Nur Khuzaima

Galeri Petronas’s current ongoing exhibition, ‘Alegori: Contemporary Art Expressions from Malay Manuscripts’ explores the foundations of the Malay identity through historically-significant manuscripts and rare Malay artefacts. Aside from these, the exhibition also features contemporary installations by local and regional artists. Two installations on display are ‘The Floating Empire’ and ‘The Honourable Pirates’ by local artist Syafiq Ali’am, fantastical works that illustrate an alternate view of the Melakan empire’s history. We caught up with the artist about the pieces, his background and his inspiration. How did you start out doing what you do?My father did a lot of landscape painting using watercolours; he introduced me to watercolour painting when I was just four years old. When I was six, he gave me my first watercolour set. My grandfather believed that it’s important to look at things from a different perspective. That’s why although being an imam, he sent his son (my father) to St Michael’s Institution in Ipoh, a church school. That sense of looking at things from a different perspective has been passed on to me. You mentioned being exposed to art as a child. How has your interest developed as you got older?Any formal arts education I had began when I was in high school. And later when I got into the Architecture and Arts programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). I learnt a lot while studying there, majoring in sculpting and minoring in painting. I think at that

With pastel walls, green plants at each corner, and a name you could cuddle up to, Food by Fat Cat challenges the cliché that indulgences have to be messy and guilt-ridden affairs (we’re looking at you, chizza). Run by the same crew that opened The Good Batch and Nara Kitchen & Co, the team sticks close to what they know best: providing carb-comforts through dishes like Japanese-inspired rice bowls, ramen and waffles. While Fat Cat caters to a mix of students and residents looking for an affordable and filling meal (you can get decent food for about RM20), the dishes are well-thought out when it comes to striking the right balance of textures and flavours. Their bestseller, Fattie BomBom (a rice bowl topped with chicken karaage with ebiko sauce, sautéed mushrooms and an onsen egg) encourages you to jumble all the ingredients into an unctuous mix that’s contrasted with the crunch of the chicken karaage. For a snack, opt for their Fat Cat Fries – a generous serving of fries topped with gojuchang and cheese sauce, minced chicken and pineapple chunks. Brunch fans will be pleased with their buttermilk waffles that are made with freshly made batter and used as part of a savoury or sweet dish. One crowd favourite is the waffle served with poached eggs, pineapple kimchi, chicken karaage and hollandaise sauce – think of it as a mash-up of an eggs Benedict and Chicken & Waffles presented on a plate. Sure, it’s slightly grotesque, but it’s got all the flavours you’d want from a brunch d

Having an afternoon tea doesn’t just stop with a few finger sandwiches and a cup of Boh – these days, it’s a total package that includes a range of exotic teas, savouries and sweets that can keep you occupied for a good couple of hours. Newens Tea House is an old hand at delivering such an experience, and for the year 2018 they have come up with A Journey Through Tea, a series of monthly high tea sets inspired by various tea cultures around the world. January saw the tea house promoting classic favourites through their English High Tea set, which includes orange pekoe tea accompanied by a three-tier tray comprising finger sandwiches with salmon, beef and cucumber; cheese crackers; English trifle and red velvet cake. It also featured their house special, the Maids of Honour – a curd cheese tart that originated during the time of King Henry VIII.  Here’s what you can expect for the next two months. This month of February sees the debut of the Spring in China set, which includes Shanghainese sizzling chicken dumplings, osmanthus flower jelly with water chestnuts, steamed layer cake with custard cream and salted egg yolk, egg tarts and pineapple tarts. This set is accompanied with Pai Mu Tan tea – a sweet, mild Chinese tea made from unopened tea buds. In March, you’ll get to indulge in the Cherry Blossom afternoon tea set, created to coincide with Japan’s cherry blossom season. The set pairs fragrant wild cherry tea with Japanese-themed bites like California hand rolls, salmon sa