Veteran singer/songwriter and actor Thaneth Warakulnukroh had been on hiatus for years but now appears to have made something of a comeback, taking part in concerts and releasing a new single.
His acting career is also back on track and fans can see now him in two movies, the Singaporean flick movie “Pop Aye” and the soon-to-be-released outing from GDH, “Chalard Games Gong” (“Bad Genius”).
Directed by Singaporean Kirsten Tan with an all-Thai crew, “Pop Aye” is set in Thailand and centres on Thana (Thaneth), an architect undergoing a mid-life crisis who unexpectedly encounters Pop Aye (Pong), an elephant he owned as a child. Thana decides to travel to his home province of Loei, taking Pop Aye back to where he was raised.
In “Chalard Games Gong” (“Bad Genius”), Thaneth plays the father of Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying), a straight-A student who is offered the opportunity to make millions of Baht by taking the STIC test, an international standardised test for students wanting to enroll in the world’s leading universities. The test is scheduled to take place on the same date and same time at locations all over the world. Their plan is for Lynn to fly to a country in a time zone that’s ahead of Thailand and then send the answers back to her customers.
Thanet says that his return to the big screen is destiny. “I was thinking about making a film when I received the calls from the studios,” he says.
Thanet is working on his own film, which he is writing, producing and directing. Asked what the project is about, he replies: “It’s about life, that’s all I can say”.
“Bad Genius” will be released on May 3. “Pop Aye” will open the Bangkok Asean Film Festival this Wednesday (April 26) and is slated to come to cinemas in June.
Polish Arts and Culture Week gets underway today (April 23) at the Centre for European Studies, Chulalongkorn University with a workshop on Polish traditional dance, song and costumes by the Jedliniok Folk Dance Group.
Organised by the Embassy of Poland in collaboration with the university’s Central and Eastern European Studies Section and the Department of English, the event presents a wide range of Polish cultural performances and workshops, documentary screenings, cooking classes and art exhibitions.
Today and tomorrow, Jedliniok Folk Dance Group performs Polish national and regional dances while visitors learn about traditional fashion from the 19th century through their costumes.
The traditional Polish folk costumes vary by region but are typically brightly coloured and decorated with embroidery. Some are still worn for special occasions today. Varying by region, they feature headdresses ranging from hats, wreathes of flowers to fabric colours, aprons, vests and ribbons.
On Tuesday, Alex Storozynski’s film “A Man Ahead of His Time” centred on Tadeusz Kosciuszko’s fight for liberty will be screened. It will be followed by discussions titled “Tadeusz Kosciuszko – Polish National Hero and World Icon of Struggle for Freedom, Independence and Equality” led by professor Tomasz Schramm from Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Poland and the “Role of Tadeusz Kosciuszko in the History of the United States” by Jonathan Bungo from US Embassy in Bangkok.
Another highlight is the Mobile Photography workshop by Kamil Kawczynski, an award-winning lensman who will demonstrate his creativity using his Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge to capture everyday life.
Four foreign movies handpicked by four people in the industry will be screened at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from May to November as part of the fifth “Cinema Diverse” series, this year subtitled “The Invisible Hands”.
Each screening will be followed by a discussion about the film.
The 2017 series begins on May 20 with Chonlasit Upanigkit, editor of “Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy” (2013) and “Freelance: Ham Puay … Ham Phak … Ham Rak Mor” and “Onthakan” (both 2015).
July 22 will have Rasiguet Sookkarn, originally an art director of TV commercials and then production designer for award-winning films such as “Eternity” (directed by Sivaroj Kongsakul), “P-047” and “Tang-Wong” (Kongdej Jaturanrassamee), and “36” and “Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy” (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit).
September 23 features Nopawat Likitwong, sound designer and sound engineer who’s worked in various genres and with directors from Hong Kong and Japan, including with Wong Kar Wai on “Ashes of Time Redux”. Nopawat earned a national film award and was nominated for a Hong Kong award for his work on “Dragon”.
On November 25, Kriangkrai Vachiratamporn (pictured) who directed the second season of the TV series “Hormones”, will be the guest.
All of the movies they’ve chosen for screening will have Thai subtitles and are recommended for viewers at least 15 years of age. Post-screening discussions will be in Thai with English translation.
Admission is Bt60 and registration for seats opens each day at 2pm.
Japanese commuters will be encouraged to work from home for one day in a nationwide exercise for the 2020 Olympics that authorities hope will ease congestion on roads and public transport.
Tokyo has declared July 24 — exactly three years before the opening ceremony of the summer games — as “Telework Day” and wants firms and government departments to let employees work remotely.
London introduced a similar measure during the 2012 Olympics with 80 per cent of businesses in the city participating, according to Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry, which announced the plan on Tuesday.
Greater Tokyo, with a population of more than 30 million people — about a quarter of Japan’s total — is notorious for its packed trains and subways during peak morning rush hours.
The plan is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to rethink Japan’s workaholic tradition, where men routinely spend long hours in the office and little time with their families.
The government recently unveiled its first-ever initiative to limit overtime in a bid to tackle karoshi, or death from overwork, and it hopes that more workers will telecommute after the Olympics finish as a lasting legacy.
“During the Tokyo Olympics, we are expecting serious traffic congestion particularly on the day of the opening ceremony,” said Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“We believe telework will have a significant impact in easing traffic congestion and commuter crowding.”
More than 60 companies, including big names such as beverage firm Suntory, Japan Airlines and Microsoft, have so far pledged to participate.
Officials hope as many as 1,000 companies will take part, Kyodo News agency reported.
It’s springtime in the bamboo-forested hills surrounding eastern China’s Lin’an city, and that means busy mornings of harvesting, packing and selling tonnes of the edible bamboo shoots that the region is famous for.
Lin’an is in an area of eastern Zhejiang province whose rich forests are estimated to supply up to two-thirds of China’s bamboo shoots, plus a range of other products derived from the fast-growing plant that are produced both for domestic and overseas markets.
Harvesting takes several hours starting at dawn, and has been a cornerstone of the region’s economy for countless centuries.
The shoots are a regular item on Chinese dinner tables, typically made into a soup, braised with meat or vegetables, or eaten as snacks, said Wang Guoying, a vendor at a bamboo market in Lin’an.
“The even larger ones, the hairy shoots, can be made into canned ones and sold overseas,” she said.
She was referring to “mao sun”, or “hairy shoots”, which get their name from their hair-like surfaces.
Another vendor, Lang Erhua, said, “everyone knows how to cook bamboo shoots here.”
“You cut the fresh shoots into thin pieces and braise it with pork and bones. Or you can just braise it with plain water. Add a dash of ginger, garlic and, in the end, some salt and MSG. It’s delicious,” she said.
Bamboo, which despite its woody appearance is a type of grass, is among nature’s most versatile plants.
Its lightness and strength lend it to a range of uses including as building materials, chopsticks, furniture, window blinds, hats, musical instruments, baskets and ornamental arrangements. It is even utilised in paper and textile products.
Bamboo’s fast rate of growth is also legendary, with certain species reputed to grow a few centimetres per hour.
Bamboo is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world but nowhere is it perhaps as important as in China where it has been admired for thousands of years.
New York’s famed Empire State Building lit up with sky-high iconic fashion photographs after nightfall on Wednesday to celebrate the 150th anniversary of style magazine Harper’s Bazaar.
Beginning at 8:30pm (0030 GMT Thursday) and slated to run until midnight, the north side of the building flashed iconic shoots and cultural moments from the pages of Harper’s into the New York skyline.
Among reproductions of the glossy pages set to shine over Manhattan, and streamed live on the magazine’s Facebook page, was Barbadian superstar Rihanna sitting in the mouth of Jaws.
Since 1976 the Empire State Building has traditionally changed the color of its tower lights to celebrate or commemorate different occasions and organisations throughout the year.
In 2012, they installed a new computer driven LED light system capable of displaying 16 million colors, which can change instantaneously.
The burger at 25 Degrees Burgers, Wine & Liquor Bar goes naked in May and June, as chefs at the renowned burger joint strip things back to bare essentials to create a seriously good meal that is light on bun but big on flavour.
The Naked Burger comprises a succulent 200gram Wagyu beef patty dressed for modesty with mushrooms, avocado, roast tomato, grilled onion, jalapeno peppers, a crispy egg, asparagus, iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese and garlic aioli. Accompanied by tasty potato wedges, it’s a feast and priced at just Bt380.
Diners can enjoy the Naked Burger with one of more than 50 artisan ales and ciders from the USA, the UK and Europe.
Located at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, 25 Degrees Burger, Wine & Liquor Bar is the new sister venue of the legendary burger and wine bar in Los Angeles. Named after the precise temperature difference between a raw and well-done hamburger, 25 Degrees introduces a new twist on the traditional American burger bar concept, complete with funky music and a cool decor. Open 24 hours a day, diners can enjoy an enticing menu of succulent burgers, salads and sides, pancakes and desserts, and an excellent selection of beers, wines and cocktails.
The new Cantonese restaurant Pagoda is decked out in contemporary, yet strong Chinese accent.
Crispy Roasted Pork
Steamed Rice Rolls with Shrimps
Double-boiled Fish Maw Soup with Morel Mushroom
Chinese dining as an art form
tasty April 30, 2017 01:00
By Khetsirin Pholdhampalit
The Sunday Nation
The recently opened Pagoda restaurant at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is a great place to celebrate a special occasion
AFTER A CLOSURE that last two-and-a-half years, the Imperial Queen’s Park on Sukhumvit Soi 22 resumed operations late last year with a new sleek look. Rebranded as the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park and owned by tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi’s TCC Group, it is not just Bangkok’s largest hotel with 1,300 guestrooms, but also Marriott’s largest property in Thailand and the debut of the Marquis designation in Asia Pacific.
The new Cantonese restaurant Pagoda is decked out in contemporary, yet strong Chinese accent.
The complete refurbishment has included the hotel’s dining facilities, which offer a range of culinary delights guaranteed to please different palates. Fine Cantonese dining can be found at Pagoda, an elegant space designed by PIA Interior that’s pleasantly contemporary but retains a strong Chinese accent thanks to oriental antiques and ceramics, lacquered tiles and Chinese furniture made more comfortable by upholstered seats and cushions in turquoise and reddish-brown. The central dining area boasts roofed components and a square-based structure that bring to mind its Chinese namesake.
The restaurant has 180 seats and features seven private rooms, plus a large function room. The kitchen is under the baton of chef Oscar Pun who worked with two major hotels – Macau’s City of Dreams and Beijing’s Shangri-La Kerry Hotel – before joining Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park as the new Chinese executive chef.
Pagoda has completely removed shark fin from its menu to alert consumers to the cruelty involved in the production of this so-called delicacy. Instead start the meal with dim sum, each cooked to order and served hot at the table in the ubiquitous bamboo basket. The classic dish of ha gao or Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Bt120) comes with soft translucent skin and a generous mouthful of shrimp with shredded asparagus adding a crispy texture.
Steamed Pork Dumplings with Abalone
The highlight of any dim sum order is the Steamed Pork Dumplings with Abalone. The dumplings are generously stuffed with shrimp, minced pork, shitake mushroom and topped with the whole abalone (Bt180 a piece). Equally delicious is the Xiao Long Bao (Bt120) – steamed dumplings with a juicy minced pork filling and hot broth, and Steamed Rice Rolls stuffed with shrimps that are first wrapped with rice paper and deep-fried until crispy and later wrapped with rice paper again and steamed (Bt150). The spring rolls are then seasoned with Hong Kong-style soy sauce that gives just off the right balance of sweet and salty.
Deep-fried Shrimp Spring Rolls
For something crispy, opt for Deep-fried Shrimp Spring Rolls (Bt120) and the Crispy Roasted Pork (Bt400) for which chef Pun carefully selects meat with alternating layers of skin, fat and flesh. The pork belly is not as oily as you might expect because it’s slowly roasted three times to ensure it’s crispy on the outside but soft inside.
Seafood fans will love the Steamed Boston Lobster with Egg White (Bt800). The lobster is firm and dense while the egg white sauce bursts with flavour.
Beggar’s Chicken
The signature main dish is Beggar’s Chicken (Bt1,280). A famous Hangzhou delicacy, it features a whole chicken stuffed with seasoned pork belly, cured ham, needle mushroom, gingko and goji berry that’s first wrapped in huge lotus leaves and covered again with bread dough before being baked for hours at low heat.
“Legend has it that a beggar stole a chicken from a farm. The farm owner caught wind of the crime and chased the beggar down to a riverbank. To hide his loot, the beggar wrapped the chicken with lotus leaves and mud. Later that evening, the beggar returned to the river and with no cooking pot, he dug a hole, lit a fire and buried the chicken. When he unearthed it and cracked open the hardened clay, he found that the meat was both aromatic and tender. In Hangzhou, diners always order this dish to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and it’s a tradition to crack the clay-wrapped or bread dough-wrapped chicken three times with a wooden hammer,” says Pagoda’s manager Piyanan Karawa.
Though some restaurants follow the traditional recipe by covering the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken with clay, Pagoda substitutes the clay with bread dough. However, diners are invited to crack this baked dish three times with a hammer or invite a member of staff to do it for them. As it’s a time-consuming dish to prepare, only two servings are available each day. You can, however, order it in advance.
Steamed Sticky Rice with Crabmeat in Bamboo Basket
Ideal for a large group is the temping Steamed Sticky Rice with Crabmeat in Bamboo Basket (Bt1,900). Here the sticky rice is stir-fried with crabmeat, seasoned minced pork and preserved vegetables and then slowly steamed again in a bamboo basket for about 20 minutes with the whole meaty crab.
Steamed Ginger Milk Curd with Deepfried Pastries
Do leave a room for Steamed Ginger Milk Curd (Bt120) that goes well with two deep-fried pastries – one stuffed with mashed jujube and the other with custard.
Tea drinking is an integral part of every traditional Chinese meal and at Pagoda diners can explore a variety of rare leaves from the trolley service. The art of kung fu-style tea serving – which involves pouring the tea from a pot with an extremely long spout – is performed twice a day, at 12.30 and 7.30pm.
TASTY TREATS
Pagoda is on the fourth floor of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park on Sukhumvit Soi 22. It’s open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and for dinner from 6 to 10pm.
Petchuda Kesprayura, CEO of Amnuay Silpa, attends the press conference.
Sikanya Bhanubandh, managing director of Maneeya Concepts, Na-Chanok Ratanadaros, Akarat Na Ranong, Tanakorn Angpubate and Petchuda Kesprayura.
Na-chanok Ratanadaros and Tarakorn Angpubate talk about their joint venture at Pirate Chambre Restaurant.
Taking on the WORLD
tasty April 29, 2017 01:00
By THE NATION
Food Capitals expands it restaurant business with acquisitions in Thailand and the US
FOOD CAPITALS, a leader in the international food and beverage industry and the new owner of G Enterprise’s Bangkok-based Thai restaurant brands, recently held a press conference at Pirate Chambre, the trendy Chidlom restaurant that forms part of their acquisition, to talk about its plans for the future.
Having merged G Enterprise into the business, Food Capitals now owns a complete range of restaurants and is aiming to deliver new and even more unique dining experiences to customers.
G Enterprise, which is well aware of diners’ behaviour of sharing photos on social media, will be in charge of the artistic directions of Food Capital’s restaurants, using its successful experience in operating Pirate Chambre, Chingcha Chalee, MoomMuum Park, and Umami Fallabella.
Tarakorn Angpubate, the chief executive of Food Capitals, noted that the merging of Food Capitals and G Enterprise’s business would bring exciting changes to and set new trends for the city’s dining and nightlife scenes.
“Food Capitals is a leader in food industry and owner of international restaurant brands. Our teams are professionals and specialists in this industry. We have successfully brought several Thai restaurant brands to the international level. We are delighted to work with G Enterprise whose personnel are talented, experienced, and are ready to create positive and wonderful changes for the Thai restaurant industry. Together with G Enterprise, we have a mission to develop a food and dining culture where premium-quality, nutritious, and delicious food is like art. Our merger will complete and enhance Food Capitals’ business operations. We are expecting an increase of 50 per cent over 2016’s revenue of Bt683 million now that G Enterprise has joined Food Capitals,” said Tarakorn.
Food Capitals is also in process of acquiring restaurants under the Osha group, the famous Thai brand in San Francisco. The acquisition process is nearly completed. It is expected that the transaction will be completed within the second quarter of 2017. Once the transaction is completed, Food Capitals will immediately consolidate the revenues of the Osha group.
Na-chanok Ratanadaros, the CEO of G Enterprise, said that the merger of G Enterprise with Food Capitals would allow both to develop stronger business.
A recognised master of food art and presentation, Na-chanok added that he would bring his knowledge and experience as a chef, an art director, an interior designer, and the experience of successfully running his own restaurants to work with Food Capitals. He would focus on developing and adjusting key elements in Food Capitals’ restaurants and bars so they align better with each venue’s characters and business concepts. Changes would include menus and entertainment.
“The diner and consumer behaviour has changed quite in recent years. Checking in at a beautifully or stylishly decorated venue and taking photos of the food we eat and posting them on social network has become a crucial part of the modern lifestyle. Restaurants must always study consumer behaviours and be quick to adjust their business strategies so as to respond well to changes. The ability to do so allows them to maintain their customer base and competence to compete. Our constant study of consumer behaviours has allowed us to be more advanced than our competitors, Na-chanok said.
The much-loved Thai restaurant Coca makes its debut on the international scene with the opening of a new outlet in Hanoi in collaboration with Vietnamese restaurateur Diep Nyugen.
Situated in the bustling Ba Dinh district, this four-storey eatery has a stylish contemporary look. The decor takes inspiration from Indochinese architecture, while the menu combines Thai and Chinese recipes in simple, healthy Asian meals that appeal to multigenerational families and a business clientele.
Brand owner Pitaya Phanphensophon is responsible for developing new recipes to suit the Vietnamese palate.
“We believe in evolving and growing with our diners, of course, but our commitment to good food and excellent value for money is something that will never change,” says Pitaya.
Using locally sourced ingredients, the signature Ying Yang hotpot is already popular with Vietnamese diners thanks to the spicy tom yam soup that pairs perfectly with fresh prawns and fish.
The menu includes a wide range of appetisers such as drunken chicken and durian seafood roll. Other highlights are Thai favourites Larb (spicy minced pork), Coca Stir-fried Noodles and Braised Prawn with Glass Noodles. The Cajun seafood bucket and Poo Phad Phong Karee (wok fried crab in yellow curry) are perfect for sharing with family and friends.
“For this project, our partner understands just how sophisticated the dining scene has become in places like Hanoi and she has spared no expense in the design or quality of experience,” says Trevor MacKenzie, managing director of Coca & Mango Tree Worldwide.
“The restaurant overlooks Thanh Cong Lake (Success Lake). We aim to offer local diners a lively dining scene and become a new hangout for office workers. We are confident that Coca’s strong reputation in the Vietnam and the hospitality sector will enhance the existing offerings.”
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