Articles - Regional News

Villa du Lac Opens to the Public
 
World-renowned chef Justin Quek reveals a hidden Shanghai gem

Villa du Lac, a lakeside jewel formerly off-limits as a highly exclusive private club, is now open to the public for the first time – with world-renowned chef Justin Quek from Singapore at the helm. Truly one of Shanghai’s most beautiful Chinese restaurants, Villa du Lac serves Yangzhou palace cuisine and Cantonese, and is an unsurpassable venue for corporate functions and special events. 

Built by Vincent Lo, Chairman of Shui On Group which owns and operates the heritage-turned-hip lifestyle development of Xintiandi, Villa du Lac occupies prime position between Xintiandi and a peaceful, ornamental lake right in the heart of downtown Shanghai. It is also directly opposite Justin’s signature French restaurant, Le Platane.

Since acquiring the private club, Justin has brought in a top Hong Kong chef, made some adjustments to the menu, and updated the presentation of the dishes with his distinctive European flair. He relaunched Villa du Lac in August 2007 as part of his growing gastronomic empire of unique dining destinations. 

The fine dining restaurant serves traditional and updated Yangzhou (Huaiyang) palace cuisine, as well as Cantonese and Shanghainese dishes. Highly refined Huaiyang cuisine is regarded as one of the four main Chinese culinary schools and its light, clean flavours and intricate cutting techniques were once reserved for royalty and court officials. Along with Cantonese specialities and the rich flavours of local Shanghainese fare, a meal at Villa du Lac represents the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine. Signature dishes include: Yangzhou hand-cut tofu; Cantonese superior shark’s fin soup; and Drunken chicken. The European influenced desserts include Egg tarts served with longjing tea and Snow-skin dumplings in champagne and peach flavours. There is no MSG used in the cooking. Fine wines are expertly paired with the Chinese dishes by a team of resident sommeliers.

Villa du Lac’s three-storey heritage villa retains its exquisite, ‘private club’ feel. Interiors ooze French aristocratic class in the stained glass French doors, white wooden filigree, elaborate chandeliers and rich chanteuse drapes. Exotic Oriental touches come in the form of traditional Chinese artworks and splendid collection of antique furnishings from Yangzhou. Light streams in through windows and skylights creating a breezy, uplifting ambience by day, which turns ultra-romantic after dark.

Villa du Lac is ideal for corporate and private functions with six private rooms catering to between 4 and 40 guests, complete with custom-made menus. Pre-dinner cocktails or post-prandial cigars can be taken in the cosy ground-floor lounge area around an open fireplace. The elegant second-floor space can be rearranged courtesy of screens and curtains as an intimate dining room or a reception hall.

The entire 100m² Tudor-style attic space on the third floor can be rented for meetings or events. Quite different from the rest of the building, this private room is strung with Venetian chandeliers and rustic wooden beams and has a very ‘Knights of the Round Table’ feel to it. It leads out to one of the city’s most splendid rooftops – a large stone terrace that overlooks the lake, willows, and grey-shingled rooftops of Xintiandi, juxtaposed with the modern skyscrapers beyond. This is a magnificent area for intimate cocktail parties. 

Individually, Justin’s Villa du Lac and Le Platane present two very different, yet equally refined dining experiences beside the lake in Xintiandi. Together, they offer one of the most stunning and unique settings for corporate functions and special events in Shanghai.

Villa du Lac is located at 383 Huangpi South Road, near Xingye Road, Shanghai.

For reservations or enquiries, please contact (86 21 6387 6387) or check out more online at www.justinquek.com.

(information provided by the pr company)

Articles - Regional News

Malaysia rocks to RECHARGE REVELATION 5 Global Gathering, the sound of 2007.

Sun, foam, skates and daredevil thrills combined with cool cool music to make Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering the most electrifying music and lifestyle event Malaysia has seen.

October 27 2007 should be noted as the day the ‘Music Festival’ finally came to Malaysia, specifically to the A’Famosa Resort in Melaka.  After a summer season in Europe and the US that has seen the largest number of specialist festivals in living memory, the stage was set for Malaysia to join the club with Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering (RR5GG). And what a spectacular way to do it. The 50-metre high G-Force X sent daredevils soaring above the crowd at the TQX Freedom Amp stage and socks became the must-have accessory of the day at the Recharge Solid Gold roller disco.

But what most people will remember is the size of the crowd. More than 28,000 eager party people flocked to the event, with arenas like Recharge Godskitchen, Recharge Global and TQX Freedom Electric stretched to capacity for sets by acts like Sander Van Doorn, Astro & Glyde and Jungle Brothers. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without a little mud: but as the sky stayed dry and clear, the Revelators just rolled up their pants, slipped on some sandals and got with the relaxed Recharge vibe.

Highlights are almost too numerous to mention. Early birds managed to catch amazing afternoon sets at the TQX Freedom Electric from acts like Hyper Live, the punk rock-electro project of veteran drum and bass producer Hyper backed by a full onstage outfit and brand new vocalist. And France’s electro-noir rockers Black Strobe amazed everyone with the versatility of their performance as front man Arnaud Rebotini darted around the stage tweaking mixers, keyboards and computers like a soul possessed.

And then Simian Mobile Disco laid the tent to waste with a sundown DJ set that defied categorization. Smiling Simian Jas Shaw arrived straight from a show in Shanghai with an infectious attitude and a musical menu that created a genre stirring stew of a set. And then Futon, presenting their internationally acclaimed new album Pain Killer for the first time in Malaysia, played a powerful set of electro sleaze rock that should soon see them breaking out of the international underground and into the big leagues.

And as night fell the action became more serious. In many ways Revelation belongs to Dutch trance DJ Johan Gielen, and consequently his set at Recharge Godskitchen arena felt like a homecoming celebration. Following his 2005 Revelation set was never going to be easy, but with a bagful of brand new productions and a sprinkling of hands in the air classics, his signature blend of uplifting trance made for yet another euphoric and defining performance.

Earlier in the evening, fellow Dutchman Sander Van Doorn showed the crowd the skills that have seen him rocket up 15 places in the latest DJ Magazine Top 100 poll to #15. As the Recharge Godskitchen Arena throbbed to his beat, the nearby Holland Pavilion celebrated the Dutch contribution to RR5GG as His Excellency Lody Embrechts, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, hosted an informal meet-and-greet with street artists Morcky and Sitnie and VJs Eye Supply, whose work was featured at the Pavilion, as well as DJs Johan Gielen and Marcel Woods.

Some of the hottest action of the night took place at the intimate Recharge Foambar. With the emphasis on fun, DJs from RaySoo to Joey G to Indonesia’s Anton Wirjono kept the tempos up and the styles flowing as the revellers covered themselves and everyone around them in soapy suds, and by the end of the evening these ‘snowmen’ were to be found at every corner of the festival site.
 
But the most memorable image of the night has to be the image of the AJ Hackett Swing Bungy silhouetted against the midnight firework display while Astro & Glyde shook the foundations of the Recharge Global arena below with a mightily pulsating set. Followed by a brooding, sense-numbing set from Layo & Bushwacka that few who saw it will forget.

And that still misses dozens of acts out: the smiling faces in the crowd during the Plum DJs bouncing performance; the old skool cheers for Jungle Brothers. Or an entire night of demented and twisted electro at the TQX Freedom Amp stage where French pop cosied up to block rockin’ beats with acts ranging from Indonesia’s Agrikulture to Malaysia’s Twilight Action Girl crew and Futon offshoot Rehab.

And despite the afternoon kick-off time, as 4am rolled around it still felt as though the festival was only warming up as 28,000 filed off to their cars and after-parties where the RR5GG vibe carried them on until dawn.

Event info:
Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering
A’Famosa Resort, Melaka
Saturday October 27th
2pm to 4am
Tickets (Pre-Sale) RM63 including 2 drinks
 (On the Door) RM83 including 2 drinks
www.rechargeroom.com
www.globalgatheringfestival.com

(information provided by the pr company)

Articles - Regional News

 World-renowned Singaporean chef Justin Quek brings his much-lauded modern French cuisine to one of Shanghai’s smartest enclaves.

Having wowed gastronomes in Singapore (Les Amis) and Taipei (La Petite Cuisine), Justin’s latest signature French restaurant Le Platane opens in a renovated shikumen dwelling in Shanghai’s Xintiandi, a downtown nexus of trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques.

The two-storey grey and terracotta stone-gated house stands opposite the site of the Communist Party’s first clandestine meeting in 1921 and beside an ornamental lake, providing a serene, wooded setting in the middle of the office towers. The restaurant takes its name from the plane trees – or le platane – that line the streets outside. A quintessentially French tree, the platane is nevertheless very much a part of Shanghai’s character, making it a fitting moniker for this exciting new restaurant that marries French style and tradition with local spirit.

Le Platane presents two distinct European-style dining experiences on different floors of the shikumen villa. The casually elegant Brasserie and Bar on the first floor offers what Justin terms “high quality comfort food” in a warm, relaxed setting, accompanied by a soundtrack of French jazz classics. Beneath slow-whirring wood fans, the mustard walls are hung with black and white images of Shanghai. Pin-stripe chairs and crisp, white-clothed tables seat up to 70 people. The animated dining scene is reflected in a tall, gilt mirror at one end of the room, while a regularly updated selection of seasonal specials are chalked up on the obligatory blackboard. Beside the marble and leather upholstered bar, a climate controlled glass wine wall holds a connoisseurs collection of old and new world wines, including limited edition bottles of Le Platane Pinot Noir and Syrah by Bass Phillip from Australia.

The menu downstairs changes quarterly and features classic French brasserie favourites with Justin’s signature Asian accents. Specialities include Fresh mushroom cappuccino soup; Baked crab bisque soufflé; Truffle-infused foie gras xiaolongbao; Wild mushroom risotto with sautéed foie gras and seasonal items. Main courses include the signature Roasted crackling suckling pig with spiced red wine and Char-grilled côte de boeuf. A delicate French apple tart is a dessert favourite. The Brasserie’s daily set lunch menu is priced from RMB 150.

Upstairs, the more formal area of Le Platane lavishes “the full fine dining experience,” says Justin, who showcases his signature six-course degustation menus with wine pairings in a 65-seat dining room that blends Chinoisserie and French whimsy. 

Pale green silk wallpapers specially hand painted with flowers, tendrils and swallows dance around the elegant space and creep right over mirrors and silk screens. A customized lighting installation of tiny glass lanterns stretches right across the ceiling, reflected in the mother of pearl dressers and glint of the finest crystal and silverware.

Several distinctive private areas offer exclusive spaces for special occasions and corporate functions. The screened ‘Alcove’, with its own chandelier and cushioned lounge, is an intimate place for a digestif and cigar, while a walled alfresco terrace is popular for pre-prandial cocktails or a romantic dinner.

Two opulent private dining rooms – ‘Truffle’ and ‘Caviar’ – seat 12 diners each and offer numerous configurations for different functions. The ‘Caviar’ room also comes with a private powder room, and sliding doors that open to reveal a window to the show kitchen hung with copper pots, molteni kitchen range and sporting a microphone link-up so Chef Justin can communicate with diners as he prepares their menus. There is a private street entrance to this room for high-level diplomats or celebrity diners.

Le Platane’s various spaces are in hot demand for fashionable events and corporate meetings. In addition to the casual Brasserie and opulent rooms upstairs, Justin offers stunning alfresco dining by the willow-studded lake outside for up to 200 people. 

Le Platane is located at 373 Huangpi South Road, near Xingye Road, Shanghai.

 (information provided by the pr company)

For reservations or enquiries, please contact (86 21 5383 2998 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or check out more online at www.justinquek.com.

Articles - Regional News

Audiojack (UK)
Friday 9 November 2007 at Zouk
With international names like Sasha, Black Strobe, Minimal Maestro and Luciano dropping their tracks you know this one’s not one to miss. Drawing influences from breaks, house, electro and minimal it’s no wonder their sets have drawn a menagerie of party animals. All riot then! Put on your dancing shoes and pack your bags for a one-way trip to dancefloor heaven with Audiojack.
  www.audiojackmusic.com
zouk/ phuture admission on 9 November for non-members (incl 2 drinks): $15 before 10pm,  $23/$28 after

Article by Zouk, Singapore

Articles - Regional News

RECHARGE REVELATION 5 Global Gathering: Final Call for the Festival of the Year

As Malaysia gets ready to celebrate till 4am in Melaka with Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering at A’Famosa Resort on October 27, it’s time to do a quick recap on exactly what will make this event featuring Sander Van Doorn, Marcel Woods, Johan Gielen, Black Strobe, Simian Mobile Disco (DJ Set), Layo & Bushwacka! and Plump DJs among many others, the event of the year.

KUALA LUMPUR, October 2007 – With less than a month to go the noise around Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering (RR5GG), Malaysia’s largest and most diverse electronic music festival, is reaching a fever pitch. With an expected crowd of 30,000 mad-for-it party-goers preparing for the October 27 event at A’Famosa Resort, Melaka, it has already become a water-cooler discussion topic for many.

With a roll-call of some of the hottest international, regional and local electronic, rock and hip hop names the Visit Malaysia Year 2007-endorsed festival is a showcase of some of the world’s top DJs, bands and performers. Mixing up mainstream favourites and bleeding edge experimental artists, RR5GG has developed a considerable international and regional profile which is helping to put the event and Malaysia on the map as an entertainment tourism destination.

This year’s festival, its fifth, is Recharge Revelation’s largest ever. Teaming up with the UK’s Global Gathering, Europe’s largest dance music festival, Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering has secured a 4am license for its line up of more than 50 acts playing across 6 stages: Recharge Godskitchen Arena, Recharge Global Arena, Recharge Solid Gold, Recharge Foam Bar, TQX Freedom Electric Arena and TQX Freedom Amp Stage.

And in contrast with many other predominantly electronic music events, RR5GG is a true day to night experience, kicking off to a strong start at 2pm. So, music fans should get there early to see afternoon sets by major stars like Black Strobe who will be putting on a full live show and a field-rocking DJ set from Simian Mobile Disco.

Recharge Revelation has always been known for its cutting edge lifestyle activities, with onsite spas and interactive art and installations playing a major role in establishing the festival’s identity. This year’s event goes much further, with a massive list of installations and street culture projects to complement the music for thrill-seeking fans. A Malaysian festival first, RR5GG’s TQX Freedom Urban Zone features a free-to-enter skate park, so we’re sending a call-out to all the skater crews to bring the boards and skates.

For those needing a maximal adrenaline fix, the TQX Freedom Gravity Zone features another local festival first: zorbing. Originally from New Zealand, zorbing involves being strapped inside a chamber within a large inflatable ball and being rolled down the nearest hill. And if that’s not enough for you, this year RR5GG has teamed up with adventure providers AJ Hackett to bring in the G-Force X, the mighty machine that propels riders straight up to the sky and the Swing Bungy, where you shoot from one tower to another some 30 metres in the air.

Of course, if you’re more inclined to relax than get the blood surging through your veins, there’s the Recharge Spa where you can stop off for a quick massage or spot of reflexology plus the TQX Freedom Café featuring outdoor cafés, stalls, food and refreshments. And when you want to get back into you can get frothy and filthy at the Recharge Foam Bar or try out the retro roller disco action at Recharge Solid Gold. And that’s before you get to the cheeky fun of the Channel [V] confessional booth.

For culture vultures the Holland Pavillion offers the latest in street culture from Europe with the work of street artists like Holland’s Razk design collective and Freakin’ Sitnie, whose cartoon-edged design work is now as likely to be seen in exhibitions halls, streetwear and animations as it is on walls. He has even teamed up with urban vinyl manufacturers Toy2R on a set of collectible figures. And then there’s the visual eye candy of Eye Supply, a film-making and motion graphics collective whose distinctive style has seen them elevated to the Premiere League of European VJs.

And topping it off will be performance pieces from Dutch theatre and performance collective Monsterverbond, whose work, ranging from set piece theatre to huge 3-D puppets, has been featured at the world famous Sensation parties and whose outrageous costumes will be seen across the RR5GG festival site.

The Line Up

Of course, Recharge Revelation has developed a well-deserved reputation for its trance and progressive arenas and that tradition continues at the Recharge Godskitchen Arena. Heading the arena is one of the trance scene’s rising stars, Marcel Woods, who has emerged from the underground rave scene to become one of trance’s rising stars with his signature hard, electro-influenced sound. Supporting him are two more of trance’s biggest names: Sander Van Doorn, a DJ Magazine Top 100 rated DJ, needs little introduction and making a welcome return is Johan Gielen, the man many call the hero of Recharge Revelation 2005.

Not to be outdone, the Recharge Global Arena is headlined by Layo & Bushwacka!, the electro, techno and breaks superstars whose eclectic style has made them one of the most in-demand festival performers on the circuit. They will be contributing a massive 3 hour set crushing genres into an electronic stew. Helping them to whip up the crowds are  Astro & Glyde, whose deep and twisted post-Twilo sound has made their infamous Sunday Sessions night New York’s hottest. Ibiza regulars, and chart favourites, The Shapeshifters, add their Balearic techno to the Recharge Global Arena mix, and Global Gathering resident DJ Eston completes the party vibe of the stage with funk and jazz tinged journey through electronica.

Entertainment over at the TQX Freedom Electric Arena comes in two distinct flavours. Day-time sees the stage take a more live flavour courtesy of headliners Black Strobe, the electro rock group whose crunching debut album Burn Your Own Church looks set to become one of the critical raves of the year. Also pumping out the tunes will be a DJ set from Simian Mobile Disco, probably the festival outfit of the year, whose own album Attack Decay Sustain Release is shaping up to be a classic in the Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust vein. Joining them on the bill are Thailand’s top electro sleaze rockers Futon, here to promote the August release of their third album, Pain Killer, amid a flurry of activity that has seen them in demand from London to New York.

Switch to night and the TQX Freedom Electric Arena hypes the energy levels even further with sets from breaks icon Hyper, performing a full live set, and Plump DJs, arguably the top breaks and party DJs in the world. They will be joined by Jungle Brothers ft Mike G, the seminal Hip Hop crew who defined the so-called D.A.I.S.Y. Age of socially conscious Rap. Support comes from local acts DJ Blink – Recharge Revelation’s in-house DJ ambassador – and DJ Goldfish premiering his Spaceship project as well as local hip hop crew Stylustiks, who will be appearing with guest DJ Latin Prince, one of the US hip hop scene’s leading underground artists.

Over at the TQX Freedom Amp Stage we’re flying the flag for loud, noisy guitars. Local legends Pop Shuvit headline with their blend of hip hop and infectiously-hooked rock anthems, alongside indie veterans Lied and dance-rock turntable poppers Twilight Action Girl. From Indonesia there’s the rock-influenced electro decks ‘n’ fx show of Agrikulture, and Thailand’s Rehab gives Futon main man Bee a chance to show off behind the decks. And from Singapore there’s the post-rock instrumentalism of the gloriously named I Am David Sparkle and the indie-rock turntable madness of Beat!

With our commitment to fun and frolics it’s no surprise that some of the best local and international DJs have been kept for the Recharge Foam Bar. Here it’s your chance to get totally messy at our over the top foam bash with Malaysian DJs like Raysoo, DJ Gabriel, CosmicSpaceMunkys, and Groovedoctor, as well as international talents like Damian Saint (UK), Josh Ezelle (US), DJ Anton Wirjono (Indonesia), Remy Irwan (Indonesia) and Voilah! (Singapore).

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s the retro roller disco fun of the Recharge Solid Gold arena which will be headlined by Stephen Day, a Ministry of Sound veteran renowned for his smooth funky retro vibe. Plus where DJs like Fendi and Don will be spinning 70s and 80s retro grooves and pop and indie hits for a crowd of crazy roller-skating freaks hell-bent on recapturing their lost youth.

Event info:
Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering
A’Famosa Resort, Melaka
Saturday October 27th
2pm to 4am
Tickets (Pre-Sale) RM63 including 2 drinks
 (On the Door) RM83 including 2 drinks
www.rechargeroom.com
www.globalgatheringfestival.com

Ticketing info:

For more information on tickets and accommodation packages, the public can log onto www.rechargeroom.com, or contact organizers Pervert Designs directly via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or through our Festival hotline on 03 6207 1650 from 9am-6pm Monday to Saturday. For more information about Global Gathering go to www.globalgatheringfestival.com

Pre-Sale tickets for Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering at A’Famosa, Melaka on October 27th will be on sale at outlets nationwide (see attached spreadsheet) until October 26 (so hurry!). Online ticket sales will be available through Axcess Tickets at www.axcess.com.my priced at RM63, inclusive of booking fee and two drinks. Combination ticket and accommodation packages can also be purchased directly from A’Famosa. For details log onto www.afamosa.com.

(information provided by the organiser)