister. There were a few times when my friends and I would dress up and all, but they’d get turned away. So, it’s one of those moments when I get to laugh at their faces because I get to go in, but they can’t!

After your performance at MTV World Stage, I’m sure there are a few fans out there developing a celebrity crush on you. Do you have any celebrity crushes yourself?
I kind of have a crush on Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron. I don’t know them in person but Pattinson as Edward Cullen seems like a kind and strong character, and Efron as Troy Bolton is a very nice and kind person.

Since we’re on the topic of guys, how can a guy grab your attention?
The guy would have to have the same interest as me, and he has to be funny too. To me, it’s important to be in the same wavelength with each other to make the relationship work.

Do you have a special someone waiting for you back home?
Haha, no. But I do have a few options.

Your debut album, Turn it Up, is dropping into stores on September 14, which is less than a month away. What would you be doing the night before your album is released?
I’m not sure how’s the schedule going to be for me that night, but I’m sure it’s going to be a riot. But if there’s nothing work-related going on, I’d do something as normal as hanging out with my friends. Maybe dress up and head out for a party just to get it out of the system.

Tell us a bit about the album.
It’s up tempo and fun while showing a more serious side of me. It’s an album that portrays the different sides and personalities I have. I try to have as much diversity as I can in the album, and not have one song sounding exactly like the other. It’s my debut album, so I’d definitely want it to be one that will grab people’s attention.

What will you be turning up exactly?
The vibe. The feel. I’d definitely be turning it up loud because loud music is always the best!

You did a cover of OneRepublic’s Apologize and Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody. Are there any songs out there that you wished you’ve penned down first instead?
I’d have to say Love Come Down by Evelyn King. How I wish I’ve written that first!

Here is Mama Do, featured on her upcoming album, Turn It Up.

Final instalment of MTV World Stage. Hope you all enjoyed. I shall crawl back to my hole now.

++
Also check out:
MTV World Stage : Interview with Raygun
MTV World Stage : Interview with Stank
MTV World Stage “Live in Malaysia”
MTV World Stage : Backstage

When I read Raygun’s bio release for MTV World Stage, my first thought was, “Sure or not?” It sounded like a very exaggerating piece with heightened flowery and too big promises for a band that has just started off.

They were described as “lead vox and sonic experimentation”, “war guitar and audio discovery” and “pace maker and heartbreaker”. And apparently they “summon up the razzle of New Wave and the dazzle of the Scissor Sisters’ disco, the filthiness of INXS, as well as the rock nous of a band long ready to start a revolution”, as they vow to “set a new blueprint for pop rock”, because they think other bands “don’t try hard enough to pump our blood, or move our feet”.

It was a pretty release set to impress, but it was very hard to buy it for me. I mean, words are just words, right?

In person, Ray Gun, The Adj, Sam Embery and Ben Lyonsmyth were generally nice fellows. Ray was pretty much the lead everyone expected, doing most of the talking and all. The Adj answered too, but eventually, you would catch on that they did not really apply unless for a laugh. Ben and Sam were pretty much just sitting there being pretty. Heh.

Overall, they were a nice band to interview, though it may probably be dued to the fact that they are new and in a foreign country, so they did not want to offend.

Tell us a bit about your band, Raygun.
Raygun is made up of me, Ray, the lead, along with guitarist The Adj, bassist Ben and drummer Sam. Adj and I have been a band of sorts for six years now since we were studying in London College of Music. Ben and Sam joined in later and the chemistry was right. Then, as everyone says, the rest is history.

What kind of music of you guys play?
We play a lot of 70s rock. Our influences are those such as David Bowie, T-Rex, Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop, so our music will mostly be inspired by those legends that were big in the mid-70s.

Would you guys consider your music Glam Rock then?
Yes, of course. We definitely would like to bring back all the glamour that was back in the 70s with our eccentric outfits and energetic music.

What separates your from the other bands emerging as of lately?
Well, we are a band who likes to have a laugh. We try not to take things too seriously. There are quite a few bands out there that are quite self-conscious when they go on stage, and we try not to submit to the same path as theirs. We strive to be entertaining and alive when it comes to performing live.

How’s Malaysia treating you guys so far?
Very good! The people have been pretty nice so far. We have never been to Malaysia before and we are liking what we see so far. And of course, the food is just gastronomic!

What was your initial reaction when MTV approached you to perform for MTV World Stage?
We were quite shocked, to be honest. I mean, we have toured with Pink before this, but that was it. We were surprised anyone would even take notice of us beyond that, let alone in Malaysia. But obviously, we jumped at the chance the second we were asked to perform at MTV World Stage.

What can the fans expect from you at the MTV World Stage concert?
Fans can definitely expect Raygun’s set to be an energetic one. There will be a lot of sweating going on, so I hope the fans brought spare change of clothes. Haha.

What do you expect from the fans in return?
Honestly, we are a little nervous performing tonight. This is our first time performing in Asia, and also Malaysia, so we’re not sure how the fans are going to react to our music. We do hope the crowd will not be too reserved, and will let loose and have fun with the music.

Tell us more about your hit single Just Because.
Just Because is a song about indulgence. Like how the chorus goes: “Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should” – it is all about thinking first of your actions before you do them. A lot of people complain that it’s a song about drugs, but I beg to differ; it’s more of an anti-drug song, if you ask me. Just because you have the means to do all the wrong things in life, it does not mean you should.

Are you guys working on a new album in the meantime?
Yeah, we are in the works on putting a debut album together. Hopefully, it will be ready by the end of the year. It is going to be up tempo, like all the songs you can hear from our MySpace page. Like what The Adj here would say: it’s going to be the next Nevermind and Sergeant Pepper. Haha.

Here is Just Because.

The new blueprint of pop rock? You be the judge.

++
Also check out:
MTV World Stage : Interview with Stank
MTV World Stage “Live in Malaysia”
MTV World Stage : Backstage