For the first time, Tandoor.com Restaurant has finally introduced a buffet line to the delight of their patrons. Did you know that I frequent this restaurant a lot of times? Why? I love the food and I love my favourite sitting spot where I have the view of the mosque and the Kiulap roundabout.

To my surprise, a friend of mine bought over Tandoor and introduced new menu. For now, I’m just gonna focused with the Sungkai promotion. The selections are just enough to satisfy your craves and perhaps, the steal of the day was the Lamb Mandhi. That totally took me by surprise because it was so tasty and the lamb was pretty tender with nice flavour to it. The chef must have marinated it and cooked it to the right temperature. Oh yea, you will need to eat it with all the sauces given – green mint sauce, garlic sauce and their spicy chill sauce. The best combo so far if you ask me.

Tandoor also provide some Italian dishes such as the pasta and the pizza. The pizza is quite unique as well with a great texture. Awesome stuff!!

I’m definitely coming back in the 3rd week or so after I finished all my rounds of Sungkai-ing in other places. Great food and lovely ambience as well. Thank you, Nizam, for hosting.

Italian cuisine also available

Chicken Masala

Lamb Samosa

Representatives from Kristal FM

The man behind the lamb mandhi

This is one delicious dish I must say. The best I tried so far. I’m hooked.

Make sure that you get all the sauces to go with the lamb. What a combo!!!

The thin crisp pizza

Celebrating Ashraff’s belated birthday

 

Al Alwani Dates at Arcade area of The Empire Hotel

Are you fans of dates? I grew up eating it every time when I flew to Jeddah during my childhood days. It’s like eating prune but with a different solid texture and sweeter. Back in the old days, dates will have seeds inside just like a rambutan. Trend kept changing and now they offer dates with almond nuts inside so you can simply eat the whole dates and plus almonds are quite popular among dates lovers.

I’m not aware of the brands of dates until I paid a visit to Al Alwani Dates store at The Empire Hotel & Country Club. Run by young Bruneian bloods, they were able to survey what was lacking in terms of consumer goods available in Brunei. Yes, so many years there is a premium chocolate brand that have been existing in Brunei. Another premium brand chocolate also made its mark a few years ago. Today Al Alwani entered the same category to offer Bruneian customers a different variety of choice.

PAN Foods Sdn Bhd is a local premium distributor for halal products and they are also the official distributors of Al Alwani Dates in Brunei Darussalam. The prices do range and they are nicely packed in boxes, ranging from BND 8 to BND 80. I love the packaging for a start and this is ideal for giveaways especially during our festive season. Of course, dates are also very common during Ramadhan for consumption.

Apart from the dates, they have small selection of premium Ajwa chocolates too. What I can’t wait are the new flavour dates that are coming pretty soon. By next week hopefully, you will choices of flavour such as coconut, lemon-mint, hazelnut, orange and others. Awesome!!!

For those who wants to buy hampers, Al Alwani Dates have many to offer and they come in different packaging and prices too. In the near future, the company hopes to locate resellers so the premium dates will be available at local department stores (hopefully Hua Ho).

For more information, you can call 261 0623 and also follow their IG at @alwanidates. As for the Al Alwani Dates store, it is located at the Arcade area of The Empire Hotel & Country Club. You will have to walk past Zest and Crimson Square.

The media having a browse

The selection of premium dates

I love the packaging for this

The Ajwa dates which are quite popular

They come in smaller and bigger boxes

They have different types of hampers as well.

 

Happening tonight at YMRM Galleria Batu Satu Branch

A hot seller – the laces

Even Galleria YMRM has their own label, produced overseas

More discounts on Songkok tonight

Senjang for the men selling quite cheap during the crazy sale

Happening tonight at Galleria YMRM Batu Satu

 

I don’t know why but this is the fourth year running that I broke my fast at Excapade Sushi at Regent Square. The number one local sushi franchise has never fail to disappoint in the variety of dishes it served. This is also one of the restaurants that will need advanced bookings especially for Sungkai. It was full house on the first night as usual and it’s no surprise.

I’m a big fan of sashimi and I am impressed how the quality is still consistent. Excapade Sushi, being the largest Japanese restaurant outlet in Brunei, meant that they will have to stock up many food items to cate to the demand among the patrons. I’ve paid a visit to their supply store and wow, I didn’t realize how big their storage for food was. They have dedicated chillers for certain products and I’m pretty sure this is where most of the raw stuff especially the sashimi are being chilled. The management highly put quality as their priority to maintain the customers and gaining new ones. So if you are big fan of sashimi, you won’t be heading to the wrong place indeed. Even my friends from Miri and Sarawak frequent Excapade Sushi and ranked it higher than the Japanese restaurants at their home town. So thumbs up to Excapade Sushi for that.

There are simply tons of dishes to choose from.. Apart from the sashimi, there are also different choices of sushis and tempura. Even from crab lovers, they serve Hokkaido Snow Crabs (the claw and the leg part). Another impressive dish is the mussels. Yummy!! For me, my personal favourites are the Unagi sushi and Salmon sashimi. Every year, buffet doesn’t do me justice because I’m a light eater. I even missed out on the Edamame because there were simply too many choices at stake.

This year’s presentation has improved and they was even coverage by RTB which is the first of its kind for a sungkai outing. I was being interviewed too but I’m not sure when it will be aired.

So to my readers, I give this restaurant two thumbs up for maintaining the standard and the variety. For the price of $31 for adult, that’s a great steal indeed. Of course, more advantage if you happened to be a privilege member of Excapade Sushi $27.90. Check out the poster for mored details.

What I picked here is the Unagi 😀

You will be spoilt for choices at the sashimi section

Awesome stuff this. I had a few of this alone too.

More sushi :O

Sometimes being served in small portion helps

The buffet line and they have a few dishes served too

Gindara 😀

The dessert section. I had the blueberry one 😀

The thirst quencher

Don’t forget the sushi train

Ah, I’m posting another angle of the unagi. Me loves.

A packed crowd on the first night

Yummmm.. Winnie had two servings of this Green Tea ice cream with red beans

Lots of photographers on that night too.

The social media gang

Being interviewed by RTB

Fhey holding two certificates of Excapade Sushi Regent Square. It’s never easy to get a Grade A for a restaurant. Keep up the great work 😀

This photo was taken last year during the Sungkai promotion and both Hui Chiet and I thought the beautiful Fhey looked like the star of Yasmine *lol*

 

Yesterday was quite interesting… Why? Because I learnt about cooking authentic Thai food 😀 Apparently many restaurants especially the ones outside Thailand that serves Thai dishes in Thai restaurants do not follow the actual procedure of cooking Thai dishes. This was shared by the head chef of Naj Thai Cooking School.

I noticed how important certain ingredients are to make a good Tom Yum Goong. Oh, for your info, Goong means prawn or shrimp. So when you order Tom Yum Goong, you are ordering Tom Yum with Prawn 😀 Apart from the ingredients and spices, it is also important to apply the right technique for a better tasting experience.

So the dishes we prepared and cooked were Pad Thai, Thai Beef Salad, Spring Roll and Tom Yum Goong. I have to say among the lot, I was impressed with my Tom Yum Goong and a few of my friends already requested me to cook for them to test my culinary skills. Perhaps the taste won’t be the same to begin with because of the local Thai spices that will be hard to get in Brunei. Then again, I will just use what’s available in Brunei and make the best out of it.

So if you happen to be in Bangkok and have time to spare, I highly recommend you to try out the Naj Thai Cooking School. The going rate is 2,500 Baht per person which is roughly BND 100 and it is a four hour program and they offer it twice a day. The venue is located near BTS Station (Sala Daeng). For more info, you can view their website. A hundred dollars is definitely worth it to invest your time learning make Thai cuisine 😀

The head chef of Naj Thai Cooking School, Watpusit Ayasanond

The ingredients and spices for our cooking materials

Preparation for the media

There’s also a technique for the pounding bit

Observing the head chef on the techniques

Making Pad Thai

Pui showing off his culinary skills

I’m impressed with my Tom Yum Goong 😀

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has a bigger obligation to reach and that is to revive the tourism industry in Thailand. Following year 2013’s lifting of the nationwide curfew, TAT is confident that the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015 will boost its tourism industry and the campaign will end by 15th August 2015.

Even before the launch, most of the shopping outlets are already offering major discounts at popular malls. This is a good sign for Bruneians who love to shop, shop and shop. You will also be surprised that the prices are cheaper than Malaysia and Singapore if you know how to hunt. Just imagine that more than 15,000 of shopping places that offer discounts and you will have a hard time, compromising your excess luggage by the time you fly back home.

The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015 launch was held at Gaysorn Mall yesterday. It was launched by Mrs. Vilaiwan Twichasri, TAT’s Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business and Mr. Somboon Krobteeranon, Country Manager, Visa Thailand.

This year campaign will return with “Travel 365 Days in Thailand” grand prize, whereby The winners are entitled to bring a friend to visit Thailand for up to 10 days in each month of the entire year, with round-trip air tickets and hotel accommodation provided. Awesome!! This is applicable for those paying by Visa and you will entitled for a draw for every 500 baht you spend.

They have added some twist to the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015. If you wear traditional Thai dress to shop at selected participating stores, you will have the privilege to get major discounts up to 80%. This includes places like Siam Paragon, Siam Center, CentralWorld, Gaysorn, Amarin, Terminal 21, Emporium, Mega Bangna, Central Chidlom, Central Embassy, ZEN, EmQuartier, Platinum Fashion Mall, MBK Center, River City Mall, Krung Thong Plaza, and Intra Square in Bangkok.

So peeps from Brunei, what are you waiting for? Fly to Bangkok and shop, shop, shop. I’m coming back again in July for another shopping experience. Who’s coming with me? 😀

Group photo after the launch of the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015 at Gaysorn Mall. Image courtesy of Richard Lim.

Group photo with Mr.Wiboon Nimitrwanich. Director Department of Tourism Invest, Tourism Authority of Thailand (4th from left) with the media from Brunei and Malaysia. Image courtesy of Richard Lim.

Guests registering for the event

The most comment picture on my IG post yesterday. He’s a celebrity in Thailand and one of the models for the Grand Sale launch.

Some of the models of the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015 launch and they are local celebrities

The media from 11 different countries to spread awareness of the campaign

The short press conference before the launch

The fashion show to showcase the products and services from Thailand

Swinging in action. Image courtesy of Richard Lim.

Posing for the crowd. Image courtesy of Richard Lim.

Some of the participating outlets of the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2015

 

Yesterday it was more of a pampering session. The morning session we paid a visit to Dermaster. It’s Thailand’s premier beauty and anti-aging service and it sounds like a niche market but when you compare with the services in Singapore, the prices are pretty reasonable and competitive against the regional countries.

What impressed me first is the service and the facilities Dermaster provides. It’s huge, three storey high and it even has a royal suite and specifically rooms for exclusive members. This show that they really take care of their customers.

They have 10 certified professionals ranging from different specialists (skin, hair, aesthetic, hair) and they will provide you a thorough consultation to tailor to your needs.

What caught my interest is the aesthetic and body center. I have heard of Thermage but never much of it until yesterday. It does wonder to your skin and the procedure is non-invasive, using radio frequency cosmetic procedure. Normally this will costs a bomb in Singapore but at Dermaster, it’s almost half the price.

Another that caught my eye is the “cool sculpting”, a revolutionary non-surgical body contouring treatment that eliminates stubborn fat (like mine) *lol* Yes, I do have a lot of side handles but of course, I have myself to blame for the poor control of food consumption on a daily basis. When I saw the presentation of “coolsculpting”, I was like… yes… finally..

However, an international officer consultant advised me that cool sculpting will be more effective after you tried all possible ways of losing weight such as exercising and dieting. If all natural methods seem to fail, then “cool sculpting” would do the trick. Oh well, but I’m quite impressed that Dermaster’s consultants don’t simply take in customers for the sake of earning but they will give their best advice possible and that’s how you win the trust of the customer. Thumbs up to Dermaster on that.

There is so much I can talk about Dermaster but I will leave it to you to do your homework. You can visit their website here for more details. By the way, there are also some Bruneians who used Dermaster’s services. Interesting!!

We went through a presentation on what Dermaster is all about

Something that I need to look at *lol*

One of the treatment rooms and they have plenty

The members area

The room for the exclusive members of Dermaster

This is quite a big place. It’s like all in one beauty center.

Wing getting her face scanned

Impressive technology to get a 3D picture of her face. And it’s quite detailed

They even have a small cafe to cater for their clients. They even have menu written in arabic. This is because they have high volume of Middle East customers.

Group photo with the lady in charge and the media. Thank you for hosting and showing us around.

Now this is the best experience massage I had in a long time. Maybe it was the first time I was given a body scrub as well as aromatherapy. The experience lasted at least two hours and it was so good that I fell asleep when Pui told me that he heard me snoring like a baby *lol*

After a heavy lunch, we were rewarded with a spa treatment. The service was pretty good. We were served with a soothing tea and a wet towel. They will of course take down details and preference so we will get the best experience within that two hours. The rooms were impressive with sufficient amenities to make you feel comfortable and like home.

I highly recommend you to give Divana Virtue Spa a go and mind you, you will have to do advance booking because of the popularity of the spa. It even bagged many awards internationally so you can tell how high of quality it offers. You can check out their website for more details and it even has a high rating on Tripadvisor with over 100 reviews. You can’t go wrong with Divana Virtue Spa. I feel whole after the treatment. So can you.

A nice cooling entrance at Divana Virtue Spa. It’s good to relate with nature.

Drinks were being served before treatment

The Divana staff taking down our profiles and also asking for oil preference

The rooms I had with Mr. Pui

I feel so blessed and pampered yesterday. A wonderful 2 hour experience.

We were served mango sticky rice after the session

With the owners of Divana Virtue Spa. Thank you for the experience.

 

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Happy Birthday Nisaa @ Bonita Suresh and sorry, I couldn’t make it to your advanced celebration. Hope you like the lame video greetings 😀 Thanks for being part of my life and I truly treasure the friendship since Day 1 (e-circles) haha..

The Surprise celebration. I wonder if the gang pulled it off :p

My current trip to Bangkok is to help expose and share with you guys of places to shop around Bangkok. Have you heard of Emporium and Emquatier? There are both new shopping malls under one roof, The District EM and shared among three buildings. The shopping experience is crazy there because there are more the 400 iconic brands at District EM. I was even confused with my bearings as I easily lost track of my directions. You might need an in-house map to get to wonder around.

Of course, if you happen to be in Bangkok, now it’s a good time to give these places because of the mid year sales. If you are familiar with Siam Paragon and Terminal 21, I would highly recommend you to try out the EM District. It’s even located at a BTS station (train) so you won’t have to walk from the station to District EM.

Even though the said malls have been operating for a few months, they have spent a hefty sum on promotion and marketing, a whooping USD 500,000 alone. You can see how serious the shareholders of District EM are. Give it a few more months and exposure, Emporium and Emquartier will be the top attraction for the shopping crowd especially from overseas.

Check out the pictures I posted below and I couldn’t include all because they were simply too many 😀

During the grand opening a few months ago

At the Emporium

The SL Coupé was launched a few days ago at the Mercedes-Benz Cafe at Emporium. The first of its kind concept in Thailand and this is to give more hospitality to their clients. Awesome stuff!!

The Mercedes-Benz Cafe

They even have prayer rooms at District EM

I have to try this premium cinema at Emporium on my next trip

If you own a super car like these, you can park with them

The garden upstairs

The imported area of the supermarket

I almost bought some grapes :p

The scarlett room, only applicable to members only and you need to spend at least BND 80,000 within a year

The logo for Emporium. The British flag pin indicates that the person can speak in English if you need any assistance. Cool!

Different range of clothes

The guys who brought us around. Thank you 😀

Group photo

 

Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah presenting the championship trophy to ITB’s captain. Image courtesy of Fadhil Yunus of Borneo Bulletin.

A well deserved victory for ITB. Two years ago, they lost the inaugural tournament in the hands of UBD. This year, they almost lost it when they were down 2-0 against IGS College in the finals last Saturday of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015.

All was not lost. Md Farrizz Saralfari and Ak Md Naqib scored two goals to put IGS College in the lead only for ITB to reply with confidence through Md Hafiy and Norfaez before half time kicked in to make a competitive score line of 2-2 by half time.

I actually felt pity for IGS College as they had the upper hand. A 2 goal lead with a poor field conditions due to the rainy weather, IGS could have held the game for their first title. However, ITB had other plans. They know that they have been in the finals before and experience did matter in this situation.

Right after the break, ITB quickly took the lead in the 47th minute from Ak Md Haikal which proved to be the winner. The match ended in a 3-2 victory for ITB and they have what it takes to be a champion. Hats off to IGS College for the great fight and let it be a good experience for them and also for the rest of the teams that were involved in the tournament.

The matches have always brought high energy towards the stands where fans will be supporting their own team. Even the crowd attendance can put other local leagues to shame. Great effort from BIBD At-tamwil for taking the lead and teaming up with ITB as co-organiser.

This year also see inclusion of local colleges and an invitational team representing Curtin University. A big thanks for Fazizul Haqimie for taking all the pictures since Day 1 and he was even soaked in the rain that night. Great photos and keep it up!

The VIPs watching the finals of the University Cup 2015

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

ITB vs IGS College

Celebration from the ITB bench

Consolation for the head coach of IGS College

A sad moment for the IGS player

ITB team celebrating their success

ITB the new champions of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup 2015

Team IGS have their heads high and it has been a great journey

The rain didn’t hamper their mood on the field

 

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Zul And Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer during the unveiling of the Acer Revo at Consumer Fair last weekend. You can have a closer look at their Concepts Computer showroom

Acer is playing it’s Ace with the release of the new Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 mini PC at the ASEAN Consumer fair 2015. Launched by Concepts Computer, the compact computing solution, is a perfect powerhouse of features despite its small size.

The micro personal computer is an excellent addition to the household, with two terabytes of onboard storage, which can be extended with additional hard disks.

The unit also comes with HDMI making it easy to plug into a projector and speakers or a television as a media player, streaming high resolution visuals smoothly and great sound quality.

The Revo also comes with a pre-loaded Acer BYOC (Build Your Own cloud apps to make it the centre of your personal cloud. It automatically backs up all files stored in phones or tablets, making it accessible through all connected devices. Another nifty feature is that users can navigate the mini PC with their smartphones, provided their phones come with the remote control application.

The Acer Revo RL85-2957W8 is available at Concepts Computer at the price of $458.

For more information on the latest mini PC by Acer, visit the fair or head to Concepts’ nearest branch. You can also call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553.

Check out the small size of the Acer Revo

Quite portable as well

Check out the plug-ins from the Acer Revo. Image courtesy of Pocket-lint.

Image courtesy of Pocket-lint

 

Listen to my latest podcast on Jurassic World with special guest Jessie Tey

 

I’m back here again in Bangkok. So far this is my second visit this year, the previous was back in April 2015 where I spent more time in Hua Hin (love that place). Now my trip will be focusing more on Bangkok where I will exploring new places for Bruneians to shop, shop and shop 😀 I came with two other media from Brunei – Pui from United Daily and Syazwani from Borneo Bulletin. We were joined with the media from Malaysia – Lauren Christie, Jasnitha Nair and Ng Wing Yik Yin. A big thanks to Richard Lim from Tourism Authority of Thailand (Malaysia) for this opportunity to be back in Thailand.

Currently we are being hosted by Dusit Thani Bangkok and it’s such an amazing hotel. I have the privileged to be placed at their club room level. The room is pretty huge and it’s like a mini-suite. Maybe too big for me but then again, I love the rooms here. I shall sharing my experience with Dusit Thani further later in my postings. I also met Sommai Yocapajorn (Director of Marketing Communications) and Stanley Lo (Resident Manager) and thank you for showing us around.

Our visit itinerary was to go on the Wonderful Pearl Cruise @ Rivercity. Now this is one thing that we Bruneians should be doing – taking dine-in cruises during the evening to enjoy the entertainment, the music and the atmosphere. This is such a brilliant idea to have such cruise and it’s quite popular in Bangkok. Apparently there are many cruises that offer this package and the ones we experienced was the latest one in Bangkok, the Wonder Pearl Cruise. For only 2,500 baht, you can enjoy the 2 hour experience. I don’t mind doing this again on my next trip with my friends if I happen to be in Bangkok.

That’s it for my post today and have a great week ahead. This is RA, reporting from Dusit Thani Bangkok 😀

Thank you Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) for taking us to Bangkok

Loving the speed for AIS network. I would recommend you this line.

A warm welcome from Dusit Thani Bangkok. Love the Jasmine flower scent.

With the media gang from Brunei and Malaysia with Richard Lim and Sommai. Image courtesy of Richard

Nice scenic view with the hotel of Dusit Thani

The Wonderful Pearl Cruise. Highly recommended if you are in Bangkok.

Dinner is also served at the Wonderful Pearl Cruise

 

In conjunction with the upcoming month of Ramadhan and Hari Raya celebration, Jati Transport will be having exclusive offers on their Mercedes-Benz C180 and E200 as part of their two-day Mercedes-Benz Star Weekend Promotion and today (Sunday) is the final day.

Alongside the Weekend promotion, the CLS 400 AMG Line and the B200 AMG Line were announced the new additions into the Mercedes-Benz showroom. The CLS-Class embodies a compelling, sporty design with the added space convenience of a four-door sedan.

Meanwhile, the B-Class makes the perfect family car for those looking for the best practicality, comfort and safety whilst also having a sporty edge to design and driving dynamics.

The CLS-Class features MULTIBEAM Led headlamps for the first time. Its high-resolution precision LED modules, each with 24 individually controlled high-performance LEDs, automatically illuminate the road with a hitherto unsurpassed, precision-controlled distribution of exceptionally bright light – without dazzling other road users.

There are also having promotion for their Mercedes-Benz merchandise items. So today’s the final day (Sunday) for you to grab this opportunity. Do drop by Jati Transport showroom in Beribi.

The new facelift CLS 400 AMG Line

The new B200 AMG Line

Mercedes-Benz merchandise on promotion

Mercedes-Benz merchandise on promotion

Mercedes-Benz merchandise on promotion

Mercedes-Benz merchandise on promotion

The Minister of Industry and Primary Resources at the Takaful booth during the opening of the ASEAN Consumer Fair

The popular short term investment is back!! Takaful Brunei Keluarga (TBK) previously held this special promotion two years ago back in 2013 and it was a big hit. This time round, the stakes are way better. For those who are not aware of Nur Savings from TBK, it’s basically a short term investment (maximum two years) where you will be insured and also gain interest from the savings at a profit of 2% per annum for two years.

The single minimum payment os BND 2,000 and there is no cap for the payment. Previously it was capped at BND 50,000 but now interested parties can inject any amount they feel comfortable with. The 2% interest is a pretty high return as compared to the banks in Brunei. Hence not only you save and get protected, you also earn the extra 2% from your savings. So imagine yourself investing BND 500,000 or even BND 1 million. That would be a great returns in a space of two years only. Awesome returns!!!

This promotion is open to all residents of Brunei Darussalam which means as long as you have an IC (green, purple or yellow), you will be eligible. For those interested parties, you can call TBK’s Certified Financial Planners at 223 1100 during office hours.

For now, you can also sign register at their booth at the ASEAN Consumer Fair at ICC and today’s the final day. There will have certified Islamic financial planners to assist you. Take advantage of the Nur Savings from TBK.

Check out the awesome deals from Takaful at ASEAN Consumer Fair. Today is the final day.

Check out the Tivoli

TCY Motors the sole distributor of SsangYong Motor in Brunei officially launched the “Tivoli”, which is expected to be a game changer in the compact SUV market with innovative style and remarkable product competitiveness. The launching ceremony was held at the Kiarong showroom.

Since an increasing number of global consumers are favoring compact SUVs with high performance, great fuel economy, practicality and price competitiveness, SsangYong plans to tap into its new model to meet such demands while solidifying its position as a leading SUV maker.

Tivoli, applied with sensuous design, outstanding spatial utility of SUVs, first-of-its-kind safety and convenience features offers an attractive experience as “My 1st SUV” to customers who want both style and practicality in their cars.

When it comes to styling, SsangYong’s new model blends the beauty of youth, energy and robustness in its overall design, aspiring to be “My 1st SUV” of young people in the world. Furthermore, as a starter of “Nature-born 3Motion”, SsangYong’s design philosophy, it expresses modern and urban images through “Urban Dynamic Style” based on a motive of “Rhythmical Motion”.

Rhythmical elements such as harmony of tension and composure, the whole and details are fully expressed on the front of Tivoli. And the reversed-trapezoid bumper, which underscores the air intake contrasts with crisp hood lines, maximizing tension.

Stable and balanced rear completes the design language of SsangYong Tivoli. While the rear, which resembles muscular shoulders symbolize confident youth itself, it also emphasizes rhythmical features through style lines. In the mean time, the cheerful clear-type rear combination lamps unleash liveliness.

The interior design of the new model pursues “Compact Deluxe Style” which creates smart and practical space where passengers can feel modern, yet roomy luxury lounges. Most notably, a future-oriented image is emphasized with a theme of “Moving IT Space” through bar-type switches and expanded use of touch screen controllers which are the result of analysis of user behaviors.

The Tivoli in red, being featured during the official launch last Friday

The Tivoli in white

The rear view of the Tivoli

The interior view

Tivoli’s optimized spatial design provides excellent passenger convenience and storage. Based on overall width of 1,795mm (widest in the class), its roomy two-row cabin maximizes riding comfort, and 423ℓ (largest in the class) of storage makes it the only car among its segment that can carry up to three golf bags.

Moreover, the full-flat folding second-row seats, not seen in compact sedans, provide enough storage for multiple-use, maximizing the original features of SUVs.

A D-cut steering wheel, mostly used in sports cars, together with a cylinder-type six-color cluster.

A D-cut steering wheel, mostly used in sports cars, together with a cylinder-type six-color cluster (Optional) not only satisfies drivers’ emotional needs but also boost their pride. Clusters with 3.5 inch display that shows various information offers great intuition.

2015 Tivoli’s interior comes in three colors: black, beige, and red. Red interior, in particular, is expected to be much favored by customers who want unique and sporty look, as it blends beautifully with the D-cut steering wheel, a standard feature.

Award-winning semi-bucket seats, which are ergonomically formed with fine materials provide superb comfort and postural stability during driving and cornering, and the quilting stitch design applied to the seats makes them exclusive and luxurious.

Tivoli’s P/T (powertrain), which SsangYong unveils for the first time is remarkably efficient and reliable. And the e-XGi 160, a newly born engine after three years of development period, delivers 126ps maximum power and a maximum torque of 16.0kg•m. Combined fuel economy is 12.0km/ℓ for A/T and 12.3 km/ℓ for M/T (based on the Korean standard).

AISIN’s 2nd-generation A/T, which is widely used by global auto makers is placed on Tivoli. Recognized for its quality and performance of power transmission, the transmission delivers dynamic driving performance with shifting response that is as fast as DCT.

Every trim of the new SUV includes Smart Steer, which controls steering effort in three modes (normal, comfort, sport.) depending on driver’s taste. Also, NVH performance is much improved by applying dual-structure dash panels to the engine room, resulting in minimized engine noise, and effectively blocking noise from intruding inside cabin.

For a highly rigid body, SsangYong Tivoli uses high-strength steel (HSS) for 71.4% of its body, and Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) for 40%, which makes it unique in the segment.

To improve the safety of passengers, 10 major areas use ultrahigh-strength materials, manufactured by hot press forming process. The materials are two times stronger (1500Mpa) than the usual UHSS (600Mpa), thus minimize deformation of car body in a crash.

In the mean time, big-sized disc brakes are applied to the front and rear wheels for quicker brake performance, and multiple safety features are used such as multi-functional ESP (Electronic Stability Program), TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), and LED daytime running lamps. Tivoli’s excellent safety is proven by its near-perfect ratings in AE-MDB (Advanced European Mobile Deformable Barrier).

The core of Tivoli’s infotainment system lies in maximized usage of smart devices. The HDMI connection allows passengers to enjoy clear images and sounds from smart devices on the seven-inch display which is connected to the rear camera. Furthermore, the six-speaker sound system provides excellent sound.

The new compact SUV is the only car in the segment which uses fully-automatic dual air-conditioning system. The AC system not only maintains the optimal temperature of the cabin, but also offers memory function which remembers preferred air volume, air direction, and temperature in three modes, guaranteeing pleasant driving all year round.

Moreover, It is more convenient and safer when parking, thanks to the obstacle detection system with camera and four sensors on the rear. Include at the back is a luggage screen, automatic washer switch, and automatic hazard lights make the car unique in the class, offering great convenience.

SsangYong provides dual-tone body and roof option in Tivoli for the first time to maximize expression of driver’s personal taste. By applying colors that are different from body to the roof, wing mirrors, and rear spoiler, it reveals urban and dynamic look.

So, ladies and gentlemen, after all the comprehensive write-up, you can check out the new Tivoli at their Kiarong Showroom and it’s gonna be a big hit indeed because of its affordability and what the Tivoli can offer. You can check out at their website or their Facebook Page for more details.

Another interior view angle

Annison, Sales Manager of SsangYong (T.C.Y. Motors) and he’s such a nice lad

The low spec of the Tivoli

The most sought version of the Tivoli. Two-tone colour

Recently SsangYong Brunei ran a competition and now Ang Kok Khiong is the winner of the Samsung Galaxy S6

 

Check their booth at the ASEAN Consumer Fair this weekend at the ICC where they feature their LSL Demo Portable Cabin. For those who have always wanted to experience and to see the real cabin, this is your chance to consult our friendly staff on the ideas that you have. See them @ the Blue Zone

I’m pretty sure you are aware of the brand LSL. If you see the water tanks that are commonly used in Brunei, you will tend to see the LSL logo on the shinny silver tanks. They have been around for decades and the trust they have built with their customers have been strong. For the past few years, they also have started introducing “Portable Cabin” (refer to images below). Cool stuff. I actually wanted to have one inside my home compound but there wasn’t a proper area to fit one in.

Anyway, for those interested in knowing more about the portable cabins, you can drop by at ASEAN Consumer Fair at ICC and enquire more. You will be surprised how affordable it can be and the best thing is that it can be customized unlike those fixed cargo containers.

Portable Cabin, anyone? This could be your playroom 😀

One of the samples that they can customize to tailor to your needs

More advantages having a portable cabin designed and fabricated by LSL. Click image to enlarge.

 

Need help? Ask the Baiduri associates who will guide you at the Baiduri Innovation Hub

Today and tomorrow, you can catch the Baiduri Innovation Hub at The Mall

Baiduri Bank officially launched the Innovation series, the “Baiduri Innovation Hub” at The Mall, Gadong, featuring different hubs with specialists and consultants to offer you the best researched solutions.

The roadshow that runs from 11th June to 14th June 2015 provides visitors with an educational experience from exciting games, prizes, free goodies and giveaways during signups, product and services knowledge to financial health checks!

For every product signup, customers will have a chance to win a Luminox watch. Every customer is entitled to claim their free Dairy Queen ice cream at the Redemption counter when they have had their Redemption Card entirely stamped when they visit all participating financial hubs at the roadshow.

Apart from the free flavorful slushies offered to any customers who consults the experts during the roadshow, guests are able to walk away with B$200 MasterCard Cash Card by guessing the closest number of Marbles in the Guess the Marbles activity!

With the convenience of Kids Corner for children and photobooth for fun and play, customers at the Baiduri Innovation Hub are entitled for instant dips for every sign up with gifts ranging from rubiks cube, movie ticket, coffee bean vouchers and power banks! The Instant Dip is located at the Redemption Counter.

While enjoying the exciting games and play, guests can acquire comprehensive information by visiting the financial consultants from loans research hub, card exploration hub, smart executive advance hub, financial planning hub to e-Channels innovation hub. Demo mini-hubs are also available that will showcase the Baiduri Deals App and the Baiduri Visa PayWave Debit Card “Tap and go” features.

With exclusive discounts up to 20% from participating merchants such as Essensuals, iTop, KFC, Charles & Keith, Eileen Chan, Best Eastern, Dainty Shoes, Heatwave, Kofom Textiles and more, customers are able to delight in special values via their Baiduri Deals app.

Inspiring to be a platform that offers customers a one-stop secure and sustainable financial services, Baiduri Bank aims to lead a new and innovative approach to banking.

Guess how many and you can stand a chance to win $200

Many exclusive deals from Baiduri Deals app (download now)

Meanwhile there is a seminar hosted by Alveo about investing in property in Makati at 4th Floor in Rizqun – drop by if you are interested.

 

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

The tournament is coming to an end tomorrow. The much promising football tournament this year has become another successful event. However, it didn’t go as scripted as defending champions of the BIBD At-tamwil University Cup didn’t go as planned. Universiti Brunei Darussalam finally lost their first game as they were beaten by a spirited IGS College 2-1 last Wednesday. UBD had the upper hand with an early lead in the 9th minute through Ak Md Hairulazim Pg Hj Hamzah. It was not until the second half that restored IGS’ confidence and one goal can make a huge difference.

The hero of the night was Ak Mod Shobri Pg Ibrahim who scored a brace (61st and 80th minute). The result means that UBD will take on Cosmopolitan College for the 3rd place (tonight) while ITB will be take on IGS in the finals tomorrow, Saturday 13th June at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Entrance is still free and well done to the co-organisers BIBD At-tamwil and ITB for making the 2nd edition of the tournament a huge success.

A huge thanks to my appointed photographer Fazizul Haqimie for the wonderful shots. Good luck to the teams in the tournament. Let’s end on a huge bang. For constant updates, you can click on their Facebook Page and also their instagram handle @attamwil_universitycup

The results of the semi-finals

A mini performance from the students

A strong crowd during the semi-finals. Image taken from BIBD At-tamwil University Cup Facebook Page.

Image taken from BIBD At-tamwil University Cup Facebook Page.

Match between ITB and Cosmopolitan College in the semi-finals

Match between ITB and Cosmopolitan College in the semi-finals

Match between UBD and IGS College in the semi-finals

Match between UBD and IGS College in the semi-finals

Celebration from the IGS bench

 

Click image to enter website

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

Listen to my latest podcast on Jurassic World with special guest Jessie Tey

 

This is it!! Jati Transport is having a Mercedes-Benz Star Weekend Promo and you can enjoy an exceptional Raya offer this weekend only. Drop by their Beribi showroom and refreshments are also provided. Did you know the trademark car used in Jurassic World is Mercedes-Benz? 😀

Dato Paduka Hj Jamain Hj Julaihi, Permanent Secretary (Downstream and Power) at the Prime Minister’s Office witnessing a signing between a scholar and Yves Grosjean, General Manager of Total E&P Borneo BV

Total E&P Borneo BV awarded scholarships to three students to pursue further studies in engineering at prestigious institutions in France.

Mohammad Hazri Hj Mohd of Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College (Maktab Duli), Hazel Lim Sheau Shiuan and Goh Jing Shun from Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College (Maktab Sains) signed a contract with the Total Education Scholarship Scheme at a ceremony held at the Brunei Hotel. The event was attended by Permanent Secretary (Downstream and Power) at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Paduka Hj Jamain Hj Julaihi.

Mohammad Hazri will pursue study in chemical engineering, while Lim and Goh undertake mechanical engineering. The scholarship awarded includes a six-year higher education course, with postgraduate studies, before they are offered work experience with French oil firm Total.
Total E&P Borneo BV General Manager Yves Grosjean said the students will undergo their foundation programme at L’Institut Universitaire de Technologie before pursuing their undergraduate studies at top universities in France.

The scholarship scheme was Total’s contractual commitment through the production sharing agreement with PetroleumBRUNEI.

Group photo with the scholars. Good luck in your journey as a student in France

 

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, gracing the launch of the ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The long-awaited ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015 was launched yesterday, and features more than 400 booths dedicated to selling a variety of goods, which is just in time for those who are preparing for the upcoming months of Ramadhan and Syawal.

Held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Berakas, the fair was launched by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar.

The opening ceremony of the five-day fair began with a prayer followed by a speech by Executive Director of organiser D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Dato Paduka Hj Danial Hj Hanafiah, who pointed out the overwhelming participation from both local and overseas exhibitors at the ASEAN themed fair.

“I hope that even more local small-medium enterprises (SMEs) will take the opportunity to showcase their products to both local and international markets,” he added.

Present as well were government officials, Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) dignitaries, event partners and participants of the ASEAN Consumer Fair.

Aside from products from the nation and the region such as the many handicrafts and food which can be found at the Thai Grand Fair, visitors can look forward to products from China, Iran and other countries among others.

For those looking for activities, there is a wide range of fun contests and games to participate in with chances to win prizes. This includes activities organised by Malar Setia Sdn Bhd, Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd and DST.

The ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015 will run until Sunday, from 10am to 10pm except for Friday, where it closes from noon to 2pm for the Friday prayer.

A complimentary shuttle bus service will also run from the parking lot of Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium to the venue of the fair. For further details, visit www.bruneiconsumerfair.com and D’Sunlit’s Facebook page at ‘sunlitbrunei’. Text by Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

Relentless Entertainment during the launch

Guest of honour at Concepts Computer booth, another regular IT company at Consumer Fair. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Hui Chiet of Red Bull Brunei explaining to the Minister. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Some of the activities from Kingston Creamery & Beverage booth

Ivy, Madaline and Hui Chiet

Relentless Entertainment also participating and raising funds for their WCOPA trip. They have been doing many fund raiser events and I salute you guys. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Check out Vivo at CF. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Thai pavilion

Durian galore. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

At DST booth. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Mini KindyKare area for children