No, Pacha Macau isn’t opening - but a former resident or Pacha, Space, and Amnesia is going to be spinning in Macau this Saturday at a new nightclub called Showtime.
Located just opposite Fortuna Hotel, Showtime is already popular with professional dancers, those in the know and fans of house, electro and techno beats. Let’s hope this place takes off and become the top place to get down to dance music.
Saturday’s guest DJ, Dee McAuley from the UK, has had residencies at Renaissance at Amnesia, Pacha, Space and Café Mambo Pacha, Ibiza. As half of the production team Montero, he released ‘Captain Hook’ (Renaissance 2005) which hit the DJ Mag Hype Chart at No.1 in 2005, and carried onto be the most downloaded tune on DJ Downloads to date.Doors open at 11pm, and McAuley is scheduled to play a 3-hour set starting from about 2am.Supporting him are local CJs, D’mond, Peptus and Del Mischa.
Dee McAuley (Montero) UK
Showtime, opposite Fortuna Hotel
Rua de Cantao 38c 2 Yee On Kok Building
Tickets: MOP60 (advance sales from 9pm at Showtime) or MOP100 at the door
Both tickets inclusive of 1 free drink
For more info call +853 6613 2267
May 14th, 2008
Sure, everyone knows about Portuguese egg tarts – those creamy flaky melt-in-your-mouth pieces of heaven. But when you step into an authentic Portuguese or Macanese restaurant, chances are, the dessert menu won’t even feature egg tarts.
Last night, I took a few friends out for Portuguese food, and decided to introduce them to non-tart desserts. We went to O Porto Interior, which is just by A-ma Temple and the Maritime Museum in Macau peninsula – about 4 minutes drive from the Macau Tower.
This is now going to be my default location to bring tourists who want to try “local Macau cuisine”. On the same stretch, within 2 minutes walking distance of each other are 3 very well respected and popular restaurants – O Porto Interior, Litoral and A Lorcha.
O Porto Interior has framed black and white pictures of celebrities on their walls. It’s apparently popular with celebrities and government officials.
The interior has a Chinese and Portuguese feel. Wooden bird cages hang from the rafters but the key colors in the restaurant are Chinese lucky red.
It seems the Macanese love their sweet endings. In the same vein of their beloved egg tarts, most of their desserts are creamy, sinful, affairs – diabetics watch out. Most are surprisingly simple – cream, custard, fruit, milk and sugar is the main ingredients – and have a very homemade comforting texture. Comforting if you don’t think about the calories – that is.
Here are the 4 we tasted in no particular order:
Serradura – Sawdust Pudding
Serradura literally translates to sawdust. That pile of “dust” is actually finely crushed biscuits, which top a bowl of cream, sweetened with condensed milk. Surprisingly simple, but I have yet to meet a person who didn’t polish the bowl clean. People have compared it to the much more complex tiramisu, because if its creamy sweet flavor. Savor a large spoonful and let the cream and biscuits dissolve in your mouth, into a creamy bliss.
Pudim Flan – Cream Caramel
Similar to crème brulee, this is custard topped with caramelized sugar. It reminded me of the fillings of the Portuguese egg tarts, with the crisp sugar shell giving way to the creamy sweet custard. It’s more custardy than eggy though.
Warning – this rates a 10 on the sweetness level. If you’re like my flatmate, and like the fillings of the egg tarts but not the shell, this is how you can have your cake – and eat it!
Banana Caramel
Like an ice-cream sundae, without the ice cream. The slices of banana compliment the think gooey buttery caramel sauce a treat. Reminds me the banana crepes my sister used to make for special occasions.
Stewed Apple
The healthiest of the lot, an entire apple, seasoned with cinnamon is stewed in its skin and served hot with syrup. The baked apple flesh tastes completely different from a raw apple – and is reminiscent of homemade apple pie. A good choice for those who want to steer clear of pastry and dairy, yet still want a sweet ending to their meal.
That said, I think it’d be twice as nice with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.
May 9th, 2008
Last Sunday, the Macau Muay Thai Association held their annual Muay Thai competition at their headquarters in Tong Lei Building.
For those of you that are new to the sport - Muay Thai, which translates into Thai Boxing, is an ancient form of combat used by Thai soldiers in battle.
Ouch!
Known as the science of 8 limbs, it is a deadly form of martial arts, known especially for its lethal roundhouse kick, which when executed correctly, feels like being hit with a baseball bat.
The elbows are no slouch either, with a well place elbow able to cut skin like a knife, resulting in a bleeding wound that requires stitches and can signal the end of a match.
There were 12 competitors in 6 categories ranging from 51kg to 75kg. Contestants came from Hong Kong, Macau, Zuhai and Australia and competed.
To find out more about Muay Thai competitions in Macau or information on how you can learn, contact the Macau Muay Thai Association at +853 28523646.
May 6th, 2008
I never considered myself to be a total scaredy cat. I hate using the brakes in go-karts, love the freedom of motorcycles, contact sports and martial arts, traveling to undeveloped countries by myself and telling parents of unruly kids that they should take lessons on parenting.
But looking down on skyscrapers (yes, down on skyscrapers) from the outer platform of the Macau Tower, I felt my stomach lurch. Yes, it was 223 meters above the ground, and but I wasn’t about to go anywhere lower than where I was. There was a sturdy steel cable securely attached to my waist – I had no hope of going anywhere. So why did I feel so ill while my two male friends were gleefully leaping around the circular platform, pretending to dive off and dangling limbs off the edge?
Look Ma, no hands!
At one point, the guide from AJ Hackett asked me to pose with my feet dangling over the edge. I inched 1 centimeter at a time, until I reached the edge, and then willed myself not to look down, with what I felt was a brave smile on my face.
Our guide tried to reassure me by saying that a fear of heights is easily conquered. Apparently he used to suffer from it, but got over it after working at AJ Hackett for a couple of weeks. I’m wondering what sort of person with a fear of heights would sign up for a job 223 meters above ground?
He also added that only 1 person has fallen off - a 200pound man who accidentally slipped and dangled while several staff to pull him up. I’m not sure I would have gone out after witnessing that.
Deep breath, check. Fake smile, check.
My companions later announced to the rest of the group that my face was pale, and I looked like I was about to faint. Yes, I have a fear of heights, and I only have admiration for those who dare to throw themselves off the highest bungy jump in the world.
A friend told me that it is a surreal feeling to look down, and see you knees involuntarily quaking beyond your control. And she was jumping in New Zealand, over water.
Even if I was offered a free jump, I’m not sure I’d dare to take up the offer. I’m told that 99 % of bungy jumpers jump within the count of 5-4-3-2-1, with a small percentage requiring a second countdown. I’d hate to raise up their statistics unnecessarily.
It’s not that anyone has ever died before doing an AJ Hackett Bungy Jump. I was told that Charlize Theron and P Diddy have been up there, although I’m not sure if they actually took the plunge. Charlie, the manager of AJ Hackett in Macau told me he’s done it over 200 times and still gets a rush.
I wonder if being scared of heights something which is inherited, shaped by environment or just dished out on a purely random allotment. And is it a true measure of how gutsy a person is?
After all, some people are terrified of roaches, yet have no problems climbing Mount Everest or enjoy getting into a ring gloved up to try and knock someone out (although that could be due to pure stupidity).
While I have no problems with mice, or rats, I will shriek if I come into contact with a cockroach or any insect larger than my fingernail.
May 5th, 2008
And his name was Neoguri. He blew into town on Saturday and made a huge mess. But when he left, he took all the pollution with him, and left – according to the guys at AJ Hackett at the Macau Tower – “the clearest sky we’ve seen in a long time”.
I asked my best friend Google where the name Neoguri originated from. But all I found out is that Neoguri is the name of a rather famous brand of instant ramen.
I’d have to say that I like packet Neoguri with soup. But when it comes to Typhoons, I’d rather the dry variety
When I went to work on Friday, I did regret wearing a dress, what with the swirling winds threatening to make me commit indecent exposure. But by Saturday morning, the warning signal was already at 3. At that point in time, it was impossible to get a cab. So a group of us hopped on bus 10 to StarWorld Casino, where we had booked brunch at Temptations restaurant on the 16th floor.
The buffet, as always, was amazing value at only MOP128 and a 10% discount with Visa payments. There were truckloads of sashimi, which were more chunk-like than slices, a fresh wood-fire pizza station, and counter serving up laksa and mini burgers with bacon. The salad selection was also impressive, as was the 2 dessert counters.
No, we ate more than just greens. But the salad selection was impressive - roasted eggplant, cold mushrooms, grilled vegetables…
The mini burger with bacon. Mmmmm
Fresh pizza anyone?
There was 1 white chocolate fountain, 1 milk chocolate fountain, as well as a fresh crepe station with Haagen-Dazs. I went to town with the Belgian chocolate, (it had real chocolate inside!) but found pistachio a little strange. I dumped some into my soya sauce and tried to pass it off as wasabi to a friend. No, he didn’t fall for it.I had 3 journalist friends from Singapore in town, and the plan was, after stuffing ourselves silly – to go and get some outdoor exercise in the form of War Games at Fisherman’s Wharf (similar to paintball, but using pellets) and with a spot of go-karting in Coloane. The go-karting in Macau, by the way, is amazing value for money, considering it’s a fraction of the price of what you’d pay in European countries. And the track is challenging and long enough to make you feel like a real speed racer.
It’s only blurry cos I’m going so fastNow, if only they could teach the mechanics to smile just a little more – I’d be tempted to invest in my own kart. But anyway, I digress.
No chance for karting. By 3pm, the warning signal had been hoisted to level 8, so what were we to do, but keep eating. It was a good choice, because later I find out that Neoguri was so strong he actually blew away our Macau.com billboard. Now that is one big billboard, so imagine what he could do to us mere people.
Finally, when the rain and winds showed no signs of dissipating, we made our way to the casino levels, where we split up and hit the slot machines and Blackjack tables.
All of us are not really gamblers, but I now understand how addictive it can be. I’m a brave girl, I ride motorbikes in Malaysia, backpack around Thailand alone, and eat RMB1 meals in back alleys of Shanghai, but until now, I hadn’t dared to sit at a table and gamble.After watching my friends double, then triple their money, I finally built up the courage to take a seat next to them, and learnt how to signal Hit and Stay, and yes, even Split.
I even felt pretty smug when I realized one lady nearby couldn’t count, and required the croupier to tally up the numbers before making her decisions to Hit or Stay.
However, I knew I was in trouble when I had emptied my wallet and pockets of cash, and was asking each of my friends for a loan. After a 1 hour winning streak (including 3 Blackjacks in a row!) I was spent 2 hours at the same table on a losing streak. I had a feeling that the croupier actually felt sorry for me when he sighed, when he pulled a Blackjack or I busted time and time again. He actually made what I thought were some encouraging remarks, although as a non-Cantonese speaker, I couldn’t be sure.
When he finally whispered English – change tables – I took his advice and fled with the few chips I had left (to the opposite table). Later I find out he’d been telling me the same thing in Cantonese for the past hour. Time to improve those Cantonese skills.
The next table wasn’t my friend either, so we headed upstairs to catch the Thai lady boys perform. Direct from Thailand, they were gorgeous, and I have my doubts to whether the mesmerized middle aged guys watching with open mouths knew of their actual original orientation. I still prefer the Glamour Girls at Sand’s however. They look like they could be dancers for Justin Timberlake’s live performances any day – and guys, as an added bonus, they perform in g-strings.
We were planning to head to Lion’s Bar, simply because it’s the one place I could think of where the women are just as rowdy as the men and nobody bats an eyelid. The new band – The Freddie James Project from Canada have 2 pretty talented singers – plus a drummer that looks exactly like Owen Wilson (although you’ll have to wait till in between songs to have a look, otherwise he’s always head banging). It’s unfortunate that Freddie James fancies himself as a bit of a stand-up comedian however. His singing is a much better crowd pleaser than his toilet-humor.
One request Freddie? Hold the cheese.
And less talk, more rock!
Trying to get some food just after a Typhoon warning 8 is no easy task. On a Saturday evening, when Senado Square is usually a mass of bodies, it was a virtual ghost town. Even Watsons was closed – although I give Starbucks credit for still sticking around to serve up lattes. There were a few stores open selling beef jerky, and the sales women eyed us up like we were their first customers all week. It’s quite unnerving to see them charging towards you, brandishing sharp scissors and bright red slices of meat. Our plans for the night came to an anticlimax when we returned back to my flat to find the living room flooded.
Neoguri – he robbed us and then left us ankle deep in hot water.
April 24th, 2008
Beautiful girls and pretty boys were the highlight of the Gucci store launch at Wynn Macau.
Designer brands are nothing new to Macau. Just take a walk round the shops in 5-star hotels like Wynn Macau, MGM Grand and The Venetian and you’ll see luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, Dior, Versace and Ferragamo everywhere.Those in the know actually stock up on their designer goods here.
The prices are actually lower than many other cities like Singapore, since Macau’s imports are are not taxed.
And last Friday, one of the big players, Gucci, launched their first Macau store in Wynn, with the focus on accessories.
While it wasn’t a flashy affair - invited guests comprised press and VIP customers - there were some notable celebrities in attendance.
Macau-born model/actress Gaile Lok (above, right) showed off Gucci’s Spring Summer ‘08 line along with other models Patina Lin, Mikki Yao and Eunis Chen. Gaile (or should we say Mrs Lai), recently married Hong Kong superstar Leon Lai in an intimate ceremony in the Maldives on March 13.
In the later part of the evening, Hong Kong celebrity couple model QiQi (of SK-II fame) and her action star husband Simon Yam made an appearance hand-in-hand.
Six-footer QiQi was thoughtful enough to wear flat boots, though she still looked like an Amazon next to Simon, who is 5 foot 11 inches. QiQi’s 70s hairstyle makes the couple look like the Asian version of Sonny and Cher.
I dunno, maybe it’s just me.
The celebrity couple (bottom right) had dinner with (from left) Mimi Tang, President of Gucci Group Asia Pacific and Pansy Ho, daughter of Stanley, who has a stake in MGM.
Pansy, who is in her mid-40s looks amazingly young and fresh. We know QiQi’s secret lies in her SK-II products, but we’d love to find out Pansy’s beauty secrets - her flawless skin makes her look at least a decade longer than she actually is.
QiQi, may be endorsed by SK-II, but even all the pitera in the world cannot replicate the youthful glow that radiated from Gaile.
Newly married Gaile, appeared sans her superstar husband, but she looked every inch the radiant new bride.
Although petite Gaile admitted removing her breast implants due to health complications, there is one thing that is still supersized - her luscious lips!
We’re not sure how natural they are, but they certainly give Angelina Jolie’s puckers a run for their money!
April 18th, 2008
For me, dining out is a very joyful and satisfying culinary experience. But it is rare to find good food in an environment which actually makes eating out fun. The Kitchen on Level 3 of the Grand Lisboa hotel manages to combine a fun dining environment with some seriously good food.
In Macau, it’s rare to find good bread, good salad (and I’m not talking about frozen shrimp with mayo or a lettuce leaves with thin slices of tomatoes drowned in Thousands Islands dressing), steak and fresh sashimi. At The Kitchen, you’ll find them all, and it’s designed so that greedy folk like me can have all of it in one sitting.
It’s a really fun concept too, because all the food, from the wagyu, prime rib, veal etc, are all displayed in a glass case. The salads buffet is for customers to help themselves to while waiting for their mains, and the live seafood in tanks await their fate while the sashimi displayed to the customers is simply mouthwatering.
It’s all incredibly fresh, hands-on and appealing. Diners are encouraged to interact with the chefs, who cook in the open kitchen either in the ovens or the grill. Discuss the finer points of grilling a 4-inch thick Porterhouse steak, and which of the 12 home-made sauces it will go best with.
Believe me, it looks delicious, smells delicious, and the taste isn’t a letdown.
One highlight for me was the homemade bread, baked fresh in front of your eyes by a German chef. There are two varieties of breads on offer – a buttery soft mint-chocolate brioche with virtually melts in your mouth and a totally satisfying country loaf – crisp on the outside and chewy in the inside. The bread is baked only after you arrive, and served up in whole loaves so you can see the steam escape when you slice it up.
I was tempted to rip into it with my hands – it has been that long since I’ve had freshly baked bread - but had to remind myself to show some restraint. A sad note is that these breads are not for sale, but are complimentary for diners, so you’ll have to come back here for your fix. If you ask nicely however, they’ll pack away a fresh loaf or two to take away – (FOC) free of charge!
We started with the sashimi, which was beautifully displayed in a crystal bowl.
The two fishbowls containing little Japanese crabs have more than just an aesthetic purpose. Those little critters are actually bar snacks which can be eaten whole (alive!) or deep fried and apparently taste good with sake.
I would like to say no crabs were harmed during the writing of this post, but Chinese writer Trevor - who is braver than me, ate two of these crabs, and proclaimed they were “tasty”.
Our porterhouse, while intimidating in size, actually went down a treat – especially when paired with the home made mushroom sauce recommended by the chef.
Save some room for dessert. The French chef makes the most divine lifght and fluffy creations which are well worth busting that diet for.
Guys and gals, don’t forget to pay a visit to the bathroom. You’ll be in for a surprise - the gent’s has a transparent moneybooth - activated by the wash basin. As for the ladies’ - check it out for yourself.
For more restaurant details, click here.
April 7th, 2008
The undisputed King of Mandopop played a sell-out concert at The Venetian Macao-Hotel-Resort on Saturday night. And he broke his image of a cool, private, slightly aloof musician – charming his 15,000-strong audience with his brand of unique humor and his cheeky antics.
Comprised of 15,000 fans mainly in their teens and 20s, many of them waving banners and placards with tributes emblazoned, the rabid enthusiasm visible in the facees of the audience left no question as to why the rather expensive tickets had sold out weeks ago.
The pop star made an appearance just after 8.30pm in an outrageous operatic headdress with what looked like hair extensions and acknowledged fans from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. After seeing fans enthusiastically waving glow sticks (which had been banned) in the air, he encouraged those that had managed to sneak them past security to throw them on stage, so he could use them as drumsticks.
Throughout the 2-hour concert, he continued to tease and chide the crowd – and they lapped it all up with glee. He chided the audience, accusing them that they probably only came to Macau to gamble, rather than to see his show (we’re guessing he was referring to the portion that were old enough to step into a casino). With members of his family, including his grandmother and mother in the audience, he told the protesting crowd: “My mum told me not to go to casinos because you’ll lose a lot of money. I only came to this casino to see you all.”
He then added cheekily, that he probably would gamble later, so “see you around”. According to an article on batgwa.com, in an interview after the concert, the Jay admitted that he did gamble (we assume with the high rollers) and lost HKD20,000.
He had a lot more luck on stage than on the gaming floor however. He certainly delighted the crowd by throwing his performance props including what must have been a very light pair of nunchuks and a cane into the audience and showed he could multitask, by singing while playing the piano.
Jay once again showed his diverse talents, with street and break-dance moves (which while not boy band material) were proficient enough) and strong clear vocals.
If you couldn’t understand what he was singing, it was through no fault of the sound system – his trademark style of mumbling while singing meant it was difficult to discern the lyrics. Thankfully – forward thinking meant some bright spark had arranged for the lyrics were projected on a huge overhead screen, allowing fans who hadn’t memorized the words to sing along.
In what Jay said was a first in all his years in performance, he announced that he would do something “special” - which was bringing a fan up on stage to sing a duet. At this point, the fans right until the back of the Arena started to surge forward, and had to be restrained by security. After saying he was looking for a good singer, a bunch of clear-headed fan club members singled out one female member. Jay asked security to bring up the young and surprisingly calm fan, who then proceeded speak in broken Mandarin to him, even after Jay told her he could understand Cantonese. The lucky girl then got to sing a duet with him, before being ushered back to reality by security.
She wasn’t the only one who got to interact with Jay. In an exercise which probably proved a major headache for Venetian security, Jay came down from his pedestal, right past the barricades, and continued singing while shaking hands with people in the audience. His crowd-pleasing behavior stopped at removing his top – although the hunky male dancers stripped off, much to the delight of the female fans.
Jay had another surprise in store. For his first encore, he disappeared for a while, only to appear on a mini-stage at the back of the Arena, winning brownie points of the fans who could only afford the cheapest tickets, and creating surge to the back.
One put it quite eloquently, saying: “I thought he was ugly, but up close, he looked pretty good. He exuded confidence and was charming, and smiled a lot more than I thought he would.”
Jay left by a side door, and reappeared back on the stage to perform a few more numbers. Over 20 songs, and more than 2 hours, and 15,000 happy customers.
Yay for Jay.
April 7th, 2008
Look out Macau! The name’s Mini and I’ll be heading to Sin City from April 17 to 20 with my two sidekicks, Romp and Chomp. Let’s hope they live up to their names.
Stay tuned for strip club adventures, gastronomic discoveries and ahem, the deflowering of an innocent young man.
By the way, Su, I would go to Fiddy with you if you got us free tickets. *Hint hint*
April 1st, 2008
This is Yoshimi’s new friend
This is her dinner of Hainanese Chicken Rice
*Disclaimer*
The bird (above) is of no relation to the bird (top)
It is in fact, authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice, made by the original Singapore Meritus Mandarin Hotel’s Chatterbox Chef, who is now based in Rasa Singapura, which is located in The Venetian’s Festivita Foodcourt.
A few of us from the Macau.com team recently went out for dinner at 3-Monkeys restaurant, located in St. Mark’s Square in The Venetian Macao. Owned by a Singapore group, Solutions17, which also manage World Wide Wings - a sports bar offering 40 types of chicken wings and over 30 types of beer (that’s where Yoshimi’s chicken friend lives), Rasa Singapura, which specializes in Singapore dishes, all at The Venetian.
Other than the Hainanese Chicken Rice, which came with lashings of ginger, dark soy sauce and chilli, we also got the Singapore laksa. (above)
I realized I had bitten off a little more than I could chew when my dish of beef spare ribs arrived. (above)
That must be one big cow. And yes, that is genuine chilli padi and sambal to the right. Apparently the beef ribs is shipped over from the U.S. and takes up so much space, it is stored in a warehouse, and pulled out as needed.
After a soup, appetizers and picking at other people’s food, I managed to make a reasonable dent in the ribs.
I was even tempted when the sizzling fajitas were delivered to the table next door.
Apparently, the burgers here are to die for.
I have walked past 3-Monkeys on several occasions and always get distracted by the giant grinning plush toy monkeys that are hanging around the premises. It may be a family-friendly jungle-themed restaurant, but believe me, there is nothing childish about the portions of food - which are gorilla sized.
There are 300 toy monkeys altogether in the restaurant, collected from around the world. The owners say their friends grab whatever monkey they see on their travels bundle them up in glad wrap, chuck them in cargo and fly them over to Macau.
According to Gwen (above, far left), who runs sister cafe - the iconic Monkey’s Cafe in Orchard Towers in Singapore, many of them are so big, that many would require their own seat, if they were brought on board. And yes, we hear that the drycleaning bills are huge.
Despite the fact, they are the delight of many children, who squeal and clutch at the furry critters, grown-ups aren’t immune to the charms of a giant grinning soft toy monkey either.
For restaurant information, click here.
April 1st, 2008
Who says Macau has no nightlife?
Last Wednesday, the party at Bellini Lounge started early, and was still pumping, when we left at 3am.
Free drinks, cool chicks, every Wednesday night, it’s Ladies Nitz at The Venetian’s Bellini Lounge.
Ladies - simply print out a free coupon from Macau.com and show it at Bellini Lounge, for free house pour cocktails from 8pm until 1am.
A cool lounge bar located on the casino floor of The Venetian the Bellini Lounge is a laid-back venue during the day and place to dance and party by night.
Free drinks, hot music = happy girls
Vodka and gin were the main drinks of choice. But the lucky ladies were also treated to Cosmopolitans and Kamikaze shooters.
The girls were definitely here to party. Mostly expatriates and tourists aged from their mid 20s to late 30s, it was a sophisticated crowd that knew how to have fun.
And boy, did the girls dress for the occasion.
Male bartenders also put on a show behind the bar, with their flaming flaring skills. Whether it was two bottles or 3, they juggled them with amazing acrobatic ease.
See you next Wednesday at Bellini Lounge – don’t forget to bring your coupon and to wear your dancing shoes!
March 31st, 2008
This comes courtesy of Jiji:
Starting with a sexy number - I Drove All Night - Celine the sellout crowd on their feet straight away.
Although she had a slight mishap - stumbling slightly when she first appeared - probably due to the fact that the fact the stairs were black and the lights were dim - ever the true performer, she recovered well.
It helped that she looked every inch the star in a short sparkling mini-dress which showed off her long divine legs.
Celine sang about 20 songs over 1 1/2 hours, with limited interaction with her fans - a Diva is a Diva after all. Not that her fans minded.
The crowd of 15,000 people included a wide range of ages - a tribute to the French-Canadian singer’s universal appeal.
Her 5 years of almost nightly performances in Vegas at Caesers Palace have sharpened her live performance skills to a deadly point. She is a formidable force to be reckoned with and had the adoring crowd eating out of her hands for the entire night.
When she thanked them using a Chinese phrase ”Xiexie” - there was a raucous cheer of approval.
Her fantastic dancers were a multicultural mix and included an even mix of males and females.
Celine ended the concert with her Titanic hit, My Heart Will Go On, in an encore that got the whole arena on their feet cheering.
Following the concert, there were after concert parties at Mcsorley’s Ale House and Cafe Deco at The Venetian.
But THE party to be seen at was the after concert party at The View - a newly opened ultra exclusive swanky VIP club on top of Sands - The Venetian’s sister casino.
Here invited, guests sipped on flutes of Moet and nibbled on canapes while enjoying models sashaying down a catwalk, as well as the amazing view.
It really was an experience not to be missed.
March 24th, 2008
UPDATE: Sorry guys, all tickets have sold out as of last week.
http://www.macau.com/index.php?option=com_shows&Itemid=80&task=show_details&id=87
As if we need a reason to post gratuitous Jay pix. Enjoy.
March 19th, 2008
Canadian diva Celine Dion loves her LV.
The reed-thin singer with the huge voice reportedly gave the security staff of The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel quite a headache - and not by warbling an emotional ballad that went on and on and on…
In Macau for her Taking Chances concert, Celine, who performed to a full house at The Venetian’s 15,000 capacity Arena last Saturday apparently got a little emotional when her precious Louis Vuitton luggage was going through the standard security check - fearing that her designer bags may be scratched.
But hey, give the girl a break, she works hard for her money (she was performing 5 times a week for 5 years at Ceaser’s Palace in Vegas, taking in an estimated US400 million before ending her run in December).
The girl loves to shop - and she has a sense of humor. After paparazzi accosted her outside Cartier, where she had just bought some jewellery, the ever-friendly Celine quipped: ”I do damage wherever I shop.”
We say, let the girl have her bling!
You gotta love a girl who admits that audiences at her Las Vegas shows were often tired, drunk, sick and in some cases asleep.
And you won’t find her dishing out lawsuits or getting teary on talk-shows over being ridiculed for her stage movements, conservative behavior and emotional songs - even when it’s her own fellow Canadians.
Maybe it comes from having actual talent, and a whopping 5-octave range, but Celine says she actually feels flattered that people take the time to impersonate her.Heather Mills should take a leaf out of Celine’s book.
Like the title of her hit of Titanic proportions, Celine’s heart really does go on. Forbes voted her one of the top 10 most generous celebrities in Hollywood in 2006, after raising more than US$1 million for UNICEF’s Tsunami Recovery Fund, and spending decades supporting charities.
Stay tuned for the concert review…
March 19th, 2008
It has been raining solidly for the past week, and there hasn’t been a ray of sunshine in sight… But I promised motoring writer Ju-Len (who made a trip from Singapore to check out the track at the Motor Sports Club – stay tuned for the review!) blue skies. And I do aim to please.
So here we are at The Venetian Macao’s Festivita Food Court – the perfect place to grab a bite in between shopping, or gambling. To find it, just listen for the sound of the gondoliers singing, and follow the Grand Canal down towards the direction of the Great Hall. Then look up for the blue skies. Yes, there’s no need for sunglasses, cos you’re still indoors, and that blue is Pantone 14-4318 – Sky Blue.
It’s a great concept.
21 big brand names in fast, mid-priced food offering almost every cuisine under the sun - or in this case, the blue sky at least. In my opinion, the photos come out real, but in real life, there’s something a little disconcerting about the pale blueness of the ceiling. It could be the fact that there’s no actual sunlight or birds singing. Although there’s always classical music softly playing in the background.
Anyway, after an initial recce, we were finally seduced by Fatburger. Doesn’t the name just conjure up the image of a huge juicy, mouthwatering burger, so stuffed full off goodies that you can barely fit it into your mouth? And there were two sizeable Americans chowing down in front of the stall that seemed like a perfect advertisement for it. But anyway, I digress…
And I’m sad to report that the Fatburger wasn’t so… phat. The patty tasted rather processed and lacked flavor and texture. In fact, it wasn’t any better than Burger King’s Whopper and on the scale of satisfaction, was about equal to a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger. Plus, at 43 MOP, it was kinda pricey.
Check out the photo and decide for yourself.
February 26th, 2008
Hello. I have spent the last 10 years of my life living and working in Singapore. But as of Feb 10, I am now here in Macau, and part of Macau.com. So I was very pleased to find that Jetstar Asia now flies direct from Singapore to Macau. Three months ago, I was here for a look around on Tiger Airways, which allows 15kg of baggage. That’s fine for a holiday. But a girl can accumulate a lot of baggage in 10 years. 15kg doesn’t even get my shoe collection, much less the rest of my life here.
The Jetstar crew, as always, were very friendly and professional - almost to a fault. They remind me of the staff at MGM Grand Macau who warned me to zip up my bag and take my hat off. Didn’t you know? Unzipped bags and hats on heads aren’t allowed in casinos here. I’m a danger to myself, and the public at large.
Back to Jetstar, I was sitting by the emergency exit and the cabin crew taught me something new. In exchange for the extra leg room, and the privilege of being responsible for saving people’s lives, should the plane encounter any difficulties (i.e. crash land, which is when I’d have to yank the exit open), you also have to ensure that nothing is on the floor, sticking out of the seat pocket or on your lap - well, except your hands. So after the flight attendant removed my jacket from my lap, and deposited it into the overhead locker, she oh so politely asked if I’d mind making sure the strap of my handbag was tucked firmly into the seat pocket ahead of me. I assume in case I got tangled up in it, in my haste to open the exit, should the need arise. Now that’s forward thinking. Clever girl noticed I was a klutz when I tripped over getting into my seat.
I like Jetstar Asia. Partially because the nice ground staff let me bring 27kg of luggage on board when I smiled nicely and also because the flight attendants are nice. But they get brownie points for having better make-up skills than Tiger Airways, who can’t seem to match their foundation to their natural skin tone. I heard a rumor that apparently Jetstar has help from SQ girls in the grooming department.
But I especially like Jetstar because of their cheap fares - I paid $50 one way for mine, though it can cost a little more, depending on when you fly. Now it’s so affordable to come to Macau; I’m flying my friends over, in exchange for their baggage allowance. You see - paying their tickets actually works out cheaper than sending my life over by air, and only slightly more expensive than sea. Obviously, I’d have to only choose the friends that can fit into my clothes and shoes. This Friday my ex flat mate is bringing the second shipment of my shoes - just two more to go. So if you see a girl tripping around The Venetian Macao this weekend in five-inch cherry red heels - come over and say hello.
February 21st, 2008
Today Macau Is Forever Changed
The long awaited hiatus is over. It’s sure good to be back on the bullhorn. Lots have happened since my last post. We’re now one brand, i.e. Macau.com: Your Macau Travel Insider. The other brand, and its garish orange, can now fade from memory.
Well, you’re likely not here to read about our corporate maneuvering, so I’ll give up the goods. Yesterday I spent the better part of the day at the world’s 2nd largest building: The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. Wow!
I first headed over as part of the media contingent in the early a.m. Having been in and out of Macau since early 2004 and here permanently for well over a year, the opening of Venetian Macao was the milestone in Macau development that I, along with much Macau, have been long awaiting. Its arrival was a little unreal for the lot of us that has watched the behemoth Venetian rise out of the Taipa mudflats. As my bus pulled into the back driveway and the intricacy of the Italian exterior became visible, I was overwhelmed by a sense that in the next moments Macau would inextricably change forever.
Once inside, I was awed at the scale of the building and the meticulous attention to detail. It will be difficult to explain in mere words the marvelous artistic and design delights which exist inside the sprawling complex. Frescoes that conjure images of Michelangelo’s masterful Sistine Chapel beautify the ceilings. Thick, highly colourful carpets and polished marble cover the floors. Statues, flowers, and adornments ornament the walls and open spaces. The Grand Canal, which is the shopping esplanade has hundreds of shops, each set within a vibrantly re-created Venetian building. Singing gondoliers transport young lovers and overwhelmed tourists. Arch bridges permit crossing from one side of the canal to the other and squares, the greatest being St. Mark’s, provide suitable area to gape at the surreal surroundings.
The press conference was less interesting for the information that was announced, as it was primarily very safe press release type info, and more so for Mr. Sheldon Adelson and his group. They were in high spirits and a few jokes were cracked, like Mr. Adelson wishing his competitors “Good Luck” with his fingers crossed. However he then countered to say that all groups should work to collectively market Macau as a destination and then fight for customers once they were here.
I returned in the evening with one of Macau.com’s shareholders, the publisher of Inside Asian Gaming, and the owner of Elevation Wines – the company that provided all of the wine for the evening’s gala event – to see the Grand Opening Show. While touring the main halls, the overwhelming opinion of our quartet and anyone else that has spent some time in Vegas was that the Venetian Macao dwarfs the Vegas properties. It’s huge.
On with the show… If you love Canto-pop you would have been in heaven. Awesome shows by A-Mei, David Tao, Grasshopper, and Alan Tam. Cirque du Soleil dazzled audiences with wildly captivating drama and thrilling acrobatic feats. The finale was a song by the legendary Diana Ross. I was amazed by her voice. It electrified the air. It was so rich and had such range. One of the best singing performances I’ve ever seen.
The best quote from the media press conference that in my opinion summarizes the mood from the evening and an opinion that I cannot emphasize enough is “…that the Venetian Macao represents a massive paradigm shift for Macao and the future of tourism development in Asia.” The Venetian and indeed the entire Cotai Strip is built for multi-night holidaymakers wanting world-class entertainment, accommodation, and dining. If the Venetian Macao is any indication of what’s to come, Macau is going to be one helluva place.
August 29th, 2007
As promised, I took another look inside…
As promised, I revisited Melco’s Crown Macau Casino (MPEL) yesterday (Tuesday 7 p.m. approx.). I thought what better way to get a feel for the place than to take the shuttle bus from the city centre. Well, true to my earlier report, a line formed waiting for the bus. I estimate a dozen or so individuals took the trip. As “burro” wondered, some people were just along for the ride. There appeared to be a few employees as well as a few individuals who did not go into the casino when we arrived. However, a good portion of the bus did enter the casino. I heard that there has been some active promotion on the part of the casino to bring people over to their Taipa property and true to this we were given a ticket that gave us a chance to spin the wheel when we arrived. My colleague’s ticket won that chance, but because he didn’t have his passport with him, he was thus ineligible…a bit disappointing.
The Crown Macau Casino has 5 floors. The first three are gaming floors, the fourth is a restaurant, and the fifth floor is a higher-minimums gaming floor. The first 3 floors had an active gaming scene. By this I mean there were a lot of tables in use, some to capacity but some empty. The central parts of the floors were busier than the fringes. Definitely, it wasn’t shoulder-to-shoulder like it can be at the Sands sometimes, but on the other hand, the first 3 floors had a scene, i.e. you wouldn’t think “This place is dead anyway.” (Swingers quote). The fifth floor on the other hand was empty minus a few individuals. This could be that minimum bets are more or less equivalent to my monthly rent. As for the punters, I heard more Mandarin (mainland) than Cantonese (HK, Macau, Guangdong Province).
In sum, I’ve walked through the Crown Macau on three occasions now (Grand Opening, one month ago, yesterday). Each time the casino has been busier than the last time. The Greek Mythology Casino in the New Century Hotel is right next door and it is one of the most profitable casinos in Macau. The location is probably the biggest obstacle, but as the Greek Mythology Casino has shown, it’s an obstacle that can be overcome with the right marketing. (I understand they cater exclusively to mainland tour groups, so the Crown Macau is likely going to pursue a different model.) My general feeling is that Macau is maturing into the type of destination that will attract visitors interested in visiting the Crown Macau. Maybe the Crown Macau is not packed this month, or this year, or even next year, but the property is in line with what most developers are planning and anticipating. I’m going to try and check the Crown Macau out again this weekend to note the difference.
By the way, I ate at the Crown Macau’s Monsoon noodle shop. Yum. I had Cantonese wonton noodle soup with Chinese chives and honey glazed BBQ pork. Delicious and very nicely presented.
Any comments, questions, etc. click below…
June 27th, 2007
Telltale Signs of a Casino on the Rise…
Our most popular blog posts have irrefutably been those on Melco’s Crown Macau (MPEL). The interest came from not only the general public, but also a few financial forums… Yahoo and MSN come to mind. Anyway, given your keen interest in this topic, I feel compelled to keep you abreast of happenings and give you, when I can, the bird’s-eye-view from a Macau vantage point. Here it is…
As you may have read elsewhere, Crown Macau is located on Taipa Island. Macau is tiny, but some say the short trip across the Pearl is a billion dollar gap. Well, perhaps it’s not that large, both figuratively and literally… Allow me to 开门见山 for you putonghua-ists…
The Crown Macau has a bus that shuttles punters from central Macau (right in front of the Hotel Sintra and Fortuna Japanese Restaurant, which is a hop, skip, and a jump from Grand Lisboa) to Crown Macau. Well, I’ve walked past this bus everyday for the last month+. And… the bus has been empty. The poor sweetheart waiting to greet customers seemed so lonesome. I wanted to jump in the bus, head across the strait, and throw a few tokens into the heart of the beast, just to give her some sense of purpose. Well dear friends, times have changed. The past week, the shuttle bus has not only had people, but also a queue! I’ll say it again for the flabbergasted… A Queue! And today, on my way to the office, the bus was chockablock jammed with punters, eager as beavers. I’ll make a trip out that way in the coming week and give y’all the 411 on whether there’s a noticeable difference on the floor.
June 20th, 2007
