KajoMag

Suasana on 18, just as the word ‘suasana’ (or ‘atmosphere’ in Malay) suggests, is all about the ambience.

Located on the 18^th floor of the Riverside Majestic Hotel Astana Wing, Suasana on 18 is intimate, classy (there’ll be live jazz music as you eat) and you will get a floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of the Kuching Waterfront and the Sarawak River.

For those who may have been initially sceptical about the musical fountain (like I was), catching the light and water show in the evening as you enjoy your meal with a significant other, friends or even business partner, adds a certain magic to your fine dining experience.

With this relaxing and elegant backdrop in mind, just go all the way and order one of their two Western set meals; you won’t regret it. A modest 3-course meal – entrée, mains and dessert – you will get to pick and choose from two options for each course.

Revisiting the classics, with a twist

The dishes for the most part are classic fine dining dishes, enhanced with a delicate balance between Eastern and Western flavours, as you will see in entrees like the Honey Soy Grilled Blue Mackerel and mains like the Mibrasa Grilled Salmon with Miso Glaze.

The blue mackerel appetizer will appeal to those with a Sarawakian palate as it is an upscale version of the home favourite – sardines in tomato sauce. The blue mackerel in this case, however, has a firm, silky texture and a delicate fishy aftertaste, enhanced by the combination of poached egg, tomato vinaigrette and a slight spiciness from the paprika. The crispy barbecued cracker is a great addition to this dish as it breaks up all of these soft textures and flavours.

For those who like a little more oomph in their entrée, they can pick the Homemade Smoked Beef Pastrami. With rolls of slow-smoked beef brisket resting on top of brioche toast and drizzles of mustard mayo, this elegant dish has the comfort food feel of a traditional sandwich. Definitely worth a try.

The Pan Seared Duck Confit (pronounced cone-FEE) was so tender and tantalising that it may win over people who don’t necessarily go for duck. The duck leg was moist, fall-off-the-bone, and had a beautifully thin, crispy crust.

Another traditional fine-dining dish on the menu was the Mibrasa Grilled Tenderloin beef. Grilled delicately so that the juices are sealed inside, the beef was tender and flavourful, enhanced by the black pepper jus.

Like the other mains, this dish was served with a beautiful array of sides like pan-seared king oyster mushroom, potatoes praline, glazed French beans, and semi-dried cherry tomato flowers.

Have a sweet tooth?

Suasana on 18’s desserts were made for Instagram. Whether you choose the Chocolate Delice or the Vanilla Crème Brulee, both desserts are winners for the senses.

Visually the crème brulee was striking and bold as it sat on a magenta streak of raspberry sorbet. One of the best dishes on the menu; the crème brulee was rich and creamy, a flavour tamed with the burnt sugar on top, begging you to savour it slowly.

Another dessert to savour was the chocolate delice served with raspberry sorbet. Lovely to look at, the dark chocolate flavour and silky texture with the citrusy raspberry sorbet makes this dish luxurious and delightful to eat. Truly a great dessert to end your 3-course meal and enjoy with a coffee. 

Planning a special occassion?

The price range for these Western sets (RM120-RM150 nett per person) combined with the view from the 18^th floor makes Suasana on 18 perfect for any special occassion or ice-breaker with a business client.

Open from 11am to 2pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm except Mondays, call 082-532-222 ext 5006 to make a reservation.

Bon Appetit!

KUCHING: Malaysian Writers Society (MYWriters) is bringing three events to this year’s What About Kuching (WAK) 2019, which also falls in conjunction with #MYWritersFest2019.

MYWritersFest, which began in 2015, is a month-long festival celebrating Malaysian writers and their writing.

The first of their three events include ‘Write Now, Kuching’, a four-day three-night writing retreat taking place from Oct 1 to 4 at Singgahsana Lodge, Kuching. This is one of the two writing retreats under #MYWritersFest2019, with the other one happening in Ipoh.

According to MYWriters president and retreat leader Gina Yap Lai Yoong, the idea is to take a few days off from normal routine and concentrate on your personal writing project.

“Writers are encouraged to work on their writing with minimal distraction from others. They can also communicate with other writers in the premises to discuss about their writings,” she said.

The daily group session, facilitated by Yap, is compulsory for every participant as it is to keep everyone accountable in their writing progress.

“You will get some leisure time but do not treat this as a cheap holiday. Our venue Singgahsana Lodge and its owners are offering us their venue because they believe in supporting the arts. So set your writing goals and expect to work hard,” she added, who will be assisted by MYWriters Sarawak representative Georgette Tan.

Yap has written 6 books and co-written many more. Her trilogy ‘Ngeri’ is a bestseller with more than 10 reprints since 2012. Known as a Story Doctor, Gina is a book consultant and has been mentoring writers since 2014 in their writing journey.

Retreat fees are RM210 per participant, which includes accommodations and meals. For more information, visit http://tiny.cc/kchretreat.

The other two events are talks by Tina Isaacs, a litigation lawyer specialising in copyright law. She is also a MYWriters committee member and a fiction writer. Taking place in the afternoon of Oct 5, Tina will cover an ‘Introduction to Copyright Law for Creatives’ and ‘Contract and Payment Terms for Freelance Creatives’.

Speaking on the talks, MYWriters Sarawak representative Georgette Tan said that while Kuching has no shortage of artistic talent, the lack of knowledge on matters of copyright and contracts often leave unwitting creative freelancers wide open for exploitation.

“As creative people, we usually don’t even think about matters of copyright or contracts until something happens to us. Alternately, we also don’t think about how our casual usage of other people’s intellectual property can hurt them,” Tan said, who is a former journalist.

In ‘Introduction to Copyright Law for Creatives’, participants will learn how to protect their work and control how it is used commercially while ensuring that they don’t infringe the work of others.

In ‘Contract and Payment Terms for Freelance Creatives’, Tina will walk participants through the legalese of contracts and how to protect their rights as an independent creative contractor.

Both these talks are not limited to writers. Tan added that these topics are relevant to all members of the creative community whether they are painters, dancers, photographers, designers, publishers, scriptwriters, or whether they make music, movies or handicrafts.

“With more and more Sarawakians embracing their artistic side as their primary or alternative income stream, it is worth understanding the legal side of the creative industry so you know where you stand and where you can go,” Tan said.

Ticket price for the talks is RM100 each. Attend both and pay only RM160. MYWriters members get 50% off the ticket price. Come in a group of five and pay RM400 (RM80/person) for one talk or RM700 (RM140/person) for both. To sign up, visit http://tiny.cc/kchtalks.

This event is part of What About Kuching 2019. For more information or to download our calendar, visit aboutkuching.com.  Programme booklets are also available for free across Kuching. For updates, find WAK on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under @aboutkuching. Join the buzz by hashtagging #WAK2019, #WAK and #aboutkuching.