Going Local: A Luxury Guide To Penang

A Luxury Guide To Penang | Food For Thought

Penang is world renown to be a food haven, where you come to stay, and flavours come to play. With an amalgamation of cultures from Chinese and Indian to Malay and Peranakan, the flavours of Penang is one that is something you have to taste to understand what the fuss is about. But Penang has so much more to offer with is burgeoning fine dining scene and bar culture. We take a look at how the city has grown in recent years, and new haunts that the local frequent. Continue reading

Restaurant Blanc at Macalister Mansion

Onion Mille Feuille | Restaurant Blanc | Macalister Mansion | Food For Thought

Located within Macalister Mansion sits Restaurant Blanc, contemporary European with an Asian twist. Headed by Executive Chef Benny Yeoh, Blanc is one of the most beautiful you will come across in Penang. The contemporary European fine dining serves an eclectic cuisine with certain dishes that showcase what you can do with simple ingredients, for example, the onion. Continue reading

To Eat Or Not To Eat: Food Trends For 2022

Food Trends | Food Trends 2022 | Food For Thought

Sustainability. Wagyu. Small Plates. If these are some buzzwords that you have repeatedly heard in 2021 then you are no stranger to food trends. As per our biannual forecast, we analyse what has been happening with global gastronomy and make some predictions on what is taking the food world by storm. From the elevation of middle eastern fine dining to the appearance of carte blanche menus, let’s see what’s on the plate. Continue reading

KITA Food Festival: Malaysia’s Premier Food Festival

Kita Actually | Kita Food Festival | Food For Thought

The upcoming Kita Food Festival sees the coming together of some of Malaysia’s culinary and bartending stars, each championing a certain diversity in cuisine and cocktail in Kuala Lumpur. The food festival sees the bringing together of a series of events, from fine dining dinners to the Big Sunday Barbecue; and masterclasses to at home experiences; all focusing on building the culinary community in Malaysia. We speak to Darren Teoh and some of the hosting chefs and bartenders to find out what to expect. Continue reading

Gen X Reka:bar: A Progressive Malaysian Cocktail Pairing

Gen X Reka Pairing | Gen Penang X Rekabar | Food For Thought

A recent collaboration between Gen Penang and newly yet to be opened Reka:bar sees some of the best Malaysian flavours offered up as a pairing. Gen specialises in Malaysian quality produce while Reka focuses on culinary cocktails, making this pairing one of the more interesting ones this year. Continue reading

Jade Pavilion: Refined Cantonese Cuisine 玉亭軒

Jade Pavilion ExperienceTraditional “Beijing” Duck Served with Condiments 北京片皮鴨 | Jade Pavilion | Food For Thought

With the lifting of the MCO in early March this year, Pavilion Hotel celebrates new beginnings with the opening of its pork-free Chinese restaurant that serves traditional and modern Cantonese cuisine, the Jade Pavilion. Lending inspiration from the legends of ancient Chinese palatial aristocracies, Jade Pavilion displays an architecture of intricate floral and wavy cloud motifs (云纹图)representative of an aura of auspiciousness and a generous flow of good fortune which gives diners a regal and opulent dining experience under the roofs of a grand pavilion. Continue reading

Four Hands Cocktail & Dinner Pairing: ATAS Speakeasy x TAMU Dining

TAMU Dining | ATAS Speakeasy x TAMU Dining | Food For Thought

ATAS Speakeasy is one of the more renown cocktail bars in Ipoh, decked out in a 1920’s style and ambiance. The cocktail bar has teamed up with TAMU Dining, a four hands cocktail and dinner pairing experience within ATAS Speakeasy itself. The menu changes with each iteration, with the previous one being French, and its latest form, Japanese. Continue reading

Chef’s Playbook: A Journey Through Hong Kong’s Culinary Stars

Chef's Playbook | Discover Hong Kong Michelin Stars | Food For Thought

Hong Kong is world renowned not only as an international travel destination, but also home to some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in the world. Not only will you that level of quality and luxury at some terrific fine dining restaurants, but it’s also in the simple dishes prepared by dai pai dongs and char chan teng. This is where the Chef’s Playbook comes in, delving into the relationship between these Michelin star chefs and their love affair with Hong Kong. Continue reading