Jplus 2016 02 21 lores

Vol. 3 No. 14 I February 21 - 27 , 2016

WE’LL TAKE MANHATTAN DENNY WIRAWAN IN NYC where to stay st. regis singapore WANDERLUST RUBBISHING THE REPUBLIC?

NO TIME TO LOSE SINGER TULUS ON indie stardom FREE A presentation by Mr. Marc Grossman

Spanyol Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago

MOVIE SCREENING

The Spain Tourism Board would like to invite you to the special movie screening of the documentary film, Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago. Learn more about the important checklist to prepare when you want to visit and walk the Road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Admission is free of charge. First-come, first-served basis.

Date Time Venue RSVP

Ad-JakartaCaminoFilm255x70.indd 1

JA K A R TA

1 March 2016 (Tuesday) 1400H to 1700H CGVblitz Grand Indonesia

Brought to you by

West Mall Level 8 Jl. MH Thamrin No. 01 Jakarta Pusat 10310 Rizky Rais RSVP@skpr.asia Or: caminodesantiago.jakarta2016@gmail.com Mobile number: 0817711989 latest by February 26 (Friday) Please print invitation and present during registration

Jakarta to Santiago de Compostela on Turkish Airlines 2/19/16 8:15:16 PM

Editor's note

Check List

TALKING TRASH Reading The Jakarta Post this week, I came upon a letter to the editor penned by a Westerner who has been in Indonesia for all of two years and who, of course, was ready with advice for the nation.

“Clean up this place! I have never seen such deplorable filth in the streets and everywhere,” the author wrote. “Not only should trash collection be improved like the US did 40 years ago, but children should be

mark my words

taught to clean up trash and recycle.”

Coincidentally, our senior contributor Duncan Graham pondered similar questions of trash and tourism in an article he sent to us for our Wanderlust section (p10-11), albeit more productively.

Duncan, a longtime Malang resident, spoke to several Indonesians about how they’re cleaning up their hometowns by inspiring, not badgering, others to do the

same.

It’s a thoughtful read from a talented writer made more timely as the city readies to implement its plastic bag fee program.

Please take a look and enjoy the weekend!

Chris Razukas jplus@thejakartapost.com

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A la mode Clarity, color and architecture

DigitaL fashion What it means to be luxury fashion consumers in the digital age

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At your leisure Viva zeppole!

WORDS WILLY WILSON

JPlus Team They say September IS the January of fashion. By March, the fashion calendar is over. Let me break it down for you.

It feels just like yesterday that Gucci’s Alessandro Michelle debuted his idyllic and eccentric collection. Intended for 2016 Spring/Summer, the collection, originally slated to hit stores worldwide about now, was presented over six months ago.

Within that six-month period, we have been bombarded by images and live streams of the show. A slew of award shows—the Globes, SAG, Critic’s Choice, BAFTA and more recently, the Grammys–saw celebrities donning items from this collection. So by the time the clothes hit the shelves, they seemed terribly familiar. Old. Over.

Fashion week is a month-long, twiceyearly, four-city treadmill that exhibits clothes six months before they reach stores.

The shows are meant for fashion journalists, fashion buyers, loyal clientele and other insiders, who together decipher and decode what we will wear next season.

In Indonesia, everyone–from suburban shopping mall buyers to online magazine editors–has jumped onto the bandwagon, presenting clothes that are immediately available for grab or haute collections by exclusive designers. The time frame is consistent with the global calendar.

For journalists, the six-month time frame allowed us to put together a comprehensive editorial package–trend analysis, interview preparation, photo shoots, fashion business predictions, etc–that encompassed the hundreds of shows we witness during the fashion week. This also gave a fashion publication’s marketing department a chance to pitch business strategies to fashion houses.

Buyers, too, had enough time to consider which clothes they would carry. Most importantly, this incubation period helped designers get their creative juices flowing.

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This perfect system, legend has it, was developed at the insistence of the influential American Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

The ecosystem worked fine in the pre-Internet era, where traditional print media dictated what went in and out of fashion–when fashion was a one-way street dominated by glossies. The marketing model was built on paid-reach advertising pages that centered around repetitive print campaigns across fashion magazines.

But the Internet has fundamentally changed the way we receive information, and with it, fashion. The interactive nature of the Internet means that media outlets no longer dominate the conversation–consumers are actively participating in fashion conversations across tech-based media platforms.

An interesting phenomenon is the omnipresence of luxury fashion across social media platforms. Fashion shows, too, seem to be designed with digital strategies in mind, forging a more democratic attitude that embraces anyone interested to join.

Leading the pack in breaking the traditional fashion week mould is Kanye West, whose self-worshipful attitude echoes what the New York Times dubs “IWWIWWIWI” generation (I want what I want when I want it). His recent Yeezy Season 3 collection, staged at Madison Square Garden, was available for anyone willing to pay up to four figures for a ticket.

Mr. West claims that 20,000 people were present–among them Caitlyn Jenner, the Kardashians and, lo and behold, Naomi Campbell–with merely 0.5 percent of the seats occupied by the fashion press.

For many traditional fashion journalists, Yeezy season 3 was like a middle finger. But West isn’t the only one rebelling against fashion week's unspoken code of conduct.

Some established designers like Prabal Gurung and Tory Burch, for instance,

sent down the runways clothes that didn’t necessarily look wintery. It seems as if many designers will follow in the steps of Tom Ford and Burberry’s Christopher Bailey, who earlier this month announced that the brands would show only twice a year, mixing men’s and women’s collections and making items available to purchase immediately.

In the age of Instagram-fuelled instant gratification, designers are turning away from an archaic model and fashion brands can’t just give out their hot-off-the-runway hits to the Hollywood A-list.

Yogyakarta-based designer Lulu Luthfi Labibi, whose recent collection at Jakarta Fashion Week garnered him a cult following among Jakarta’s who’s who, is a catalyst for Indonesia’s anti-fashion movement. He doesn’t believe in celebrity endorsements, nor does he feel the need to transform himself into a social influencer among the tantes (aunties) who lunch and Instagram.

In fact, he worries about over production and commercialization of his designs that might affect his creativity. As his Yogyakarta atelier has been visited by eager clients from the capital, Lulu told me that he will move to a sanctuary up in hills.

The Twitter-Instagram-FacebookSnapchat nexus has schooled an entire fashion generation to immediate gratification.

As with Lulu, I’m afraid that conspicuous consumerism will eradicate the essence of luxury in fashion.

If luxury fashion is so readily available, then we as consumers have to wonder if there’s still an ounce of creativity and artistry in it­–because otherwise we’ll just be walking billboards.

Mark My Words shifts focus between fashion, food, parenting, travel and technology each week.

Editor Christian Razukas Art Director Budhi Hartono Graphic Designer Hengky Wijaya Marketing & Advertising Sales & Marketing Director Ady P. Pamungkas

ady.pamungkas@thejakartapost.com

Marketing Executive Faisal Ahmad

faisal@thejakartapost.com

@JPlusSunday

SundayJplus

thejakartapost.com/jplus

On the cover

Tulus Photographer: Denny Mirrocle Stylist: Richard Theo Makeup: Pingky Olvie Wardrobe: Private collection Location: Motion Blue Jakarta, Fairmont Jakarta hotel

oh, the places you'll go ARTotel staging mini-exhibition

'Batik' and meditation

A band of local artists, grouped together under Triartspace, are working to bring Indonesia to the world stage. Their latest effort is a mini-exhibition at Artspace in Artotel Thamrin Jakarta titled "Hello?", which opened earlier this month.

The free show features the works of nine artists hailing from Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta: Bayu Santoso, Dewi Yusup, Imel Untoro, Novanda Prayogata, Adiputra Singgih, Ruth Marbun, Mule Muliawan (whose Banten-inspired batik designs were notably used as cover art for US band Lifehouse’s Out of the Wasteland album), Kemala Putri and Ronny Pratama.

Feeling creative? Spend a day immersing yourself in the process of batik making at a workshop titled “Learn the Art of Meditation in Batik”, at Coworkinc Kemang, an event space for creative entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers.

Fashion designer and batik maestro Era Soekamto of Iwan Tirta will be your spiritual guide during this Feb. 27 event. You can make your own creations while learning about the more spiritual and philosophical side of batik. Tools will be provided, alongside lunch and drinks.

Registration is Rp 1 million a person and the workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

When: Feb. 27

When: Until late March Where: Artspace, Artotel Thamrin—Jakarta Info: artotelindonesia.com/welcome/exhibition/10

Italian master chef to visit Hotel Mulia

Hotel Mulia Senayan is bringing three-star Michelin chef Massimo Bottura from Italy to its Orient8 eatery to offer local gastronomes two exclusive nights of the absolute best in Italian cooking. Bottura is world famous for his finedining experiences. His Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena, Italy, has been listed in the top five of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the past five years and has been the highest-ranking Italian restaurant for the past seven years. Reservations available.

When: March 18-19 Where: Orient8, Hotel Mulia Senayan Info: Telp. 0215747777, ext 4502, 4532 and 4512

Where: Coworkinc Kemang, Wirno Building, 3rd Floor, Jl. Kemang I No. 7 Info: info@maubelajarapa.com

Disco maestro Giorgio Moroder makes Jakarta bow

Three-time Grammy Award-winning synth disco and electronic music pioneer Giorgio Moroder is going to put on a show for clubgoers at Dragonfly, Central Jakarta, come Feb. 24. The 75-yearold produced hits and created songs for artists including Donna Summer, Blondie, David Bowie, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Chaka Kahn, Freddie Mercury, Cher and Daft Punk. Remember popular songs like Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” and Bonnie Tyler’s “Here She Comes”? Those were also the works of the master.

The concert will be an all-nighter, running from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

When: Feb. 24 Where: Dragonfly, Graha BIP, Central Jakarta

talk of the town DPRK stages art and culture night

Sabbatha opens flagship store

Park Lane Jakarta; Menteng Pulo, South Jakarta

Plaza Indonesia, SCBD

The embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea staged a “Korean Culture and Art Exhibition” to mark the holiday of the Day of the Shining Star, on Feb. 16 at the Park Lane Jakarta.

An Kwang Il, the DPRK’s ambassador to Indonesia, welcomed members of the local diplomatic corps to the event, as well as Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama, who gave brief remarks to open the exhibition.

Several members of the capital’s lifestyle media were also invited for an evening that was light on politics and surprisingly big on Korean food, singing and dancing.

On display were handicrafts and rare works of art, including several gorgeous traditional embroidery paintings, which resemble oil paintings but are stitched with needle and thread.

Sabbatha has reason to celebrate.

The Bali-based, Sorbonne-trained designer marked the launch of his flagship store in Plaza Indonesia on Feb. 17–as well as the launch of his Spring/Summer 2016 collection, featuring 18 collectible bags in six models and three colorways.

Followers of the accessories-and-bags designer have been waiting for Sabbatha’s return to the retail scene after the closure of his Seminyak boutique.

The decor of the Plaza Indonesia store features Niro Granite tiles while creating a light and open vibe.

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lifeStYLE

Dance, Sing & Dream A celebration for Indonesian children

A

diamond anniversary calls for something special, especially when honoring long years of dedication in creating homes and better futures for abandoned and neglected children in Indonesia.

This led the Sayap Ibu Foundation, a Jakarta-based organization and orphanage, to celebrate its 60th anniversary with a musical titled Kandil & Kampung Srundeng.

The musical, set to take place next on Feb. 28 at the Jakarta Theater at Taman Ismail Marzuki, in Cikini, Central Jakarta, tells a story of courage.

“It’s about a brave young girl named Kandil, who diligently looks for money so that her mother and her siblings can go to Jakarta to look for their missing father,” Ida Soeseno, creative director of the production, said at a recent press conference.

“Her hard work isn’t just in unifying her family that got separated during the search in Jakarta, but also encouraging many people in her hometown, a small village in Lampung, to be economically independent by means of producing a local seasoned grated coconut snack called srundeng.”

Big names are supporting the musical, which will be staged by Perempuan Peduli Sayap Ibu and Arniyani Arifin, who is well-known for her concern for children and culture issues in Indonesia.

Arniyani has taken the lead for the production. “I felt like I had to do something, to give what I could with my friends and other parties who are also

concerned about the future of the children under the care of the Sayap Ibu Foundation,” she said.

Young actress Cut Syifa, best known for her role in the television series Tukang Bubur Naik Haji (A Rice Porridge Vendor Makes the Haj Pilgrimage) leads the cast as Kandil.

Inayah Wahid plays her mother and Chandra Satria is the missing father.

Other famous names fill out the cast of the musical, including Lea Simanjuntak, Baim Wong, Happy Salma, Gabriel Harvianto, Ziva Magnolya and Ghea Panggabean.

But what’s a musical for children without children on stage?

Kandil & Kampung Srundeng also features kids from the Sayap Ibu Foundation as well as children from Al-Izhar Jakarta, The Resonanz Children’s Choir and Marlupi Dance Academy.

The lead actresses both expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be involved in the production and to meet the kids from the Sayap Ibu Foundation.

Photos by arief suhardiman

WORDS Aulia R. Sungkar

Behind the stage are Inet Leimena as show director with Carmanita and Enny Soekamto working onwardrobe.

This musical reflects the spirit of the Sayap Ibu Foundation, which was founded in 1955 by Sulistina Sutomo, the wife of Bung Tomo, a National Hero best known for his role in the Battle of Surabaya.

The orphanage has given abandoned children a place to stay as well as equipped them with skills useful for a better future.

The orphanage eventually developed into a foundation focused on education and health and for training for baby sitters and other workers.

“The Sayap Ibu Foundation is an official foundation for those looking to adopt a child, be they of Indonesian or foreign citizenship, says Tjondrowati Subijanto, the head of the foundation, adding that

adoptions are handled internally through a special division.

Beyond the musical, which also serves as a fund raiser for the foundation, the Sayap Ibu Foundation also has plans to establish a proper center for abandoned children over five years old.

“Some of our foster children have entered the pre-teen age and need special attention and care. We also can’t ignore the fact that some of these pre-teens are special needs.”

Tjondrowati said.

Tjondrowati added that Kandil's nevergive-up spirit could inspire children to keep pursuing their dreams to create their own happy endings.

Kandil & Kampung Srundeng Sayap Ibu Foundation Performances on Feb. 28 Jakarta Theater at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Cikini, Central Jakarta sayapibujakarta.org

Venture funding moves to How do you spell venture capital? The folks at the kid-oriented Sesame Workshop are looking to teach and learn with a new investment fund aimed at projects for children.

Sesame Workshop, the force behind the longrunning Sesame Street programs, has announced plans to team up with the seed venture Collaborative Fund on “startups focused on education, media, family development, social and cultural development, food, health and wellness,” according to a statement.

“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Sesame Workshop. Together, we are launching a new fund, Collab+Sesame, focused on childhood development,” said the New York-based fund in the statement.

“Sesame Street is one of the most trusted,

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iconic kids' brands in the world. They have built this brand by focusing on educating kids and improving the lives of families worldwide,” the statement said.

After 45 years on US public television, Sesame Street has shifted to HBO in a move its creators say will result in more new episodes of the beloved children’s program.

More than 4,300 episodes of Sesame Street have been produced since it premiered in November 1969 and introduced youngsters to letters, numbers and Muppet characters like Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster.

With its foreign language international versions, the program is said to reach more than 156 million children across 150-plus countries. — AFP

Photos via afp

‘Sesame Street’

a la mode

Going

Global Designer Denny Wirawan brings his Balijava collection to New York Photos via bakti budaya djarum

WORDS Aulia R. Sungkar

A

ccompanied by ethnic Indonesian music, a stunning array of models wearing edgy and elegant batik gracefully walked on the runaways of Fashion Gallery New York Fashion Week 2016.

Held at the Affinia Hotel in Manhattan on Valentine’s Day, the show saw renowned fashion designer Denny Wirawan spread his love of batik to members of the Big Apple’s fashion community with 15 designs from his latest fall/winter collection.

The collection, titled Balijava, takes as its theme “padma”, or lotus flower—a symbol of timeless beauty and purity in Asian cultures.

Supported by the Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, Denny showcased his batik kudus designs at the international level.

“It is an honor for me to introduce batik kudus as one item of our national heritage to the international fashion community here in New York,” Denny, who has 20 years of industry experience, said.

Balijava's batik kudus uses a darker color palette with navy blues, olive greens, beiges and blacks.

On offer is a deluxe ready-to-wear collection with layers featuring tops, outer, long skirts, pants, capes, long coats and long dresses that can be mixed and matched.

Batik kudus uses the wajikan and kecer motifs as a base, combining the patterns with lotus flower shapes.

Renitasari Adrian, program director of the Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, which has been fostering batik kudus and preserving traditional Indonesian wastra fabric, spoke about

working with Denny.

“Batik kudus is from the coastal heritage of Central Java. The collaboration with Denny Wirawan for the Balijava collection helps elevate the prestige of batik on the international fashion stage—and is a great momentum to show the beauty of Indonesia’s cultural heritage to the world.”

Past Meets Present The first 10 looks of Balijava featured designs that were fresh, modern and edgy–loose pants combined with fitted tops highlighting the body and outerwear patterns that blended modern silhouettes with Denny’s trademark embroidery.

Denny is inspired by the elegance of Indonesian fashion in the past, such as items like the kebaya and beskap traditional formal Javanese dress for women and men, respectively.

Both were transformed by Denny into

contemporary, ready-to-wear pieces.

Other looks featured glamorous and elegant designs–long dresses paired with long coats, and capes with the kecer rice motif as base.

The collection was also complemented by jewelry from EPAJEWEL, showing the beauty and exotic charm of Indonesian culture.

Pieces from EPAJEWEL, a local brand that has penetrated the international market, were lusciously designed to complement the beauty of Balijava, EPAJEWEL designer Eliana Putri Antonio said.

“We crafted our collection especially for New York Fashion Week 2016, inspired by Indonesia’s flora creating the ‘shining branch’s bud’,” Eliana said. “The designs consist of hair combs, earrings, brooches, crowns and bracelets that are very beautiful.”

Some like it 'haute' Gucci’s Flower Power

The first name that springs to mind upon witnessing Alessandro Michelle’s boho-luxe, maximalist collection for Gucci is Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. It seems fitting, then, that the Italian fashion house named the singer a brand ambassador for its jewelry and timepieces department.

Michele says he is intrigued by the artist’s dark and romantic songs, which are timeless, full of passion and emotion. “In many ways,”

he says, “they evoke the spirit of Gucci.”

Welch’s favorite piece is the G-Timeless automatic number, which features an eclectic mix of decorative bees, a heart and stars.

Louboutin, All Night Long

Christian Louboutin’s inimitable red sole is perhaps one of the best designs ever, synonymous with class and preferred by women worldwide who favor understated stylish sexiness.

The designer’s latest collection “Claire

de Lune”, which is French for moonlight, features multicolored Strass applications using crystals–in four different sizes and 11 different colors–on velour and python skin. If that doesn’t scream sexy party girls, then we don’t know what does.

Old but Gold in London

London Fashion Week continues to be a hotbed for fashion’s underdogs. As the glitterati migrated from New York to London–the second city of the fashion week

tour–many were intrigued by the so-called “Fifty Plus Fashion Week” show, held by brand JD Williams at Luxe Cafe Royal on Feb. 18.

Marie Helvin, 63, opened the show, followed by an army of retired models, including the UK’s oldest, Daphne Selfe, who is 87 years young.

It was the first show ever with a full cast of models over aged over 50. Most remarkably was Caroline Barker, who at 70, styled all the models herself. +JPlus

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INDIE

SPIRIT

tULUS is KEEPING LOW KEY, DESPITE his MAINSTREAM music BREAKTHROUGH Words Sebastian Partogi photos denny mirrocle

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cover Story

"Some of my friends showed me the wonderful world of song, where you could condense years and years of experiences and emotions into three- or four-minute tracks "

W

hen asked how it feels to be a superstar, Tulus responds with a question: “Do you think I’m a superstar?”

The 29-year-old says his life hasn’t changed much, despite releasing two best-selling albums. “When I come home, I still change into a shirt that’s torn here and there and go to sleep. The only difference is that I take baths more regularly—because I never know who I’m going to meet when I go out and they recognize me.”

He says his drive to sing coalesced when he watched a live performance of the late legendary Indonesian pop singer Chrisye in his hometown of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, in junior high school. “I observed how [Chrisye] was happy to do what he did—and how he spread the happiness to the audience, who was dancing to his tunes.

This was when I realized that I needed to be a singer.”

ENGINEERING SUCCESS Tulus said he was interested in music long before seeing Chrisye and was helped along by his mom, an entrepreneur, and dad, a building contractor. “My father likes to listen to music at home, although he’s not a musician. I’ve been listening to popular songs since I was a kid. When I got good grades in school, my parents usually gave me cassettes as a reward.”

He did not imagine pursuing an interest in music professionally until he was studying architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, West Java.

In school, Tulus met other students who also liked music, jamming with them in college bands while developing his skills as a songwriter.

“Some of my friends showed me the wonderful world of song, where you could condense years and years of experiences and emotions into three- or four-minute tracks.

I liked it because I wanted to condense my stories into a short medium of expression,” Tulus said.

His parents were supportive, he adds. “My parents gave me their blessing—with the requirement that I finished my studies first.”

Tulus then tarted writing and recording his own songs in college, using his pocket money to rent mini-studios or recording in the boarding houses of friends.

After graduation, Tulus sent demo tapes to some major record labels while working as an architect, renovating and designing buildings.

The tapes were rejected. “The labels might not have recognized the value of what I did at the time. Perhaps it wasn’t my path. I came home and asked my family for suggestions. My older brother [Riri Muktamar] suggested

that we raise money to create our own recording label as we went along.”

With Riri, Tulus started to connect with people in the music industry and continued to hone his writing skills.

When eventually introduced to music executive Ari Renaldi, who he calls a mentor, Tulus already had a body of work to show off.

The pair set up a record label, Tulus Co, in 2010 and released his eponymous debut album in 2011, which was followed in 2014 by Gajah (Elephant), boasting a blend of musical influences, from pop, jazz, RnB to swing.

According to one indie label owner, Tulus is a breakout star: While a typical indie album sells about 10,000 copies, Tulus’ first album sold around 37,000 copies and his second album more than 85,000.

Tulus says the lyrics for his second album were deeper and more personal than his first’s, when he was simply aiming at introducing his music and voice to the public.

“I think the reason behind the sales figure hike is simple—a multiplier effect,” Tulus said. “People who listened to my first album told their friends about me.”

Both albums were distributed by indie label Demajors,

which offered him an advantage, he adds. “Fewer people are involved in indie labels than major labels. It’s faster to execute your musical ideas. Your ideas won’t be compromised by record label executives who add their opinions and viewpoints.”

He added that in growing economies like Indonesia, the independent recording industry is a lucrative business, since the market is still expanding.

Tulus has thrived as an independent artist despite woes in the mainstream industry, such as the recent collapse of record store giant Disc Tara and the death of video music channel MTV Indonesia—both fueled by rampant piracy made easy by digital music formats.

Artists like Tulus have had to find new ways to sell and distribute their music, such as indie labels—although breaking into the mainstream is tough.

Given that the overwhelming majority of Indonesians get their entertainment from television, which has musical content dominated by dangdut; opportunities for artists like Tulus are small, making his breakthrough remarkable.

When asked about why he connected with audiences

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cover Story and achieved success, Tulus shrugged. “I don’t consider myself successful. If you think so, then Alhamdulillah [Praise God]. I choose to see my achievements as how far I’ve walked so far."

Tulus, however, does have some secrets on creating a great album.

“You have to make sure that you work not just with excellent musicians, but also with those who are compatible with your personal style,” he says.

“This is where a good producer comes into play.

He’s the one who helps you form a solid team that is confident, hardworking and disciplined. These things are keys to success.”

Turning to Japan Tulus says he wants to reach a wider audience with his third album, which currently lacks a name and a release date.

He recently released a Japanese-language version of “Sepatu” (Shoes), a song from his second album, on the Apple iTunes music store in that nation.

“My brother and I had the idea for almost two years. We have a Japanese friend who’s also a musician and Indonesian-Japanese translator. We chose Japan. As an audience, [they Japanese] are quite appreciative of different types of music,” he said.

Although its too soon to gauge the reception of the song, titled “Kutsu” in Japanese, Tulus said the release has opened some doors: He was recently invited to perform at a music festival in Hamamatsu.

“This is great,” he adds. “I definitely want to expand my listener niche—to not only those who live in Indonesia, but also beyond.”

Side Spin On song writing

I find it difficult to explain the song-writing process—and I think most songwriters would tell you the same thing. The only thing I can tell you is I just write the words and add melodies to them. I give them to the arranger to give music to the lyrics.

The song that took the longest to finish?

Typically, a song has three parts: the intro, a chorus and an outro. Some songs are harder to finish because I see only fragments of the work. For instance, I might know the opening and the chorus without having any idea of how the song should end. In some cases, I just haven’t found the right sound yet. That was the case with “Jangan Cintai Aku Apa Adanya” [Don’t Love Me As I Am] and “Sepatu”, both of which took two years to write. I just keep them in my pocket until I’m able to finish.

And the fastest?

“Tuan Nona Kesepian” (Mr. and Ms. Lonely) took 15 minutes to write. Inside a car.

Biggest influences...

Chrisye’s “Untukku” [For Me] and “Surya Tenggelam” [Sundown] are two of my favorite songs of all times.

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You Are

goodLiving

What You Eat Let good Food Be Your Stress Medicine

Photos via afp

WORDS Dhriti Bhavnani Feeling unhappy? Maybe it’s not only the circumstances of your life or the things you do that make you stressed. It might be the food you eat every day or an unbalanced diet that contribute to your unhappy state of mind.

According to the American Institute of Stress, up to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems. Stress is an automatic body mechanism triggered when the body responds to a perceived physical or mental threat.

According to WebMD: “The build-up of stress can lead to headaches, elevated blood pressure, sleeping problems or worsen certain symptoms and diseases.”

Food governs all aspects of human life and has been linked to stress in more ways than we know. While eating junk food gives a kind of a superficial satisfaction, it actually strains the body and forces it to work harder, inducing stress.

The reason to this is due to the activation of the hormone cortisol. Once it reaches the bloodstream, it relays the news of stress to the brain and all around the body.

Frequent exposure to high levels of stress hormones exhausts the body’s physical resources, impairs learning and memory and makes people prone to depression.

A first-hand research was done at the Gandhi

Memorial International School with five randomly selected students aged 14 and 15. These students were tested and given junk food for a week and healthy food the following week. During these weeks, these students had exams coming up, stressing their mind and body.

The healthy food contained huge amounts of fiber with a fairly balanced nutritional content that included vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and which was low in fat. When given junk food, their pulse rates were significantly higher and they were easily tired. On the contrary, when given healthy food paired with a healthy lifestyle, the students said that felt rejuvenated and had stable pulse rates, regardless of their hectic schedule at school.

A food nutritionist working at RS Puri Medika hospital believes that the reason junk food might trigger stress is due to a lack of fiber and vitamins.

A lack of important nutrients required by the body saps away energy, inducing stress. “A balanced diet when

Can a cluttered kitchen give you the munchies?

IF YOU CAN’T SEEM TO STOP YOURSELF FROM SNACKING, YOUR MESSY KITCHEN MAY BE AT LEAST PARTLY TO BLAME WORDS LISA RAPAPORT, Reuters

Photos via afp

“It’s easier to spend five minutes cleaning up your kitchen than 24 hours trying to resist snacks,” senior study author Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and author of Slim by Design, said by email.

To test how clutter impacts food

choices and calorie consumption, researchers invited about 100 college women to participate in what they were told was an experiment exploring the link between personality and taste preference. To sweeten the invite, the students were promised course credit and a chance to win an MP3 player.

The experiment was also designed to test how mind-set influences food choices.

Half of the women were randomly sent to an ordinary, clean kitchen, while the rest were directed to an extremely disorganized room with tables out of place and heaped with piles of papers, dishes and pots scattered around.

Then, researchers asked the women to complete brief writing assignments on one of three topics–a time when they

accompanied with enough rest, can strengthen the immune system, stabilize mood and lower blood pressure” she said in an interview.

In her opinion, wellness can be achieved through restoring a state of balance in the body and overcoming stress, which can only be achieved through a wellplanned healthy diet, including eating low-fat, highfiber, carbohydrate-rich meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

The UK Stress Management Society says: “Healthy, nutritious foods are the simplest methods for relieving stress as they are cost effective and readily available and without any side effects.”

Stress will always be a leading problem in our lives; however, eating healthy food will soothe the body in a certain way that can act as a stress reliever.

From today onwards, don’t blame your boss or your workload for the stress you feel. Instead, concentrate on your diet. Everything else will fall into place.

felt chaotic and out-ofcontrol, a time when they felt organized and in control, or a neutral recollection of the last class lecture they attended.

While they worked, women in the messy kitchen were treated to a cacophony of distracting sounds as a researcher made a deliberate show of cleaning up the room. In the clean kitchen, women worked without distractions.

When they finished writing, the snacks came out for what women thought was the main point of the experiment–a taste test of cookies, crackers and baby carrots.

Women in the messy kitchen who had just finished writing about a stressful moment in their lives ate more cookies–103 calories–than their peers in this room who had just recalled a time when they felt organized and in control– they ate only 38 calories.

Meanwhile, in the clean kitchen, women given the out-of-control writing assignment consumed 61 calories of cookies, compared to 50 calories for their peers asked to recall a moment when they felt organized and in charge.

Because the messy kitchen also had noise and other distractions, it’s also

impossible to say how much the women’s snack choices were influenced by the dirty room versus the other things happening in their environment, the researchers also note.

Even so, the findings underscore that less cluttered, less distracting and less chaotic environments might lead people to snack less, the researchers conclude in the journal Environment and Behavior.

“Eating healthy can be hard, and understanding the environmental factors like kitchen clutter than influence our eating can help individuals structure their homes in a way to make the healthier food choice the easier choice,” said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition researcher at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill who wasn’t involved in the study.

JPlus

February 21, 2016

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wanderLUST

Rubbishing the Republic making indonesia greener for tourists—and residents WORDS Duncan graham photos Erlinawati graham

This is the year of Wonderful Indonesia, which will hopefully net more than US$9 billion from foreign visitors. Visa-free entry has become available to scores of nationalities in a bid to boost arrivals who are lured by the promise of vistas green and clean.

Sadly many might be disappointed.

When Younglive Suban was driving in New Hampshire he behaved like any Indonesian: He tossed his cigarette butt out of the window without checking the rear-view mirror.

Tailing him was a police car. “Young man, do you know what you just did?” asked the cop after pulling the student over. “Do you think the US highway is your ashtray?”

The fine for littering was US$500, but the officer was compassionate.

“That taught me a lesson,” recalled Suban who now manages a two-hectare upmarket tourist resort in North Sulawesi.

“I’d never thought like that before. I changed my ways.

Now back in Indonesia the car is my garbage can when I’m out driving. I wish others would do the same.”

Amen. It’s not difficult to locate lookouts across tumbling green hills­—just spot a pile of rubbish. If heading into the forest, follow the trails of bottles and cans. Well-

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prepared adventurers include a knife and dye marker in their backpacks.

The first is to carve your famous name into tree trunks, the second to scribble an immortal message on any flat surface. What to say? The current trend is for something obscene—that’s always good for a laugh.

“It’s sad, not funny,” said Basaria Tiara, second-incharge of the Minahasa regency tourism department.

“Of course it wouldn’t take long for a couple of men and a small truck to collect the mess and do some basic clean up.

“The problem is this: Who is responsible and where’s the budget? Is it the department dealing with roads, or parks, or health or education? When the Reform policy came in after the fall of Soeharto [in 1998], the regions took over many jobs but there’s been little coordination.

“Money for capital works is available, but not maintenance. If we put out bins they get stolen.”

One of most publicized inland tourist attractions in North Sulawesi is Bukit Kasih, variously translated as Hill of Love or Hill of Mercy. It’s a multi-faith 950-step journey round a smoking, steaming amphitheater of raw geothermal activity.

Although only opened in 2004, the place is now so badly damaged that it’s more liability than asset. Acid rain from sulphuric fumes has eroded the infrastructure and

wanderLUST

stained the kitsch statues. Some walkways are impassable. Visitors hoping to find a place of peace are harassed by touts.

“That’s what happens when you let officials run tourism,” said Suban, a dedicated disciple of private enterprise.

“The government is doing a good job publicizing Indonesia abroad and helping draw in tourists, but they must also look at the infrastructure and understand the market. It has several segments–not everyone want sto sit at poolside drinking.

“Many want to explore and learn. I feel ashamed when I take people to a site and find garbage.”

The problem is nationwide.

Environment and Forestry Ministry waste management director Sudirman recently told a seminar there were so many problems with trash in Indonesia that he was thinking about declaring a state of emergency.

Before talking to JPlus, Suban and his business colleagues from the local Indonesian Tourism Group (HPI), where he’s secretary, spent a day picking waste off the beach in Manado. The capital of North Sulawesi is famous as a base for exploring the Bunaken National Marine Park.

Divers come from around the world to marvel at the coral wonderland–but get offended by pollution. From the top floor of a harbor-front hotel pods of plastic can be seen swirling in the bay below.

“Maintaining a clean environment is really the government’s job,” said Suban.

“They don’t do it, so we have to. It’s not just foreigners who want cleanliness–so do we.”

Local HPI vice president Freddy Siwi, who runs a backpacker lodge in Tomohon, thinks the way to make Indonesians care is to turn trash into cash.

He’s started a collection center for plastics and cardboard and plans to buy a machine to compress the refuse ready for sale to recyclers.

“We need a system of rewards and punishment to make an impact,” he said.

“If there are laws against littering they’re ignored.”

One of North Sulawesi’s must-see

sites is the 1,324-meter Mount Mahawu and its green crater lake, although its often shrouded in clouds. A good road leads to the park office. There’s space to park and a sturdy staircase to the summit. Signs against shooting, logging and littering appear to indicate discipline, though many have been targeted by graffiti goons.

The Bern family from Belgium obviously thought the notices inadequate: They left a sack at the entrance with a ‘Save the nature’ message shaming others to drop their empties in their bag, not the bush.

Tiara denied that Indonesians don’t love their country. “A clean environment isn’t just for tourists,” she said. “It’s also important for our lives, our health and our children. We just need a mind-set change.

“If we have good places travelers will come. The government doesn’t listen to locals but maybe they’ll pay attention to people from overseas. So please speak out.”

Clean up Australia Indonesian visitors to Australia 25 years ago would have found the land to their liking. A night drive in the bush was enhanced by the glint of discarded beer cans marking the road shoulders. The more cans you say, the closer you were to a town and its liquor shops.

Those days are largely gone thanks largely to the inspiration and determination of builder and yachtsman Ian Kiernan.

While sailing in the late 1980s he was

appalled at the pollution of Sydney Harbor.

With a few mates he organized a litter lift; to everyone’s surprise about 40,000 volunteers arrived to pick up 5,000 tons.

Clearly the mood had swung towards environmental care. That drew political interest so governments got involved.

The Clean Up Australia campaign was born as a not-for-profit organization. The public backed Kiernan, now 75, because he came across as a rugged individual who cared and had no other agenda. In 1994 he was named Australian of the Year.

Parallel with the widespread collections of garbage has been legislation. Most states impose fines of AUD $400 [Rp 4 million] for litterers.

Only losers litter Like Manado and the Minahasa highlands; Malang, East Java, is an internationally-known tourist town. It also has knock-out scenery, enhanced by ancient cultural sites nearby. The temples of the 14th and 15th century Majapahit era draw visitors, along with

a cooler climate.

Malang labels itself "green" and a "flower city", but also has a trash problem, particularly in waterways.

Despite signs forbidding dumping in rivers and beauty spots, these are virtual headstones for cemeteries of plastic and food scraps–a rodent's picnic grounds.

Building rubble is tipped in any open space, often near houses.

“It’s a worry we are trying to combat in several ways,” said Ismintarti, head of the public parks section in the local government. “Many don’t care because they think it’s not in their backyard. But the city is their backyard­—and ours. My staff have to pick up what they drop, and that’s not right.

“We ask residents to accept personal responsibility and not assume cleanliness is solely someone else’s job,” she said.

“We’re using traditional means like posters, and social media to get the message across. We also employ an environment ambassador.”

Shinta Maulidya, 19, the lady with this fine title, spends her days talking to children and young adults. Drop your cup in a park and you’re likely to get a tap on the shoulder from a pretty teen instead of a burly cop. “I ask them to put their trash in the right place,” she said.

“They are starting to take notice.”

It’s pointless arguing­— Maulidya is a debating champion, speaks good English and has the law on her side. Fines of Rp 100,000 [US$7.25] can be imposed and smoking in parks in prohibited—a rule widely ignored.

Said Ismintarti: “It’s social engineering. Changing people’s behavior takes time.

Are we getting cleaner?” She paused for a moment. “Yes. I really think we are. But there's still far to go.”

JPlus

February 21, 2016 11

Photos courtesy st. regis singapore

wanderLUST

St. Regis

SINGAPORE

THE HOTEL

The St. Regis Singapore is the 13th hotel in the world and the third in Asia to carry The St. Regis luxury brand name. Opening on Dec. 22, 2007, with an official launch on April 20, 2008; this five-star property features architecture designed by award-winning firm WATG and interiors by Wilson Associates.

The hotel has a notable private art collection with over 100 original paintings and sculptures by worldfamous artists such as Columbian artist Fernando Botero, American architect Frank Gehry, Chinese modernist pioneer Gu Gan and Singaporean artists Chen Wen Hsi and Georgette Chen. Half-hour interactive tours are available daily for guests looking to dive into this collection.

WHERE

The property is located at the crossroads of Singapore’s premiere shopping and embassy districts, right by world-famous places such as the Orchard Road shopping zone and is also minutes away from the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its location puts it within singledigit kilometers of some of Singapore’s biggest tourism sites, with places as close as Dempsey Hill, 3.2 kilometers away and famous for its food and beverage offerings. Tiong Bahru, 3.5 kilometers away, is one of the country’s most charming neighborhoods.

Other cultural sites are equally close, such as Little India (3.7 kilometers) and Chinatown (4.7 kilometers), each offering different forms of immersion for visitors.

Guests can make use of the hotel’s chauffeured and customized Bentley service to take them there.

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STAY

The hotel has 299 guest rooms and suites with custom furnishings.

There are 10 different room types, starting from Executive Deluxe Rooms, with features such as hand-painted silk wallpaper and king-sized bed robes with signature linen. Average room size is from 50 to 52 square meters. There are also the St. Regis Suites type of rooms, ranging from 70 to 80 square meters. These one-bedroom suites can notably be transformed into two-bedroom retreats that can connect to a Grand Deluxe King Room.

At the high-end is the 335-squaremeter Presidential Suite, perched on the hotel’s top floor and, filled with several rooms (including a living room, dining room and executive office) and lined with gold and accented with precious metals.

The living room in this exclusive suite has a wraparound terrace overlooking the Botanic Gardens.

Its dining room has a long table that can sit up to 12. The hotel’s executive chef is available for providing personalized dining experiences.

All guests can make use of the hotel’s St. Regis Butler Service.

You get personal butlers who cater to all your tastes and preferences.

It boasts as being the only hotel in Singapore to offer butler services to all guests.

WORK

EAT

Hotel offers three main venues that take inspiration from France, Italy and China. Brasserie Les Saveurs at the lobby level is a dining establishment that provides a French-inspired menu. Offers include a lunch experience from Monday to Saturday that gives guests a spread of hors d’oeuvres, a main course and artisan cheeses and desserts.

The award-winning Yan Ting eatery offers Cantonese dining.

Chinese executive chef Tony Wun Shun Kong serves a la carte and set menus, as well as takeaway for prosperity during the Chinese New Year’s season. Highlights from chef Tony Wun’s menu include Doubleboiled Sea Whelk Soup with Black Garlic served in Teapot.

LaBrezza by the tropical pool serves signature dishes from various regions of Italy. Guests can try out its business lunches and enjoy an atmosphere suited for an afternoon soirée with friends and colleagues.

The hotel’s Astor Bar serves cocktails, wines and champagnes amidst live jazz tunes and an atmosphere for unwinding.

TALLYING IT UP

RELAX

The St. Regis Singapore contains the first Remède Spa to be found outside the US and the first in Asia.

It offers individualized experiences.

Features include sensorial lounge with an aquarium, heated wave loungers and Finnish cedar wood sauna. Among the most notable services are pedicure treatments designed by world-renowned French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez.

Other facilities include a 24hour fitness center overlooking the hotel’s swimming pool, complete with personal trainers. Guests can also make use of an indoor air-conditioned tennis court. The hotel’s outdoor pool is set amidst greenery and sculptures made from Terengganu granite by Singaporeborn Han Sai Por.

The St. Regis Singapore lives up to its brand’s name of being the crème de la crème of luxury hotels. Visitors in Singapore looking for a hotel offering the most high-end of hospitality need not look any further.

The St. Regis Singapore has over 1,500 square meters of event space. It has eight meeting rooms with luxury furnishings and the latest in technology. The smallest of these is the Consulate, at 65 square meters, with an in-built LCD projector with AV panels engineered by touch screen panels. Wired and wireless broadband are also available to facilitate video and satellite conferencing. Its largest events venue, the John Jacob Ballroom, named after the founder of The St. Regis New York, covers 709 square meters and has a maximum capacity of 600.

ROOM RUNDOWN 90 Executive Deluxe rooms, 117 Grand Deluxe rooms, 34 Lady Astor rooms, 18 Penthouse rooms, 10 St. Regis suites, 21 Caroline Astor suites, 3 Specialty suites, 1 Astoria suite, 1 King Cole suite, 1 Presidential suite.

HIGHLIGHTS World-class art on display.

Butler service for all guests.

PRICE Rates range from S$610 to $12,480 a night CONTACT The St. Regis Singapore 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore Telp. +6565066888 stregissingapore.com ✓ Wifi ✓ Room Service ✓ Butler Service ✓ Bentley chauffeur ✓ Mini-bar ✓ Pool ✓ Spa ✓ Gym ✓ 3 Restaurants ✓ 1 Bar ✓ 8 Meeting rooms

culture VULTURE

Is The Top of the Art Market In Trouble?

A look at the top 10 sales of London’s February auctions WORDS James Tarmy, Bloomberg

S

oon after the hammer came down on the final lot of Christie’s postwar and contemporary art evening sale, a breaking news banner flashed on Bloomberg’s homepage: “Bear Market Descends on Global Stocks."

Given the grim economic circumstances, the sale, which included 62 lots totaling US$84.1 million, was a success, and indeed the last two weeks of Impressionist, modern, postwar, and contemporary art auctions in London could reasonably be considered... decent.

The sell-through rates (how many lots in the auction sold) were more than adequate, the final tallies fell

reasonably within estimate, and, with a few notable exceptions, the big lots sold.

It’s only when you compare this year’s top 10 lots with last year’s that the difference becomes starkly apparent: The art market of 2016 is shaping up to be very different than the art market of 2015. Last year, the collective top 10 lots of the Impressionist, modern, postwar, and contemporary London sales totaled $249.24 million.

This year, the total was $160.2 million— almost a $90 million dollar decline. Last year’s top lot was a giant abstract painting by Gerhard Richter, which sold for $46 million; this year’s top lot, as you’ll see below, was a

painting by Pablo Picasso, which sold for $27 million, almost $13 million less than when it sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2013.

Last year, seven of the 10 top lots sold for more than $20 million; this year, there were just two.

Does this mean that the art market is in trouble, or simply that, as multiple insiders say, collectors have simply become more selective, passing on over-hyped paintings for more reasonably priced art? Anyone who claims to have the answer is either lying or about to make a huge amount of money.

Apropos of which, check out the top 10 lots from the London sales below.

4. Claude Monet, Le Palais Ducal Vu de Saint Georges Majeur, $16,662,805

3. August Rodin, 'Iris, Messagere Des Dieux', $16,662,805

9. Marc Chagall, 'Les Mariés de la Tour' Eiffel, $10,111,134

Photos Courtesy bloomberg

1. Pablo Picasso, 'Tete de Femme', $27,144,549

2. Lucian Freud, 'Pregnant Girl', $23,214,243

5. Peter Doig, 'The Artist’s Home in the Ravine', $16,337,061

10. Jean Michel Basquiat, 'Untitled (Head of Madman)' $8,961,482

8. Egon Schiele, 'Selbstbildnis Mit Gespreizten Fingern', $10,433,470

6. Henri Matisse, 'La Leçon de Piano', $15,534,002

7. Alberto Burri, 'Sacco E Rosso', $13,172,525

JPlus

February 21, 2016 13

at your LEISURE

The Fairmont Jakarta is offering a zingy take on Italy’s zeppole “donuts”

I

n the 1970s, Western-style pastries were considered extravagant by diners in Jakarta—at least until the Sakura Anpan bakery on Jl. Sabang began a craze with its beautifully constructed fruit pies.

Jumping ahead a few years, local gastronomes were surprised when Union Brasserie introduced red velvet cake to their palates, leading to the cake's epidemic expansion in local restaurants.

There was, of course, also Dominique Ansel—Manhattan’s so-called “Prince of Pastries”—renowned for creating the cronut and who inspired the Mandarin Cake Shop at the Mandarin Oriental hotel to introduce that fusion pastry to the city.

Now, those seeking a taste of la dolce vita should prepare themselves: The Sapori Deli at the Fairmont hotel is fixing to introduce the zeppola, the classic Italian donut/beignet, to the capital.

While zeppole are thought to have been popularized in Rome, early recipes can be found in the works of the famous Neapolitan gastronome Ippolito Cavalcanti in 1837, according to Ecompania.

The donuts are currently popular throughout southern Italy, such as in Naples, Sicily, Sardinia and even further south, in Malta.

In Italy, zeppole are typically served with a touch of powdered sugar or fresh cream, made of fried choux pastry, filled with pastry or chatilly cream and topped with candied or amarene sour cherries.

Their hollow centers can also be filled with almost anything.

In Naples, zeppole are typically baked or fried and can be savory, sometimes using kelp or anchovies as a filling; while Sicilian versions use flour, rice, orange

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WORDS Kevindra P. Soemantri honey or powdered sugar.

The sumptuous pastry is typically associated with Mardi Gras, which marks the approach of Easter in the Catholic faith, or with the feast days of saints, such as St. Joseph on March 19, which coincides with Italian Father’s Day. At the Sapori Deli, executive pastry chef Sapto and executive chef Andrew are for a limited time offering zeppole with a host of fillings, including strawberry shortcake, tiramisu, delectable Guanaja Balinese chocolate, hipster-friendly Nutella, vanilla bean, funky lemon soda pop, dulche de leche, black forest, matcha, Earl Grey tea and, yes, red velvet.

If you are a connoisseur of patisserie, you will find that a zeppola resembles a French religiuse, save that it is larger.

I found it a total pleasure to enjoy every single bite of the zeppole I sampled at the Fairmont recently.

The lemon soda pop version was uniquely entertaining: A duet of elegant pastry and tangy lemon that was beautifully (and deliciously) odd.

The delicate pastry cream was suddenly made alive by pop-rock candy hidden inside stream of cream that gently exploded when

taking a bite.

Curiosity allured me to taste the black forest zeppola, which prompted a feeling of déjà vu.

I was reminded of how more than four decades ago in the 1970s, Sari Deli at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel also became famous for introducing black forest cake to Jakarta—and there I was, at Sapori Deli, tempted to eat black forest in its newest form.

The black-forest zeppola had candied pitted cherries inside its creamy filling and a dark chocolate ganache on top. The tart sourness of the cherry combined with the mellow sweetness of the cream, while the ganache added a signature black forest flavor.

Ippolito Cavalcanti would be proud.

RUTH'S CHRIS LANDS IN JAKARTA Ruth’s Chris Steak House just opened its first restaurant in Indonesia on Feb. 13. The international food chain is known for its New Orleans-style luxury dining menus—and most notably its USDA prime steaks.

The restaurant, Ruth's Chris' 10th in Asia, was opened on the ground floor of Somerset Apartments in South Jakarta.

Each steak at Ruth’s Chris is cooked in a 982 degree oven using methods developed by founder Ruth Fertel 50 years ago. JPlus INTRODUCING ROBO HOSPITALITY Visit the newly-opened Rong Heng Seafood restaurant at the East Coast Seafood Center in Singapore, and you will be greeted by a robot in a red apron holding a tray.

Once you’re seated, your food will be delivered by two other robots –Lucy and Mary– dressed with scarves around their necks. Other robots will dance to hit songs like "Gangnam Style" by South Korean star Psy to entertain you during your visit.

The restaurant's owners are using robots designed in Japan and made in China to deal with human power shortage, a common problem faced by the food and beverage industry in Singapore. ANN/Straits Times AKIRA WATANABE OPENS 'PASTA HOUSE' IN PLAZA INDONESIA AWkitchen Pasta House recently opened on the second floor of Plaza Indonesia, two years after Akira Watanabe started serving his unique brand of Japanese-Italian food at Plaza Senayan.

The pasta house itself was originally founded in Tokyo by Watanabe and is named after him.

Some of the chain’s notable dishes include “Black Angus Beef Tataki with Soy Truffle Sauce” and “Spaghettini in Garlic Oil with Spicy Cod Roe and Japanese Mushroom”.

Watanabe was on hand on Feb. 19 for the launch at Plaza Indonesia, as was the gamine actress Raline Shah. Chef Akira celebrated with a live cooking session that showed off his 20 years’ of cooking experience. JPlus

Sapori Deli Fairmont Jakarta hotel No., Jl. Asia Afrika No.8, Jakarta, Zeppole week runs from Feb. 22 to 29 fairmont.com/jakarta

Photos courtesy fairmont Jakarta

La Dolce Vita

MOVABLE FEASTS

tasteBUD

Opt for

a quick fix A recipe for Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) Words and photos Theodora Hurustiati

I

f I wasn’t worried about becoming morbidly obese or developing heart disease, I could eat fried chicken every day. I love the juicy and tender taste of meat coated with a blanket of flour. It’s an accessible dish for cooks, too, requiring only humble ingredients and no fancy kitchen appliances. No wonder it’s one of those “universal” foods, present in cultures across the globe.

However, frying large pieces of chicken on the bone can be a hassle! You need a large amount of oil to deep fry properly–and, if the oil temperature is not ideal, you can end up with burnt skin and undercooked centers. This is why I usually opt for the Japanese version of fried chicken–karaage– whenever I suffer withdrawal and find myself daydreaming of eating a bucket full of fried drumsticks!

Karaage involves coating pieces of marinated meat (or sometimes fish) in potato starch followed by deep frying. While cornstarch and plain flour work well, the crust will slightly be thicker. The dish is typically served with a lemon wedge, to cut through the richness, and occasionally grilled shishito–mild green peppers–on the side. I couldn’t find them here in Udine, so I used their Italian “cousins” called friggitello. Watch out: Substituting cabe hijau green chillies would make things too hot. Accompanied by rice, karaage makes a great lunchbox meal, as it stays crisp, even when eaten cold.

Serves 2 2 (400g) chicken thighs 2 cm (20g) fresh ginger 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons shoyu or tamari Japanese soy sauces

1 tablespoon mirin or sake ±100g corn or potato starch Salt, optional Vegetable oil (preferably peanut), for frying

Garnish 4 shishito, padron or friggitello sweet green peppers ½ lemon 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Shichimi or nanami togarashi (Japanese chili powder mix), to taste

• Debone chicken thighs and cut into about 4-cm cubes, leaving skin on.

• Peel and finely grate or chop ginger and garlic. Massage onto chicken along with soy sauce and mirin. Marinate for about 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, rub a touch of oil on green peppers and grill on non-stick pan until lightly blistered and soft.

• Now it’s time to go back to the chicken. Heat abundant oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or wok. For best results, oil should reach about 170-180°C before deep frying the chicken. Use a kitchen thermometer to gauge temperature. If you don’t own one, you know the oil is ready when it starts to develop a wavy pattern.

• Once oil is hot, coat chicken thoroughly with potato starch.

• Deep-fry chicken “nuggets” in small batches for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden. Don’t overcrowd pan or oil temperature will drop too much and you’ll end up with soggy fried chicken. Turn occasionally to allow even cooking and browning.

• Transfer and rest fried chicken bites on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

• Allow to cool slightly and re-fry for 30 to 60 seconds until golden brown. You could skip this step, although it makes the chicken karaage stay crisper longer. Rest on kitchen paper a second time to absorb excess oil.

• Serve hot with charred green peppers, a slice of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise sprinkled with togarashi chili mix.

Jakarta-born chef Theodora Hurustiati, a 13-year resident of Udine, Italy, was the runner-up in the TV cooking program La Scuola – Cucina di Classe (The School: Classy Cooking).

JPlus

February 21, 2016 15

trend DIAL Polo Ralph Lauren Fall 2016

Classic Americana, luxury and seduction is what Ralph Lauren is all about with its Polo Ralph Lauren Fall 2016 collection. From tweedy suits with chambray shirts to cashmere Aran sweaters and beat-up blue jeans, you’ll be a part of his guy’s club with these pieces.

Within the series, the novelty lies in the cut, shoulders and an "unconstructed" style that is reflected in a three-piece men’s suit in washed black denim.

However, it’s not about the changes in style–it’s about incorporating touches of "athleisure": timelessness and recognizability.

Milk Makeup for Time-Crunched Girls

The bicoastal creative company Milk has launched Milk Makeup. The idea is to provide a low maintenance unique formulas that are easy to apply.

With an 85-piece cosmetics and skin collection, Milk Makeup is dedicated to women who don’t use makeup brushes. Its debut offerings range from lip and blush oils in a rollerball to eye and lip makers that will stick around until night time. Milk also uses recyclable packaging and natural ingredients– arnica in under-eye concealer to de-puff, high-grade coconut waxes–that will blend seamlessly when they come into contact with body heat. This cool collection is available at sephora.com and urbanoufitters.com.

uction d se , ury x lu &

J. Crew Fall 2016

me o s n i e indulg

apy r e h t retail

Missana's Quirky Toadstools

Spain-based upholstery company Missana unveiled its vibrant Toadstool series this month. Collaborating with Masquespacio, Missana saw the opportunity to partner with the design studio, producing a set of pouffes, a table and a sofa bench that combine Missana's classic techniques with new materials, including marble, wood and gold-plated metals. The series offers a fresh approach, using an array of bright shades, from blues to greens to maroons to pinks. This furniture offers radiant color clashes to brighten your home. Head to masquespacio.com to check out these eccentric offerings.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye

As rye whiskies trend across the globe, Jack Daniel’s is taking the chance to launch a third offering in its Single Barrel Collection, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye, touted as the first new grain bill in 100 years. Made from a concoction of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent malted barley grain; this whiskey has a sweet taste and sharp finish, due to a dried fruit and trail-mix flavor that ends slightly faster than other single barrels. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye will be hitting the shelves in the US this month starting at US$49.99/750ml.

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JPlus February 21, 2016

J. Crew is back with newly appointed designer Somsack Sikhounmuong, who is making her debut with the venerable brand’s Fall 2016 collection. J. Crew is finally bringing new colors and feminine touches to its line up with vivid geometric and botanical prints. Delivering her take on “pretty”, Sikhounmuong, a former head of design for Madewell, is focusing on bright colors, lots of pinks and daring floral prints along with a few ruffles, here and there. There are also classic fishermen’s sweaters, clean-cut overcoats and shoes ranging from lace-up ballerinas, black-andwhite pointed-toe loafers to sensible heeled snakeprint pumps. Check it out: This series will totally disrupt notions of how to wear J. Crew.

Available at jcrew.com. +Banyubening Prieta