Saturday, July 18, 2009

Tamarind Hill's Official Launch Party


FINALLY.... WE HAVE ARRIVED.

After being opened for 6 months, we feel it's now time to throw a big party to officiate our re-opening:) So welcome to Tamarind Hill.


Distinguished guests, our family and some of our closest and dearest friends, many whom we’ve not seen in a while; some have even flown in from Bangkok, Bali, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

We can’t thank you enough for choosing to spend this night with us. It was wonderful. Everybody was just so beautiful.


This year Tamarind Hill is 10 years old. What better reason to be back!

A couple of years ago we had to close Tamarind Hill at the old property in Ampang to make way for a housing project.

So we looked and we looked and then we found this gorgeous spot. There’s really no other more perfect place to put Tamarind Hill we thought, to have it sitting on a hill like it should.... Better still, it’s in the heart of KL. Again, we're opportuned to create an environment, an oasis in the city where people can escape to. This is just perfect!


So it wasn't a hard decision to make….we knew we were gonna make this place ours. But then we had to wait. Now finally after 2 years today, Tamarind Hill is reborn.



In those 2 years, Federico and I had spent quite a bit of time in Thailand again, searching, sourcing and researching. Everything from food, architecture and design ideas to people.... in anticipation of a far better Tamarind Hill than it ever was. And this is usually the part we both love most – the process of creation, working the magic.…


During this phase, there was really no place else we’d rather be but Thailand, which we feel so home to and really, Thailand is where our heart is. Plus all the fun! Shopping and eating and connecting with the Thai people... there’s no place like Thailand.So there we have it, we found everything and everyone that forms the very essence and the core of the new Tamarind Hill we have today.

The entire restaurant was designed and built by Federico himself, decked out with my obsession with hilltribe art and crafts, the restaurant is therefore a slice of our personal experience and true passion.

However, the real star of the show really, is our new cuisine. You’ll never imagine Thai food can taste and look like this! 10 years ago, we also brought Vietnamese cuisine to you. Today we bring you Burmese. Guests sampled party portions that night but they shall return to embark on the full-on experience with our Chef Thiti's creations. His cuisine, best classified as Thai with a twist - Thai & Burmese food revisited.


Some of our guests went home with superb lucky draw prizes too! First there were the RM100 dining vouchers then it got better...

Flight-inclusive stay at 3 stunning Relais & Chateaux hotels in Asia Pacific : Bangkok (The Eugenia), Chiang Mai (Rachamanka) and including our very own JapaMala Resort in Tioman.


It was Cyndy's lucky night, thanks a million to www.nesrinmarketing.com for their gracious sponsorship of two complimentary return air-tickets to Bangkok, and of course the world-class boutique hotel The Eugenia for their one complimentary room-night stay:)


As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.....Michael finally got his chance to go to our JapaMala Resort in Tioman. Lucky bugger, we had just opened our biggest, most opulent 2-room villa called The Penghulu's House on the beach and that's where he shall stay for 2 nights! Thank you Berjaya Air, which will fly him and his loved one in for some serious relaxation jungle-luxe style.


How could Stephane Junca be left out.... Stephane is the Director of Development for Relais & Chateaux Asia who had picked out Cynthia for the grand prize!


TADA!!!! Thanks to Rachmanka Chiang Mai, the most exquisite and charming hotel we know in the north. Cynthia gets 2 nights' stay + a day tour to the Doi Suthep temple + an exclusive 'Tamarind Hilltribe' experience too! All paid for, thank you Paul. And thank you www.nesrinmarketing.com for flying cynthia & hubby there and back!
A million thanks to Euro-Atlantic, Calbeck, Cave & Cellar and Riche Monde too for their unremitting support always. There shall be more parties!