The Sacrifices You Make For The Ones You Love

Nicholas Ng
Love And Sacrfice - Food For Thought

Our idea of love has been greatly marred by what society tells us what it should be. That we have to get married, have two and a half kids, a house in the suburbs with white picket fences and all. But love is so much more. Love requires the one thing that most people find hard to understand or willing to give up, that love requires sacrifice. Love is not just about being together; it’s about the sacrifices we make to be with the ones we love. Continue reading →

Eric Heijkoop of Macalister Mansion

Nicholas Ng
Eric Heijkoop - Tatler - Food For Thought

From traditional French to Asian flavours, the term Modern Global Cuisine is lost to many without knowing the variation of this cooking style. With a wealth of knowledge from working in various parts of the world, Eric Heijkoop, Executive Chef at Macalister Mansion sure knows his way around the heat of the kitchen. We get to know a little bit more about the Dutch-born, Spain-raised, and French-trained chef who is creating new and exciting things on the wonderful island of Penang. Continue reading →

Dining Room by Macalister Mansion

Nicholas Ng
Facade Day - Macalister Mansion - Food For Thought

As you pull up to the driveway of Macalister Mansion on Macalister Road, you are drawn in by the colonial façade of one of the most gorgeous buildings you will find on the iconic island of Penang. The boutique hotel of Macalister Mansion houses one of the most unique finds you will come across on the island, its Dining Room, a kitchen run by award winning chef Eric Heijkoop. Arguably one of the best fine dining restaurants you will come across in Malaysia, where the attention to detail of the dishes is impeccable both in terms of flavour and visually. Continue reading →

Aziamendi 88

Nicholas Ng
Food For Thought - Aziamendi88 - Oyster with Sea Foam

As you walk through the entrance of the Mandarin Grill at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur you notice a distinctive change. The entire restaurant is tinged with an orange hue, reminiscent of the Basque countryside, and the artwork has been specifically selected to create an atmosphere of calm and class. For 88 days, this restaurant has been transformed into Aziamendi 88, the first ever pop up restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that carries a 3 Star Michelin award by chef Eneko Atxa. Continue reading →

Do You Hear The People Sing?

Nicholas Ng
Food For Thought - Yellow Hibiscus

We live in troubling times, where the brave and noble are stifled merely for standing up for what they believe in. The world is in a state of acceptability where petulant tyranny is allowed to exist. Where good men get put away because they have greater ideologies, where bad men are allowed to run rampant. This is not about the evil that bad men do, but about the good that good men should do, despite the repercussions. Continue reading →

The Importance of Understanding How We Feel

James Birchall
Food For Thought - Angus Sully - Self Understanding

There are different expressions of emotion categorised as pain or pleasure. Our feelings provide guides for the survival of our bodies. Most animals are thought to feel pain and pleasure. We also know from behavioural experiments that pain and pleasure is triggered associatively, like the baby that hears a loud crash when seeing a toy. Repeated experience of this causes the baby to cry when it sees the toy again, despite the absence of the sound that time. Given that emotions play such a significant role in our choices and our perspective on things, how should we untangle bias and potentially harmful conditioning? Continue reading →

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

Nicholas Ng
True Complexion - Food For Thought

We hear people say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder all the time, and that there is no objective standard of beauty. I don’t think that is true, because if we talk in the “traditional” understanding of beauty, there is definitely a defined standard, however, this is strongly linked to a certain culture. Its like the fair skin / dark skin complexion argument that we hear all the time. Today, I want to address something completely different, unique skin conditions and how we can find them beautiful. Continue reading →

Food Guide: Street Food in Penang

Nicholas Ng
Food Guide Penang Food Title Card

When it comes to best island experiences in the world, there are few that can compare to that of Penang, the pearl of the Orient. The island boasts a complex and rich history due to its pivotal position during the colonial era. This has resulted in Penang becoming a melting pot of multicultural identities from the Chinese, Malay, Indian and European influences. Not only is Penang an unbelievable food haven, its unique position in history has resulted in George Town being named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue reading →