acclaimed chef mark hix master perfumer anne flipo fiction … · 2020. 5. 14. · culinary...

Acclaimed chef Mark HixCulinary inspirations from Shenzhen

Master perfumer Anne FlipoAn olfactory journey in the Seychelles

Fiction author Nell StevensWarsaw’s soul through its sounds

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RAFFLES MAGAZINERAFFLES MAGAZINE 32

Since 1887, Raffles has welcomed literary and artistic luminaries to write their own tales inspired by its majestic surrounds and unique destinations. This issue of Raffles Magazine builds on this longstanding tradition, inviting five celebrated masters of their craft on a journey to explore the five senses in

different destinations around the globe.

We follow renowned chef Mark Hix MBE on his culinary quest to discover new tastes and flavours in Shenzhen, South China, from the city’s bustling markets to its quiet fishing enclaves. Meanwhile, novelist Nell Stevens captures the sounds of Warsaw in her entrancing short story, ‘Neon’. In Paris, photographer Alexis Armanet ventures behind the scenes of the iconic Moulin Rouge cabaret and, as an ode to the outstanding craftsmanship behind every show’s triumph, he explores our sense of touch by vividly bringing to life the different textures of the dancers’ costumes and stage décors.

Holding on to age-old traditions while crafting the fragrances of tomorrow, French master perfumer Anne Flipo takes an olfactory journey to Praslin Island in the Seychelles, noting new scents presented by the archipelago’s exotic flora and spices.

And last but certainly not least, underwater diver Tobias Friedrich swoops deep below the surface of the Maldives’ crystal-clear waters, evoking our sense of sight through his captivating photographs.

Above all, this magazine is a tribute to the Raffles legacy, one that is tethered to creative expression and long-lasting inspiration, which has been our guiding principle over the centuries – and still is today. Because just as the landmark reopening of Raffles Singapore heralds a new chapter for the iconic property’s history and story, Raffles is paving the way for a new legacy that honours its past, present and future – and celebrates our commitment to legendary service since 1887.

INSPIRED BY THE SENSES

Michele Tranquillini ------------

The artist behind this issue’s

cover, Italian-born illustrator

Michele Tranquillini, opened

his studio in 1995 while a

student at NYU. He has since

created over 1,000 sketches

for his book Un Giorno a

Milano and has worked with

La Repubblica and National

Geographic Magazine.

Nell Stevens ------------

Memoir and fiction writer

Nell Stevens is the author

of Bleaker House and Mrs

Gaskel & Me (UK) / The

Victorian & the Romantic

(US/CAN), which won the

2019 Somerset Maugham

Award. In 2018, she was

also shortlisted for the BBC

National Short Story Award.

Tobias Friedrich ------------

Self-trained underwater

photographer Tobias

Friedrich has come first

place in 31 competitions

over 10 years, including

Underwater Photographer

of the Year 2018. His images

have appeared in scuba

diving magazines as well as

The Times and Die Welt.

Anne Flipo ------------

French master perfumer

Anne Flipo has created

numerous fragrances

for luxury beauty brands

such as Giorgi Armani, Jo

Malone London and Lanvin.

Her unique creations

include La Vie est Belle

(Lancôme), Miss Boucheron

and La Nuit de l’Homme

(Yves Saint-Laurent).

Alexis Armanet ------------

Paris-based photographer

Alexis Armanet captures

fleeting moments and

immortalises them for

publications like Le Monde’s

magazine M, Architectural

Digest and T: the NYTimes

Style Magazine. In this

issue, he gives us a glimpse

behind the scenes of the

iconic Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Mark Hix MBE ------------

Known for his quirky

chicken-and-steak

restaurant Tramshed, in

Shoreditch, chef Mark

Hix has six top-ranked

restaurants in England and

has authored numerous

cookbooks. He was also

appointed an MBE for

his services in the British

hospitality industry in 2016.

CONTRIBUTORS

RAFFLES MAGAZINE ISSUE N°8 raffles.com

Deputy CEO, Hotel Operations & CEO Luxury Brands Chris Cahill

Senior Vice President, Luxury Brand Marketing Rick Harvey Lam

Vice President, Raffles Brand & Strategic Partnerships Jeannette Ho

Director, Raffles Brand Management Vivien Ivanyi

Senior Manager, Raffles Brand Management Christine Seiler

Manager, Raffles Brand Management Loic Terrien

Senior Vice President, Group External Communications Charlotte Thouvard

Director, Luxury Brands Communications Rebecca Quinn

Project Manager, Luxury Brands Communications Emeline Sympat

ACCOR 82 Rue Henri Farman, CS 20077 92130 Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France

accorhotels.com group.accor.com

RAFFLES MAGAZINE

Editor in Chief Rooksana Hossenally

Section Editor Jennifer Ladonne

Art Direction Aldo Buscalferri and Dominika Hadelova

CONTRIBUTORS Inspiration Jennifer Ladonne

Emotion Alexis Armanet, Aleksi Cavaillez, Tobias Friedrich, Mark Hix, Rooksana Hossenally, Neil Kreeger, Vivian Song, Nell Stevens, Ming Tang-Evans

Curation Eileen Cho, Cyrille Robin, Michele Tranquillini, Daven Wu

World of Raffles Mami Sato, Vivian Song

43-45 East Smithfield, London E1W 1AP

fms.co.uk

CEO Nigel Fulcher

Publisher Irene Mateides

Production Director Nick Fulcher

Director William Fulcher

Editor Harriet Hirschler

Graphic Design Grant Bowden and Flor Dai

Advertising enquiries: [email protected] COPYRIGHT ACCOR 2020: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor Accor nor any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies can accept, and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher. Information correct at time of going to press. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or Accor. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material used in this publication. If any copyright holder has been overlooked, we should be pleased to make any necessary arrangements.

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INSPIRATION

An inspirational notebook chronicling the people, places and curiosities that nourish the mind, body and spirit…

TASTE 08World-class chefs, restaurants and dishes

CELEBRATE 10Special places for out of the ordinary occasions

TREASURE 12Compelling crafts from across the globe

DISCOVER 14Soak up the best in art and culture

READ 16Literary luminaries and beautiful books

FLOURISH 18Relaxation, rejuvenation and reflection

THE RETURN OF AN ICON 20The grand reopening of Raffles Singapore

EMOTION

Acclaimed masters of craft embark on a journey to bring to life our sense of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell...

SIGHT — Into the Blue 26Underwater photographer Tobias Friedrich explores the Maldives

SOUND — Neon 38A short story of love, reflection and sound set in musical Warsaw by Nell Stevens

TASTE — Taste of Shenzhen 50 Renowned chef Mark Hix MBE embarks on a culinary journey through Shenzhen

TOUCH — French Touch 62Photographer Alexis Armanet goes behind the scenes of the iconic Moulin Rouge

SMELL — Scents & Senses 72Master perfumer Anne Flipo uncovers the aromas that define the sublime Seychelles

CURATION

A selection of destinations and styles curated around unique details and characteristics that build a sense of place...

DESTINATIONS 84Boston, Jakarta and Dubai

STYLES 90Elevated styling from morning to night

WORLD OF RAFFLES

WORLD OF RAFFLES 96 Discover Raffles’ unique destinations around the world and its legendary service

Cover by Michele Tranquillini

For this issue of Raffles Magazine, we take readers on a journey through the five senses, as captured in Michele Tranquillini’s immersive illustration.

Acclaimed chef Mark HixCulinary inspirations from Shenzhen

Master perfumer Anne FlipoAn olfactory journey in the Seychelles

Fiction author Nell StevensWarsaw’s soul through its sounds


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2401_Gilan-Raffles-Magazine_R1_1.pdf 1 24.01.2020 16:07

An inspirational notebook chronicling the people, places and curiosities that nourish the mind, body and spirit…

Ruby Barber’s floral designs

TASTECELEBRATE

TREASUREDISCOVER

READFLOURISH

RAFFLES MAGAZINE8

O f all the famous chefs in France, few can boast

a history and pedigree quite as illustrious as

Anne-Sophie Pic’s. But boasting is something

this modest chef will never do. For Pic, the proof is in

the pudding – and oh what a pudding. A cuisine of

such rare sophistication and refinement that she has

maintained three Michelin stars since 2007 and was

awarded the French Legion of Honour.

This year, Maison Pic, her historic restaurant in

Valence, France, celebrates 130 continuous years

through four generations of the Pic family, and 40

years of holding three Michelin stars. But Pic did not

set out to be a chef. She studied business, while her

brother Alain took over the kitchen after the death of

their father, who had been a chef since 1956. When

Alain stepped down in 1998, Anne-Sophie took the

reins and never looked back.

Being a woman in a man’s world was not easy. Yet

every obstacle Pic faced made her tougher and more

determined. She takes risks and continuously

experiments, but her famously audacious flavour

combinations are balanced by a precise attunement

to aroma, colour and the poetry of food on a plate.

Pic describes her creative process in terms of

emotion and memory, and says the closest métier to

hers is that of perfumer. Like the ephemeral notes of a fragrance, the complexity

of her dishes is revealed sequentially in time. “In my kitchen, flavours, spices,

condiments play the role of these notes. The tasting must not be a linear exercise.

Each ingredient responds to another, enhancing their aromatic power or

prolonging the effect in the mouth by playing with similarity or contrast.”

In 2019, Pic celebrated the opening of her eighth gastronomic outpost – her

first in Asia – with La Dame de Pic, Raffles Singapore, uniting two traditions of

excellence and a strong identity with place.

“This collaboration seems natural as we already share common values to

offer a unique experience. We are both storytellers and forever seeking

excellence. This is the perfect place to present my cuisine and the century-old

culinary heritage of the Pic family.”

“Each ingredient responds to another, enhancing

their aromatic power or prolonging the effect in

the mouth by playing with similarity or contrast.”

SWEET DELIGHTS IN JAKARTA

A delicious interlude awaits lovers of fine pastry at Raffles Jakarta’s new Parisian-style

patisserie. In this boutique, filled with exquisite delights as gorgeous to behold as they

are to taste, the pastries can be savoured sur place at a charming table on the premises

or taken on the go for a sweet moment during the day.

Before a year had passed, husband and wife team

chef Noam Gedalof and sommelier Etheliya

Hananova were rewarded with a Michelin star for

their ravishing new Paris restaurant Comice. A

pinnacle of quiet elegance, from the paintings on

the wall to the fork you raise to your lips, no detail

is left to chance: “A restaurant is so much more

than just the cuisine. It’s about stimulating the

senses in every way, from the décor, the music, the

service, the wine, and the ambiance that surrounds

the guest,” says Hananova. Of course, the cuisine is

the core of the experience and, with access to some

of the world’s finest ingredients, Gedalof’s creations

are as delectable as they are beautiful. Paired with

top vintages from artisan winemakers, this is a

dining experience to be savoured. | comice.paris

TABLE TO BOOK IN PARIS

A few hours north of Boston, in a place called Freedom, Maine (population: 719) the

rustic 47-seat The Lost Kitchen restaurant has captivated the world. Barely known when

it opened in 2011, word of mouth travelled so fast that within a few years the restaurant

was receiving 10,000 phone calls a day from nearly every country in the world, routinely

crashing the town’s telephone lines. The current system of reservation by postcard,

accepted for two weeks in April for the following year, was a necessity. Chef Erin French

still seems mystified by her stunning success, “We’re not trying to outperform famous

chefs, this is comfort food – I just want to make people feel good.” Using only the freshest

local ingredients farmed by friends, the menu changes almost nightly, but the

atmosphere is unfailingly magical. “We’re joyfully working together; we love what we’re

doing and we’re proud of it. And that’s what people are eating and feeling.”

| findthelostkitchen.com

WISH YOU WERE AT THIS MAINE KITCHEN

MALDIVES FOODIECULTURE BLEND

Nikkei cuisine, a rare and delectable 100-year-old

alliance between the time-honoured cuisines of

Japan and Peru, provides a cosmopolitan dining

experience at Yuzu, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo. In

a quintessentially romantic atmosphere that puts

nothing between you and the sea and the sky,

Yuzu captures the essence of enjoyment in dishes

that are both luxurious and healthful.

TAST

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PARIS’S SECRET COCKTAIL CLUBSCocktail culture is thriving in Paris and these secret hotspots are long on glamour and short

on crowds. Unique in the city, Le Très Particulier is tucked away down a private cobbled street

in its own secret garden high in Montmartre. Sip an ambrosial botanics-infused cocktail in a

retro-chic atmosphere, featuring oriental rugs and a glass atrium (live DJs on weekends).

Part lounge, part social club, Club Silencio is Paris’s most exclusive hideaway. Luminaries from

the worlds of art, fashion, literature and the performance flock here for live concerts,

performance art, or just to dance the night away. Club members get in anytime, for everyone

else the revelry starts at midnight. Golden Promise, at La Maison du Saké, is the destination

for serious saké and whisky lovers. Knock at the vaulted door to be buzzed in and led to a

hidden cellar lined with prized bottles. Rare vintages can be stowed away for you in the cellar

vault, or sipped in the luxurious private tasting area.

Clément Lefaux is bringing a fresh

perspective on wine pairing. It’s not

enough that the three Michelin star

restaurant L’Arpège, where Lefaux is head

sommelier, is one of the most innovative dining

rooms in Paris. Lefaux won’t rest until he’s

changed your mind about wine. Nearly 20 years

ago, when chef Alain Passard shook the Paris

gastronomic scene with his plan to go vegetal, it

wasn’t just the menu that changed. An overhaul of

the wine cellar was in order, with a shift in focus

from robust, high alcohol reds to more nuanced

bottles, along with poetic and distinctive whites –

riesling, pinot blanc, chenin and chardonnay. Best

of all – Champagne. “Champagne has always been

synonymous with celebration, it’s part of a great

tradition... a ritual that dates back to the

coronation of kings, such as Clovis, who is said to

have served Champagne to celebrate his

coronation. King Louis XIV was also crazy about it

and offered it regularly at his internationally

renowned table.” You don’t need a coronation at

this internationally renowned table, perennially

celebrating the humble vegetable, to pop the

Champagne cork. The drink pairs beautifully with

Passard’s exquisite vegetable-based dishes as well

as his seafood and poultry. And Lefaux’s great

inspiration is to seek out the best.

“There is such a multitude of outstanding

Champagne makers. I have a wonderful – often

confidential – selection of attentive and passionate

small producers whom I love to highlight for their

exceptional work. Thanks to this collection, I will

always have a Champagne that will correspond to

a season, an occasion and a particular moment.

That is the talent of a great Champagne!”

At L’Arpège every day is a celebration of

season and discovery comes with the terrain. With

the produce from Passard’s now-famous garden

changing almost daily, Lefaux is most inspired by

pairing these passionate winemakers with an

equally passionate cuisine: “Chef Passard creates

his menu according to the harvests and arrivals of

his gardens. Our menu changes daily and with it

our selection of wines. These are spontaneous

food and wine pairings that we decide at the

last moment.”

SKY-HIGHDINING

CELEBRATION ELEVATION

How do you take a sky-high dining

experience even higher? From the

122nd floor of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa,

the world’s tallest building,

At.Mosphere’s private dining room

offers all the restaurant’s elegance

with an additional touch of exclusiv-

ity and culinary flair – not to men-

tion sensational views of the city.

At.Mospere takes any celebration to

new heights.

With all of London at your fingertips,

watch the city turn to gold under the

setting sun, then come brilliantly to

life illuminated by the sparkle of a

million glittering lights. Called Cirrus,

Stratus, Cumulus and Nimbus after

the towering clouds in the distance,

each private party space at Searcys at

The Gherkin offers a different

spectacular view of the city for 18 to

50 lucky guests or combined for up to

280 revellers. On level 39, the Helix

restaurant offers sky-high private

dining, and the Iris Bar on level 40

opens to breathtaking 360-degree

views for a truly majestic moment.

− INSPIRATION −

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An intricate golden vine entwines a wrist;

a jewelled leaf dazzles from an earlobe;

an exquisitely wrought bird’s wing

embraces a finger. Nature, movement and

beauty: this is the world of Aida Bergsen. For the

Istanbul-based jeweller and sculptor, the allure

of nature is her deepest inspiration. Born in

Cyprus to an adored artist father, whom she

helped from an early age in his painting studio,

she draws on the details that she loved as a child

to inform her work – the sea and sky, jasmine

flowers, Cyprus and pomegranate trees, and the

small, colourful creatures around her. Though

Bergsen completed her economic studies in

Grenoble, France, and earned a diploma in

teaching French as a foreign language, it wasn’t

long before she returned to her artistic roots.

Bergson’s jewellery craft evolved from her

work in wax sculpting, a lost métier she is

determined to keep alive. Volume, colour and

dimension are all elements in the stories she

weaves when handmaking a piece, with myth

and the natural world as motifs for her Flora,

Fauna, Wings and Medusa collections: “I see myself as a sculptor-cum-storyteller... each

theme has an underlying reference to a very personal and significant experience. It is a

very individual expression.”

As gorgeous as they are, Bergsen’s creations are rarely benign. Her pieces move

fluidly with the body and can feel fragile and intimate or seductively dangerous, like

Sleeping Beauty’s thorn. A spider lurks in the daisies, a diamond serpent bares its fangs,

a jewelled bee gathering pollen from a flowered necklace seems poised to sting the

wearer’s throat. Gilded reminders of life’s inevitable barbs.

Now based in Istanbul, where she has her studio and boutique, she is exhilarated by

the allure of Istanbul’s architecture, its Ottoman designs, rich history and skilled

craftspeople, whom she seeks out for her more intricate goldsmithing. It is a city so

eclectic and vivid one is inevitably inspired by it. Bergsen’s collections and sculptures

are available at her Istanbul boutique and online. | aidabergsen.com

“Each theme has an underlying reference

to a very personal and significant experience.

It is a very individual expression.”

− INSPIRATION −

TREASURE

He has adorned the most glamorous stars and

collaborated with the likes of Alexander McQueen,

Cartier and Dior, but Eric Charles-Donatien, one of

world’s last and greatest plumassiers (feather-

craft designers), remains steadfastly behind the

scenes, meticulously crafting his designs in his

atelier in Paris’s Marais district. Having mastered

his craft at the legendary Maison Lemarié, Paris’s

most venerable makers of couture embellishments

(the creators of Coco Chanel’s original camellia),

Charles-Donatien is endlessly inspired by how

feathers and birds represent the beauty nature is

capable of and the gowns, jewellery and sculptures

he creates are his ode to nature’s infinite variety

and wonder. Ambitious yet humble, Charles-

Donatien professes: “I do not use nature, I put

myself at its service with what I know how to do.”

Unique commissions, as well as his jewellery and

objects for the home, are made to order and can

be seen on his website. | ericcharlesdonatien.com

THE FEATHERMASTER

CAMBODIAN LACQUER BEAUTY

For Erik Stocker, there’s nothing like the feel of natural lacquer. The master lacquerer

engages all of his senses in the pursuit of his art – the whisper of sandpaper as each one

of a bowl’s or statuette’s 30 layers is meticulously sanded one by one; the subtle perfume

of lacquer dust; and, above all, its feel. “To caress the lacquer is to appreciate its softness

and warmth, almost too precious for visitors who dare not touch. I encourage them to use

their fingers – eyes closed!” Born and trained in lacquer work in France, Stocker was sent

to Siem Reap by the European Commission to learn the ancient techniques and bring

them home to Europe. Now, the artisan, whose work is prized by many, including

Cambodia’s King and Prime Minister, transmits his knowledge to young apprentices from

around the world to ensure the survival of this ancient craft. | stocker-studio.com

TEMPORAL CROSSROADSTradition and modernity seamlessly unite in Aljoud Lootah’s award-winning designs,

which range from diminutive gold-inlaid boxes to edgy home furnishings. The ferociously

versatile Dubai-based designer loves to experiment with materials and techniques, yet

she does not stray far from home for her inspiration, finding it in the patterns, materials

and colours used in traditional crafts of Dubai and United Arab Emirates. Whether a

jagged wooden chair, a sleek sofa sheathed in a camel-leather weave, or a geometric

gold necklace flecked with diamonds, each piece is exquisitely made, giving the ancient

artistry of her homeland a contemporary edge. | aljoudlootah.com


An elegant curtain creates an irresistible allure in any space: will it rise to reveal a

dazzling performance or lead to hidden places? Such is the mystery created by Blessed

Relief, a giant site-specific ceramic artwork that wraps around the bar of Raffles

Europejski Warsaw.

Warsaw-based artist Jarosław Flicinski, who was one of several local artists scouted

to contribute to the 160-year-old landmark building’s exquisite décor, created the

stunning artwork. “You can be there or here, for or against. Everyone has a moment, the

desire to disappear on one side. And this is a blessed relief,” says Flicinski, whose work

can also be seen at the Museum of Modern Art Warsaw and was also the very first guest

speaker at the hotel’s exclusive Art Talks series, launched in 2019. | flicinski.net

At the vanguard of Shenzhen’s dynamic arts scene, since its

opening in 2005 OCT-LOFT’s chic galleries, cafés, artist studios,

bars, boutiques and design shops have spilled into the adjacent

neighbourhood and now cover nearly half a square mile. The

ambitious project, designed by URBANUS architects,

transformed an abandoned industrial area into one of the

world’s biggest creative culture parks. As the host of trailblazing

arts, architecture and design events — and its own jazz festival

— OCT-LOFT is well on its way to becoming China’s most

ambitious creative centre. | octloft.cn

BEHIND THE CURTAIN IN WARSAW

SHENZHEN’S NEW ART HUB

For Ruby Barber there is no such thing as a

wallflower. The Berlin-based floral designer’s

bold sculptural creations defy common

notions of beauty, in compositions that are as

exuberant and unpredictable as nature itself.

Whether she’s designing a photo shoot for a

Gucci perfume or a site-specific sculptural piece for

Hermès, Barber’s blooms and stems are routinely

liberated from the vase and do not merely adorn a

room but create their very own atmosphere: her

bouquets may possess the studied extravagance of

a 17th-century Dutch still life or hover mid-air like a

giant unruly cloud.

The daughter of an art gallery owner and a

photographer, Barber grew up in Sydney, Australia,

in a home filled with contemporary art and objects.

It was her parents’ unique eye for beauty that first

inspired her or, as she puts it, “finding poetry in

things that could often be overlooked“. After

working with flowers in Sydney and New York,

Barber chose Berlin to open her botanical

consultancy Mary Lennox, named after the heroine

in the children’s classic The Secret Garden.

With an acute sensitivity to texture and colour,

Barber favours the unexpected – long feathery

grasses, dried moss, weeds – and has a knack for

transforming the drooping, protuberant and

unwieldy into something romantic and sublime.

“I find beauty in stems that are imperfect and

unusual. For example, a garden rose that has

discolouration from the rain or a leaf that a beetle

has taken bites out of. This is poetry to me.”

Nowadays, her inspiration comes from travel –

which she does a lot of, as 80 percent of her

commissions are outside Berlin – and spending

time in diverse landscapes, both urban and natural.

Her floral sculptures are also heavily influenced by

the seasons, since she likes to use whatever is

growing wild at the time of a project.

Barber has worked with such far-flung clients

as The New Yorker, Vogue and the New York Times

magazines, high-end jewellers and eyewear

designers, fashion and sportswear brands (Nike,

Hogan, Asics), international design fairs and

boutiques. She also takes private commissions and

can be contacted via the website of her Berlin-

based studio Mary Lennox. | marylennox.de

In the late 1800s, Clémence d’Ennery, the wife of

the famous French playwright Adolphe Philippe

d’Ennery, fell hard for Paris’s Japonisme craze. So

vast grew her collection that she built a mansion

on the exclusive Avenue Foch just to house her

rare Chinese and Japanese porcelains, ivories,

jade, lacquer ware, gilded Buddhist sculptures,

and 3,000 netsuke – tiny hand-carved figures of

unparalleled artisanship and charm. D’Ennery

bequeathed the mansion and collection to the

Musée Guimet in Paris, and the recently reopened

galleries now welcome 15 visitors for an hour-long

guided visit on Saturdays and Thursdays to view

this outstanding collection in its jewel-box setting.

Visits, in French, are by reservation only through

the Musée Guimet. | guimet.fr

ASIAN TREASURES IN PARIS

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For a travel writer, Pico Iyer talks a

lot about home. Having roamed

the world for the greater part of

his life, and resided in many countries,

Iyer’s writings suggest that in our global,

multicultural world, home may be a

concept more fluid than we imagine.

Of Indian parentage, Iyer grew up in

Oxford, England, and in California, where

he once looked out the window to see

70-feet flames about to engulf his house.

He escaped with the clothes on his back

and a toothbrush – all of his possessions,

including years of paper manuscripts,

reduced to ashes.

Instead of devastating the writer,

the experience reinforced what he felt

he’d already known. “I always had that

sense that home was not where I lived,

but what lived inside of me. When our

house burned down in the forest fire,

that became literal.” This is not exactly

to say wherever you go, there you are,

but that travel is reciprocal: it transforms

us to the extent we’re willing to be

transformed. For Iyer, “The street

around the corner from our home can

be as transporting as Bali or Bolivia if

only you can see it in the right light

(through a visitor’s eyes, perhaps, or as

if you’d never been there before).”

When we look through Iyer’s eyes,

whether we’re encountering a leading

spiritual figure or a rickshaw driver, we

are drawn closer to what unites us than

to what sets us apart. And it is in this mix

of the foreign and the familiar that Iyer

finds his inspiration. “It’s the foreign –

something new, different, unfathomable

– that excites the mind and imagination

and coaxes the muse out of hiding; but

it’s the familiar that gives it a context and

something to settle into.”

For 35 years, the legendary Raffles

Singapore has been Iyer’s home-away-

from-home. His newest book, This Could

Be Home, celebrates the historic land-

mark’s reopening after an extensive

restoration – concurrent with the 200th

anniversary of the founding of modern

Singapore. As Raffles’ first writer in

residence in 2019, Iyer was “inspired by

everything that takes me back to the

27-year-old who first stayed there, new

to the East and dreaming of becoming a

full-time writer; and by all the fresh

developments that will surprise me as

they do whenever I meet an old friend.”

| picoiyerjourneys.com

“I always had that sense that home was

not where I lived, but what lived inside of me.”

− INSPIRATION −

In honour of Raffles’ long and distinguished literary heritage,

the Philippines Readers and Writers Festival, hosted by

Raffles Makati, gathers prominent international authors and

artists for this annual summer event. The festival’s sixth

edition featured Pulitzer Prize winning writer Viet Thanh

Nguyen (author of The Sympathizer) and Gina Apostol, whose

latest book Insurrecto was named one of the best books of

2018 by Publisher’s Weekly. Meet-the-author book signings,

discussions, and panels around literature and culture are just

some of the compelling events (readersandwritersfestival.

com). Save the date for this three-day celebration of literature

and culture which will return next summer.

Lovers of art and literature in Dubai will soon have a luxurious new haven to

indulge their passion and curiosity in the company of like minds. In 2020,

London’s illustrious The Arts Club, founded in 1863, will open its second

branch in a sleek, glass-encased building in Dubai, harbouring several

restaurants and bars, a nightclub, a wine cellar, private dining rooms, a cigar

lounge and a roof terrace, not to mention a riveting programme of artists.

Beauty and boldness, seduction and style... David Bailey didn’t

just capture the swinging 60s he embodied them. Bailey’s

iconic black and white portraits earned him a job at Vogue by

the age of 22 and ushered in an audacious new era of celebrity

allure that he himself helped create. Married to supermodel

Jean Shrimpton, then Catherine Deneuve, Bailey’s glamorous

life was the inspiration for Michelangelo Antonioni’s film

Blowup. Taschen’s new SUMO edition David Bailey features

300 legendary portraits and comes with its own stand or

signed prints of the likes of Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol or

the Beatles. | taschen.com

LITERARY ENCOUNTERS IN MANILA

OPENING OF THE ARTS CLUB, DUBAI

DAVID BAILEY SHOOTS FOR THE STARS

READ

Raffles’ long and illustrious history embraces all the mystique and allure

of world travel. Created in collaboration with Rizzoli Publications,

Soirées, Sojourns, and Stories by Raffles sets out Raffles’ glamorous

history in 200 pages of stories and illustrations that take you back to

the golden age of world travel. Penned by Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni

with illustrations by Luke Edward Hall, each chapter is a voyage into

Raffles’ fascinating world and will enchant wanderlust-filled luxury

aficionados from every corner of the globe.

TIMELESS JOURNEYS BY RAFFLES


“The most important thing we can do

for our world is to start with

ourselves. We need to make sure

we’re better first, make sure our space reflects

who we are. Then, when our glass is half full

instead of half empty, we can go out and change

the world.” Wise words from young Feng Shui

master Thierry Chow, who has devoted herself to

adapting this ancient practice to our modern

world. Although Chow is the daughter of one of

Hong Kong’s most revered Feng Shui practitioners,

if you’d asked her 15 years ago what she’d be

doing today ‘Feng Shui master’ would not have

been on her list, as she resolutely followed her

own creative path.

One day, having forged a career as an art

teacher and artist – not to mention fashion icon,

with an unerring sense of style and a trademark

black asymmetrical bob – she had a rather

unusual experience. “I heard a voice, sort of like

a calling, that said ‘You must learn Feng Shui

from your father’.”

Since that day, Chow has made it her mission to

reinterpret this 5,000-year old practice – based on

the five elements, Chinese astrology and the

I Ching, an ancient book of Chinese wisdom – for

21st-century lives by applying it to her far-flung

projects in design, interiors, art and fashion. She

hopes to help people see that Feng Shui is “neither

magic nor superstition”. Her modern interpretation

is a creative and fun approach to understanding

our environment and how it influences us, from our

sense of happiness and fulfilment to the quality of

our personal and professional relationships.

Chow will soon unveil her chic new brand, TRE,

which incorporates her unique philosophy in Feng Shui-inspired housewares

and accessories. Chow, who works both in person in Hong Kong, as well as

long-distance via floor plans and other precise information sent via email, is

devoted to helping people evolve in their living spaces and in their lives, but

her most powerful inspiration has been her father: “I learn so much from him:

to treat everyone with respect and to be humble no matter what.”

“We need to make sure we’re better first, make sure our space reflects

who we are.”

Glittering fountains, gleaming chandeliers and miles of pristine marble set the scene at

Kılıç Ali Pasa Hamam for a complete range of luxurious treatments at this glorious 16th-

century landmark. A stunning seven-year restoration returned the architectural

masterpiece to the days of the Ottoman Empire, when Sultan Suleiman himself was a

regular. Flooded with light under a soaring dome, you’ll enjoy revitalising scrubs,

massages and purification rituals that will leave you luminous and replenished, like

you’re walking on air. | kilicalipasahamami.com

Called the Hawaii of the East, Hainan is China’s

island oasis par excellence. This lush paradise

shelters one of the world’s three best preserved

tropical rainforests, teeming with rare bird, animal

and plant species, majestic mountains, waterfalls,

caves, coral reefs, and miles of sandy beaches. The

ideal place to refresh and restore among exotic

flowers and pristine nature, intrepid travellers can

also surf, sail, paraglide or scuba dive along

preserved reefs. In addition to its own lush

botanical garden and miles of soft sand, Raffles

Hainan also offers expert advice on what to see

and do on the island, from bird watching excursions,

a wildlife trip to nearby Nanwan Monkey Island,

home of the protected macaque monkey, or can

help you book a private yacht cruise.

ROYAL REJUVENATION IN ISTANBUL

PARADISE FOUND IN CHINA

There is nothing more crucial to wellbeing than a

good night’s sleep, yet for travellers there is often

nothing more elusive. Raffles Sleep Serenity, a

new programme offering a range of slumber-

inducing amenities, underscores the brand’s total

commitment to guests’ physical, mental and

emotional wellness. A soothing eye pillow, calming

goodnight cards, a sand timer reminding guests to

take time before sleep to decompress, a luxurious

aromatherapy oil, and a special menu created to

mitigate the effects of travel and stress all

combine to provide guests the ultimate luxury:

comfort, tranquillity, wellness and, above all, a

good night’s rest. Raffles personalised sleep

experiences can be discovered at Raffles in Dubai,

Makati, Seychelles and Warsaw.

Anyone can meditate. That’s the optimistic

message of filmmaker David Lynch, who says that

Transcendental Meditation®, or TM, gave him

access to unlimited reserves of energy, creativity

and happiness deep within. What’s more, it’s

simple and effortless.

It may sound like a panacea, but this easy

technique to access a deeper, clearer and more

tranquil part of the mind has proven effective for

millions of people who prefer to meditate without

a guiding philosophy or spiritual leaning. Lynch’s

eponymous foundation provides access to this

20-minute, two-time daily technique to everyone,

including kids, students, veterans, prisoners and

populations in need. | davidlynchfoundation.org

SLEEP SERENITY

TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION®,

NATURALLY

− INSPIRATION −

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RAFFLES MAGAZINE20 RAFFLES MAGAZINE 21

Few, if any, hotels in the world are as synonymous

and intertwined with their locale as Raffles Singapore

is with the Lion City. First opened in 1887, and declared

a ‘National Monument’ by the Singapore Government a

century later, Raffles Singapore has through the years

gained both local and international recognition as one of

the few remaining great 19th-century hotels in the world.

There is a reason why this property is a national treasure.

While Singapore is undeniably a hyper-kinetic destination

where change is near-constant, this colonial stalwart has

always stood out as an oasis for the well-travelled with its

storied elegance, compelling history and colourful guest list.

After reopening its doors following a sensitive three-phased

restoration, the flagship hotel embarks on an exciting new

chapter, inviting guests to discover reimagined and never-

before-seen spaces behind its revitalised, famous white façade.

THE RAFFLES LEGACYRaffles Singapore speaks to a

legacy that recalls the age of

writers and authors. Among them

was W. Somerset Maugham, whose

name is widely associated with

Raffles Singapore, a place that,

he wrote, “for all the fables of the

exotic east”. It was in the hotel’s

Palm Court, at a table partially

concealed by a frangipani tree, that

he would eavesdrop as expats after

one gin sling too many confided

tales of intrigue. Maugham listened

attentively and, once home,

recounted them as short stories.

This is among the many legacies

of Raffles Singapore – but the

property is an evolving story,

as its highly anticipated reopening

in 2019 demonstrated.

OLD FAVOURITES RESTOREDHonouring the Raffles heritage was central to this restoration,

led by acclaimed interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, with

many of the features that make the hotel unique sympathetically

preserved. In the Grand Lobby, the original Victorian floor-to-

ceiling columns look as pristine as ever and, nestled in the

frontmost corner, the Writers Bar once again welcomes renowned

and budding writers alike to congregate, in tribute to the illustrious

authors who have resided here. The Writers Bar is not the only

famous feature element to make a return: Tiffin Room, a restaurant

which has been a part of the hotel since 1892, returns to serve

North Indian classics in the eponymous tiffin boxes amid a restored

interior décor inspired by the early 1950s. The Long Bar, meanwhile,

continues its proud tradition as the home of the Singapore Sling

and meeting point for scintillating conversation and merriment.

− INSPIRATION −

RAFFLES SINGAPORE

Grand Lobby

Writers Bar

RAFFLES MAGAZINE22

READ W. Somerset Maugham, one of the most well-travelled writers of his generation, takes readers on a journey across Malaya, Singapore and other outposts of the former British Empire in his collection of stories, Far Eastern Tales.

TREASUREJot down memories in the Raffles Leather Pocket Notepad, available from the Raffles Boutique. rafflesarcade.com.sg/raffles-boutique

FLOURISHSir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore Raffles, was a keen naturalist and – once you escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enter into the hotel’s lush tropical gardens – you will see why.

TASTEThere are numerous interpretations of the Singapore Sling all over the world, but there is no better place to sample the gin-based cocktail than at the Long Bar in Raffles Singapore, where it originated.

DISCOVER Many may find it hard to believe that Singapore teems with all sorts of wildlife, given its small size and rapid urbanisation. During March and September a variety of migratory birds pass through and Raffles Singapore even has its own resident squirrel.

CELEBRATEWith a diverse populance living in Singapore, both visitors and locals can revel in a mix of festivities throughout the year, such as Divali and Chinese New Year.

RAFFLES ARCADE REIMAGINEDRaffles Arcade, the shopping wing of the Raffles Hotel, has

re-opened its doors to provide new experiences across not only retail

but also lifestyle, dining and entertainment. Boasting a meticulously

curated mix of high-end, bespoke and iconic brands, Raffles Arcade

also houses a spa, an art gallery and a co-working space.

SUITE REFRESHIt is hard to believe that Raffles Singapore was once a ten-room bungalow

with the hotel’s accommodation now encompassing 115 revamped suites.

Amongst them, the 12 Personality Suites pay tribute to renowned guests

who have stayed at the hotel, including American actress Ava Gardner,

British playwright Noel Coward and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

A TIMELESS ICONMany aspects of Raffles

Singapore still feel as though

they are frozen in time, from

the hotel’s charming colonial

façade to its lush tropical

gardens lined with palms.

The beauty of this restoration,

however, resides in the

balance of old and new; of

old-world splendour and

contemporary luxury.

The story of Raffles Singapore

has many chapters and verses.

It’s a story that has been and

will continue to be told, and

the next chapter promises to

be as enthralling as the last

with the hotel officially

returning to the city refreshed,

reimagined and revitalised.

ACCLAIMED CULINARY COLLABORATIONS

As well as rejuvenating the iconic property,

the restoration has also ushered in a

number of exciting additions, including the

La Dame de Pic from Chef Anne-Sophie Pic,

of the three-Michelin starred Maison Pic in

Valence, France. The restaurant marks Pic’s

first restaurant concept in Asia. Guests and

locals will also delight in exploring other

restaurant collaborations between Raffles

Singapore and some of the world’s leading

chefs including French Master Alain

Ducasse and Chef Jereme Leung, known

for his innovative Chinese cooking.

AN OASIS IN THE CITYThe rooftop pool provides the ultimate vantage point

to admire Singapore’s skyscrapers. Surrounded by lush

greenery, with a colonial-style building in the backdrop

giving a nod to the hotel’s heritage, it is one of the many

areas guests can head to for a refreshing retreat.

− INSPIRATION −

Pineapple and chamomile at La Dame de Pic, Raffles Singapore The Presidential Suite Verandah

Presidential SuiteRooftop pool Raffles Arcade

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 23


EMOTIONAcclaimed masters of craft awaken our five senses as they embark on a journey to bring to life our sense of sight, sound, taste, touch

and smell in different Raffles destinations around the world...

INTO THE BLUE

A deep dive below the surface of the Maldives’ crystal blue waters

NEON

A short story of love, reflection and sound set in musical Warsaw

TASTE OF SHENZHEN

Gastronomic chronicles from Shenzhen’s food frontiers

FRENCH TOUCH

Behind-the-scenes photography at the iconic Moulin Rouge

SCENTS & SENSES

An olfactory journey through Praslin Island, Seychelles

SIGHTTobias Friedrich

SOUNDNell Stevens

TASTEMark Hix mbe

TOUCHAlexis Armanet

SMELLAnne Flipo


Photo essay by TOBIAS FRIEDRICH

Words in collaboration withROOKSANA HOSSENALLY

Gliding through the Maldives’ bright blue waters, the award-winning underwater photographer and deep-sea diver Tobias Friedrich takes

a journey to the secluded Raffles Maldives Meradhoo to explore the ocean floor and bring us back a snapshot of the treasures that lie

below the water’s shimmering surface.

− EMOTION −

A split-level underwater photograph of a hawksbill turtle swimming in the waters of the Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

intotheBLUE


Jacques-Yves Cousteau once said: “From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.” Following in the footsteps of the great French explorer, Tobias Friedrich has defied the laws of gravity for most

of his life. Deep-diving to explore the spectacular worlds that lie beyond most people’s reach, Tobias puts on his gear and descends once again to bring into sight the magnificence of the Maldives’ seafloor and its unique hues.

With its luminous turquoise waters lined by a ribbon of powder-soft sand pinned with palms that sway in the light breeze, the remote island of Meradhoo is certainly the stuff of dreams. And it’s right here, in the middle of the Indian Ocean with nothing but the horizon in sight, that Tobias set down his bags.

A string of 22 low-lying coral atolls surrounded by bright blue lagoons that filter into inky blues as the water gets deeper, the country is composed of about 1,200 islands in total, of which only 200 are actually inhabited. The Maldives is the ultimate paradise for unspoilt seclusion. However, while there’s plenty to keep sunbathers busy, there’s also lots to explore off the island in the way of diving and snorkelling, with Raffles Maldives Meradhoo’s own marine biologist and marine butler to help guests experience the life of the reef.

Having dived in some of the world’s deepest and coldest waters, including in the icy Arctic, the award-winning underwater photographer Tobias Friedrich travelled from his native Germany to the archipelago of exotic islands with the aim of seeing some of the country’s unique marine life.

While this was his third time diving in the Maldives, Tobias was delighted to find that his explorations of the hotel house reef alone yielded its rewards. Every day, as he strapped on his diving gear, he would come across a bale of friendly sea turtles that come to greet him. In fact, one of his favourite moments was capturing the image of a turtle swimming along the soft sands of the ocean floor in the lower half of the picture and Meradhoo island rising above the water in the top half.

Every dive is a visual feast in the Maldives, and the colourful reef teeming with underwater life, from sea turtles to anemones in pink and orange hues, has been captured in images by Tobias to delight us with a deluge of colours.

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo is located in the Indian Ocean’s pristine Gaafu Alifu Atoll, surrounded by soft white sands pinned with swaying palms, and iridescent crystal-clear waters.

Flair and first-rate photography have earned Tobias Friedrich first place in 31 competitions over the course of 10 years, including the award for Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018 in the prestigious UPY London competition. A self-trained underwater photographer, he usually takes 20 to 30 dive trips a year, capturing the wonders of underwater worlds for various scuba diving magazines, as well as the BBC, The Times and Die Welt.

TOBIAS FRIEDRICH


“Every dive is a visual feast... from sea turtles to anemones in pink and orange hues.”

− EMOTION −

The reef teems with beautiful fauna and soft coral colonies, such as this gorgonian sea fan, which was discovered by Tobias in a small underwater cave. Its delicate vein-like branches grow up to 17cm in length.

Opposite pageCaesio teres, the yellow and blueback fusilier, beautiful

fusilier, blue and gold fusilier or yellow-tail fusilier, captured

swimming above the hard coral reef and a type of small stony

coral called acropora.

Hawksbill sea turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, take their species name (imbricata) from the overlapping plates on their upper shell. They usually spend most of their time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs, which the island of Meradhoo has plenty of.


A split-level underwater photograph of a snorkeller coming up to the surface, after exploring the ocean floor, where a boat waits to collect him.


Amphiprion chrysogaster, the Mauritian anemonefish, swimming in front of a beaded sea anemone, Heteractis aurora.

Paracanthurus hepatus is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish, now widely known as ‘Dory’ from the Disney movie Finding Nemo.

Anemonefish, also known as Amphiprion nigripes or blackfinned anemonefish, shelter among a sea anemone’s tentacles. They get their name from their symbiotic relationship with a host anemone. In return, they defend the anemone against predators and parasites.


IF LIGHT WERE A FLAVOUR AND ILLUMINATION A SCENT.

44°N shop.comtedegrasse.com

A school of Platax teira, also known as the teira batfish, longfin batfish, longfin spadefish or round faced batfish create beautiful blue hues below the surface of the Gaafu Alifu Atoll’s crystal waters.

Mackerel swimming amid the shallow coral reef, framed in a split level underwater

photograph, with palm trees in the backdrop.


A stay at Raffles Europejski Warsaw and the sounds of the city inspired young British author Nell Stevens to pen this story of

a soul-searching solo trip through Warsaw. As the main character explores the city, guided by its multiple sounds, he uncovers the

heart of the Polish capital, giving his own situation clearer focus.

A short story by NELL STEVENS

Illustrations byALEKSI CAVAILLEZ


− EMOTION −

R ALPHANDRUSSO.COM

NELL STEVENS

I said it in a rush, apropos of nothing: “I’m going to Warsaw. I’ll be gone for two days. I’ll be back in time for work on

Monday morning.” I’d said it so quickly that when, at first, you didn’t react,

I thought perhaps you hadn’t understood.

“Warsaw,” I said, again “Me. I’m going there.”

All evening, I’d been trying and failing to find a subtle way to raise it. I’d wanted to work

the conversation around in a way that seemed natural. When we’d discussed your day, I thought

about saying, “Well speaking of days, on Saturday I’m going to Warsaw.” When you’d mentioned a

colleague from Paris, I could have said, “Oh, since we’re talking about European capital cities...”. More tenuous still: from your recent appointment with the optician to the concept of sight in general, “and funny you should mention sight, the past tense of which is saw, because I’m going to Warsaw”. Or from the roses in the vase on the dinner table to the Wars of the Roses, to war in general and from there to Warsaw. All hopeless. None of it worked. And so, when I finally said it, it came from nowhere. It was after dinner and you were washing up. You had your back to me. You flipped a dirty plate over in the water and slid the sponge across it. You didn’t say a word as you rinsed it under the tap. Bubbles slid off the white ridges of the base. You slotted it into the drying rack, and wiped your hands on a tea towel. Then, finally, you turned around. I was convinced you’d look angry. Instead, you only looked bemused.

“Why?” you said.

It was absolutely the right question to ask. There were so many reasons why not. I shrugged. Crossed my arms. “Because I want to?” Reasons why not to go to Warsaw included: we had already made plans to see friends for dinner that weekend; we were supposed to be saving money; I was a nervous traveller who, even on our honeymoon, got homesick and wanted to leave early;

Memoir and fiction writer Nell Stevens is the author of Bleaker House and Mrs Gaskel & Me (UK) / The Victorian & the Romantic (US/CAN), which won the 2019 Somerset Maugham Award. Nell was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2018 and her writing appears in the New York Times, Vogue, The Paris Review, the Guardian and elsewhere. She also lectures in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.

“Warsaw,” I said, again. “Me. I’m going there.”

Paris-based visual artist, illustrator and animator Aleksi Cavaillez has published several books and worked for several galleries in Paris including agnès b and Patricia Dorfmann Gallery. Today, he focuses on his books and illustrations, which have been published in Le Monde newspaper, Vanity Fair and Madame Figaro.

ALEKSI CAVAILLEZ


I had no sense of direction and was always getting lost; I had never previously mentioned a desire to go to Warsaw; we had a lot to do around the house to get it ready for the baby; you were, at that point in time, five months pregnant and feeling tired all the time.

“Why?” you said again. “I’ve just been thinking about it for a while, and I decided I should do it before the baby comes,” I said.“Why?”I struggled to maintain the façade, then gave up.“I want to listen to Chopin’s heart,” I said.

I had been learning the piano, at that point, for ten years. I started casually, quite soon after we got married. I had just turned twenty-four and you were still a graduate student, writing your PhD on road trip narratives in contemporary American literature and film. We lived in a top-floor flat that got too hot in summer, and I had a job as an assistant manager at a petrol station on the ring road just outside of town. Every day I would drive to work, leaving you at your desk in the window, and I’d come back to find you still there, head down, busy. The sink would be full of dishes, the carpet flecked with moulted fur from the elderly Siamese cat we inherited from your grandmother. I would kiss the top of your head and retreat into the bedroom to practice. I taught myself using online tutorials and a little electric keyboard that I balanced on the ironing board. It was the kind that came with sound effects: cymbals, a cheesy drumbeat. There was a button you could press to play the entirety of ‘The Moonlight Sonata’. I wore headphones so I didn’t disturb you, and practised scales, shaky and unsure: C major, G major, D major. Arpeggios. I tried stretching my fingers out to span an octave, then further. It didn’t feel important, but it didn’t feel unimportant either.

When you asked me why I wanted to play the piano I was furious, full of spluttered indignation. Look what you have, I wanted to say. You have all those American road trips to think about: Kerouac and Steinbeck and Route 66 and Thelma and Louise. Sometimes when I get home you don’t even look up from what you’re writing! And what do I have? Car wash tokens and bouquets of carnations wilting outside the kiosk and everything smelling of petrol, even things that are nothing to do with petrol, even you.

I think what I actually said was something about a creative outlet. You never asked again. For my 25th birthday, you gave me an electric piano with weighted keys, designed to respond to touch like real ivory. It had a sustain pedal that

plugged in with a wire at the back. You asked to hear me play and I told you I wasn’t ready. For my 26th birthday, you gave me a piano stool, velvety as a ring box. I could have got on one knee, opened the hinged seat and proposed to you all over again. Inside was a stash of old sheet music you said had been there when you bought it. Dusty, yellowed pages of Mozart. Bach. Debussy. Chopin’s Nocturnes. I stared at the notes: semiquavers crushed together between the neat lines of the staves, ants emerging from a crack in the pavement. I could play none of it: my fingers too slow, my brain too sluggish.

When you finished your doctorate, you were offered a job at a university on the other side of the country. We packed up the house: pot plants; all the clothes we’d forgotten we owned and which probably didn’t fit us anymore; the books you had written about in your thesis; DVDs; the little round cat bed we no longer needed since the Siamese cat had died, but which we might want one day, you said, because we might get kittens. On moving day, I carried the keyboard out to the van and you put your hand on my arm and said, “No need to bring that.” I was ready to argue, but you carried on:

“There’s a surprise waiting for you in the new house.”

The surprise in the new house was a rickety, old upright with red candle wax stains down the side. The A flat below middle C was permanently stuck down. It was beautiful and I almost cried when I saw it. I loved it for its haphazardness, for its weight and clout and not-plugged-in-ness. It had the lettering of the maker inlaid on the inside of the lid in gold. Its keys were as white as a veneered smile. I was 29 by then, had been playing for five years and had mastered the basics. I could play some Mozart sonatas and a few simple Bach pieces. I could be relied upon to accompany the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ at parties. You had a salary from the university, and I got a job as the business manager of an auto repair shop; it meant I could afford a piano teacher, who came to the house for an hour every Saturday morning and told me my technique was all wrong, that we would have to start from scratch, all the way back to the C major scale. It was two years until the teacher let me open the crinkled copy of Chopin’s Nocturnes and play the easiest one: No. 2 in E flat, Op. 9. When I finally mastered it, you wandered in from your study and lingered in the doorway to listen. By then, you were three months pregnant with our baby, just beginning to show: light streaming in behind you and your silhouette ridiculous, too beautiful, too much to bear. At the airport I stood, foolishly, beneath

− EMOTION −


− EMOTION −

the signs that said ‘Departures’ and ‘Arrivals’. I was departing for Warsaw from the airport at which I had just arrived.

I had no sense at all of which I should report to. This was the sort of thing you knew and, whenever we’d travelled before, I had followed you unthinkingly, without noticing there had ever been a choice about where to walk. The phrase ‘new arrival’ lodged itself in my head, which was how the doctor always referred to the baby, and which always made me think of the baby as coming from somewhere. As though the baby was, at present, sitting in the departures lounge of a far-away airport, rather than doing what it definitely was doing: unfurling, twitchily, in your womb.

This train of thought made me certain – almost certain – that I should follow the ‘Departures’ sign. I set off in that direction, then doubted myself and asked a woman in a fluorescent jacket. She looked me up and down. I felt self-conscious, suddenly, about my shoes, which were old, the sole coming loose on the left. Her expression said: you should know that; who doesn’t know that? Her face said: you should just give up on whatever this scheme is and go home. Then she waved me on in the direction I’d been heading. This scheme was, at most, a blip.

A research trip (though you might ask, reasonably enough, what the purpose of the research was; what book did I think I was writing; what conference would hear my academic paper). I tried to think of it, at the time, as a weekend away: the thing that people who aren’t me might call ‘me time’. It was reasonable, wasn’t it, as parenthood approached with all its attendant responsibilities, to want to take a mini break, to visit the home of the composer whose music I loved so much, which meant so much to me? Other people did similar things: a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of Shakespeare; Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Père Lachaise cemetery peppered with lipstick kisses. Not so strange, then, to want to visit the city of Chopin’s birth. A little stranger, I will admit: the heart thing.

Now, years later, you sometimes refer to it as, “that time you left”. You say it gruffly, a little morosely: “It was a while after that time you left.” Or, “It was around the time you went away.” And it’s true there was a moment when I left,

standing there confused beneath the airport signs; handing over my passport at the check-in desk and noticing only then that in the little square photograph I looked deranged, a frond of hair poking up at the back of my head like a radio antenna; stumbling through security towards the gate. But from the moment the plane took off for Warsaw, as soon as the wheels no longer touched the runway and there was thin air below and around and above, and I had never, truly, been more alone in my entire life and all I could think about was things inside of other things, me inside the plane inside the air, Chopin’s heart inside a jar inside a brick wall inside Poland and the baby inside you inside my brain.

From that moment on, it’s the story of how I came back to you. When I told you the heart plan, after all the initial “why’s, you had googled, “where is Chopin buried” and

the internet had told you he was buried in Paris. “There,” you had said, “he’s in Paris. You can take the train. You could go for the day.” And I’d had to explain to you – and in explaining it notice the weirdness of it all over again – that, yes, Chopin was buried in Paris, but his heart, the heart of him, was in Warsaw. Which was when, yet again, you were forced to ask why. The first answer is that Chopin, on his deathbed, was seized by a patriotic frenzy, and expressed the wish that wherever his body ended up, his heart be returned to his homeland. In this version, the request is borne of love for his country. I imagine a kind of homesickness in Chopin’s bones, growing more intense the closer he came to death. A sense of never being able to sit comfortably; fidgeting, itching for home, for Poland, a country whose name in English gets tangled in my brain with his own – Poland, Chopin, Cho-Poland – and which in Polish sounds like music, a kind of dance: Polska, polka. Did Chopin ever write a polka, I google, and learn that the Polka in C minor, posthumously attributed to Chopin, was most likely written by his pupil Charlotte de Rothschild.

I fall down a rabbit hole of internet searches; I listen to the polka on repeat, trying to recognise Chopin in it, as though I would be the one, finally, to solve this musical mystery. Hours later I emerge, unsure what, if anything, I was looking for. A second answer: Chopin, in his final weeks, developed a terrible fear of being buried alive. As his illness worsened, the fear increased, until he was dreaming about it, afraid even to shut his eyes, the closed lids like a premonition of that final closed lid, from which he would never escape. To ensure he wouldn’t wake up underground, he requested his heart be taken from his body before he was buried. Dutifully, when he died, his sister, Ludwika Jędrzejewicz, removed the heart and placed it in a jar of cognac. She smuggled it, under her cloak, back to Warsaw, where it was eventually interred at the Holy Cross Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście. The third answer is that

“Chopin was buried in Paris, but his heart, the heart of him, was in Warsaw.”

Ludwika Jędrzejewicz was crazy. In the taxi from the airport, the radio was playing a Polish pop song. I tried and failed to get a sense of the meaning of the words; I noticed – guessed – that it was in G major; I imagined it was a love song, because most songs are. When the driver turned it off, what was left was the hum of the engine: a low F sharp. “Oh,” I said, “you can turn it back on.” I mimed twisting a dial, as though that were still how radios worked, but by then we were drawing up outside my hotel and the driver was saying something in Polish which I guessed was, “You are here.” I looked out of the window: I was there. I had been so preoccupied with the music that I’d barely noticed the city. In the hotel lobby, there was a sculpture: a large glass vase and, inside it, neon strands twisting like branches, brittle. It was hard to look away from: transfixing and lovely.

The light emitted a faint, persistent buzz, as though it was alive, trying to say something: “psst”, it said, “psst, psst, over here”. It sounded as though an insect were trapped inside the glass, frantic wings strumming the surface. As I walked past it to the front desk, I felt I should resist the urge to listen, as though I might get lost in that strange buzz. It seemed so urgent. I checked in. I filled out the form with my name and address. And, behind me, I could hear the neon whispering. Hush, I thought, to the neon. There is nothing you can tell me, vibrating like that. I know what I have come here for.

“Are you here for work, or for a vacation?” the man behind the desk asked.

Without hesitating, I said, “Work.” This was a lie that felt like the truth. I was there with a very specific task. I was focused on it. I would not be distracted. I marched past the vase of neon strands without pausing: Hush, I thought, as I walked.

In my room, I changed my shoes, grabbed the guidebook I had bought at the airport. I took out my phone to text you – “Safely arrived!” – and slid it back into my pocket before I could think too much about that word again: arrived, arrival, the new arrival, our new arrival, when it was me, after all, who had just arrived. Then I hurried to leave. I did not pause to shower, or to lie on my back on the bed and stare at the high ceiling above it. I did not listen to the psst, psst of the neon light in the lobby as I passed it, yet again, to step into a valve of the revolving door. I stepped out of the hotel onto the bright street, and I began to walk through Warsaw, towards Chopin’s heart. I listened out for it, harder than I looked, harder than I felt the cobbles underfoot or the hot light on my face: Chopin’s heartbeat in the footsteps of passers-by, tourists and tour guides, a woman hand in


− EMOTION −

hand with a little girl, a man holding up a bunch of big red heart-shaped helium balloons in a square next to a boy selling bread rolls, which were nestled together on a trolley, each one like a little heart, plump and primed.

There was a spring in my step, my pulse rising. I walked and I walked and snippets of conversation in Polish floated past me and I understood nothing but believed, with all my heart, that I was nearing Chopin’s heart, was being drawn nearer to it, by it. I turned down an alley: sunlit buildings chequered with dark doorways like piano keys. A woman in one of the houses was singing. A child laughed. A car horn sounded. A light breeze picked up and hissed, and I heard your voice in my head: “You have no sense of direction.” I turned a corner and knew I was lost. I was in a square I only recognised because it was on the cover of the guidebook. I found it on the map; it was nowhere near the Holy Cross Church. I sat down on a step, let my head fall back against the wall: suddenly too hot, disoriented. I had come entirely the wrong way. In admitting that, there was a secondary admission: whatever I’d been hearing, which had led me to that square, with its pretty painted houses and its sunlit cobbles, it had not been Chopin’s heart. When I listened to the square, then, I heard nothing at all.

The guidebook said I was just under a mile away from where I was meant to be. The guidebook said the buildings in the square had all been destroyed in the Second World War; they were reconstructed based on cityscapes by the 18th-century Italian painter Bernardo Bellotto. Everything around me, I realised then, looked very bright, very clean.

I thought of you saying the baby would be a “new start” and how that had terrified me: how I had tried to find the words to tell you I didn’t want anything to change. I made a mental note to tell you about the reconstruction of Old Warsaw, how things could be entirely new and still look exactly the same. The works of Bellotto, the guidebook said, were not strictly accurate and included occasional “improvements” to the city. What Warsaw looked like now was, in fact, a manifestation of what Bellotto had imagined and not what had really been there. So: things could be entirely new and not exactly the same. Possibly even better.

The guidebook said that in many cases, only the façades of destroyed buildings had been restored. Inside, they were modern: high ceilings; clean lines. The guidebook suggested this was the best of both worlds. The jar of Chopin’s heart-in-cognac didn’t have a fixed abode until 30 years after his death. I can find no information about where it was in those three decades: a shelf, a mantelpiece, a cupboard, a cabinet. Was it dusty and forgotten, or treasured and displayed? I pictured it wandering, as lost as I was, through the streets of Warsaw, searching for a place to end up. What I do know is that in 1879, after years of nowhereness, the heart found a home in the Holy Cross Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw, where it was placed behind a stone bust of Chopin’s face, and the words, “Gdzie skarb twój, tam i serce twoje,” taken from the Book of Matthew: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is pleasing for two reasons. The first is that when I initially read it I thought it was saying that Chopin’s heart is treasure, though on second reading that’s not right. The second is that it’s not clear who the “you” is: it could mean Chopin himself, could mean that Poland is his treasure and that his

heart is with Poland (probably does mean this but what if it doesn’t); it could mean me: where my treasure

is, there will my heart be also. In which case: is my treasure Chopin’s heart, or is Chopin’s heart my

heart? And then the Nazis took it. In Occupied Poland, performances of Chopin’s music were prohibited.

The statue of Chopin in Warsaw’s Łazienki Park was blown up. Chopin’s heart, planted deep

inside the Holy Cross Church, was removed for ‘safekeeping’. It was held by a high-ranking SS commander called Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski who professed to love Chopin. (My blood boils.

My heart hurts.) When the heart was returned to the Holy Cross Church, it was 96 years since Chopin had

died. Flags lined the route the heart took. People gathered

to throw flowers. By the time I found the church, I was overheating from the walk, sweaty and a little dusty. There had been no flags to show me where to go, no garlands, and the map bore no relation at all to what I could see around me. It had taken me three times as long as it should. When I finally made it inside, my skin prickled, as though I were entering a new climate.

The air in the church was thickly cool. A choir was rehearsing. Everywhere: the echoey chill of the singers’ voices. And it was as though the space was full of water, or mud; as though I was submerged in a swimming pool. It was hard to move forwards, but hard, too, to go back. I waded down the steps towards the central aisle, and the music was so loud I felt as though I couldn’t see: not even the great gleaming altar, or the white walls or the dark pews or the shadows everywhere. I blinked. I took a breath. I didn’t recognise what they were singing: it swelled and ebbed away and then interrupted itself, starting all over again. The sound was crisp. It seemed to have edges, like the fine glass of a neon tube. As though you could crack it. As though it might shatter. And I wished they would stop

singing, wished they would snap their lips together and cut the sound off mid-flow. Because they were drowning out the real music; they were making it impossible to

hear what I had come all that way to hear. I found the heart – or rather, the pillar in which the heart was – exactly as I had seen it in pictures: grey stone against light grey stone, and in neat black lettering, as though

none of this was strange:

Tu spoczywa serce Fryderyka Chopina

Here rests the heart ofFrederick Chopin

I wanted to reach up and pick the letters off the wall. I wanted to peel them away from the stone one by one

and tuck them into the back pocket of my jeans. I didn’t like the phrase here rests the heart. I didn’t like the word rests. I wanted to cross out the word rests and replace it, in permanent marker scrawled above, beats. Here beats the heart of Frederick Chopin. I pressed a hand against my own heart and thought here beats the heart of me. If only the choir would stop singing, I thought, I would hear it. My heart. Chopin’s heart. At the hospital, the doctor performing your ultrasound seemed unimpressed by the magic she was performing. She slid the probe over your domed stomach, and from a machine resting on the trolley by the bed, the sound

of the baby’s heart blared: rubbery, persistent, as though someone were massaging two balloons together.

“It sounds like balloons,” I said. You said, “It sounds like soldiers marching,” and then I heard it that way, too: hundreds of footsteps in time, a little too fast to be sanguine: rushing towards something, or fleeing something else. There was an army marching, invisibly, behind the smooth wall of your skin. You seemed transformed, as the heartbeat continued to applaud us from the monitor, from a person into a surface, flattened and surprised, as strange and upside-down as a foetus. You didn’t notice whatever the look on my face was. You smiled and, when it was over, took fistfuls of tissues to wipe the gel from your stomach. Later, when we got home, you were jubilant, as though you’d won a prize, and I retreated into the bedroom.

I listened to Chopin’s ‘Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2’. I listened to the ‘Raindrop Prelude, Op. 20 No. 15’. I looked up videos of people playing Chopin online: shaky beginners hesitantly picking out the melodies; virtuosos whose fingers seemed not to touch the keys. I listened to ‘Polonaise No. 6 in A


While at Raffles,why not visit the Maldives?

Legendary Service since 1887Meet your Marine Butler at our new ocean paradise

answer. It was a case, I knew, of listening very carefully, as I had been ever since I’d arrived. Keep your eyes peeled was the phrase, and what I was doing was peeling my ears and keeping them that way. Expectant. A word might appear in a Polish sentence – telefon – that was recognisable. The stone might start to vibrate. The neon might finally speak.

“Hi,” you said. “Hi. Can you hear me?”“The signal’s very bad,” I whispered. “I’m in a church. The signal’s very bad.” A tourist standing very close, glared at me. She was holding a camera up. I was ruining her shot of Chopin’s heart. I waved at her to apologise, and in doing so let go of the pillar, was standing on my own.“The baby,” you said, and then the phone crackled.“What? The baby what? Are you all right?”“Clicked,” you said.“What?”“Ticked,” you said.“What? I can’t hear you. The baby what?”The line cleared.“Kicked,” you said. “The baby just kicked. It’s never done that before.”“Oh,” I said, “oh,” and I was thinking about how loud the baby was, suddenly, how urgent and imminent and potent and completely new it was, lurking behind the familiar façade of you. “I’m coming home now,” I said.“Hello? Can you hear me? I said I’m coming home.”“Hello?” you said. “Can you hear me?”“Hello?” I said. “Can you hear me?”

But by then the signal had cut, and there was nothing on the other end of the line. Only a neon buzz, a quivering crackle. Only an insect trapped in glass. Only the infant, agitating in the womb.

flat major’ on YouTube and read the comments underneath: 1. I wish Chopin had a youtube channel and uploaded new music every week. 2. This song has a huge problem! It ends!! 3. Is polonaise an instrument. I thought: I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose you. When the Polonaise ended, I heard water rushing: you were running a bath. I pressed my face against the cold stone between me and Chopin’s heart.

The folds of my ear flattened; my cheek cooled. I pushed away the phrase: here rests the heart. Also the phrase: like getting blood from a stone. Also the phrase: I don’t want to lose you. I pushed away the sound of the choir singing, and the thought of your sleeping, oblivious face, and the thought of your expressionless stomach, bulging like an eyelid. And what I heard was silence. What I heard was the sound of sedate, unmoveable stone; particles fixed in hard, grainy order. Nothing. I heard nothing at all. Until, that is, I heard something. I heard a low, persistent buzz: repetitive, insistent, pulsing. I felt certain I could feel it, too, tickling the pads of my fingers, reaching all the way down my back: the stone resonant, coming to life, purring like a cat. I cut my breath off in my throat. I held on tighter, as though my life depended on it. The buzzing continued, on-off-on-off, slow. Somebody nearby hissed at me. I tried to ignore it. I wanted to listen. A man approached and murmured,

“Twój telefon dzwoni.”

I shook my head, tried to indicate I was busy.

“Twój telefon,” he said again, more forcefully. He pointed at me. He lifted a hand to the side of his face and extended the little finger and thumb. “Twój telefon.” I closed my eyes, listened for one more second, then admitted I knew what he meant. My phone was still ringing when I slid it out of the back pocket of my jeans, its face a luminous green and your name flashing on the screen. Then it stopped, and the phone said (2) missed calls. Both were from you. I looked up to thank the man, though what I felt was more like boiling rage – it was his fault, after all, that I could no longer feel what I was feeling before – but he was gone. I let myself lean against the pillar, and breathed out. I called you back. The phone played a rippling sound as it waited for you to


− EMOTION −

Travel notebook by MARK HIX

Photography by MING TANG-EVANS

Words in collaboration with

VIVIAN SONG

For acclaimed British chef Mark Hix, cooking is a form of storytelling and, to avoid telling the same, staid stories, it’s important to seek out

new experiences and inspiration. As an avid traveller and fishing aficionado, Hix journeyed to Shenzhen, South China, where his

search for new flavours and tastes took him from the city’s sprawling markets to off-the-radar eateries on the water.

Raw scallop ceviche and deep fried seaweed, a dish created by Mark Hix at Raffles Shenzhen, inspired by his stay.

Opposite pageMark plating his dish in the kitchen of Yun Jing, Raffles Shenzhen.


As a chef and restaurateur, I was looking forward to this culinary expedition for the chance to try new foods and discover new flavours from a country with which I had but a passing acquaintance. Throughout my travels, I’ve only ever passed through China on quick stopovers en route to countries

such as Australia or New Zealand. But, each time, I’ve always made an effort to peel off from my party, set off on my own and try the various local delicacies. I’ll never forget my initiation to snake at a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Peninsula. It was my first time trying the slithering reptilian delicacy. And what was supposed to be a novelty experience turned out to be quite a delicious one. That same night, I also ventured into the city and tried sea cucumbers at a restaurant set inside an impressive high-rise block. On this particular trip to Asia, though, I’ve travelled an hour north of Hong Kong to Shenzhen, in the Guangdong province, to stay at the newly built gleaming Raffles hotel which occupies the top floors of a 72-storey tower. And this time, I’m delighted to be able to set my bags down in this part of Asia for longer than 24 hours.

Today, Shenzhen might be dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of hardware’ but, just 30 years ago, the city was nothing more than a small fishing village of 30,000 people. Fast forward to 2019, and it has morphed into a tech hub of colossal size, serving a population of 12 million, and with a growing cultural and gastronomic scene. Today, the metropolis and the surrounding Pearl River Delta are home to a diversified tech industry with a focus on hard-drive manufacturing. As a result, it’s now one of the wealthiest cities in the country: Shenzhen’s real estate ranking is higher than even Beijing and Shanghai. But exploring Shenzhen’s lightning-speed growth isn’t why I’m here. As a chef and restaurateur, it’s my love for Asian food that has brought me to this part of the world. As soon as I landed, even before fully acclimatising to the weather – noticeably sunnier and warmer than the dismal grey dampness I left behind in London – I couldn’t wait to feel the city’s pulse, to explore its cuisine, learn about what the locals eat here, how they cook and why.

The urban jungle I had just set foot in was all very impressive, especially from my hotel room perched up on the 38th floor of the new 400-metre skyscraper glinting in the early sunlight. When I stepped out of the lift onto the 71st floor, where the hotel bar is found, I was taken aback by yet more spectacular city vistas of the Shenzhen Bay area, where towering skyscrapers merged with the far-away mountains and hills beyond in Hong Kong. To the left is the Shenzhen sports complex that surrounds a sea inlet which runs into various canals and reminds me of the Miami waterways. Next to the sports complex is a sculpturally interesting building: a towering 400-metre skyscraper that made me think of the bullet-shaped Gherkin landmark in London. This is the headquarters of China Resources, a state-owned conglomerate, also known locally as the ‘bamboo shoot’ for its rounded top. From where I’m sitting, Hong Kong looks pretty small. As my eyes get used to the golden light above the cityscape, they begin to pick out a smattering of oyster farms set on either side of the bridge to Hong Kong.

Shortly after settling into the hotel, I sat down to dinner at Yun Jing, the hotel’s contemporary Cantonese restaurant. Set on the 70th floor, it comes with the same incredible panoramic views of the bay as from my room. Yun Jing offers four set menus of eight courses full of interesting ingredients, which I was desperate to try.

London-based lifestyle photographer Ming Tang-Evans covers a diverse range of topics from food and interiors to travel. Ming Tang-Evans has photographed features for Condé Nast Traveller, the Lonely Planet and Wallpaper* City Guides. For this issue of Raffles Magazine, he travelled to Shenzhen, China, with British chef Mark Hix to document a culinary adventure.

MING TANG-EVANS

Spectacular city views from Raffles Shenzhen.

Epic panoramas show Shenzhen Bay, the

headquarters of China Resources, Shenzhen

sports complex and downtown Shenzhen.

Although best known for his carvery concept restaurant Tramshed in London’s Shoreditch, set against the backdrop of one of artist Damien Hirst’s signature-style installations of animals conserved in fish tanks, the renowned British chef, restaurateur and author, Mark Hix, has six top-ranked restaurants in England and has authored numerous cookbooks. He was also appointed an MBE Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services in the British hospitality industry in 2016.

MARK HIX


“That’s why I was there: to challenge and awaken my palate and make new

epicurean discoveries.”

A FEAST OF PIGEON EGG SOUP, PREMIUM PORK STEW AND ‘PARASITIC FUNGUS’

The menu was excitingly new and mysterious to me, with foods and dishes I’d never heard of before. That’s why I was there: to challenge and awaken my palate and make new epicurean discoveries. I took a stab in the dark and started off with ‘New Zealand jellyfish shrimp’ (langoustine or Dublin Bay prawns). That was followed by an intense double-boiled pigeon egg soup with matsutake mushrooms, prized in Asia for their spiciness. Next came a slow-stewed Kurobuta pork meat (basically the pork equivalent of Wagyu beef ), which could easily have been featured on a gastronomic French tasting menu. The flurry of dishes continued with lightly steamed abalone, served in their shell and presented on flaming sea salt crystals – and lobster dumpling in a crisp coating with dried, powdered fried-egg-flavoured seasoning.

But the most interesting dish of the night, the one that stayed with me long after the meal, was simmered wild bamboo fungus in winter melon broth. Being a real mushroom fiend, it piqued my interest immediately. It certainly looked strange – a bit like pig’s mesh-like caul fat hanging from a mushroom cap which looks like a cross between a morel and a parasol mushroom. It was also served with fried rice-paper roll filled with Cordyceps, perhaps one of the planet’s most fascinating fungi. Not familiar with it? It’s also known as zombi fungus, for being a parasitic fungus that feasts on insects and other arthropods. The edible kind, however, has a delicious flavour and texture.

SEA TO TABLE DINING

As an avid fisher, I take my fishing tackle wherever I go. So when my tour guide and translator Michael Yang, Shenzhen-based but originally from the north east of China, announced that we would be getting some fishing in during our trip, I was all set to go, especially as I always like to anticipate a meal to cook with what I catch. But it’s never easy to predict what you’ll catch. Michael had organised a boat for the day, which would collect us from Dapeng, just off Jiaochangwei Beach, to the east of Shenzhen, where a local fishing community still thrives.

Alas, it was the squid season and I didn’t come prepared, so we stopped by a local tackle shop where I stocked up on lures and spinners for the trip, and also gifts for my fishing companions back home. Tackle shopping spree aside, one of the most poignant scenes that etched itself on my brain that day was seeing a woman out back from the shop, sitting on a

Mark Hix takes a short shuttle boat from the beach to a low-key floating restaurant for dinner.

The freshest, locally caught prawns, simply steamed and delicious.

The still-live seafood is weighed and priced before being cooked.


stool, in a world of her own, making dumplings. This was probably nothing more than a part of her daily routine, preparing dinner for the family, but it was a sight that stood out for me. I couldn’t imagine going to a tackle shop back home and stumbling upon someone making something similar, like Cornish pasties, in the back.

We fished for a couple hours without much luck, to be honest. The boats around us were much more successful, I suspect because they had local insider knowledge. Speaking of local knowledge, Michael took us to his favourite restaurant in the area which was just off the beach, set amidst a cluster of floating restaurants. They were nothing more than simple rafts accessible only by a small shuttle boat from the beach; exactly the kind of unique culinary experience I was looking for.

Upon arrival, we were motioned to a hole in the deck with a series of cages containing the catch of the day. As the diner, you choose which fish and shellfish you want prepared for your meal. Your selection is weighed on great big old scales which look like they’ve been used for decades, and for hundreds of meals before you. Our enthusiasm and excitement got the better of us, and we went slightly overboard with our order. Our plates were piled high with spiny local lobster (the kind that comes without claws), tiger prawns and Turban snails, a horned mollusc that’s a local delicacy. Everything was prepared very simply, without sauces and with very little else apart from ginger, chilli and green onions sprinkled on the steamed squid.

Our selection of fish came quickly, as soon as it was prepared and cooked. This is my kind of food: ridiculously fresh, simple, no-frills cooking that allow the ingredients to speak for themselves. Michael ordered his favourite dish, sea urchin fried rice cooked with lots of fragrant spring onions. It was the perfect addition to our seafood feast.

YAM CAKES AT THE BUFFET, LYCHEES AT THE MARKET

The next day, with the memory of our wonderful trip over the water still fresh in my mind, I was looking forward to delving deeper into what the city had to offer. We started with breakfast at the hotel, a thoughtful mix of Western and local Chinese offerings that included homemade breads and pastries, steamed and sesame buns and yam cakes, and noodle stations where dishes are made-to-order. My go-to station was the Chinese buffet line, where I indulged in my personal favourite, chicken feet, and beef flank with bean curd sticks. I would also recommend the cheung fun, rice noodle rolls from Southern China made-to-order with various fillings and presented in steamer boxes. I could have stayed here all day, sampling every dish while gazing out at the bay views. The only thing that could tear me away from the buffet was the promise of visiting a local wholesale produce and seafood market, led by Michael.

The ground floor of the Meilin market brims with fresh local produce, including an impressive array of teas, dried mushrooms, and fresh fish. Despite the vendors’ booths having a high-end, boutique-like appearance, the produce here is of very good value when compared with food prices back in England.

As it was lychee season, the market was bustling with traders selling baskets of the freshly harvested plump red fruit, which still hung on their branches. I also came across bayberries, which looked like a cross between a lychee and a blackberry. Inspired, I decided to take some back to the hotel to make a bayberry sour cocktail as a nod to one of my speciality cocktails. In London, at my Hix Soho restaurant’s Mark’s Bar downstairs, we make various seasonal sours based on the classic gin sour, and my favourite is the Temperley Sour using my friend Julian Temperley’s Somerset cider brandy. In autumn, we add blackberry syrup to it, with a fresh blackberry popped in the glass as a variation on our popular classic.

FINDING LOCAL CHINESE SPIRITS AND PIZZA

To go with these inspiring ingredients, I also set out to find Chinese wine and a local spirit at the market. The local tipple is made with grain called sorghum and, oddly, is sold by the kilo instead of by the litre – at least that’s what l understood. The shop I discovered was stacked wall-to-wall with all sorts

An abundance of exotic and unusual ingredients on sale at Meilin market.

Meilin market’s brilliantly coloured bayberries.

Mark Hix’s special bayberry gin sour cocktail prepared at Raffles Shenzhen.

Fresh seed pods of the lotus flower on sale at Meilin market.

Lychee season in fullswing at Meilin market.

− EMOTION −


A DAY OF DISCOVERY AT SHEKOU SEAFOOD MARKET

To add to my culinary journey, my visit to Shekou seafood market, a major local seafood market, with Johnny Lai, the chef at Raffles Shenzhen, was also a highlight. Shekou used to be part of the fishing port and is just 15 minutes from the hotel. A good fish market should never smell fishy. Shekou smelled of the sea instead, a scent which can be traced back to the bowls of live seafood bathed in continually fresh running water. It’s a far cry from our fish markets back home, where dead fish sit on ice.

Johnny and I, both being chefs, wanted to sample some of the seafood on offer together. My Chinese language skills are non-existent, so I would mime and point at what I wanted to try and Johnny would do the talking. When I cook there’s nothing better than being face to face with the ingredients for inspiration. I came across local razor clams which looked shorter and stubbier than those I am used to, and outside the market I found some beans that were similar to soya beans. The combination inspired me to revisit a dish I’ve been making for years – razor clams with chorizo and broad bean – and give it a Chinese twist, replacing broad beans with soya beans and chorizo with the Chinese roast pork like the one I saw at the breakfast buffet.

of spirits. Big stone urns sat on the floor full of different types of grain spirit, which could be tasted before buying and could either be taken home in one’s own vessel or one purchased from the vendor. If I had to compare it to something, I would say that Chinese grain spirit is evocative of grappa. I picked out a well-balanced one.

After the market, Michael took me on a brief visit to Nantou Old Town, one of Shenzhen’s last surviving villages. These are dense neighbourhoods where old fishing and farming communities jostle with classic street-food vendors that line narrow streets and alleyways. We even stumbled upon a Chinese pizzeria, which reminded me of naan bread doused with hot chilli sauce. The streets in these parts of town are sinewy and locals live in single-room spaces that open out onto the streets. While the living conditions are not as modern as the city’s high-rises, the villages are reminders of Shenzhen’s roots and provide travellers with a taste of its history and culture.

Among the jumble of streets, I found lots of stands specialising in mushrooms and managed to find both the Cordyceps and bamboo fungus tasted the previous day. I couldn’t leave Shenzhen without these fascinating fungi so bought a few bags so that I could experiment with them back in London. I could happily have filled my suitcase with dried foodstuffs from the market like dried abalone, sea cucumbers and all sorts of other dried fish. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off for a spot of culture at OCT-LOFT project, which reminded me of up-and-coming areas of London in their early days, like Shoreditch, or Downtown LA in the United States. It’s a creative hub for start-ups, galleries, fashion brands, and you’ll also find an offshoot of the Istituto Marangoni fashion school. The area is brimming with young, fresh energy.

As a dynamic metropolis, Shenzhen is a creative hotbed that attracts all kinds of people. Michael had told me that the standard local greeting when meeting someone new in Shenzhen is “Where are you from?” as people come from all over the country to make the most of the city’s new economic opportunities. As a hub for start-ups, Shenzhen is seen as a bit of an El Dorado, a land of opportunity where dreams can come true. The city is seen as an embodiment of the Chinese proverb, “Tian gao, Huangdi yuan,” which translates to ‘The mountain is high and the emperor far away.”

Chinese grain spirit being poured into a clay vessel.

Seaweed, razor clams and scallops from Shekou market.

One of the many art-cum-leisure spaces at OCT-LOFT.

Collecting ingredients from Shekou market.

Chefs Mark Hix and Johnny Lai pick up fish at the market.

− EMOTION −


I also spotted a version of a scallop which I had tried in Tokyo 20 or so years ago, a shellfish that looked like an overgrown mussel. I’d never tried cooking them before so they went into our basket too. In my head, I was already writing an impromptu recipe: to dress the scallops, I would segment fresh yuzu from the hotel kitchens and chili to add a kick of flavour.

We wandered around the market a little longer, looking for the ingredients Johnny needed to make his signature lobster dish, which involves caviar, rice wine and lobster ‘custard’ for the base. We both caught sight of bright blue-shelled abalone, which I’d never seen before. Curiosity got the better of me and of course they had to go in the shopping basket also, as I could envisage how beautiful they would look presented artfully on the dinner plate.

On our last day in the city, Johnny rustled up a delicious meal as a send-off that had all the fullness in flavour we sampled on our very first night here. Thanks to an in-depth crash course on Shenzhen cuisine with my knowledgeable guides, although we had only spent four days in the city I felt like we had been here for a lifetime – like I knew it well. I was leaving with a head full of flavours and a bag full of ingredients I couldn’t wait to experiment with back home. I only hoped I could be back again soon, to explore this fascinating country of a great many culinary cultures even further.

Chef Johnny Lai tasting the meal created together with chef Mark Hix.

Chef Johnny Lai plating up his

signaturelobster dish.

In the kitchen of fine dining restaurant Yun Jing at Raffles Shenzhen.

Mark Hix enjoys the meal created together with Johnny Lai.

Among the dishes created during his trip: razor clams, soya beans and Chinese roast pork.

Views from the 70th-floor Yun Jing restaurant.

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 63

Photo essay byALEXIS ARMANET

Words in collaboration withROOKSANA HOSSENALLY

We slip behind the red curtain of the Moulin Rouge with photographer Alexis Armanet as the world-famous cabaret celebrated its 130th

anniversary. Camera in hand, he roams its dark corridors lined with soft velvet that crushes slightly to the touch, capturing and vividly bringing to life the textures and materials of the costumes and décors, as an ode to the

delicate craftsmanship away from the hot lights and glittering stage.

− EMOTION −


EMOTION

Agreat many stars, from Edith Piaf to Frank Sinatra, have performed on the stage of this Parisian landmark, which symbolises all the jaunty buoyancy and flamboyance of the Belle Époque period of Paris, which is also the home city of

Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris. We delve into the Moulin Rouge’s rarely seen quarters to get a sense for what makes up its unique allure.

The most famous cabaret in the world, known for its high-kicking cancan dancers, still draws the crowds who travel far and wide for a chance to marvel at its windmill’s neon-red sails and bask in the bright lights of the dazzling shows masterfully performed by the 60-strong troupe. An enchanted microcosm where every night is a celebration, it is founded upon the traditions and heritage that live on within its red walls. However, the magic not only lies in the dancers’ performances, but also in the craftsmanship behind the shimmery costumes and the antique interiors that pull you further into its rich history.

Alexis Armanet takes us to the heart of this landmark, through the labyrinthine passages that lie backstage to the dressing rooms and costume ateliers brimming with ribbons, feathers and accessories. His photographic journey reveals the lesser-known side of the Moulin Rouge – making it almost tangible – in celebration of this storied Parisian icon. By capturing its artisanal traditions, we are encouraged to imagine running our fingers along the prickly sequinned costumes painstakingly sewn by hand and feeling the silky softness of the props stacked along the walls.

− EMOTION −

The first word that often springs to mind when people think of a show at the Moulin Rouge is ‘feathers’. And there are lots of feathers everywhere you look on stage and backstage. Light, cheerful and feminine, they instantly bring to mind the devoted team of dancers and, of course, the feather that dances on the dancers’ heads as they perform the cancan finale.

A portrait and landscape photographer, a poet, a lover of all things seen and unseen, Alexis Armanet captures fleeting life moments and immortalises them for various publications including Le Monde’s magazine M, Architectural Digest, T: the New York Times Style Magazine, Air France Magazine and more.

ALEXIS ARMANET

Left Colourful feather boas lined up and waiting in the wings before having their moment to shine on stage once more.

Previous page, left The Moulin Rouge was the first building to be powered by electricity in Paris and it owes its bright iconic façade to designer Adolphe Léon Willette. When shows were on, its lights would illuminate the dark streets of Paris, while the interior reflected the glamour of the era with mirrored walls and crystal chandeliers, which still dazzle visitors today.

RAFFLES MAGAZINE66

A seamstress from Maison Valentin at work before a show, replacing a costume’s missing sequins. The team, devoted to arts and crafts since 2003, are masters in embroidery, bringing elegance and refinement to the show’s costumes – it’s craftsmanship at its finest.

Each new performance needs new outfits, materials and sparkling jewels – with each dancer required to make between ten and 15 costume changes per show. These are all crafted in the workshops that have been supplying the cabaret for decades.

The Moulin Rouge has its own feather atelier,

which you can find in the cabaret backstage. It’s

called Maison Février and it’s been making

fabulous feather boas and headpieces, body suits and

other apparel and props for the shows since 1929.

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 67


“Delve into the Moulin Rouge’s rarely seen quarters...”

The dimly lit corridors are lined with sparkling set props

expertly crafted by the cabaret’s team of artisans, whose dedication

to their art is clear.

A whole team is on call to mend and create costumes helmed by the talented costume-maker Mine Verges. She knows by instinct which fabrics and materials, synthetic or natural, to choose so that they enhance the choreography of the show. And the atelier tables are full of exquisite sparkling jewels, ribbons and accessories that evoke magic of the cabaret.

One of the more elaborate headpieces found backstage at the Moulin Rouge – a team effort between Maison Février’s savoir-faire with feathers and costume designer Mine Verges’ keen eye for detail.


EMOTION

The abundance of costumes spilling out of boxes and

hanging in corridors and dressing rooms are all

unique in texture and form.

One of Alexis Armanet’s favourite places that he discovered during his exploration of the Moulin Rouge was the costume and feather atelier, which is tucked in the wings of the cabaret and is lined with boxes bursting with sequins and ribbons. All the seamstresses know exactly where everything is stored.

A backstage tour of the Moulin Rouge reveals

flamboyant pieces from the stage stored in the cabaret’s

corridors, nooks and crannies.


Inspirational notebook byANNE FLIPO

Words in collaboration with VIVIAN SONG

Lined by crystal-clear turquoise waters, the Seychelles is a tropical haven of fragrant forests, exotic flowers and sweet spices. If one could capture the Seychelles’ unique fragrance, what would it smell like? On her first visit to the archipelago, master perfumer

Anne Flipo, the creative ‘nose’ behind some of the world’s most renowned perfumes, takes an olfactory journey through the island

of Praslin, using Raffles Seychelles as her base.

− EMOTION −

Beneath a lush green canopy in

the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve on

Praslin Island.


I will always remember the moment I emerged from the plane and took my first steps on Praslin Island in the Seychelles. It could only be described as sensory overload – in the best way possible.

I remember how the fatigue and stress of my Parisian life as a master perfumer seemed to evaporate with every inhalation of the lemongrass-scented, salty sea air. Like adjusting from darkness to broad daylight, I remember how my eyes needed to acclimatise to the many nuanced, technicolour hues of greens and blues of the island – colours my eyes had never beheld before. The memory of my latest business trip to Madrid just days before my flight to the Seychelles for the launch of the latest perfume I worked on fades as the colours of the island come into focus.

I am a long, long way from my office in Paris and my usual international business circuit: New York, Shanghai, São Paulo and Singapore. Although beautiful in their own way, most cosmopolitan cities choke under a fog of pollution and particles. I’ve always thought of it as though we were living in a constant state of apnea; like living underwater where you’re forced to hold your breath.

In Paris, for instance, I would never take deep, deliberate breaths. But here on Praslin Island, I find myself gulping in the saline, sweet, perfumed air and filling my lungs with it as though it were an air purifier, inhaling the good, exhaling the toxins. As a perfumer, my nose is always ‘switched on’ and I am constantly attuned to my olfactory surroundings. I liken it to being a professional violinist or pianist who is never without their instrument. I confess I knew little about my destination before this trip. But, in preparation, I did a little light reading and learned that the Seychelles is made up of 115 granite and coal islands in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa.

My first destination, Praslin, is the second-largest island in the Seychelles after Mahé, the capital of the archipelago, and is home to around 6,500 locals.

“If one could capture the Seychelles’ unique fragrance, what would it smell like?”

− EMOTION −

Raffles Seychelles, located on the north-eastern tip of Praslin Island.

Anne Flipo is a master perfumer in Paris with IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) and has created unique fragrances for luxury beauty brands such as Giorgio Armani, Jo Malone London, Lanvin, Lancôme, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent. A number of renowned perfumes are among her creations, including La Vie est Belle (Lancôme) and Miss Boucheron. For the duration of her stay, Anne was a guest of Raffles Seychelles on the island of Praslin.

ANNE FLIPO

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 77

“Having grown up near the ocean, I find the fragrance of seaweed, fish and marine life

comforting and familiar.”

PARIS WARSAW ISTANBUL DUBAI MAKKAH SEYCHELLES MALDIVES SINGAPORE SIEM REAP PHNOM PENH MANILA JAKARTA HAINAN SHENZHENUPCOMING: UDAIPUR LONDON BOSTON

,

RAFFLES_BOOK_ADVERT_V2.indd 1 20/03/2019 11:22

Along with two stunning white sand beaches, Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, Praslin’s crown jewels, is its Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, an ancient, 20-hectare palm forest that can be traced back to prehistoric times. As I begin to explore my tropical surroundings, I can’t help but marvel at the freshness of it, the brightness of it all.

I’m surprised by the smell of the sea, and how closely it resembles the Atlantic Ocean. For some reason, I thought it would be milder. Having grown up near the ocean, I find the fragrance of seaweed, fish and marine life comforting and familiar. The base notes of the ocean are spiked by top notes of crisp and tonic lemongrass which grow in abundance on the island and awaken the senses.

SPICE JOURNEY THROUGH THE SEYCHELLES

This sense of marvel is awakened again during an olfactory visit of island spices with Chef Robyn at Raffles Seychelles’ Danzil Bar Lounge. Until then, I had always believed allspice to be a mix of spices. Imagine my surprise when the chef debunks this long-held assumption by introducing me to fresh allspice leaves, a spice that comes from a single plant.

I would make its acquaintance again during a jungle trek into the ancient forests of the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve with my guide Sean, where cinnamon trees and allspice plants grow wildly. It’s not hard to see how, upon visiting the Vallée de Mai in the 19th century, British officer Major-General Charles George Gordon (also known as Gordon of Khartoum following his death during a military operation in Khartoum, Egypt) would proclaim with unwavering conviction, that the stunning, ancient forests were the original site of the Garden of Eden. Today, the Vallée de Mai is one of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Seychelles, along with change to Aldabra, one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls.

Meanwhile, when Sean challenges me to guess the type of plant from its smell, I mistake allspice for nutmeg. How can one single plant emit such a rich, heady mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper?

Similarly, I thought I knew cinnamon well as I use its spiciness and heat to warm up fragrances. It’s not the easiest spice to work with and must be used sparingly, as its strength

− EMOTION −

A coco de mer palm tree in the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.


can be overpowering in perfume. But upon smelling fresh cinnamon bark and fresh cinnamon leaves plucked straight off the tree, I see this ingredient in a new light and understand how fresh, uplifting and sprightly it can be. Nothing like the dried, pulverised cinnamon we get back home. I make mental notes to experiment with cinnamon – fresh cinnamon – back home at the lab.

Like the local cinnamon, hearing Seychellois Creole evokes a sense of familiarity and newness at the same time. Though I’m able to catch snippets of the French-based language, it’s also wonderfully foreign and new. Along with English and French, Creole – a lilting, French-based patois – is an official language in the Seychelles.

Bonjour becomes “bonzour”; the French expression for “I don’t know”, “Je ne comprends pas” is “Mon pa konpran” while “How are you?” or “Comment ça va?” becomes “Ki dir?” If allspice is a discovery, cinnamon and Creole represent surprise and revelation. While at Raffles Seychelles, meal times consist of flaky, tender fish perfumed with coconut milk and warm island spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, while cocktails are made with fresh fruit plucked straight from backyards.

When a downpour thwarts our visit to the Kot Man-Ya Exotic Flower Garden on Mahé Island, owner and retired Seychelles Ambassador to the United States and United Nations, Marc Marengo prepares a simple drink made with passion fruit and lime harvested from his garden, ice, sugar and a dash of salt.

Kot Man-Ya is a labour of love that was eight years in the making. Marengo opened his private garden to the public in 2008, bringing in 200 varieties of tropical plants and orchids. The garden is a small ecosystem in itself, with giant tortoises, guinea pigs, rabbits, green geckos, frogs and exotic bird species living happily together. The garden also grows papaya, breadfruit, passion fruit, star fruit, yams, mangoes, bananas, curry leaves and lemongrass.

I’ve tried to recreate the cocktails back in Paris. But without fruits grown from Seychelles soil, it just isn’t the same. If I summon all my memories, I can taste it now, the pleasurable sensation of crunching the seeds between my teeth and the tart, bright flavours of the fruits.

Exotic fruits make for wonderful points of departure in fragrances with their juicy, sweet, ripe aromas. During my trip, I come across fresh star fruit, coconuts and papaya, and discover for the first time jackfruit, which smells of mango and pineapple when ripe, and pawpaw with its custard-like flesh. During an expedition to Fond Ferdinand on Praslin Island, I’m astonished when I pick up the husk from a coco de mer, which translates to ‘coconut of the sea’, a remarkable fruit known as being the world’s largest seed (they weigh in at about 25kg) and for its suggestive shape. The husk gives off a beautiful aroma of freshly cut, juicy pineapple, again inspiring the perfumer in me.

THE BOOMERANG EFFECT

During a bike ride along La Digue island, just a short boat ride from Praslin, I remember noticing the number of households that grow their own fruits and vegetables and how happy the Seychellois seem to be living so close to nature. So perfectly sublime is the setting, for a moment I wonder if I’m on a Hollywood film set: everything is just as charming as it should be, no more no less. As I pedal under a warm, tropical sun, I find myself wistfully fantasising about how wonderful it would be to live in such simplicity.

The pace of life here is slow and languid, such a stark contrast to the life I lead back home in Paris where the soundtrack to life is the constant honking of scooters and motorists, and time is squeezed at both ends. Here, time is frozen, with ox-driven carts and old-fashioned bicycles the main forms of transportation. I understand it better when locals tell me the islands have a boomerang effect: more often than not, Seychellois who leave the islands eventually make their way back home.

I’m glad I was able to do the bulk of my excursions and tours at the beginning of my trip, because on my last day a powerful downpour is battering the island. I manage to make quick rounds of Le Jardin du Roi Spice on Mahé island, inspired by 18th-century spice gardens planted by the French to promote spice trading in the colonies. At the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens also on Mahé island, I sniff patchouli leaves and creamy white gardenias, letting the rain soak me head to toe. The tropical gardens span five acres and date back more than a century, housing a diverse

− EMOTION −

The large leaves of the Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, also known as ensete or Ethiopian black banana.


collection of stunning, native orchids and other exotic plants and flowers, spices and fruit trees. Permanent residents also include families of giant tortoises from Aldabra (the world’s second-largest atoll part of the outer islands of the Seychelles), some of which are over 150 years old, and colonies of fruit bats that reside in the trees overhead.

In the Seychelles the rain is warm and soothing, like being under a tepid shower. The smell of wet earth fills the air, and I feel cleansed, detoxed and comforted.

Along with the olfactory and visual stimulation of the island beauty, I’m continually struck by the warmth and genuineness of the Seychellois I meet. Their love for the island runs deep and genuine. They are proud of the jewel they call home, conscious of the fragile heritage they collectively own, and fierce guardians of their island. Over two centuries, the island’s fabled beauty has attracted everyone from freed slaves, European settlers, political exiles, traders, and Chinese and Indian voyageurs. Today, about 90,000 people are lucky enough to live in this paradise year-round.

As my time in the Seychelles comes to a close, I think about how powerfully fragrant the island is and start to compose a formula in my head. “The best perfumers are storytellers. We aim to evoke powerful emotions in a single spritz; emotions that transport both the user and the people around them to a particular moment, memory, time or place.”

Were I to try and bottle the Seychelles and its sights and sounds, I know it would have to have notes of lemongrass and the sea. To evoke water, I would add notes of sea salt. To evoke the sun and the blue of the skies, the blue of the waters and of the lagoons, I could use coconut, jasmine and the freshness of bergamot. To evoke the ancient coco de mer forests of Praslin, basil for notes of green. To round out the olfactory journey, I could try to evoke the pineapple from the husks of the coco de mer, local native vanilla and exotic fruits such as papaya and star fruit.

On my way home, my mind unavoidably turns to a big work project that awaits me in Paris. But I feel recharged and inspired. Although I am no longer young, the revelations of this trip have taught me that I have so much more to discover – and I can’t wait to return with my husband and share some of my discoveries.

“If I summon all my memories, I can taste

it now, the pleasurable sensation of crunching the seeds between my teeth.”

Tabebuia rosea, also called pink

poui, and rosy trumpet tree.

Vanilla at Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, Praslin Island, Seychelles.

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CURATIONA curated selection of unique objects, products and styles for the

sophisticated traveller, and city highlights that make a destination unique…

DESTINATIONS STYLES

Courtyard Tea Room, Boston

© B

init

a P

atel


− CURATION −

1 Queen of Swords

In the heart of artsy Somerville,

this light-filled boutique

stocks small-batch, ethically-

made clothing, homeware

and jewellery. The brands

are mostly run by women,

or are local to Massachusetts.

shopqueenofswords.com

2 Walking Tour of Back Bay

Back Bay features one of the

best preserved examples of

19th-century American urban

architecture. Highlights include

the Boston Public Library and

Trinity Church.

3 Wink & Nod

Every six months, this innovative

culinary incubator in the South

End introduces a new ingénue

chef, alongside a tipsy menu of

seasonal craft cocktails.

winkandnod.com

4 Bully Boy Distillers

A customised 750-gallon copper

pot still sets the mood for Bully

Boy’s imaginative drinks menu of

limited editions or test batches of

whiskeys and rums.

bullyboydistillers.com

5 Brattle Book Shop

Since 1825, bibliophiles looking

for second-hand, out-of-print

or rare editions have flocked to

this charming three-storey

West Street landmark.

brattlebookshop.com

BOSTON

From the historic Back Bay neighbourhood where the Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences will open its doors, to local craft distillers and boutiques

bursting with antiques, discover ten of Boston’s most unique addresses.

6 Farm & Fable

Abby Flanagan scours workshops

across America, sourcing chic

handmade home accessories,

which she stocks in her minimalist

South End store alongside vintage

and antique kitchenware.

farmandfable.com

7 Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Centre

Named after the late real estate

tycoon, this fascinating spot in

the Boston Public Library McKim

Building is a treasure trove of

250,000 rare and historical

maps and atlases.

leventhalmap.org

8 Courtyard Tea Room

A gracious Italianate courtyard

in the Boston Public Library is

the escapist setting for elegant

afternoon tea with Maine Lobster

sandwiches and blueberry cobbler.

librarytea.com

9 Marika’s Antique Shop

Owner Matthew Raisz’s

Hungarian grandmother opened

this Aladdin’s cave of silver,

jewellery and porcelain back in

the 1950s, and it’s still the place

for covetable collectibles.

130 Charles Street

10 Drink Fort Point

Cocooned in a chicly converted

wool warehouse, this Congress

Street bar specialises in cocktails,

especially Prohibition era classics

and bespoke tipples hit with

seasonal ingredients.

drinkfortpoint.com

Illustrations by MICHELE TRANQUILLINI


− CURATION −

1 The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara

Originally designed to house

the private collection of local

tycoon Haryanto Adikoesoemo,

the MACAN features a first-rate

collection of modern and

contemporary of both Indonesian

and international art.

museummacan.org

2 Jalan Kampung Lima food stalls

This little side street is the local

go-to spot for delicious Javanese

fare, such as spicy fried chicken,

curries and crisp banana fritters.

3 Cork & Screw Country Club

Styled like a Balinese retreat

in the bucolic grounds of the

Senayan National Golf Club, this

restaurant features authentic

Indonesian and western dishes.

corknscrewjkt.com

4 1/15 Coffee

The monochromatic palette

of hipster coffee specialist

1/15’s new Kemang outpost

is an Instagram darling, but

the main draw is the superbly

brewed coffee.

1-15coffee.com

5 ROH Projects

With quiet élan and authority,

ROH focuses on modern

contemporary art in Indonesia and

Asia Pacific – its all-white gallery

is a haven for emerging artists.

rohprojects.net

6 D.Classic

Inspired by an upscale Ginza bar,

this elegant speakeasy has no drinks

menu. Instead, tipples are created,

like an omakase meal, according to

each guest’s personal taste.

facebook.com/DClassic.Jakarta

7 Rumah Makan Medan Baru

Aficionados of Aceh-style nasi

padang rave about Medan Baru’s

no-frills setting and menu. The

favourites here are the fish head

curry and creamy beef rendang.

rumahmakanmedanbaru. business.site

8 Oemah Etnik

Wrapped in bold colours and

flattering silhouettes, local brand

Oemah Etnik shows that ethnic

fashion can be freshly youthful,

modern and yet feminine.

oemahetnik.com

9 Ciputra Artpreneur

Indonesia’s only multi-arts

centre includes galleries, exhibition

halls and a 1,200 seat theatre,

alongside property magnate

Dr (HC) Ir. Ciputra’s private collection

of contemporary and modern art.

ciputraartpreneur.com

10 Kota Tua Jakarta (Old Town)

The original colonial Dutch centre

is a fascinating contrast to Jakarta’s

buzzing metropolis. The antique

houses, museums, bridge and

churches are charming echoes

of old Europe.

JAKARTA

Explore the unique local culture of the Indonesian capital, from its colonial old town to its contemporary art scene and golf club retreats, without forgetting

to savour its burgeoning food scene and craft coffee made with local beans.


− CURATION −

1 LOWE

A self-proclaimed ‘relaxed eatery’,

dishing up contemporary cuisine,

using seasonal ingredients. Come

for the food and stay for the

coffee and lively local ambiance.

lowe-dubai.com

2 Art Dubai

The art fair to attend, it has helped

shape Dubai to be one of the

leading global destinations for

art, design and culture. The 14th

Edition returns in March 2020.

artdubai.ae

3 Marea Dubai

The celebrated New York

Michelin-starred Italian restaurant

Marea Duab has opened its latest

location in the much buzzed about

DIFC neighbourhood.

marearestaurant.com/dubai

4 Mohammed Bin Rashid Library

This new library is expected to

open in 2020 and cost $272

million to complete. The seven-

storey structure is shaped like an

open book and houses no less

than 4.5 million books.

dm.gov.ae

5 Jameel Arts Centre

The new waterfront museum

dedicated to contemporary art,

overlooking Dubai Creek, houses

ten galleries, a library and

research centre, desert gardens,

and relaxing open spaces.

jameelartscentre.org

6 Bluewaters Island

An urban shopping destination, this

island has 132 shops, restaurants and

attractions such as the soon-to-be-

opened Ain Dubai, the world’s largest

observation wheel, and it even has

its own beach, Cove Beach.

bluewatersdubai.ae/ en

7 Alici

Alici serves food inspired by the

Amalfi Coast. The fresh seafood

dishes paired with the jaw-dropping

view of the Dubai Marina make for

an unforgettable dining experience.

alici.com

8 The London Project

A trendy restaurant and bar that

brings a bit of eclectic London to

Dubai. The space itself, lushly

decorated with plants, revolves

around fashion, art and music.

thelondonproject.com

9 Deira Islands Night Souk

The Night Souk located on Deira

Islands proudly touts being the

world’s largest night market with a

stunning boardwalk and countless

dining and shopping options.

nakheel.com/en

10 The Arts Club Dubai

The Arts Club is a highly sought

after exclusive members-only

club that originated in London.

The Dubai venue is opening in

the DIFC area in 2020.

theartsclub.co.uk

DUBAI

While Dubai needs no introduction, take time to explore the city’s new places as the emirate gets ready for Expo 2020, from

restaurants to exclusive boutiques and a dynamic arts scene.


− CURATION −

Lady Dior This nature-themed bag is

perfect for that special outing

MadLab A beautiful wooden box to

store your travel treasures

Leica Get ready to photograph your

day and surroundings

Fine and Candy Hand-made Portuguese

notebooks for jotting memories

Assouline Inspirational book on

flowers in the arts and media

Versace Evoke spring with this crystal

flower necklace

Louis Vuitton Timeless, luxury notebook for

reflections on your travels

S.T. Dupont A pen to help you rediscover the

pleasure of putting ink on paper

Fine and Candy Send news home in style with

this elegant envelope

Nicolas Theil Enjoy the weighty feel of

this bold, modern bracelet

Nars Make a daring statement

with this red lipstick

Saint Laurent Pack your essentials in

this chic, discreet carry bag

Saint Laurent Be noticed in this light,

Andalusian style felt hat

MORNING

It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures to wake up, at home or abroad, and have the luxury of an unplanned day ahead. The possibilities are

almost endless, as are the ways in which you can begin your day.

Penhaligon’s Relax with the help of this

Earl Grey scented candle

Fine and Candy Your pens and pencils merit a home

of their own in this stylish holder

Penhaligon’s Light a fire with a satisfying

flick of a match

Lady Dior The perfect silk scarf to

enhance any outfit

Gubi Set the mood with a touch

of atmospheric lighting

Montblanc Be prepared for the sun

as you head out the door

Francis Kurkdjian Leave a floral scent in your

wake walking out the door

Fine and Candy Great ideas come from

great writing materials

Louis Vuitton Because you need pages for

jotting down your great ideas

Armani Casa Open this box up and you

may just find inspiration

Fine and Candy An eraser, in case your pencil

wanders as you draw

Fine and Candy A sharpener, for images as

clear as your memories

Photography by CYRILLE ROBIN

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 93RAFFLES MAGAZINE92

− CURATION −

Armani Casa Find inspiration from

your well classified books

Ermenegildo Zegna Perhaps music will trigger

an idea for an activity

Louis Vuitton A luxururious pencil case for

ticking off your bucket list in style

Ralph Lauren Home Watch box, because an

itinerary needs great timing

Tiffany & Co You never know, you might

need that passport

Montblanc Write down your thoughts in

style, whatever time of day

Montblanc Vision is key to a successful,

productive 24 hours

Louis Vuitton You’ll need somewhere to write

your notes on the day past

Montblanc A classic watch will look

good in any context

Tiffany & Co Be reminded of home wherever

you go with this key chain

Tiffany & Co. A protractor for those who like

to be extra precise in their plans

Armani Casa Desk set, because the best

laid plans need support

Dior Homme A busy bee never knows when

its phone will be needed

Fine and Candy A notebook for logging that

bright idea

AFTERNOON

After a day’s exploring, there’s nothing better than taking the time to contemplate the afternoon past and look forward to the evening to come.

Here are some hand-picked essentials to set the mood.

Borsalino This light hat suits both the

city and the country

Lumio A book table lamp to set

the afternoon mood

Montblanc

Sunglasses to keep these

late-afternoon sun rays at bay

Cartier Time is an illusion, but

wear it in style all the same

Francis Kurkdjian Travel spray case for your favourite

scents to take on the go

Fine and Candy Sketch your day with these

stylish pencils

Armani Casa Open this box up and you

may just find inspiration

RAFFLES MAGAZINE 95RAFFLES MAGAZINE94

− CURATION −

Oluce

Create an ambient light to read

by with this table lamp

Armani A stylish box for storing your

favourite jewellery

Dior A touch of silk before bed

to wind down

Bvlgari The perfect soothing travel

scent for night time

Sony Find the ideal sound to help

record the day’s events

Assouline A collection of special places,

perhaps the next trip?

Smythson Because we all need

a little black book

Fine and Candy You can never have too

many notebooks

Nars Bring a pop of colour with

this lipstick as it turns dark

Smythson Some notebooks are just

more classic than others

Kate Spade Be sure to keep your papers

together and in order

Pols Potten Watching the sand flow in this

timer is surprisingly calming

Penhaligon’s Who doesn’t like a nocturnal

scent to help unwind?

Delvaux Best to be ready for an early

departure tomorrow

EVENING

As the activity of the day gives way to the quiet hours of the night, retire to the peacefulness of your room and

take a moment for yourself to relax and rejuvenate.

Kate Spade After a day’s exploring,

it feels good to freshen up

Tiffany & Co. It’s a relief to empty those pockets

when returning to your room

Boucheron For weary eyes the morning

after the night before

Ralph Lauren Mark your territory

with this desk ornament

Charles and Ray Eames There are just some objects

that you must have

Francis Kurkdjian For that favourite, calming

scent you can’t do without

Smythson Everything you need for

working home and away

Francis Kurkdjian For that fresh, rose perfume

wherever you may be

Tiffany & Co. A ballpoint pen should

always be at the ready

S.T. Dupont For those who love the

flow of ink on paper

Mark Cross Inspired by Grace Kelly

from Rear Window

Penhaligon’s That scent you need to

help you get to sleep


Illustrations byMAMI SATO

From Singapore where it all began to the Maldives, Dubai and Warsaw, discover Raffles’ iconic properties around the world...

Residence

Upcoming openings

Hotel


− WORLD OF RAFFLES −

01.

08. 10.04.

14.RAFFLES SEYCHELLES Seychelles

One of the world’s most

far-flung destinations,

Praslin is home to natural

wonders and one of the

best beaches in the world.

The hotel’s 86 villas have

breathtaking views of the

opal-hued Indian ocean.

raffles.com/seychelles

07. RAFFLES SINGAPORESingapore

Opened in 1887, this

legendary Grande Dame

is an icon epitomising

luxury and the golden age

of travel. After an extensive

restoration, Raffles

Singapore has begun a

new chapter and no stay

in the Lion City would be

complete without a visit

to this iconic hotel.

raffles.com/singapore

12.

05.

11.

13.

02. 09.

03.

RAFFLES RESIDENCES

With all the elegance

and tailored service

associated with Raffles,

these luxurious suites

and apartments offer a

private home to return

to time after time.

Residences are and

will be available at the

following locations:

JakartaMakatiSeychelles Shenzhen

UPCOMING OPENINGSBahrain (2021)Bali (2020)Boston (2022)Jaipur (2022)Jeddah (2021) London (2022)Mykonos (2022)Singapore Sentosa (2022)Sharm El-Sheikh (2023)Suzhou (2022)The Palm Dubai (2021)Udaipur (2021)

03.RAFFLES HAINANChina

Offering unparalleled

luxury on Hainan island,

this exquisite resort is set

among landscaped tropical

gardens overlooking

the crystalline Clearwater

Bay, with one of the finest

beaches by the South

China Sea.

raffles.com/hainan

01.RAFFLES HOTEL LE ROYAL Cambodia

Located in the heart of

Phnom Penh, this hotel has

been an iconic resting place

for the well-travelled since

1929. Part of Cambodian

history, the design reflects

Khmer, art deco and French

colonial architecture.

raffles.com/phnom-penh

06. RAFFLES MAKATI Philippines

Combining understated

sophistication with

Filipino hospitality, Raffles

Makati is a haven with a

distinct personality. This

stylishly designed all-suite

hotel creates a wonderful

sense of warmth and

comfort with commanding

views of the city.

raffles.com/makati

02. RAFFLES GRAND HOTEL D’ANGKORCambodia

Set across from the Royal

Palace, Angkor Thom,

is one of the historic hotels

on the legendary Grand

Tour of Indochina. This

beautiful oasis features

15 acres of French gardens

and Cambodia’s largest

swimming pool, styled after

the Angkor royal baths.

raffles.com/siem-reap

04. RAFFLES SHENZHENChina

Innovatively designed

with contemporary

architecture, state-of-

the-art facilities, and 168

generously spacious guest

rooms and suites, Raffles

Shenzhen is an urban oasis

that occupies the top floors

of the 72-story tower in

the prestigious One

Shenzhen Bay.

raffles.com/shenzhen

13.RAFFLES MALDIVES MERADHOOMaldives

Raffles Maldives Meradhoo

is a rare haven. In its remote

location on the southern tip

of the Maldives archipelago,

surrounded by crystalline

Indian Ocean waters home to

unspoilt house reefs and their

incredible inhabitants, it is as

far away from the rhythm of

everyday life as can be.

raffles.com/maldives

10.RAFFLES ISTANBUL Turkey

A beacon above the

Bosphorus, Raffles Istanbul

is located at the heart of the

luxury Zorlu Center shopping

haven. Home to one of the

city’s largest spas, stunning

views of the Bosphorus,

and the world’s first Raffles

Patisserie, the hotel is a

timeless fusion of inspired

architecture and cultural chic.

raffles.com/istanbul

06.

07.

05.RAFFLES JAKARTA Indonesia

Discover luxurious calm at

the core of Jakarta’s golden

triangle, beyond the bustle

of this vibrant metropolis;

an elegantly designed hotel

that celebrates Indonesian

artistry, including the

distinctive works of iconic

artist Hendra Gunawan.

raffles.com/jakarta

08.LE ROYAL MONCEAU – RAFFLES PARISFrance

Close to the Champs Elysées

and Arc de Triomphe,

Le Royal Monceau – Raffles

Paris is an oasis of creativity,

designed by Philippe

Starck, complete with an

art gallery and bookshop,

a private 99-seat cinema

and art collection, and an

Art Concierge service.

raffles.com/paris

09.RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAWPoland

In the historic district

of Warsaw, next to the

Presidential Palace,

Raffles Europejski Warsaw

represents the heart of

the city with world-class

cuisine, local craftsmanship

and Polish art. It also

heralds a major restoration

of one of the city’s most

iconic buildings.

raffles.com/warsaw

11.RAFFLES MAKKAH PALACE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A resting place for pilgrims,

which offers a world of calm

contemplation, overlooking

the most sacred site in

Islam. Surrounded by holy

sites, Raffles Makkah Palace

boasts a unique setting with

views to lift the soul and

take your breath away.

raffles.com/makkah

12.RAFFLES DUBAIUnited Arab Emirates

As well as its year-round

sunshine, stunning deserts

and beaches, Dubai’s

shopping, cultural and

tourist attractions are

just minutes away from

this hotel with rooms

and suites among the

city’s largest.

raffles.com/dubai

14.

RAFFLES MAGAZINE100 RAFFLES MAGAZINE 101

In 1887, Raffles Singapore set the standard for luxury hospitality, introducing the world to private butlers, the Singapore Sling and its enduring, legendary service. Today, Raffles continues this tradition in each of its 14 iconic properties, enchanting travellers with meaningful experiences and its gracious service. Be it the Art Concierge or Bridal Butler, each Raffles property has unique curators who bring the Raffles experience to life for our guests.

BRIDAL BUTLER

A dedicated Bridal Butler at Raffles Shenzhen makes sure all the bride’s dreams come true on their big day.

You could call the Wedding Butler

every bride’s fairy godmother. The

Bridal Butler at Raffles Shenzhen

helps the bride-to-be plan her

dream wedding from start to

finish. Be it a traditional Chinese-

style ceremony or a Western-

style wedding party, the Wedding

Butler’s mission is to facilitate a

stress-free, blissful day for the

bride, and make her feel like a

princess. Because every bride

has a different vision for their big

day, the Wedding Butler’s job is

to respond to their needs with

tailor-made precision. When

booking the Grand Ballroom,

the Raffles Shenzhen team will

help couples select everything

from the in-house centrepieces,

decorations, wedding cake,

invitations, champagnes and

even the bride’s wedding gown.

ROYAL BUTLER

Butlers at Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh go the extra mile by researching their guests’ preferences and creating personalised experiences throughout their stay.

Part of Sambath Yoeun’s role as

a Royal Butler is to research guest

profiles to anticipate their needs

and offer detailed, personalised

service. When Sambath learned

that one of his guests loved

monkeys, he surprised them by

folding the towels in the form of

their beloved animal as part of

the evening turn-down service.

Because, as a butler, Sambath

believes guests should be treated

like valued family members and

made to feel special during their

stay. Sambath has been with the

Raffles family for nearly a decade,

starting out as a room attendant

before moving up to become

a bellboy, then a butler. Be it a

wedding anniversary or birthday

celebration, Sambath is always

working in the background to help

create unforgettable memories.

RESIDENT HISTORIAN

The Resident Historian at Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor is a survivor of the brutal Pol Pot regime and is passionate about sharing the history of Cambodia.

Saravann Mouth is more than just

the hotel’s Resident Historian.

He is a living historian of the

brutal Khmer Rouge era, during

which time he lived as an orphan,

separated from his mother and

left with no choice but to collect

cow dung to sustain himself. After

20 years of working at Raffles as

a room attendant, room valet, and

now Resident Historian and Butler

Manager, Saravann is passionate

about sharing the history of

Cambodia with curious, open

guests. “I love my job as I love

sharing with people the history of

Cambodia. Travellers are always

intrigued to know more about

Cambodia’s history, especially the

communist rule of Pol Pot in the

late 70s. I believe everyone should

have some knowledge about

our history.”

LI TRADITIONAL WELCOMER

Dressed in traditional clothing unique to the indigenous Li people, hotel welcomers at Raffles Hainan represent their local heritage.

To reflect the hotel’s Hainanese

heritage and culture, Li traditional

welcomers proudly wear intricate

brocade uniforms designed with

distinctive prints and colours – red,

yellow, black and white – that tell

the story of the local Li population.

The Li ethnic minority group in

Hainan is believed to be one of

the oldest ethnic groups in China,

with a history that stretches back

3,000 years. They were also one

of the earliest masters of textiles,

producing brocades and cotton

prints that were highly prized

from the Song to Qing dynasties.

Not only do the uniforms honour

Hainan’s Li heritage, but they’re

also meant to tell a sartorial story

of the local culture.

RAFFLES SHENZHEN

RAFFLES HOTEL LE ROYAL

RAFFLES GRAND HOTEL D’ANGKOR

RAFFLES HAINAN

RAFFLES JAKARTA

ROYAL HOST

Delivering service fit for a king or queen, Royal Hosts at Raffles Jakarta are trained to treat their guests like Indonesian royalty.

They’re called ‘Royal Hosts’ for

good reason. As gateways to the

hotel and the Raffles Jakarta

universe, the Royal Host is trained

in the ancient tradition of serving

Indonesian Kings. That is, to treat

their guests like royalty. A good

look at their uniform also serves

as a glimpse into the lives of ‘Abdi

Dalem’ — real-life royal butlers who

serve the monarchy in the Special

Region of Yogyakarta today. Raffles

Royal Hosts can be called upon to

serve as local art guides, help with

check-in and check-out services and

provide insight into local attractions

and events in Jakarta.




ART COLLECTION MANAGER

Learn about contemporary Polish art with a tour of Raffles Europejski Warsaw’s own curated art collection led by a resident Art Collection Manager.

More than just a luxury hotel,

Raffles Europejski Warsaw

doubles as a city museum and

gallery, housing almost 500

works of art created by more

than 120 Polish artists. Carefully

curated to tell the narrative of the

contemporary Polish art scene,

the Hotel Europejski Art Collection

is managed by art historian Igor

Bloch, who leads exclusive art

tours for hotel guests. Igor is a

graduate of the Academy of Fine

Arts in Warsaw and the prestigious

Courtauld Institute of Art in

London. Along with guided tours

of the hotel’s own treasures, Igor

can also arrange and book private

gallery and studio visits, and

organise meetings with artists of

the Hotel Europesjki Art Collection

and art professionals.

ART CONCIERGE

The dedicated Art Concierge at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, has her finger firmly on the pulse of the city’s vibrant art scene so guests don’t miss the best in show.

As a world-class capital of culture,

there’s always a new, dynamic

exhibit happening in the City

of Light. At Le Royal Monceau

– Raffles Paris, Art Concierge

Julie Eugène offers tailor-made

recommendations on the best

exhibits and shows to catch

during your stay, based on guest

preferences. “I am very lucky

to have a job where I share my

passion with the client. Paris is a

great place for this job as there is

both the heritage of the city and a

very interesting contemporary art

scene. The talk always goes both

ways as the client tells me about

the things they loved or saw as

well, so I learn as much from them

as they learn from me.”

RESIDENT HISTORIAN

With more than 47 years under his belt, the Resident Historian at Raffles Singapore boasts encyclopedic knowledge about the hotel, which dates back to 1887.

Leslie Danker has justifiably earned

his title of Resident Historian.

As the hotel’s longest-serving

employee, Leslie started out

working in hotel maintenance and

gradually rose through the ranks

to office manager, guest relations

and Resident Historian. He is the

only person to have seen the hotel

through two major restoration

efforts and witness the iconic

hotel’s evolution. On his heritage

tours, he can regale guests with

his extensive knowledge about

the hotel, be it some of its most

famous guests, the making of the

Singapore Sling cocktail, which was

invented at the hotel’s Long Bar,

and the significance of the hotel

in local Singaporean history. He

even wrote a book about it, called

Memoirs of a Raffles Original.

Leslie recently worked on a new

book to coincide with the hotel’s

re-opening in 2019.

BUTLER

From booking a traditional spa treatment at the Turkish hamam or high tea at the hotel lounge, Raffles Istanbul is personified by its legendary Butler service.

At Raffles Istanbul, true luxury is

not just about what guests see, it’s

about how they feel as the hotel

delivers the warmest welcome,

most comfortable stay and richest

experiences in order to create the

fondest memories. The Raffles

Butlers make every stay seamless

and memorable, standing for

elegance, charm, refinement and

quality and, most importantly,

discreet service. The secret of

the Raffles Butlers is that they

anticipate the needs of every guest

in advance, and fulfil service before

it is even requested. From room

decorations for special occasions

to arranging a Turkish hamam

party at the spa, Butlers are the

conduits for an effortless Raffles

experience, establishing a long-

lasting relationship with guests

and taking a genuine interest in

their preferences in order to best

anticipate their needs.

RAFFLES SINGAPORE

LE ROYAL MONCEAU – RAFFLES PARIS

RAFFLES EUROPEJSKI WARSAW

RAFFLES ISTANBUL

RAFFLES MAKKAH PALACE

BUTLER

Private butlers at Raffles Makkah Palace are on hand to help with a variety of tasks so that guests can spend more time exploring the holy city.

Guests of the Raffles Makkah

Palace have access to 24-hour

private butlers so that they can

make the most of their time in

the sacred city. From packing

and unpacking, to pressing,

laundry and shoe shining, the

role of the Palace Butlers is to

anticipate every guest’s needs.

They can also help draw up tailor-

made itineraries on how to best

experience Makkah, the heart

of Islam and the birthplace of

the Prophet Muhammad. Raffles

Makkah Palace is adjacent to the

Grand Mosque, and is within easy

access to the main entrance,

the King Abdul Aziz Gate, and a

four-storey premium shopping

centre, prayer hall, museum and

Lunar Observatory.

ART CONCIERGE

Raffles Makati’s Art Concierge is available to guide guests on private tours of the hotel’s 1,600 pieces of original Philippine artworks.

Upon entering the hotel lobby of

Raffles Makati, guests will note the

elegant, hand-crafted metal work

of the female form, shaped into a

violin. By the hotel elevators,

a large oil painting depicts old-

world travel and trade in the

Philippines. And at the Writers Bar

— which pays tribute to writers who

have stayed at the flagship Raffles

Singapore hotel — six acrylic

paintings depict Filipino-style

courtship. Overall, Raffles Makati

features 1,600 original pieces of

Philippine artworks, which tell the

story of the country’s rich culture

and heritage. Guests can request

a guided tour with the hotel’s Art

Concierge, who is able to provide

context and back stories to select

masterpieces at the hotel.

RAFFLES MAKATI

HEAD GARDENER

Supplying the restaurants at Raffles Seychelles with the freshest ingredients, the resort’s long-serving Head Gardener is a nature lover at heart.

Jason Ernesta has been with

Raffles Seychelles in various roles

since before the resort opened

in 2011. Today, he’s the property’s

Head Gardener. Guests can find

Jason, 73, tending to the edible

garden which supplies the resort

restaurants like Curieuse and

Losean with everything from fresh

chilli, butternut squash, eggplants

and tomatoes, to mint and dill.

For Jason, tending to the resort’s

lush gardens is more a hobby, less

a job, as the plants, vegetables

and herbs keep him connected

both to the earth and to the

guests. He enjoys exchanging

with visitors from abroad about

the different species of plants,

fruits and vegetables he cares for

throughout the property.

MARINE BUTLER

Guests at Raffles Maldives Meradhoo can unravel the mysteries of the deep with the resident marine biologist and marine butlers.

Built to showcase its ocean

surroundings, the Raffles Maldives

Meradhoo is home to resident

marine biologist Giulia Pellizzato

and a team of marine butlers who

are available to create customised

underwater experiences, organise

diving and snorkelling trips, and

teach guests about the marvels

of the ocean. Giulia also heads

restoration efforts for local coral

reefs, sea turtle preservation

projects and the promotion of

sustainable tourism. Accessible

only by boat, the resort’s beach

villas and overwater villas are

located on Gaafu Alifu, one of the

most remote and pristine atolls

in the world, where reefs are

teeming with marine life unique

to the Indian Ocean.

RAFFLES SEYCHELLES


RAFFLES MALDIVES MERADHOO

CONCIERGE

Booking experiences unique to the United Arab Emirates is just a quick request away through the Concierge at Raffles Dubai.

From desert falconry shows to

the region’s most popular and

unique desert sports, there are

myriad activities and attractions

within easy reach of Raffles

Dubai that can’t be experienced

anywhere else. Enter Raffles

Dubai’s concierge team who will

offer you insider tips on the best

adventures during your stay.

Whether it’s adrenaline pumping,

dune bashing safaris, falconry

shows or a historic and cultural

journey or a day of shopping in

one of the city’s luxury malls,

the concierge knows how to

experience and recommend

the best of Dubai.

RAFFLES DUBAI

RAFFLES MAGAZINE104

MORE THAN JUST A SEAT

Introducing our new Club Suite, business class reimagined.

A luxurious personal space to sit, sleep, work, or relax. Now with direct aisle access.

Discover more ba.com/new-club-suite

acclaimed chef mark hix master perfumer anne flipo fiction … · 2020. 5. 14. · culinary...

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