Ohannas guest house

A year of planning. A budget of S$250,000 – of which, almost S$100,000 went towards the food alone. Over 300 guests. And one Teochew Porridge Bar. These are just some of the figures behind the Singapore Tatler Ball, one of the key highlights of the society calendar every year. Organised by high society magazine Singapore Tatler , it is attended by some of the country's most influential families and individuals. The magazine is published by Edipresse Media Singapore. As Corinne Ng, the firm’s Managing Director noted, “The Ball costs us about S$250,000 every year, which is why we’re so tight with the guest list. This is not a charity ball, where you can buy your seat. If you’re here, you have to be somebody who’s doing something for our society.” Among the guests this year were Kwek Leng Beng, Executive Chairman of Hong Leong Group Singapore, and his wife Cecilia Quek; Arthur Tay, Chairman and CEO of the SUTL Group; Haresh Sharma, resident playwright of The Necessary … [Read more...] about McQueen and Teochew porridge: Inside one of Singapore’s glitziest society balls

Google “homestay in Okinawa” and you're likely to call up “Ogimi” or “Igimi” in the local parlance. It is the name of a special village in Yanbaru, in the forested northern part of Okinawa. And it is as far removed from the neon-coloured streets of Tokyo, or the okonomiyaki-filled alleys of Osaka, as you can get. On the morning of my two-day-one-night Igimi homestay , I woke up to the soothing waves of the sea and the sounds of home, altogether creating a familiar and comforting soundtrack. There was the soft clinking of dishes being washed, a few barks from the family dog Pinto, and a whiff of home cooking, the kind you only get when your grandmother is in the kitchen. It felt like one of my childhood visits to my grandparents’. And like my ah ma, hosts Morio Taira and his wife Etsuko kept the food coming the moment my fellow house guests and I set foot in the house: Sata andagi (Okinawan-style doughnut balls, if you will), homegrown bananas, and home-preserved … [Read more...] about A homestay in rustic Okinawa unlocks the secrets to serenity and long, happy life

You’ve closed that important business deal, or earned a promotion. Your loved one has dropped you a hint about the upcoming birthday or anniversary. Your old classmates have asked for a reunion. A celebration is on the cards. Is champagne the de rigueur choice? To help you plan the perfect party, CNA Lifestyle spoke to five wine experts: Kenny Leong, freelance wine journalist; Kelvin Tay, group sommelier mentor of The White Rabbit restaurant; Lim Hwee Peng, wine educator and consultant; Gerald Lu, head sommelier of Praelum Wine Bistro; and Alice Wee, executive director of wine distributor Wine Clique. WHAT KIND OF WINES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR A CELEBRATORY OCCASION? Kelvin Tay (KT): Champagnes have always been the preferred wine for such an occasion. I am fond of the elegant Champage Devaux ‘Cuvée D’, which has a creamy texture, thanks to its high concentration of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. If the guest doesn’t fancy a champagne, I’d recommend white wines from … [Read more...] about Planning a celebration? Here’s how to choose the right wine

So, this is your third meeting with your client and, after weeks of negotiations, you sense that they're close to signing on the dotted line this time. You don’t want to mess things up by ruining the meal with poor wine choices. To help make you the right wine choices in the final stretch of your business deal, CNA Lifestyle spoke to six wine experts: Edwin Soon, wine author and consultant; Lim Hwee Peng, wine educator and consultant; Suzanna Ho, Master Of Wine student and partner at House Of MU; Anthony Charmetant, co-owner of Ma Cuisine; Gerald Lu, head sommelier of Praelum Wine Bistro; and Alice Wee, executive director of wine distributor Wine Clique. WHAT KIND OF WINES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO IS CLOSING A BUSINESS DEAL WITH A CLIENT? Edwin Soon (ES): Flexing one’s muscles here isn’t recommended. For instance, choosing a Grand Cru could give the impression that you have expensive tastes; someone who probably overcharges the client. To convey that you … [Read more...] about Closing the deal with a client over a meal? Here’s how to choose the right wine

Moon Jae-in's visit will play a crucial role in exploring complementarities between India's Act East policy and South Korea's New Southern policy, says Rahul Mishra. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in head for a meeting at Hyderabad House, July 10, 2018. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo 2018 has been a remarkable success in the context of India's Act East policy. The year began with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurating the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Singapore on January 9, and in the six months since she has visited Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Mongolia. At the beginning of 2018, the Act East policy received a boost with the commemoration of 25 years of India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations dialogue partnership, with all 10 ASEAN heads of States visiting India to participate in the commemorative summit. For the first time in the history of India's Republic Day celebrations, the 10 … [Read more...] about Why the South Korean president came calling

Whoever said that the best views come after the hardest climbs had obviously never been to New Zealand. Venture out of its sleepy cities and New Zealand is a wanderer’s dream, with vast national parks, lush virgin forests, beautiful beaches and glacier-carved valleys that can be easy to navigate on foot. Tramps – that’s Kiwi for "hikers" – don’t need to summit a mountain or scale a glacier to be gobsmacked by a breathtaking view. One only needs to take a small step into the Antipodean outdoors to discover just how scenic this sparsely populated land is. READ: Adventure time: Explore the region's rugged beauty in complete comfort Of course, tramping works up an appetite, so we did what any sensible Asian would do and picked out places to eat at the end of each trek. RANGITOTO SUMMIT, RANGITOTO ISLAND A 25-minute ferry ride from Auckland’s Queen’s Wharf will take you to Rangitoto Island, where the youngest and largest of Auckland’s volcanoes sits. The 7km walking … [Read more...] about Hiking (and eating) in New Zealand: Easy, beautiful trails for the entire family