Drift Dining & Bar: Australian-style dining with great service |
- Drift Dining & Bar: Australian-style dining with great service
- As Sturridge eyes return, Rodgers issues Balotelli a warning
- Ryan Adams, Mandy Moore split after six years of marriage
- Abe says Japan won’t bow to terrorism after purported beheading of hostage Yukawa
- FA Cup: Pellegrini denies Abu Dhabi trip the reason behind City’s exit
- Malays bare insecurities in the face of K-pop “threat”
| Drift Dining & Bar: Australian-style dining with great service Posted: 24 Jan 2015 05:03 PM PST
Most times, we get satisfactory service where our order is taken and food is brought to our table. Sometimes it can be extremely bad service, where the wait staff are running around clueless, or food for the whole table arrives at different times. Rarely, do we experience exceptional service that elevates our total dining experience. No matter how stellar the food is, poor service just spoils your dining experience. Enter Team Australia – Robert Gilliland, Donna Freeman, Ric Patterson and Angus Harrison – the people behind Drift Dining & Bar that opened last December. Together, they hope to bring great Australian dining here with an emphasis on excellent service. "It's all about doing things in a casual unassuming environment but doing it well," explained Gilliland who owns Drift.
Harrison cut his teeth at several restaurants in Sydney including Fratelli Fresh and Longrain. His last posting was head chef of Luke Mangan's Salt Tapas in Bali before coming to Malaysia. And prior to coming to Malaysia, Gilliland used to work as a sommelier at Flying Fish and Marque. For seven years, Gilliland dreamt of opening up a place like Drift here but the timing was not right for the concept. He had moved to Malaysia after he set up fine wine importers Straits Wines Company here and in the Philippines. After his media company Global Television was sold last January, it accelerated the push to open this place. In addition, he believes the dining scene in KL is ready for this kind of concept. Paving the way to acceptance by KL-lites was a part played by The BIG Group. "I think The BIG Group has done huge things in changing how people socialise and eat and drink." As The BIG Group's restaurants and grocers are fashioned after an Australian concept, many have gotten used to the Australian way of doing things.
Walk into Drift to discover a casual yet relaxed dining style. It's designed as a place where you can come in a T-shirt or even a tuxedo, as long as you're comfortable. "Drift represents everything about what we love about eating and dining. We want people to drift through menus, drift through conversations, and drift through the wine list. We want people to drift in and out."
Even the space seems cloistered from the hustle and bustle of the city, despite being about 60 metres away from Jalan Mesui, with its lush trees and greenery. "We're in the heart of the district of entertainment in KL but you have the trees and plants. There's no traffic and it's like you're in your own space here. Drift is a world away from the world." The restaurant is designed with an emphasis to bring people closer to have conversation, from its intimate tables to a curved bar that can be converted into a table for seven people. It's also a manageable size of 70 seats, for the four of them to handle on their own.
When you dine here, it's up to you how you want to roll, whether it's a long dinner where you're served one dish at a time, which can span about 3-4 hours or if you prefer, all six dishes can be served at one time for you to finish within 45 minutes. "You come here to drift, we'll take care of the rest." Prices are also kept on par with what you will pay nearby at Changkat Bukit Bintang. "Price-wise, we don't want people to think you can only come here once a year. You do not need to pay a fortune to get good food."
"It's not a big list at the moment and we'll have to grow it out bit by bit but it's an extremely thoughtful wine list to cover price points. For instance, there's a bottle of red wine under RM100." Diversity is also what the wine list is all about, including their wines by glass. "There's no two regions, varieties and producers, which are the same." If you prefer not to drink wine, the bar also offers Drift jars filled with 1 litre of their in-house cocktail (a concoction of lemongrass, ginger, brandy and vodka) for RM60. "It's a bit strong and not like watered-down punch. We have deliberately done it so this can be your local, and you can drink and relax."
Even before he scouted for a chef, Gilliland made sure he had Freeman and Patterson on board for this venture. "If Harrison was here but Freeman and Patterson wasn't, it just would not work and it'll be a waste of time. That is the thing no one will notice but that's the part that will make it magic." Gilliland recalls a time when he worked in Marque, at that time Australia's No. 1 restaurant and ranked No. 25 in the world on a Saturday night handling degustation 10-course meals with wine, together with Patterson. "There were four people doing a top 50 restaurant in the world service-wise. You don't need 1,000 people, you just need a couple who know what they're doing." At Drift, Gilliland hopes to train his staff to provide attentive and thoughtful service. He does understand that the industry is looked upon differently here compared to Sydney. "Traditionally, the F&B industry has not been looked upon as a career path as you do that if you're not educated. In Sydney, top waiters get paid as much as lawyers." He believes things are definitely looking up for the F&B industry as he has witnessed bartenders rising up the ranks to become bar owners. "You'll never see another Drift or Prive. We're not going to cookie cut it. It'll always be small and intimate but exceptionally well run. There's more to come, it's just the beginning."
In addition, cheese, wine and coffee will also be available. "Harrison used to work at Fratelli Fresh and he makes amazing salads and we'll be serving amazing sandwiches. Everything will be made in-house." If you look closely within the restaurant, you may also spot the hidden speakeasy Prive, a private space perfect for intimate parties far from prying eyes. Drift Dining & Bar, Ground Floor, 38 Bidara Condominium, Jalan Bidara, Kuala Lumpur. Open from 5pm onwards (Mondays to Saturdays) https://www.facebook.com/Driftdiningandbar  |
| As Sturridge eyes return, Rodgers issues Balotelli a warning Posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:53 PM PST
Balotelli failed to make Liverpool's matchday 18 as the Premier League side were held to a goalless draw by second-tier Bolton Wanderers in a fourth-round FA Cup tie at Anfield yesterday, even though the Italy striker was fit. Since making a £16 million (RM86.404) from AC Milan in August, Balotelli has managed just two goals in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Reds. Rodgers has also switched Liverpool's system to a more dynamic 3-4-2-1 formation based on pressing, which has seen Raheem Sterling utilised in a more central role. The Northern Irish manager revealed he had an hour-long discussion with Balotelli at Liverpool's Melwood training ground to spell out exactly what the misfiring forward must do to force his way back into contention. "Mario's not injured, just not selected," said Rodgers. "I think it's tough for him because the team is doing very well. He's probably seen the real Liverpool over these last six or seven weeks and he understands what's required know to get into the team. "Of course I am judging it every day in training as well," Rodgers added. "Mario is exactly the same as every other player. There's no special treatment. "Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have worked tirelessly in training and when they've come on they've contributed. "I had a good chat with Mario and he knows exactly what's required to be in the squad before he can be in the team." Rodgers recently ruled out selling Balotelli during the January transfer window and was confident his decision to axe him from the side against Bolton would produce a positive reaction from the 24-year-old. "He was fully understanding and I'm confident he will respond now," added Rodgers. 'Final rehab' Liverpool could have Sturridge back for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final with Chelsea on Tuesday after Rodgers confirmed the striker was on the verge of resuming full training. Sturridge has not played since August, having struggled with thigh and calf injuries which saw him sent to the United States for rehabilitation. But now, with the tie level at 1-1, he could return at Stamford Bridge against a Chelsea side desperate to make amends for their shock 4-2 FA Cup home loss to third-tier Bradford City. "Daniel starts training tomorrow (today) with the team. He's had the final rehab with the medical and sports science guys today (yesterday) and will join with the group," Rodgers said. "Now it's just about getting that condition and football fitness and game fitness. We'll see how he is for Tuesday, if he isn't ready for Tuesday, he'll be back against West Ham next weekend." Meanwhile Bolton manager Neil Lennon said he would do everything he could to tie down Adam Bogdan to a new contract after the Hungary goalkeeper, whose current deal expires in June, kept the Trotters in the FA Cup with several fine saves at Anfield. "He's a good size, he fills the goal and will have done his reputation no harm at all," Lennon said of Bogdan. "He's out of contract in the summer and we will sit down with his agent. I can ill-afford to let players of his quality go." Lennon added the character and determination shown by his side meant they richly deserved a replay. "My heart was in my mouth in the last five minutes when we were running in fumes," he said. "People will look at the score and say Liverpool didn't play well but they did play well," Lennon insisted. "To come away from here with a replay is more than we could have asked for. "We showed mental strength and bravery against one of the best attacking teams in the country." — AFP |
| Ryan Adams, Mandy Moore split after six years of marriage Posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:49 PM PST
The couple who wed in March of 2009 after a month of engagement split after nearly six years of marriage. "The split is a respectful, amicable parting of ways and both Mandy and Ryan are asking for media to respect their privacy at this time," a publicist told the magazine. The pair kept their private affairs away from the public with Adams causing a bit of a stir last year when he hung up during an Australian radio interview when the host kept pressing about Moore. Moore's vocal talents were featured on Adams' solo albums "Ashes & Fire" and "Ryan Adams". According to another report from Radar Online, Moore filed for the divorce in Los Angeles, while Adams was in New York. |
| Abe says Japan won’t bow to terrorism after purported beheading of hostage Yukawa Posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:41 PM PST
Haruna Yukawa, a self-styled security contractor, was beheaded after Japan failed to pay a US$200 million (RM700 million) ransom by the Islamist militants' deadline, according to a Twitter post yesterday from SITE Intel Group, based in Bethesda, Maryland. A video was released showing the other Japanese hostage, war correspondent Kenji Goto, pleading in English for his life and asking for the release of a woman jailed in Jordan on accusations of attempting to take part in a suicide bombing. The prisoner the Islamic State militants want released is Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman who tried to detonate an explosive belt at a wedding party at the Radisson Hotel in Amman in 2005. Islamic State may have some leverage since it also holds a Jordanian Air Force pilot whose plane went down over Syria on a bombing mission. A deal is unlikely since it would involve a public concession to the militant group and strain relations with the US, a key economic and defense ally for Japan and Jordan. "The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of Japanese citizen Haruna Yukawa by the terrorist group ISIL," President Barack Obama said in a statement, using one version of Islamic State's name. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our ally Japan and applaud its commitment to peace and development in a region far from its shores." US$200 million Islamic State sought to punish the Japanese government after Abe pledged US$200 million in aid to help refugees and displaced people due to the conflict in Syria and Iraq, setting the ransom at the same amount. The group set a 72-hour deadline in a Jan. 20 video that showed the two men kneeling before a knife-wielding militant. "We call again for no harm to come to Kenji Goto and demand his immediate release," Abe said early today in Tokyo. On a six-day Middle East trip that ended the day the first video was released, Abe said in a speech in Cairo that allowing terrorism and weapons of mass destruction to spread there would impart an "immeasurable" loss on the region. He later denounced the kidnappings as an "unforgivable" act and said his government would never cave in to terrorism, pledging to do everything otherwise possible to secure their release. The lives of the two Japanese hostages became intertwined when they met in Syria after Yukawa traveled there for the first time last year. Goto, a war correspondent for two decades, had reported from conflict zones across the Middle East and Africa. Aleppo travels Yukawa, 42, went to the region as he sought to reinvent himself as a soldier-of-fortune after a failed business career, a suicide attempt and the death of his wife, he wrote on his personal blog in April. He returned to Syria in July and was captured by Islamic State within weeks of his arrival. The group released a video in August showing a bloodied Yukawa being interrogated. His capture prompted Goto, a devout Christian, to head to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo seeking his release, according to Kyodo news agency. Goto, born in 1967, ended up a hostage facing the same death sentence, after leaving a video message in which he said his fate was his own responsibility. Goto's mother told reporters Friday that her son's wife recently gave birth to a child. "America has known this pain and horror ourselves, and we stand with Japan not just in sadness, but in solidarity and strength," US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. "We grieve with Haruna Yukawa's family and loved ones, and with all the people of Japan." — Bloomberg |
| FA Cup: Pellegrini denies Abu Dhabi trip the reason behind City’s exit Posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:41 PM PST
Arab-owned City jetted out to Abu Dhabi following last Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Arsenal for a week's warm-weather training before arriving back in Manchester at around 8pm on Friday. After a goalless first half at the Etihad Stadium, City midfielder Fernando's defensive error allowed on-loan Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford to put Middlesbrough in front on 53 minutes. City continued to be frustrated by the Championship (second tier) side and with time running out Middlesbrough substitute Kike added a second to seal the victory. Despite the embarrassment of being knocked out by lower league opposition, City boss Pellegrini refused to blame his side's late arrival from Abu Dhabi as the reason behind their poor performance. "No, I don't think so," he told the BBC. "It's easy to have an excuse, but I don't think that was the case. "Before they scored the first goal, we had five or six clear chances. They didn't have one chance. But we conceded a very easy goal, and the game changed. We were nervous. "They are a team who work well; that's why they are second in the Championship. They had opportunities to score more goals and deserved to go through." Premier League champions City, who trail leaders Chelsea by five points at the top of the table, travel to Stamford Bridge next Saturday in a mouth-watering clash against Jose Mourinho's side. With the Premier League and Champions League the only silverware left for faltering City this season, Pellegrini urged his side to put their FA Cup disappointment behind them amid accusations they took the Middlesbrough game too lightly. "I wanted to continue in all the competitions but now we must focus on the Premier League and Champions League," the Chilean said. "We now have a difficult game against Chelsea, we must reduce the five-point gap." — Reuters |
| Malays bare insecurities in the face of K-pop “threat” Posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:39 PM PST JANUARY 25 — A fan gets chosen to go onstage and meet the pop star he has previously only seen from afar. He cannot believe his luck. His heart is still beating fast and he can barely contain his excitement. His eyes are fixated on the star, everything else is just noise. There might be handshakes, friendly hugs. Photos are taken. The moment is awkward, but it is also fun and funny. The same scene has replayed itself over and over again across the world. Anywhere else, it would be left alone and in time forgotten, except for the smitten fan. It did not seem so recently when the fans were three Malay girls who were thrust into infamy just because their heads were covered in the traditional tudung. After a Facebook page maliciously labelled the scene as "Malay girls molested on stage by K-Pop men", the incident has become a lightning rod that united certain quarters of the Malay community, hasty and eager in their moral policing. The response that followed was mostly vile, with Malay daily Sinar Harian mentioning the incident on its front page, claiming that what happened was "worse than hugging dogs." Religious authorities and scholars were quick to condemn the event, promising brimstone and fire. You would have thought that the world was ending. But above all, at the centre was a feeling the insecurities of the Malay community was finally unleashed after years of simmering denial and pent-up frustration. 1. Insecurity about pop culture Hate it or love it, Korean pop culture — from K-pop music to TV dramas to variety shows — is perhaps South Korea's most successful export. Starting in the late 1990s, the Korean wave, or hallyu, has since swept across the whole world and Malaysia together with it.
Shows like Running Man are household names. Songs and dances by artists such as Wonder Girls and PSY became viral to the point of annoyance, but it is a level of fame that many can only dream of. Compared to that, where is Malay pop culture now? Are we to be forever defined by P. Ramlee, Sudirman, and Yasmin Ahmad? It is understandable how this might have spooked the entertainment industry, where certain quarters held the audience to ransom with their tired cry of "support our local scene." 2. Insecurity about virility Some Malay men were quick to shame the Malay girls for allegedly being "cheap" with their Korean stars. The girls were made to feel unworthy of their faith. Such comments masked the suspicion that some Malay men feel inadequate about their chances to attract a mate. As such, they fall back to their male entitlement: that Malay women belong to them, and it is only they who deserve the women's attention. Korean idols can look flawless, with their androgynous looks, perfect hair, stylish attire, and their toned physique. The fact that Malay women can fall head over heels for men with features that can be described as feminine can be unnerving to some. One minister even tweeted, either jokingly or defensively, that Malay women should return to "real men": the tall, dark, and handsome, instead of the pale, skinny, and pretty. It is telling that most men who support this notion would themselves only prefer the pale, skinny and pretty when it comes to women. This myth has been recycled many times over, that the foreigners are coming for the Malay women: from Arabs, Africans, to South Asian immigrants, and even white expats. Now it is the Koreans. 3. Insecurity about identity Lest we forget, K-pop is just the latest "threat" against the Malay and Muslim communities. Before this there were black metal and punk. Go years back, and there were probably warnings against just about anything that young people listen to. Even years from now in the future, the same old folks will still cry the same warnings. If you believe the religious authorities, Malay youths would suddenly forget to be Malays and Muslims if they expose themselves to foreign culture. Years of failed nation-building and reconciliation with other ethnic groups have left the country without a cohesive identity. The ones suffering the most might perhaps be the Malays, many of whom retreat into their shell of Muslim identity when faced with culture clashes. As always, when faced with a foreign juggernaut such as the Korean wave, the easiest step would be to blame "The Other" rather than face up to our own shortfalls. There is always somebody else to blame behind the phenomenon: the liberals, Christian evangelists, church activists. It is easier to call for protectionism for our own entertainment industry, or dismissing K-pop for being inferior, rather than stepping up our game. Perhaps Malay men should look at themselves and figure out what it is that makes Korean idols so attractive, even sexually? Is it their image of being sweet, romantic and sensitive? Or their image of not seeing women as objects and possessions that belong only to men of certain ethnic groups? Religious authorities should ask themselves, why are some Malays not taking religion as seriously as they take entertainment? How important is religion to Malay youths these days? K-pop will still be around, at least for another few years. Should Malay fans now pre-emptively be banned from sharing the stage with their idols for fear of enraging some entitled, hypocritical men? To punish our youths' taste for our own insecurities would be unfair. Just as we can embrace K-pop, we can also learn a lot from it. |
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