Maya Hotel Suffered Low Occupancy due to H1N1

Selangor Dredging Bhd, a company involved in property development, leasing and hotel operations, has three mixed development projects in the pipeline to be launched in its financial year ending March 31, 2010, with a total gross development value of between RM400 million and RM500 million.

Managing Director Teh Lip Kim said the projects, a 110 unit condominum near Newton Circus in Singapore and a condominium in SS 2, Petaling Jaya, and residential houses and apartments in Taman Melawati, Hulu Klang, both in phase two, would be launched early next year.

"The development near Newton Circus will be our second project in Singapore and our share of the GDV is about RM225 million.

"It is in the final stage of being launched probably end 2009 or in the first quarter of next year", she said, adding that the company was optimistic of its second project in the republic as the pick up rate had recovered.

Meanwhile, Selangor Dredging's maiden project in Singapore, a 22 unit apartment block in Mount Sophia was already 40 per cent sold.

She said 70 per cent of the 185 apartments to be built in SS2 was sold out, a tremendous endorsement for the company given the current market environment.

"We will conduct our projects prudently and be sensitive to the prevailing market scenario. At present, we are already seeing some improvement in the demand for properties.

"We have RM235 million in proceeds yet to accrue from the sale of remaining units in all these projects.

On another development, Teh said the company was in the midst of discussions with the authorities on resuming work on its luxurious housing project, dubbed "Damansara 21", which was halted following the tragic Bukit Antarabangsa landslide in December 2008.

"We still have a stop work order. The guideline for hillslope development is out and we have complied with it. We are still working very closely with the authorities as safety is our prime concern here.

"We have spent RM80 million on earth works so far. As the project is not launched, we are not adversely affected with the stop work," he elaborated.

The company also operates Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur which suffered low occupancy since the outbreak of the H1N1 pandemic.

Group Chairman Eddy Chieng Ing said, " We get European, Australian, American and multinational clients, but many have cancelled bookings and stopped travelling since the pandemic.

"In the first quarter we registered a loss of RM280,000," he said.

Selangor Dredging recorded a net profit of RM17.2 million for the financial year ended March 31, 2009, down sharply from RM97.1 million chalked up in the same period in 2008.

Property development contributed 70 per cent of the group's revenue.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malay fare to tempt foreigners at Hotel Maya

MOST tourists enjoy the local fare when in Malaysia. To meet this demand, chef Hasbullah Sabani from Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur has come up with a spread of Malay cuisine for its patrons.

Customers dining at the Maya Brasserie can enjoy a variety of Malay dishes from the buffet line or from the a la carte menu.

Wide range: Chef Hasbullah (right) and junior sous chef Zairul Effendi Mohd Nor showing off some of the spread at The Maya Brasserie buffet line.

“We should be proud of our local dishes and I want our foreign guests to enjoy them as well,” said Chef Hasbullah or Pak Lah as he is fondly known among the hotel's kitchen staff.

The promotion, which started on March 10, is only available for dinner.

One of the dishes offered is grilled red snapper with yellow acar for those who prefer a healthy meal.

Healthy: Kerabu, ulam and sambal are part of the buffet offerings.

“It is a combination of nyonya, Pahang and Perak recipe and there is no oil used in the dish. Yet it is full of flavour,” he said.

For the dish, grilled red snapper is added to the yellow acar.

The acar is prepared by boiling all the ingredients including the spices and vegetables like carrots and cucumber. He also adds jeruk kelubi to give the acar its sour and sweet taste, which also goes well with the grilled fish.

Another dish that is highly recommended by the chef is the pucuk keledek masak lemak udang.

“Not many people, including the locals have tasted the pucuk keledek (sweet potato shoots) but it is actually quite common in the kampung. It tastes a bit like kangkung.

“I have also included chunks of sweet potato together with the prawns for the masak lemak,” he said.

Rich fare: The Beryani Lamb Shank.

To suit the international tastebuds, the chef has toned down the spiciness of the masak lemak. However, those who prefer it to be spicy could request for it.

There is also Beryani Lamb Shank, which goes well with normal rice as well.

For the dish, the Johor-born chef uses quality lamb shank as it has less fat and is tender.

“We have to braise the meat for about an hour to make it juicy and tender. I use the traditional Beryani Johor recipe,'' he said.

There are also a variety of ulam, sambal and traditional Malay desserts at the buffet spread to choose from.

As an alternative, customers can also go for the international buffet line.

Located on the main entrance level, The Maya Brasserie can accommodate about 150 people.

The Maya Brasserie, Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur, 138 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2711 8866 ext 258. Business Hours: 6.30pm - 10pm daily (dinner).

Source : Star
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2008]

Hotel Maya's Chef lets his experience loose in the kitchen

AFTER years of experience in the hotel industry, Malay Cuisine Chef Hasbullah Sabani, 37, at Hotel Maya can hold court on his own and he does just that for the hotel’s Ramadhan promotion.

Sweet delights: Various Nyonya kuih are also available at the buffet line.

Hasbullah has been to various parts of the world to learn and exchange cooking knowledge. Through his travels, he had the opportunity to learn to mix different cooking styles together.

He has been with the hotel for four years and, during his stint, has put his knowledge to good use by churning up mouth-watering dishes especially during Ramadhan.

Maya Brasserie is promoting an array of dishes from Nyonya to Indian to Malay and a Nyonya/Malay combination that suits the tastes of the various races in the country.

All set: Hasbullah putting some final touches to some of the dishes on the buffet line.

“The dishes are not too spicy, which will also be a welcome respite for foreigners who want to have a taste of Malaysia during this holy month,” Hasbullah said.

He has just returned from a chef's tour to Paris, organised by Tourism Malaysia.

Hasbullah added that Malaysia has got various spices, which gives him a free hand to make full use of them to create his culinary masterpieces.

One of his favourite experiments is the different ways he cooks salmon by experimenting with local spices.

Maya Brasserie can accommodate between 180-200 people and the Buka Puasa promotion is priced at RM65++ per person.

Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur, 138 Jalan Ampang, KL (Tel: 03-2711 8866). Buka Puasa (daily from 7pm-10.30pm) until October 12.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Hotel Maya's Japanese Restauarnt with Modern Touch

AT ONLY 36, Adriano Teng seems awfully young for an executive chef.

At work: Teng is Hotel Maya’s top chef.

However, a chat and short cooking stint in the kitchen with him would dispel any doubts on his culinary prowess, and justify his position as Hotel Maya's top chef.

Teng's approach to cooking is fresh, innovative and in keeping with the city's current gastronomic pulse, which is clearly reflected in how he presents his food.

"Young chefs like to cater to the demand of today's crowd, which is food that is straightforward yet different," he said, while whipping up a few ''sosaku'' dishes at the modern, zen-like kitchen of Still Waters, the hotel's flagship restaurant.

''Sosaku'' refers to modern Japanese cuisine with influences from various parts of the world - which is very much up Teng's alley.

"I use European ingredients, play around with herbs and apply modern presentations to the food, but the basic Japanese rules still apply at this restaurant," he said.

This is deja vu for Teng, who is trained in French cuisine.

"French restaurants here are now serving modern French food with contemporary presentations, too," said Teng, who worked at the established La Fitte kitchen for nine years before taking on his current position.

His aptitude for contemporary cooking enabled him to make an eager and seamless transition from modern French to modern Japanese cuisine at Hotel Maya.

"Japanese cuisine is all about freshness," he said, while preparing Mango, Prawn, Avocado Timbale.

A personal recipe, the timbale is a simple yet delectable combination of diced avocadoes, mangoes and prawns, served with homemade wasabi mayonnaise and a tangy home-made salad dressing.

Main dish: The Grilled Beef with Wasabi Sauce.

"This is a refreshing starter. It goes very well with toasted bread."

The same concept of freshness also applied to Teng's signature main dish - Grilled Beef with Wasabi Sauce.

Chilled fresh Australian tenderloin is lightly seasoned before it is grilled and served with wasabi sauce and a variety of mushrooms.

An important condiment to the dish, the wasabi sauce is a hearty mixture of wasabi powder, dashi stock, soy sauce, garlic puree and parsley juice, all cooked with a little butter.

"The parsley juice gives the wasabi a nice green tinge," he said, while preparing Fillo Pastry Banana Tart as the finale to the short cooking lesson.

Sweet: The Fillo Pastry Banana Tart is served with Green Tea Ice Cream.

Served with home-made butterscotch sauce and almond cream filling, the tart was a light-hearted affair indeed.

When I pondered aloud which part of the dessert was Japanese, Teng replied with a grin: "It's served with green tea ice cream."

Undeniably, the confluence of East and West can bring out the best in gastronomy, but on an overall note, it could be safe to expect more from the creative Teng, who does not seem averse to sharing his knowledge.

"The hotel may be looking into conducting cooking classes. We'll see," he said as a parting shot.

STILL WATERS, Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur, 138 Jalan Ampang, KL (Tel: 03-2711 8866). Business Hrs: Lunch (noon - 2.30pm, Mondays to Fridays); Dinner (7pm - 10.30pm, daily).

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

A Special Affair at Hotel Maya

HOTEL Maya celebrated its first birthday recently with 32 other individuals named Maya recently.

Singer and actress Maya Karin was also part of the group.

The hotel ran a two-week-long campaign searching for individuals with the name Maya throughout Malaysia.

Those registered in the search by the hotel stood a chance to win the ultimate prize of a lifetime stay at the hotel.

Melvin (centre) cutting the birthday cake with Maya Karin and all the participants named Maya.“After a RM45mil refurbishment exercise, Hotel Maya has won numerous awards locally and internationally for its unique architecture and tasteful interior design,” said Hotel Maya general manager I.Z Melvin.

Among those shortlisted for the birthday party was male participant Mayakumaran Subramaniam.

Mayakumaran, 30, said he was often mistaken for a female due to his name.
Maya Shalfawani Mohd Sakih was the lucky winner and she took home the grand prize of the lifetime hotel stay.

“I was only told about the campaign last weekend by my sister-in-law,” said Maya Shalfawani, who is the only girl in the family of five boys.

She plans to celebrate her win with her mother, who is celebrating her 53rd birthday this month.

After the cake-cutting ceremony, guests took the opportunity to take photographs with Maya Karin.

Melvin said the hotel will continue to set the benchmark as a trendsetter and innovator.

Source : STAR

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news]