Author: Nicholas Ng

Can You Have Your Cake And Eat It Too?

Nicholas Ng
Can You Have Your Cake And Eat It Too | Food For Thought

This is a story about cake. You know that feeling that you get, the one where you walk into a café, somewhat knowing that you are wanting to have a bite of something sweet. Then you look at the cake display. A triple layered ganache cake with bitter chocolate shavings that look just too pretty to be eaten. Then that feeling settles in. That feeling of wanting to plunge your fork into its outer most corner of that triangle, the one pointing towards you saying eat me. That feeling where you know you will destroy the delicate beauty that is that chocolate slice. That conundrum. That inner conflict. That feeling of wanting to keep your cake in tact. That feeling of wanting to eat it too. Continue reading →

The Evolution of Cocktail Culture in Kuala Lumpur

Nicholas Ng
Cocktail Evolution | Food For Thought

Kuala Lumpur has seen a burgeoning cocktail culture in recent years with more and more concept bars sprouting throughout the city. From speakeasies to rooftop bars, Kuala Lumpur is quickly becoming one of the favourite places for bartenders and mixologists to come and hone their craft. Because of the unique climate for tropical fruits and herbs which is indigenous, it is only a matter of time these ingredients are exploited. We speak to mixologists from some of Kuala Lumpur’s most famous bars to find out what they think. Continue reading →

DC Restaurant by Darren Chin

Nicholas Ng
AOP Anjou French Pigeon | Darren Chin | Food For Thought

There are very few restaurants that caters to a high quality dining experience, and DC Restaurant by Darren Chin on Persiaran Zaaba in the Taman Tun Dr. Ismail area of Kuala Lumpur is one of them. Serving a modernist take on traditional French cuisine, this restaurant is generous with its use of high quality ingredients such as imported French pigeons to the use of black winter truffles. Continue reading →

To Eat Or Not To Eat: Food Trends For 2016

Nicholas Ng
Fresh Produce | 2016 Food Trends | Food For Thought

Salted egg yolk croissants. Cold cappellini. Do these dishes sound familiar? Well if you have been living in Asia then you definitely have been quite the connoisseur for what food was on trend for 2015. Year in year out we see chefs of repute try and test out new dishes with interesting combinations. But we’re in 2016 and since its only February, we want to make a few predictions that we will see, want to see and want to retire. We also speak to some experts in their fields to get their two cents. Continue reading →

The Greatest Blessing Has Always Been By Your Side

Nicholas Ng
RubberBoy 2 | Petronas | Food For Thought

Chinese New Year has always been a very important time for family, and more than that, a time for giving. Words like abundance and prosperity is heard throughout homes as the lunar new year is celebrated by Asian families all over the world. As much as it is a time for sharing and caring, it is also a time where people look back at the previous year and measure their success and wealth, both financial and emotional. In Malaysia, we are reminded year after year by heart-warming PETRONAS television advertisements about the importance of family, unity and that life is bigger than us. Continue reading →

Ultimate Guide: Penang Street Food

Nicholas Ng
Street Food Penang | Ultimate Guide | Food For Thought

The Pearl of the Orient is definitely filled with many drops of exquisite precious culinary pearls, from the internationally known Asam Laksa, to the Char Kway Teow. The plethora of different street food, and its variations, is splattered all over the island. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to some of the best tasting quality food you will find in Malaysia, as is a melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malay, and British influences. We now explore 26 dishes of Penang’s best street food, some common, and others generally not found outside the island of Penang. Continue reading →

Dining Room Winter 2015 by Macalister Mansion

Nicholas Ng
Dining Room Interior | Dining Room 12-15 | Food For Thought

The Dining Room by Macalister Mansion has never failed to impress with their creative menu and use of ingredients from all over the world. A latest fare from the Dining Room by the remarkable Executive Chef Eric Heijkoop is the Winter Degustation Menu, comprising of a unique and modern twist, drawing inspiration from classical Indian and Japanese cuisine. Continue reading →

Hotel Penaga

Nicholas Ng
Inner Court Yard | Hotel Penaga | Food For Thought

Situated on the corner of Hutton Lane and Clarke Street in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown, Penang is a quaint picturesque building that could only be plucked out of a colonial painting. Framed with the red hues from its Chinese influenced colonial history, these row of terraced shop-houses from the late 1940s are a carefully restored project that has been turned into the the heritage and boutique hotel known as Hotel Penaga. Continue reading →

Should All Acquaintance Be Forgot And Never Brought To Mind?

Nicholas Ng
Should All Acquaintance Be Forgot | Food For Thought

With every passing year, we ring in the new one making promises in the hopes of having a better year than the year before. We are bound to those around us whether we like it or not, and this is most prevalent through our Facebook interactions (or non-interactions). In the traditional Scottish anthemic Auld Lang Syne, we are asked this question, should we really forget our friends and acquaintances?
Continue reading →

Cheong Fatt Tze by The Blue Mansion

Nicholas Ng
Facade | Cheong Fatt Tze | Food For Thought

The historic building that is the Blue Mansion in Penang is famous for its fengshui architecture and Chinese heritage. As one of the earliest amalgamations of Western design and Eastern heritage, the beautifully restored hotel is one of the most renown in the world. Situated on the second floor of the Blue Mansion is the Cheong Fatt Tze restaurant, a fine dining restaurant serving contemporary Cantonese cuisine. Continue reading →