2015-05-29

Food by Feast x Francfranc Afternoon Tea @ The East Hotel


Feast (Food by EAST) x Francfranc introduces an exclusive themed afternoon tea with their signature tableware line, NEWMO for an afternoon of comfort and style.


The NEWMO afternoon tea features Devilled Egg Profiteroles, Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Cream and Pickled Cucumber Rye,  Croque Monsieur with Ham and Cheese Brioche, Tuna and Piquillo Peppers.



For the sweet tooth, Fruit Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam, Strawberry Pavlova, Lemon Cupcake with Orange Blossom Cream Raspberry Slice Almond Sponge with Raspberry Cream,  all accompanied by a choice of tea or coffee.


The afternoon tea set is available from Monday to Friday, except Public Holidays, 3:00pm to 5:30pm, and is priced at HK$238 for two and an additional HK$165 for an extra person. You will receive a special gift from Francfranc,including a coaster and discount coupon for Francfranc’s Cityplaza shop. All gifts are on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices are subject to 10% service charge. Reservations are recommended. Please email feastreservations@east-hongkong.com or call the restaurant on +852 3968 3777 for details. Promotion ends 10th July 2015.


Chopard’s GOLD Night Features An Exclusive Robbie Williams Concert


 Chopards annual grand soirée is one of the most sought-after events of the Cannes film festival fortnight. This year, guests of the renowned jewellery house were able to enjoy an exceptional concert by Robbie Williams amid the stunning decor of a reconstituted gold mine.


One of the Festival’s most eagerly awaited evening events was held by Chopard in a marquee specially set up for the occasion at Port Canto on the Croisette.


In keeping with the theme of gold adopted by Chopard for all its activities during the Festival in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Palme d’Or, the GOLD soirée immersed guests into the heart of a stunning reconstituted gold mine, complete with tunnel reminiscent of a mine entrance, “nugget-style” chairs, lush tropical vegetation and a bridge built across the whole venue with mine wagons featuring the letters GOLD. Amid this splendid setting, models wearing Chopard’s latest Red Carpet creations and dressed by Elie Saab in golden gowns, composed tableaux vivants.  

  
During the evening, English-born singer-songwriter Kirsty Bertarelli performed some of her latest songs before handing over the stage to Robbie Williams, who had flown in especially to La Croisette for a private concert in which he sang some of his greatest hits, among which Rock DJ, She’s the One and Angels, to the delight of the 700 guests.


Among them, Uma Thurman, Fan Bing Bing, Poppy Delevingne, Elettra Wiedemann, Sonam Kapoor, Irina Shayk, Adriana Lima, Petra Nemcova, Toni Garrn, Ana Beatriz Barros, Michelle Rodriguez, Isabeli Fontana, Daniela Braga, Catrinel Marlon and Julie Ordon.


MCM @ AW2015 BIONIC Collection


MCM AW2015 BIONIC Collection welcome the futuristic to its product range. Following the depths of high tech innovative lifestyle and new school luxury MCM reinvents its iconic M typography motif on the Bionic Collection that represents an integration of material and design in an abstract style.


The Bionic Collection debuts with innovative lightweight and custom-made tech materials. Inspired by the interior light paneling on spaceships the signature line is crafted by high-tech three-dimensional surface-design material which provides ultimate durability and water resistance. Premium three-dimensional printing techniques gave way for a uniquely padded design, giving birth to a truly innovative and futuristic collection for the new generation.


MCM reveals for the Bionic Collection a bold and dynamic campaign starring the South Korean K-Pop band, EXO. Communicating both the brand’s founding tenets of innovation and modernism, the EXO boys emphasize the products distinctively. The campaign was presented exclusively on the microsite, exo.mcmworldwide.com launched on May 1st, 2015. 


The unisex Bionic Collection includes product range suited for the millennial, forward-thinking mind-set.  Backpacks, shoppers, a waist bag and a drawstring bag as well as small leather goods such as different sized pouches and wallets are available in galactic black, majestic gold and silver. Available in Hong Kong Flagship and Boutiques from June 1st, 2015.


2015-05-28

Hotel Equatorial Melaka @ The "Old Lady" Strikes Back In The Heart of History


Besieged by the upraising boutique and business hotels around town, the 22-storey Hotel Equatorial Melaka still stands at its best after all these years. With its recent renovation and upgrading on its guest rooms, this charming “Old Lady” strikes back to suit all needs in the heart of history, mylifestylenews writes……


Melaka has a surprisingly large number of hotels and while the city is not extremely large, it is still all about location. The Hotel Equatorial Melaka business hotel has 496 elegantly appointed guestrooms and suites offering stunning views of the Straits of Melaka and St. Paul’s Hill. Set in the heart of historical Melaka, it offers a touch of elegance and contemporary design in its newly upgraded rooms, and while it may be more of a business resort, it does also offer some great leisure facilities. 


The hotel is a showcase of local heritage, culture and tradition, reflected in every way, from its unique architecture to warm service and specialized restaurants. The hotel itself is built on the site of the original Melaka Rest House, which was an old colonial house of hospitality dating back to the early 1900’s, so what it provides within is a taste of hospitality that harks back to the old days.



It is ideally located within a few minutes walk from the historical sites and trails, shopping complexes, night spots, as well as the famous Jonker Street – a haven for antique collectors and bargain hunters. Of course, it is all about Melakan hospitality and what an interesting history this port city has in terms of historical influences that have created such a warm hospitality which this hotel excels in, while providing the convenience of the modern world.


We were perched in a 20th floor aerie, with a spectacular view overlooking the Straits of Melaka, enjoying the comforts of our Premier room. A welcome tea refreshment was delivered promptly after arriving in our room, along with a cold face towel, which was very welcome after the excessive temperature outside. The newly renovated room is tastefully furnished along elegant and contemporary designs and has a soaring ceiling height, which is so welcoming, as low ceilings dampen one’s sense of enjoyment especially after Hong Kong.  Despite the dated bathroom with the shower still being in the bath, it is one little niggle in a property of this caliber, with the 3-sided wrap around window daybed adding that memorable touch and this becomes one of the highlights of the room. 


The Hotel Equatorial ensures that you have plenty of leisure options to relax with, including a huge free-form swimming pool, a floodlit tennis court , a spacious gym with his and hers jacuzzi, saunas and steam rooms, so it won’t be all work and no play with these options to choose from.


Despite Melaka gaining its title as one of the UNESCO World Heritage listings in 2008, multiple development in different directions turn this charming little town into commercialism instead of maintaining its heritage assets at it best.


Walking along the narrow streets is one of the best ways to discover the historical Melaka but you must be able to bear the heat and humidity. Umbrellas, hats, sunscreen, sun block lotion, lots of bottles of waters seemingly are the necessity which you can’t do without while touring around by foot in the historical city. A 38c of heat is more than discomfort, finding a shaded “Kaki Lima” - a five-foot walkways where possible during your sightseeing is the best way to fight the heat simultaneously. But, mind you, after a few good blocks, you may begin to lose your interest to farther your journey especially getting bombarded by the commercial tourist stores/shops with repetition of merchandise offered along Jonker Street.


Jonker Street has now turned “Junker Street” by selling mostly Made-In-China junk plastic merchandise with 100% commercialism. The street turns into a pedestrian night market every Friday and Saturday from 6pm onwards. It is all depends on what’s your version of night market pleasure, if you were to seek for the real UNESCO World Heritage site with this weekend “pop-up” outdoor stalls dominating the street with mainly repetition of street food stalls lacking an identity and personality, so it is just another Patong Beach in town. It can be a heaven or hell.


Melaka has a very vibrant dining scene, and you don’t have to leave the confines of the hotel to get some authentic tastes of Melaka. One of the most enjoyable experiences we had was dining in Seri Nyonya Peranakan Restaurant. To avoid being a classic tourist, the best thing to do now is to find a café with a much personality hidden along the alley ways to cool your body heat before the heat stroke strikes you.


We pop into the hotel’s outdoor dining terrace K5 ‘Kaki Lima” Street Bistro which overlooks the bustling streets of Melaka Raya and also offers some authentic Melaka flavours with a contemporary twist combining the memories of the good old days and the trends of today. The smoked duck pizza with caramelized onion and cheese was sensational. 


The Nyonya Laksa and Duck Noodle Soup were equally fantastic, with seriously delicious flavours and portion sizes that will not leave you disappointed by any means. It is refreshing to have such liberal portions and affordable prices to match in an international hotel setting and it is open 24/7, as Melakans never want to stop eating, plus the live telecast showing live sports games and MTV.


Breakfast is in the Rest House Café (named after the building on the original site) and offers all the expected buffet selections along with the standard a la carte menu, however, the food quality and service is not on par with the other outlets in the hotel from what we sampled. That being said, at least knowing how busy a buffet breakfast can be in such a big hotel, there is a key focus on local specialties, so if you want to go local for breakfast, choices are aplenty.


Melakans do enjoy their night life and there are many bars and night clubs to choose from. The Flo Lounge exudes an air of elegance with plush sofas and comfortable armchairs to unwind with your cocktails. This crossover sports bar/DJ lounge has been divided into different zones to peak your interest, with a snooker table corner, electric darts corner, a long bar table and spacious dance floor.


The Flo Lounge


Melaka is awash in fascinating history which has always been a favorite destination for both local and international travelers and so this hotel is a destination within itself. It has been an icon in this port city for many years and the locals certainly embrace what it has to offer. There are some areas that need a little updating, but we have it on good authority that some major renovations are afoot shortly.


The classic yesterday heritage lobby



Tried & Tested:
Location: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Design & Decor: 3.5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5 
Room Amenities: 3/5
Housekeeping: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5

Highlights:
Food & Beverage ( K5 & Seri Nyonya Peranakan Restaurant)

Flaws:
Amenities

Bandar Hilir,
Melaka Malaysia
Tel: +6 06 282 8333

REBECCA MINKOFF Opens First Store In Hong Kong


Rebecca Minkoff opens its first store in Hong Kong Ocean Terminal offering the latest must-have from her SS2015 collection recently. Fame for her iconic " Morning after Bag" and edgy "downtown romantic" style, the Creative Director herself made a self appearance during the opening and commented " I'm thrilled to finally open our retail doors in Hong Kong, one of my most favorite cities in the world. We are excited to be directly in touch with our long-time friends and loyal fans in Hong Kong, as well as one step closer to our enthusiastic followers in mainland China."


The Hong Kong store design, as personally envisioned through the lens of Rebecca Minkoff, merges the warmth of the designer's Southern California youth with the modern, minimalist, architectural atmosphere of her New York City life. The 585 sqf space's bleached oak wood and light interior reflect the soft elements of Minkoff's "SoCal" roots, while concrete, glass and metal accents pay a nod to the aesthetics of downtown Manhattan.


The store's palette of soft beige and clean whites create a neutral canvas so that the colorful hues of Minkoff's collections can shine through each season. An eye-catching " Pyramid wall" is a modern rendering of the brand's signature studding - an iconic symbol of it's edgy yet romantic persona.


With a vision of building a lifestyle brand for women like herself- whimsical, clever and passionate, Rebecca Minkoff has found a unique niche among fashion-forward, modern women around the world.



The brand spans ready-to-wear, nags, footwear, jewelry, eyewear and tech accessories. Her unique vision for the brand is singularly focused on her ideal millennial girl, who experiences all of life's exciting moments, with her confident, go-anywhere, do-anything attitude.