the ultimate living - sc global · 2010-07-21 · sentosascmagapril10.indd 1 3/25/10 4:18:21 pm the...

SentosaSCMagApril10.indd 1 3/25/10 4:18:21 PM

TH

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10 THE ULTIMATE LIVING

JUMP INTO SPRING

COLOURS OF KATHMANDU

COMPLICATING DESIGN

SPRING’S SWEET PLEASURE

W102567-Lifestyle cover spine 4.5mm.indd 1W102567-Lifestyle cover spine 4.5mm.indd 1 10/04/2010 11:11 AM10/04/2010 11:11 AM

the newcauldronof cool

bY erI aKbar

22-25.berlin.indd 22 3/24/10 2:38 PM

22+25

art

what was once the ultImate sYmbol of freedom and democracY, berlIn has shed Its

heavY hIstorIcal coat to unveIl a sensatIonal new sKIn as a must-vIsIt destInatIon for

artIsts and art lovers.

GemÑldeGalerie Kulturforum

22-25.berlin.indd 23 3/24/10 2:38 PM

Top 5 Spots to Soak in the Berlin Art Scene

If you went on a whirlwind tour of the German

capital, your guide is likely to take you to the

haunting Holocaust Museum which resembles an

austere graveyard with thousands of cubed tomb-

like stones lined up in a perfectly symmetrical

line. You would certainly stop to marvel at the

Palace of the Republic, now a museum of science

and non-European art (its old home was the

parliament). And yes, you’d certainly catch a

glimpse of the remains of the Berlin wall or

visit the famous Humboldt University where

Einstein once revealed his beautiful mind to

eager students.

It is clear that the city cannot escape its

bloody past, but look carefully and you’ll see that

it weaves its old and new stories with art. And

how beautifully Berlin does it.

Just outside Humboldt is an underground art

installation showcasing empty white shelves

deliberately constructed to store 20,000 books,

seen through glass panels. It is a memorial of

sorts—commemorating the Nazis’ torching of

books—accompanied by the inscription that

translates as “that was only a prelude; where

they burn books, they ultimately burn people”.

Today, Berlin is home to over 170 museums

and 440 galleries, explored by some 123 million

visitors each year, according to the Berlin

Tourism Board. Whether you prefer to mull over

the priceless works of the Old Masters or abstract

pieces of contemporary art, you will find them

among Berlin’s offerings to satiate your artistic

cravings. Indeed, Berlin has become the new

heartbeat of the arts world, exciting aspiring

artists and art aficionados alike.

More than simply a rival to Paris, London

and New York, Berlin has an edge over these

noted arts capitals as it has room for new

artists to grow, turning kieze (quarters) into one

arts enclave after another. It is estimated that

20,000 artists now reside in Berlin, whether they

are on government-backed artist-in-residence

programmes, have relocated their bases or are

lured by the promise of a big break just around

the corner.

Ms Dorothee Seissinger, the executive

secretary of Singapore’s Goethe-Institut, also

an art historian who has worked in Berlin, New

York and near London, gives an insight. “Berlin is

a magnet for art lovers since it has outstanding

collections, both old and modern, but more than

other cities like New York, Paris or London, it can

afford to have an avant-garde, experimental and

non-establishment arts scene, simply because

commercial and living space, not to mention the

cost of living in Berlin is inexpensive.”

Prestigious galleries like Arndt & Partner,

Contemporary Fine Arts and Eigen + Art co-exist

with smaller, independent galleries, drawing

Hamburger

Bahnhof area

The latest stretch

for art exploration,

near the railway

station. Kunsthalle

Berlin will soon

join a number of

contemporary

galleries which

have relocated here

from other parts of

the city. This arts

centre will host

talks, exhibitions

and events like

the recent indoor

drive-in cinema,

where visitors sat

in second-hand

cars to watch

artists’ videos and

film classics.

mitte

Offers a great

variety for visual

arts, covering pop

art, photography

and Asian works.

Also where

Museum Island,

with its string

of museums, is

located along

the Spree river.

Coupled with

restaurants

and clubs, it is

considered the

place to be seen in

Berlin.

Kreuzberg

Prominent galleries

have established

their presence here,

including Galerie

Jablonka which

offers coveted

works by Picasso

and Warhol. The

Jewish Museum

and Checkpoint

Charlie are situated

here too.

Prenzlauer Berg

The hip downtown

area is popular

with a new wave of

artists, so it’s the

place to go if you

want an eyeful of

aesthetics with an

avant-garde twist.

Also a shopping

haven for high

street fashion.

Charlottenburg

Apart from

Charlottenburg

Palace, you will

find a group of

theatres and

museums, such

as Renaissance

Theatre and Brohan

Museum which are

great examples of

Art Deco.

both serious, well-heeled collectors and those

looking to own affordable, conversation-starter

pieces for their home. Likewise, an über artist

like Englishman Damien Hirst, who made his

name with his sheep carcass display, among

other controversial works, has no qualms about

sending off his pieces to Berlin for sale, as does

relatively undiscovered young artist Michael

Rade, who set up a warehouse-style gallery

in Berlin to include experimental works after

finding London’s arts scene “a tough nut to

crack”, according to Deustche Welle, Germany’s

international media portal.

Galleries occupy buildings that used to house

factories, breweries and even a home for asylum

seekers, thus giving them a certain industrial

charm. There are many such spaces available to

be converted into spanking new, modern galleries.

So there is something for the architecture buff

because the varied architectural landscape of

the city landed it a City of Design title conferred

by United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Yet, it is not just about walking in and out

of art museums or interesting buildings. Berlin

has fast become the place for internationally

recognised festivals like the Berlin Film Festival,

the Berlin Biennale and the Berlin International

Music Festival, all of which lend weight to the

city‘s reputation as a vibrant arts hub.

While the young flock to Berlin to soak in

the unconventional art vibe, one could do

well to remember the giants who came before

them. After all, Berlin’s affair with the arts

began in the 1920s, during the time of famous

German artists Otto Dix, George Grosz and their

contemporaries, all of whom faced persecution

by the Nazis, were suppressed in the war years

and experienced a revival in the 1990s shortly

after the city was gazetted as the national

arts central.

Now, Berlin’s art scene looks set to continue to

flourish with investments flowing in from outside

and within Germany. Taschen Books, which

exclusively publishes arts-centric books, chose

Berlin as the site for expansion after its flagship

in Cologne. The bookstore—outfitted by celebrity

designer Philippe Starck no less—stocks titles as

contrasting as Big Book Of Breasts and Greatest Of

All Time, a tribute to boxer Muhammad Ali with a

whopping price tag of €10,000 (S$20,000).

Taschen Books owner Benedikt Taschen,

captured the eclectic spirit of the Berlin arts scene

—from the plain kitschy to the utterly refined—in

an interview with The Local, an English-language

Berlin-based newspaper, when he said, “There is

no conventional separation between high-brow

and low-brow art. Both are interesting, and as

they say, variety is the spice of life.”

altes museum

e ast s ide Gallery

PerGamon museum

22-25.berlin.indd 24 3/24/10 2:38 PM

moleCule manjuedisCHes museumtaCHeles werKstat t

temPorÑre KunstHalle

Pei Bau fr aGasso

22-25.berlin.indd 25 3/24/10 2:38 PM

A DELIGHTFUL SPREAD

Legacy aquamarine, diamond and pLatinum chain-Link

braceLet; emeraLd-cut 4.33-carat aquamarine, diamond and

pLatinum shank ring; fLeur de Lis diamond and pLatinum earrings,

from tiffany & co.

sequinned dress from ck.cakes from pine garden’s cake

and cheryLshuen Wedding concept.

38+45 d

esig

n

38-45.accessories.indd 38 4/7/10 10:54 AM

the baubles of spring bring sweet, sweet pleasure

plaisir sucre


WHAT A TREAT

Legacy 5 bar diamond drop pLatinum pendant and Legacy

4 square diamond and pLatinum earrings from tiffany & co. red dress from ck. cakesfrom pine garden’s cake.


LIFE’S LITTLE LUXURIES

parentesi cocktaiL neckLacein 18-karat White goLd WithbLue topaz, amethyst and

pave diamonds from bvLgari.


PRECIOUS FAVOURITES

astraLe Large pendant neckLace and shieLd braceLet in 18-karat

yeLLoW goLd With bLue topaz, amethyst, green tourmaLine,

peridot, citrine quartz, rhodoLite garnet

and pavé diamonds from bvLgari. bLue victorian cake from

cheryLshuen Wedding concept.


GOOD ENOUGH TO EATparentesi cocktaiL braceLet

in 18-karat pink goLd With green and citrine quartz, amethyst and pave diamonds; parentesi

cocktaiL ring in 18-karatpink goLd With citrine quartz

and pave diamonds from bvLgari.

pink chiffon jacket by emporio armani. cakes from pine

garden’s cake.


SWEET SENSATION

parentesi cocktaiL big ringin 18-karat White goLd With

bLue topaz and pavé diamonds from bvLgari.


FLY INTO SPRING

archivaL butterfLy diamondand pLatinum brooch

from tiffany & co. cake from cheryLshuen

Wedding concept

PHOTOGRAPHY mervin chua / aperture ink STYLING sloo assisted by nat png HAIR vicky chua / x ’pect studio using schwarkopf hair productsmAkEUP t inoq russell goh (ph: 9186 2149) using shu uemura makeup mODEL l innea, mannequin studio LOCATION martin 38


46+47 vo

yag

e

by DaveN WU

Hotels are goiNg to yet greater leNgtHs to eNsUre tHat tHe small tHiNgs make a HUge impact oN its gUests.

effUsiveextras

Once upon a time—when checking into a hotel

was a big deal—it was the height of sophistication

to find a fruit basket in your room or a dinky

little chocolate on the pillow with the turn-

down service. These days, it’s sometimes hard

to muster any kind of enthusiasm even when

presented with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Which

is why hotels are working so much harder to

come up with increasingly novel (literally, in the

case of the Mandarin Oriental New York) ways

to keep their guests amused enough to come

back for more. Here’s a wrap-up of our favourite

hotel giveaways.

46-47.hotelfreebies.indd 46 3/24/10 2:48 PM

bY AMY VAN

With the launch of the second edition of the

Michelin Guide, Hong Kong’s dining circuit has

come abuzz all over again. Having drawn flak for

its selections in the first edition (which employed

a majority of foreign inspectors), the famous red

book’s sophomore effort reportedly came with

more Chinese inspectors which may explain why

the number of Chinese restaurants to earn those

coveted stars has increased in the 2010 guide.

We swung by a few of these Michelin star-

studded dim sum joints in the Pearl of the Orient

to find out if they are indeed buzz-worthy. The

following list highlights those that were.

Fook Lam moon

35-45 Johnston Road, Wanchai, hong Kong

Ph: +852 2866 0663

Reservations are integral in order to score a table

at this venerable institution. Hong Kong’s elite,

for one, can’t seem to get enough of its classic

dim sum dishes made to unyielding standards.

Founder and chef Chui Fook kicked off his

career in the kitchen of a former Qing Dynasty

bureaucrat in Hong Kong. He also counts a stint

as head chef for the prominent Ho Tung family.

He opened Fook Lam Moon in 1972 in bustling

Wan Chai and the restaurant has since spawned

outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Fook Lam Moon serves arguably the best prawn

dumplings (har gao) in the city. Plump prawns

are encased in flawlessly pleated translucent yet

sturdy skin. The velvety steamed rice rolls (with

char siew or prawns) satisfy even the fussiest of

eaters with its impeccable texture and balance of

flavours. Also mind-blowing is the steamed lotus

leaf wrapped glutinous rice with dried scallops

and chicken — delicious right down to the last

grain. The mango pudding, chock full of juicy

mangoes, is without doubt the best in town.

stellAr bitesT’ang CourT

1/F & 2/F Langham hoteL hong Kong,

8 PeKing Road, tsim sha tsui, KoWLoon

Ph: +852 2375 1133

Executive Chinese chef Siu Hin Chi insists

that a chef should have deep and thorough

knowledge of an ingredient before he can marry

it with cooking techniques to create new culinary

dimensions. Put simply, chef Siu is a stickler for

preserving the traditions of Cantonese cuisine

and cooking.

At T’ang Court, his faultlessly executed dim

sum are made with premium ingredients. Silky

pan-fried rice rolls are swathed in a homemade

spicy sauce which whets the taste buds for more.

Spring rolls are stuffed with fresh shrimp and

chives and fried to a perfect golden crisp without

being greasy. It is dishes like these that earned

T’ang Court two Michelin stars in 2009 and 2010.

Its interiors are decked in plush silk and dotted

with sculptures, while a dramatic spiral staircase

leads guests up to five private dining rooms

named after famed Tang Dynasty poets. Indeed,

besides luxe signatures like baked pastries filled

with whole abalone or diced chicken, as well

as steamed lobster, crabmeat, shrimp and pork

dumplings, diners flock here for the sumptuous

ambience and indulgent yum char experience.

Yan Toh heenBaked pasTries f illed wiTh whole aBalone and diced chicken from T’ang courT

58-59.hk-dining.new.indd 58 4/5/10 12:16 PM

58+59

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urM

et

Yan Toh heen

inteRcontinentaL hong Kong, 18 saLisbuRy Road,

KoWLoon Ph: +852 2313 2323

Crowned with a single star in 2010, this 25-year-

old stalwart is helmed by executive chef Lau Yiu

Fai. Lau and his team turn out impeccably crafted

dim sum with a view of the glittering harbour.

Exotic ingredients are woven with much flair

into the kitchen’s creations. To wit, wok-seared

Wagyu beef buns and spicy Kagoshima pork and

kimchi dumplings.

The chef’s specialty of braised whole abalone

with seasonal seafood is a clever interplay of

tastes and textures with prawns, scallops and

garoupa slices served atop a deep-fried taro

net. Equally unique is a dish of minced pigeon

with sun-dried oysters and preserved vegetables

cocooned in puff pastry.

The restaurant also boasts a selection of

‘ihealth’ dishes—essentially healthier variations

of Cantonese delicacies (less salt and oil, for

instance) without any compromise in taste. Try

the fluffy baked sweet corn buns packed with

diced chicken and garlic.

Yan Toh Heen’s winning combination

of exquisite food and wine, elegant décor

replete with precious jade place settings and

breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour and the

Hong Kong skyline make for an unparalleled

dining experience.

Tim ho Wan

shoP 8, 2-20 KWong Wa stReet, mongKoK, KoWLoon

Ph: +852 2332 2896

Unlike its other high-end counterparts, Tim Ho

Wan is a humble eatery set in a cramped space

laden with wooden tables and chairs. The best

way to spot this nondescript eatery is to look out

for the snaking queue that seems to have formed

(and stayed) since it received its prestigious star.

Tourists armed with their little red books stand

in line with elderly locals waiting patiently and

eagerly for a chance to sink their teeth into

astonishingly cheap and utterly satisfying made-

to-order dim sum. Expect to fork out an average

of just S$12 per person.

From 10am till 10pm, owner Mak Pui Gor—the

former chef at Four Season Hong Kong’s three-

Michelin-starred Lung King Heen—rolls out a

parade of bamboo steamers filled with all sorts

of steamed and fried goodies. His bestseller

char siew buns topped with a crunchy sugary

glaze (miniature por lor bao) are incredibly

delicious, as is the har gao (prawn dumplings).

Steadfastly traditional dim sum offerings are

also a draw here—think steamed glutinous rice

with chicken and sausage and pillowy brown

sugar sponge cakes. Round off your meal with a

refreshing jasmine tea jelly spiked with delicate

osmanthus flowers.

Once you’re in, it’s easy to forget the

We folloWed the MicheliN-stArred diM suM trAil iN hoNg KoNg ANd sussed out our fAVourites.

meandering queue out there on the sidewalk.

You may have to share a table with other

diners though. The best time to beat the line

is to head there half an hour before opening

hours on a weekday.

ming’s CourT

Langham PLace hoteL, 555 shanghai stReet,

mongKoK, KoWLoon

Ph: +852 3552 3300

Ming’s Court was given a second Michelin star

with the second edition of the guide. This elegant

restaurant is a magnet for business lunches

thanks to its refined and discreet service. Chef

Tsang Chiu King provides a contemporary take

on timeless Cantonese dishes such as steamed

dumplings filled with shark’s fin and diced

mushrooms, conpoy, ham and bamboo pith in

consommé. The shrimp dumplings with crunchy

bamboo shoots are always a winner, as are the

pan-fried buns with assorted mushrooms.

fook l am moon siew mai ming’s courT

sTe amed loBsTer, cr aB me aT, shrimp and pork dumpling from T’ang courT

Yan Toh heen’s p igeon wiTh diced oYsTer

58-59.hk-dining.new.indd 59 4/5/10 12:17 PM

the ultimate living - sc global · 2010-07-21 · sentosascmagapril10.indd 1 3/25/10 4:18:21 pm the...

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