Su Ann Ng

Eating well doesn’t mean you have to pay more, especially if you're in a food-centric city like Kuala Lumpur. Wherever you may be in the city, at any time of the day, there's bound to be a hot dish waiting for you... under RM15. We’ve got you covered for the best cheap eats our city has to offer.

We’ll get the obvious out of the way first; if you like street food, you will fall deeply in love with Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian capital is a veritable foodie haven, with finger-licking magic waiting around every corner. Hungry visitors are in for a real treat.The best things to do in KL cover much more than marvellous morsels. There is history, culture, architecture and excitement here, with one of the best nightlife scenes in the region and lots of activities to boot. One of the coolest cities on the planet? There's absolutely no doubt about it. RECOMMENDED: 🍽 The best restaurants and cafés in KL🛏 The best boutique hotels in KL🌳 The best parks in KL🎸 The best live music venues in KL

Shopping for a bouquet of flowers doesn't always need to be a chore. Show that someone you care without even leaving your desk with our list of KL's top online florists for all occasions including weddings, birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversaries and more. Go grand with a dozen red roses or surprise someone with a beautiful rustic arrangement of wildflowers, all with a click of a button. 

The Time Out KL Drink List is where we handpick the best places to drink in our city. These are the bars and joints that serve up some of the most creative cocktails, offer the most rare labels (whether wine or liquor), and have on tap craft beer from some of the world's best craft breweries. Whether you're looking for a quiet night out over wine with friends, or a cocktail party overlooking our city's iconic skyline, we've got just the place for you.  Drank somewhere on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDrinkList. You can also find out more about how Time Out makes recommendations and reviews bars here.

If you're up for a sushi experience where the food does the talking, sit back and submit to the will of these sushi chefs for the best omakase and sushi meals in the city. RECOMMENDED: Best Japanese restaurants in KL

Looking for a relaxing weekend getaway without travelling the extra mile? Here are some of the best staycation ideas for a nice quick holiday – all without leaving Kuala Lumpur (or Selangor). RECOMMENDED ⭐️ Best hotels in KL 🏙 Best boutique hotels in KL ❤️ Best things to do in KL

Looking for some high-quality rejuvenation but not keen on splashing out at one of Kuala Lumpur’s fancy hotels? Fear not, as the Malaysian capital has plenty of wellness to go around. Sure, you might not get the whole luxury experience at the places listed below, but you’ll also get to spend a handful of bucks to come out feeling like an entirely new person. Well, you’ll be the same person, just in a more relaxed state of mind. KL’s attractions and restaurants are legendary, but more and more people are finding out about the fantastic wellness roster that the city holds within its borders. These are the best cheap spas in the Garden City of Lights. While we’re here, how delightful is that nickname? Gorgeous stuff.

Jalan Dhoby is the best place to start your JB café-hopping adventure. Ten minutes away on foot from City Square Mall, the narrow street has the highest concentration of cafés, from coffee shops to trendy brunch eateries. We packed our passports (and cameras), hopped on a bus, and paid a visit to our closest neighbour to bring you the 12 best cafés in Johor Bahru, close to the causeway and beyond. RECOMMENDED Ultimate guide to Johor Bahru, the best family-friendly activities in Johor Bahru and the best supper spots in Johor Bahru

There’s no secret to becoming a successful secondhand shopper – but then again, I’m a seasoned hand. I’ve spent a lifetime shopping at undesirable, unexpected places, like bundle stores, pasar malams, and, um, Sungei Wang Plaza. No, it’s not just that it’s cheap; I like the character of vintage clothing, the details, the quality. Thrifting is a treasure hunt and a game of hits and misses; be prepared to spend hours shopping in a cramped, dusty space that smells like a basement, and by the end of it, still not find anything you want to take home. Be patient – that aged leather jacket, Kenzo T-shirt, or velvet button-up skirt is out there somewhere. Also, a good two-thirds of shops in Berjaya Times Square and Sungei Wang Plaza – as well as bundle shops and vintage stalls – have a strict no-trying policy. That, or the store simply doesn’t have a fitting room. I only have one word for you: alteration. If a dress works better as a top, cut it short. If a skirt’s too long, cut it short. Finally, to paraphrase Macklemore, cop it, please, please, please wash it, then go and get some compliments.

There's only so many times you can visit A'Famosa or the Stadthuys after the initial thrill of seeing those historical structures in Melaka. Give the obvious destinations a miss and learn top spinning from a gasing expert, view treasured Peranakan jewellery, read a vintage comic during an ear-cleaning session, wander through forgotten streets and more with our guide to the best things to do in Melaka.

Rickety rickshaws and tourist traps are all fun and games during your first visit to Melaka, but you'll be looking for the real deal soon enough. Skip the first-timers' attractions and sit down to a Peranakan dinner, eat putu piring, sip flavoured rice wine at a four-generation family-owned bar, and more with our guide to the best cafés, restaurants and bars in Melaka. Chicken rice balls still included.

There’s never been a better time to get a classic cut and shave at KL’s modern barbershops. Here, we check out the city's best places for cool hair and wet shaves. 

The Michelin-selected Sushi Taka serves Edomae sushi at KL’s The St. Regis, where chef Daichi Yazawa works only with fresh wild-caught seafood air-flown directly from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. Settle in at the 300-year-old Hinoki wood counter seater to experience his 18-course omakase, which includes seasonal small plates of appetizers and sushi nigiri. Past standouts have profiled awabi served with a liver sauce; horsehair crab with tosazu jelly; and mozuku, a prized seaweed paired with ground ginger and tosazu vinegar. Don’t miss: the signature Taka Tamagoyaki. The humble tamagoyaki is elevated into a special treat here; it’s custard-like, not cake-y, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, sweet from shiba ebi, eggs and honey. Lunch omakase menus start from RM600. Dinner omakase menus start from RM1000.

Behind a discreet wooden door at the ground floor of Four Seasons Place is one of the city’s best omakase restaurants. At Sushi Hibiki, all dim lighting and dark wood, the counter takes centrestage. That’s where you’d want to be seated to enjoy chef-owner Makoto Saito’s multi-course omakase, as he serves up masterfully-crafted sashimi and sushi nigiri. It might include ankimo, a delicacy of monkfish liver, known as the foie gras of the sea; hoshigarei, a rare catch of spotted hablibut considered the king of white fish; and the buttery-sweet uni — all expertly paired with saké from across Japan. From RM580.

Sushi is, well, you know what sushi is — while kaiseki is a centuries-old Japanese haute cuisine tradition. Hoshun offers an omakase experience that combines the two. At Hoshun, the degustation-style meal, meticulously prepared and artfully plated, more or less begin with starters, followed by a soup, sashimi, seasonal nigiri sushi, a couple of cooked or grilled dishes, a rice course and dessert — and depending on the menu, you can even opt to upgrade your main dish to more sushi. While you dine, note the artist Red Hong Yi’s feature piece of a long mountain range made from vegetable printing blocks. Lunch omakase menus start from RM380. Dinner omakase menus start from RM450.

Chef Hiroyuki Murakami, formerly of Tokyo’s Ginza Sushimasa, makes the most sublime small plates at The Linc’s Sushi Hara. The pursuit of perfection is relentless: from the freshest fish air-flown from Japan to its eventual setting on exquisite made-in-Japan tableware. For omakase, sashimi might include servings of akagai red clams, chutoro, and fugu pufferfish, while sushi could feature kuruma ebi or nodoguro, the rosy seabass. There’s also an a la carte menu, offering donburi (think Australian wagyu steak don and unagi don) and kaisendon, topped with assorted rich fish. To drink, there are over 30 sakés to choose from, plus Japanse whisky, wines, and tea.  Lunch omakase menus start from RM168+. Dinner omakase menus start from RM428+.

Two things to note of importance: Ed.ju seats only ten, and serves aged — not fresh — fish. It’s a technique that chef-owner Eddie Ng has perfected with a variety of fat fish, aged anywhere between a week to two months. At the helm, he’s joined by chef Wataru Inoue, a Michelin-experienced sushi master whose 30-year career has spanned across Japan and other parts of Asia including Macau, Hong Kong and Thailand. The omakase experience blends tradition and innovation; think classic nigiri sushi alongside cooked fish, to beyond Edo-style offerings of crispy tempura. Lunch omakase menus start from RM290+. Dinner omakase menus start from RM380+.

Sandwiched between an electronics store and a 7-Eleven in Sea Park, this unassuming (but so, so ambitious!) omakase eatery offers something a little different to the others. Helmed by head chef-owner Jack Weldie, Chipta11A is a curated dining restaurant with a convivial vibe. The “no-menu menu”, as the self-taught chef of Kadazan-Dusun descent calls it, is a culinary journey fusing Japanese-Malaysian ingredients and techniques. A Chipta11A one-of-a-kind creation is, for instance, the grilled aka ebi with kulim emulsion, mixed herbs and a belacan vinaigrette; kulim, a rare jungle fruit native to Malaysia, is used here for its earthy notes. These days, the nigiri courses may feature the fist-sized sea snails awabi; masaba and dry-aged tuna smoked with pine wood; and samurai oysters from Hokkaido. Expect the unexpected.  Lunch omakase from RM280. Dinner omakase menus start from RM350.

Chef Norikazu Shibata started his career at a sushi-ya in Tokyo about four decades ago. Today, he’s one of the best in the business, as evidenced by Sushi Kazu’s recognition as a Michelin-selected restaurant in Malaysia. His is the Edomae way: the centuries-old tradition of Tokyo-style aged sushi, often cured before serving. At Sushi Kazu, elegance is everywhere; cloud lanterns float overhead the restaurant’s signature curved counter, where guests are served sushi starring only the season’s finest on tableware sourced from Japan.  Lunch omakase menus start from RM258. Dinner omakase menus start from RM488.

From The Curate Group behind such excellence as Sushi Ryu and Wagyu Kappo Yoshida, Sushi Masa by Ishibashi is an extension of Michelin-starred chef Masakazu Ishibashi’s Edomae-style sushi restaurant first set up in Tokyo’s exclusive Ginza district. Take a seat at the counter to marvel at the sushi master at work; it’s currently helmed by chef Yossy, who more than holds his own. He’ll start you off with appetizers of boiled soft octopus, crab croquette, and sweet potato, before running the rest of the show with sushi nigiri, which might feature kindemai, the sweet splendid alfonsino with lightly-seared skin; Japanese tiger prawn; and nodoguro, the rare blackthroat seaperch fish. To conclude the meal, tamago is served two ways (cake- and custard-style) and for dessert, finish with an ice cream or wagashi. Lunch omakase from RM488. Dinner omakase menus start from RM988.

It’s a true rags-to-riches story. After ten years of selling her namesake nasi lemak by a streestside stall in Kampung Pandan, Saleha Abdullah now operates two restaurants and three kiosks, pocketting profits of over RM400,000 monthly. She owes it all to her nasi lemak: a plate of fluffy, steaming-hot rice cooked in santan, accompanied with half a boiled egg, cucumber slices, ikan bilis goreng, peanuts, and the all-too-important house-made sweet-spicy sambal.  The nasi lemak pairs perfectly with ayam goreng berempah — crispy skin, juicy meat, so good you can eat it on its own — or even ayam or daging rendang, paru berempah, or sambal sotong.

Make way for the self-styled ‘second best’ nasi lemak in Petaling Jaya. (Which begs the question, who’s the best? Botak Nasi Lemak’s now-common reply is that they’re simply too humble to declare themselves to be the top dogs.) Back to the nasi lemak: a mound of creamy coconut rice sits centre stage on a plate, fringed all round with a boiled egg, cucumber slices, spicy sambal (heavy on the onions), ikan bilis and roasted peanuts — each item there to compliment the last.  For protein, add-on options are ayam goreng (with crispy rempah crunch), chicken curry or sotong sambal. If you’re not in the mood for rice, also on the menu are mee siam, mee goreng, and pulut.

Stalls serving nasi lemak are a dime a dozen in Kuala Lumpur, but Chinese-style pork-friendly (read: non-halal) ones are a little more difficult to spot. At Ann Nasi Lemak, have your fluffy coconut rice with accoutrements — cut cucumbers, half a boiled egg, sambal, anchovies and roasted peanuts —and pair it with pork curry, pork skin curry, or petai stir-fried with minced pork.  Other side dishes of note include chicken curry, fried chicken, mutton rendang, sotong sambal and siham sambal.  Given its ever-present queue and popularity, go early to avoid disappointment. But never fear, the sheer variety of other street food stalls at ICC Pudu still makes it a worthy destination for food lovers. Our tip: Summon up a group of friends to experience the joy of communal dining or, in other words, share-share lah.

Greetings from the most interesting Thai restaurant you might’ve never heard of: The SIAM Thai Cuisine, located within M City, delivers a one-two punch with accomplished cooking and drama, drama, drama. Chef Narut — whose culinary experience includes two years at R.HAAN, a renowned two Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok — along with Aunty Nita and their team of seven Thai chefs have a hit on their hands with the tomyum syphon, a one-of-a-kind, theatrical dish of tomyum flame-torched and served in a syphon, filled with aromatics and herbs.  Also don’t miss: the signature steamed fish with chili, lime and garlic; kai look kei, an authentic Thai dish featuring soft-boiled eggs fried and servied in a sweet and savoury sauce; and pad thai, prettily encased in an egg net (the traditional way) and served with fresh prawns, chili flakes and peanuts.

Time’s a-ticking, and it's mere days to Christmas. If you still haven't settled your festive shopping, here are ten places to run to for good last minute presents. Lifeshop Atelier A life without Lifeshop Atelier is no life at all. Expect to spot a variety of carefully curated, quirky furniture and décor, ranging from antique art pieces to chic vintage French round chairs, and clothing, confections, lighting, scents, and stationery. Sunday’s Sunday’s is stuffed with everything from ceramic cups, pillows, and toys, plus artwork prints, vintage knick knacks, and other home décor essentials. Nala Designs   Photo: Ng Su Ann         Even if it is a last minute gift, your giftee will be feeling the love for months to come with a present from Nala Designs. The handcrafted, locally-grown brand, which began as a salmagundi of stationery, has expanded to include accessories, books, clothing, home décor and homeware. Ben’s Independent Grocer The grocer is a great place to source (edible) presents for your foodie friend. Think balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and T2 teas. Pick up a bottle of wine on your way out. Kaison Malaysia The gift and home décor retailer delivers affordable, cute-sy home furnishings. Think of it as an atas Daiso. Come here for framed inspirational-type quotes and metal plates, mugs, mass-produced artwork and paintings, pillows, soft toys, stationery, wooden letter blocks, and home décor items. Ilaika   Photo: Ng Su Ann         Pick up something thoughtful from pur

The Malaysian embrace of Japan is nothing new. In a city and a country already well-versed with the culture, merits and imports of Japan, the launch and opening of Isetan The Japan Store at Lot 10 is the icing on the proverbial cake; it's the first of its kind in the world, aside from its smaller counterpart store within the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, France. Isetan The Japan Store is a swanky specialty store, featuring 11,000 sq m spread over six floors of fashion, lifestyle and technological products from Japan, with more than 200 brands debuting outside of Japan for the first time. In concept, it differs from other departmental store as the products are coordinated and curated around the four pillars of the Japanese philosophy of aesthetics: iki (cool), miyabi (elegance), sen (sophistication) and so (pure). For the time being, only five floors are operating, with each floor designed with and dedicated to a single theme: The Market, The Museum, The Studio, The Room, and The Cube. The sixth and final floor, The Table (a premium dining floor featuring authentic Japanese cuisine), is set to open in Jan 2017. We break down every floor and its offerings below:         Fresh produce and dine-in eating bars at The Market                The Market Best for: Bites, Japanese sweets and seasonal groceries Dine and shop for seasonal groceries at The Market. The floor offers authentic Japanese food and flavours, as well as seasonal ingredients (seafood, sashimi, meat, vegetabl

‘I like to break myself,’ Jocelyn Stemilyn begins to sing, softly, ‘You probably didn’t know that’. The singer-songwriter works through several devastating themes on her latest single: love and loneliness; her exasperation, displayed front and centre; a pretty pedicure hiding her pain, like a too-wide smile stretched over sad lips. There’s a lot going on sonically; it’s a song that’s carefully, painstakingly crafted. The beats build up in the background: it grows into a full groove – the bass thumps, the synths twirl – but stutters and segues, and the last minute of the song sounds like a lullaby for the self. ‘It’s time to come clean that what we want is less than what we need.’ There’s an accompanying music video, too (frequent collaborator Dae Kim directs, with additional shots by hqa aka HAVERHUCK VHS), in which Jocelyn goes through the motions: posing for a family portrait; standing her ground as people, walking past, shove her aside; painting her nails. When Jocelyn tears down the wallpaper behind her, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper' comes to mind – and we ask, at which point does the lady go insane? It doesn’t end well, but what’s ‘well’, anyway?  For more, visit www.facebook.com/jocelynstemilynmusic.

We like people who try their best to elevate Malaysian cuisine to new heights. This fortune-telling nasi lemak from Appu Uncle is one such example. Instead of trying to recreate the nasi lemak in roti canai form or the tried-and-tired nasi lemak ice cream, Appu Uncle decided to insert fortunes into packets of nasi lemak – ie the Malaysian Indian version of a Chinese fortune cookie. Nasib Lemak, as Appu Uncle – who may or may not be a real person – tells us, is the first thing you eat in the morning, so why shouldn’t it be fun to read as well? Eat them and read them, he says. We bought a few packets of Nasib Lemak one morning and while the nasi could do with a touch more sambal, here’s what we think about our fortunes: ‘When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane’ – Appu Uncle ‘First of all, this fortune is a lie – nothing’s working out my way. Also, this is better suited to the cab driver I had earlier today, who drove very dangerously on the wrong lane the entire ride. Thank you for the splitting headache.’ – Ng Su Ann ‘Sometimes a man just needs to get his hands dirty, to finish off that banana leaf’ – Appu Uncle ‘This is actually deeply profound. I shall go to Lebuh Ampang for a banana leaf rice lunch.’ – Joyce Koh ‘Change will not come to those who don’t go to the cashier’ – Appu Uncle ‘What if I ask for the bill instead?’ – Nadia Rosli Nasib Lemak available from 7am-11.30am; 3pm onwards. For Nasib Lemak deliveries, email appuunclecurryhouse@g

It's a long weekend. To celebrate Malaysia Day, here are three new music videos to watch from local rock favourites Kyoto Protocol, hip hop duo Home Court, and up-and-coming rappers A-Kid, K-Main and Klash.  1. A-Kid feat. K-Main and Klash – Apa Lagi Kita Mau  Rap rages against racism, sort of, in A-Kid’s ‘Apa Lagi Kita Mau’ featuring K-Main and Klash. Many artists have been politicising their music in popular culture – think Beyoncé ‘Lemonade’ and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ – and to ease into the exploration of what really makes Malaysia, A-Kid and co. are contributing to the conversation via candid, tongue-in-cheek humour. The fact that the boys are all dressed in baju Melayu, kurta and samfu (plus, a Pagoda T-shirt) only touches the 1Malaysia theme on the surface – listen closer to the lyrics, which sing themselves, really. Behold: On the elections: ‘Berapa kali #inikalilah / nanti kata Cina tunjuk kepala, apa lah’. On bah kut teh: ‘Bak kut teh Klang is the best / fuck what you say’. On racist humour, and why they’re no laughing matter: ‘I’m dark skinned, so I’m robbing / better hide your money, boy / ‘Cha, where are you macha, cannot see!’ / That shit ain’t funny’. Lastly, some quick talking points of note: Jin Hackman and Dae Kim make an appearance, along with singer-songwriter Jocelyn Stemilyn; Haverhuck VHS (aka hqa) directs; and ‘Apa Lagi Kita Mau’ is only A-Kid’s debut single. 2. Home Court – Sun Flare ‘Sunflare’ start off slowly, softly – then, t

Southeast Asia’s first and only festival of culture and ideas, Cooler Lumpur returns this year (Sep 10-11 at MAP @ Publika) to delve into all things independence in its fourth installment. Themed ‘RE: Independence’, the festival will attempt to re-examine what it really means to be truly independent in mind and spirit – as a person, as a community, as a nation. Here, we highlight five free and unmissable events. RE: English, Singlish, Manglish Fuad Rahmat speaks to an English person, a Singaporean and two Malaysians about the English language – more specifically, the adoption and appropriation, the mangling and the mixing, and the use and abuse of the language. On the panel are journalist and theatre critic Kate Bassett; Singaporean born and bred author Cheryl Tan; and Malaysian writers Chuah Guat Eng and Hanna Alkaf. Sep 10, 6-7pm, Black Box RE: On being MalaysianLat aka The Kampung Boy is a cartoonist – a national hero – who captures the many subtleties of Malaysian society through his comics. Over the decades, his cartoons have come to identify what it means to be Malaysian – and Kam Raslan speaks to Lat about exactly that in this one-on-one conversation. After, stay for the book signing session which will be held at the White Box. Sep 11, 10-11am, Black Box RE: Crossing Paths – Spiritual Resources for Queer/Trans Empowerment In an intimate conversation with Leyla Jagiella, Joseph N Goh discusses the frequency in which political clashes and conflicts are often imagined as

Welcome to our lives. We pay tribute to the Canadian pop punk band’s angsty anthems with the top ten Simple Plan lyrics every former emo kid will – can – never forget. From ‘Perfect’ Best for: When you mess up your eyeliner. From ‘Welcome To My Life’ Best for: When you shop away half of your pay cheque the first week of the month and have to eat roti canai for the next three weeks. From ‘When I’m Gone’ Best for: When Instagram pulled the ‘Stories’ stunt (Instagram is Instagram and Snapchat is Snapchat, fam, don’t challenge the status quo). From ‘Addicted’ Best for: When it’s Sunday night and you realise you wasted the whole weekend binge-watching Netflix. From ‘I’m Just A Kid’ Best for: When your friends make plans without you. From ‘I’d Do Anything’ Best for: When you’re stuck at work and you can’t wait to go home to your cat(s). From ‘Untitled’ Best for: When you’re stuck at dinner with a date from hell. From ‘Me Against The World’ Best for: When you had to file your taxes, like, yesterday but you don’t know how to. From ‘Save You’ Best for: When your iPhone charging cord gives up on life. From ‘Shut Up’ Best for: When an old acquaintance calls you up to sell you insurance or worse, to invest in his MLM plan. Catch the band live in concert on Sep 7. For more info visit imclive-group.com.

Malaysia is ready for a radio platform dedicated to Malaysian-made music. Enter Amplify FM, the country’s first online radio station to exclusively play only local music by homegrown musical talents. It’s available by streaming on computers, phones and tablets. To critics who say that there simply isn’t enough good local content to fill up the airtime, Amplify FM will lay to rest that argument. Featuring exclusive tracks and even full albums from many Malaysian bands whose names should be familiar to you – Kyoto Protocol, for example, and Froya – the radio station will introduce a world of local music to listeners, as well as finally giving Malaysian artists the airtime they deserve – that is to say, 24/7 and without commercial interruptions to boot.  Featured artists on Amplify FM include electronica duo +2dB, pop punk outfit An Honest Mistake, jazz trio Bassment Syndicate, singer-songwriter Bihzhu, theatrical pop group Fazz, R&B/pop act GTXperiment, acoustic soft rock band Jumero, dance rock outfit KissKillMary, electropop duo Macropsia (in which Froya is one-half of), radio-friendly pop musicians Paperplane Pursuit, singer-songwriter Talitha Tan and blues rock band The Endleaves. Also, here’s a sneak peek of what’s next to come for Guinness Amplify for the rest of the year: Firstly, the Amplify Live Tour returns in September to host free weekly shows featuring local acts in Klang Valley, Ipoh, Penang and Johor; and secondly, a two-day celebration and performances on Sep 30

Chase those pesky Monday blues away – preferably with a cold beer, and even better, the knowledge that you’ll be doing good while drinking said cold beer(s). If you’re the type to need a reason to drink, you’re in luck: In the spirit of solidarity, Brian Gomez’s Merdekarya – the shindig du jour for independent live music, art, dan lain-lain – is holding a fundraiser for port of punk music Rumah Api tonight. ICYMI, a fire broke out at Rumah Api on the morning of Jul 19 last week. According to Man Beranak, a co-operator and -owner of Rumah Api and member of hardcore thrash band Sarjan Hassan, the fire ‘destroyed the entire building electrical system’. The cost of re-installing and re-wiring will add up to approximately RM5,000. Rumah Api hasn’t seen the best of days in recent times. The Star recently reported Tan Sri Noh Omar, the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government minister as stating that the proposed Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) highway will go on as planned, despite months of complaints and protests. The Star also reported that development of the highway, which will cut through Pekan Ampang – where Rumah Api is located – will mark the closure of the local independent punk venue, along with over 40 pre-war premises in Pekan Ampang, built during the British era and some over a hundred years old. Come through tonight, there will be beers, music (on the lineup are instrumental rock act Skits, folk musician Hameer Zawawi, and singer-songwriter Brend

ICYMI, Malaysia’s very own experimental electro-pop singer-songwriter The Venopian Solitude – aka Takahara Suiko of ‘Tenangkan Bontot Anda’ fame – has been invited to attend the reputable Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal from September 24 to October 28 this year. There, she will join 69 other up-and-coming music-makers from 38 countries all around the world, including Lebanon, Iceland and Peru. This is a big deal because a) she happens to be the first Malaysian musician to have been selected to join Red Bull’s world-travelling music institution; b) she was chosen from over 3,500 applicants from 102 countries; and c) by the way, past Red Bull Music Academy alumni include Flying Lotus, Hudson Mokawke, and Katy B. To celebrate, we present you: the ten best The Venopian Solitude lyrics thus far, picked from albums such as ‘A Slur Of Slothfulness’ and ‘I Spent 10 Hours On This Bunch Of Crap’ from 2011, to her most recent full-length ‘Hikayat Perawan Majnun’ in 2014. She released yet another EP – the latest in a long list of albums – ‘Kereta Merah’ last year, a conceptual collection of songs adapted from the Malaysian nursery rhyme. From 'A City' From 'Radical Addiction' From 'Lumrah Raya' From 'Tenangkan Bontot Anda' From 'Radical Blues' From 'Hadiah Untukmu' From 'Radical Addiction' From 'History In A Piece' From 'Kehadapan Para Pencemar' From 'Lagu Jeles' For more music, visit www.thevenopiansolitude.bandcamp.com. For updates on Red Bull Music

Here’s a quick recap: We’ve written about Tiger Jams before – the music and art initiative by Tiger Beer to help local undiscovered artists be, well, discovered – and the ten finalists, as shortlisted by a panel of music industry veterans, are TMJB, Cats in Love, Nick Yungkit, Mango Bicycle, Home Court, Donamarie, Rozella, RYÖT JONES, Son Of A Policeman, and The Backseat Affair. Darren Ashley Photo: All Is Amazing From these ten, your votes on the website will ultimately narrow it down to the top three. The top three local acts will win RM15,000 each to fund their musical dreams, and they’ll be paired up with Hong Kong’s punk pop outfit ToNick, Singapore’s pop band The Sam Willows and Malaysia’s own producer extraordinaire Darren Ashley (as well as three established visual artists: Donald Abraham, Flex, and Kenji Chai) to produce an original Tiger Jams track and music video. Plus, a mystery renowned international artist will then handpick one of the top three finalists to collaborate with on a remix, which they’ll perform at the big finale. You’ve got until June 30 to vote for your favourite Tiger Jams finalists. For more info and to vote, visit tigerjams.com.

Photo: Shawn Lor/PixelPix Studio When it comes to a Japanese-style table setting, there's no need to splash out. Instead, head to Daiso for thrifty tableware finds to add a little zen to your dining. Need help? These are our top five styling tips: 1. It’s a classic cliché, but flowers are always a good idea. If you’re not into flowers, then might we suggest fruits, herbs or vegetables - think lemons as place cards or succulent table runners. We used twigs picked up by the side of the streets. You can too.2. Patterns: they’re made to match, but are more fun when they’re mixed. Here’s a crash course in clashing courses: if you’re unsure, choose compatible colour palettes; layer dense-patterned plates with the not-so-dense; and remember, some repetition is good.3. Try some DIY decoration – think candles in old wine bottles and glasses, flowers in rustic wood boxes as centrepieces, or drape vintage jewellery over silverware.4. Improvise, improvise, improvise. If you can’t fold napkins, just roll them up. Use linen curtains as table runners or wood cutting boards for cheese platters. There are shortcuts. Find them.5. Add some finishing touches to your tablescape. We like a final bit of shine and sparkle with some gold-plated cutlery to set the scene. All items from Daiso 1 Utama (03 7732 9588), Avenue K (03 2188 7500), Mid Valley (03 2201 9696) and Publika (03 6206 3282). All items at only RM5.30 each. Styling by Ng Su Ann, assisted by Joyce Koh.