MILLENNIA VILLAGE REDEFINES SENIOR LIVING

Inspired by the emblematic "Hakka Tulou" (客家土楼), the central communal space to foster camaraderie and strengthen ties within traditional Hakka communities, Millennia Village is reputedly the first purpose-built senior living resort in Malaysia.

Nestled on a 32-acre lush enclave in Seremban, Millennia Village aims to redefine the lifestyle of seniors as "the start of more enriching and purposeful golden years”.

Surrounded by prolific greenery and native trees, the main building’s "Hakka Tulou" inspired design envisaged a collective community where residents converge, connect, communicate, and share life experiences.

According to John Chia, Founder of Millennia Village, "We believe seniors deserve more than just a place to stay. They should be in a community catering to their unique needs. We believe the golden years can be just as exciting and rewarding.”

Executive Director of Millennia Village, Diane Chia (right) adds, “Millennia Village is inspired by the principles of Blue Zones, focusing on healthy habits, togetherness and happiness. Those factors contribute to seniors’ longevity and well-being. We aim to enhance the quality of senior lifestyle by providing a safe, comfortable, and socially engaging environment. The tranquility of our location means pristine air quality, minimal traffic and noise along with an unparalleled level of privacy and security.”

We were assigned a 481 sqft Studio Suite room. Clad in white and neutral earth tones with clean, minimalist approach, the glass doors lead outside to a balcony with soothing views of the granite rock wall covered with trees and shrubbery.

Bathroom handrails, a panic button and a wall-mounted fold-up stool are found in the shower and toilet. The door is wide enough for wheelchair access although it would be nice to have a more accessible shelf for toiletries, bath sponge and spectacles.

The current recess space beside the shower cubicle seemed odd and not user-friendly. Also, the empty space in-between means water splashing out of the shower area is inevitable even though the curtain is fully drawn.

Our room layout is nice and practical featuring a long kitchen counter equipped with an induction stove top, microwave oven, electric kettle and sink. Furnishings include a couch with a coffee table, a dining table, a floor-to-ceiling closet and wooden sideboard.

Electrical appliances provided are a fridge, an induction cooker with hood, an electric kettle and a microwave oven. There’s aslo a flatscreen TV and a working desk. Fans, an air-conditioning unit and Wi-Fi access are par for the course.

Currently, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Saffron all-day dining restaurant. There’s plenty of natural daylight within the space. A private room is also available for group dining.

One floor above is Kopitiam which will be serving simple, local fare and snack items. Plans are afoot for a grab & go bakery cum convenience store of sorts.

Located at the 9th Floor of Block B, The Rooftop is ideal for lounging around with friends for drinks and conversation. The balcony seating accords panoramic vista of the nearby surroundings.

We love the saltwater infinity swimming pool where aquarobics classes can be held. Nearby is a walking trail with various fitness equipment for those who desire working out in the open.

More walking paths with a 2-acre nursery for eco-farming and zero waste practices e.g. growing organic produce and composting food waste are also available. Avid gardeners will like pottering around the raised garden beds and elevated planters. Built using permaculture principles, the fertile farm garden aims to provide edible herbs and vegetables for a farm-to-table experience.

Serene strolls along trails purpose-built by the Orang Asli wends through a regenerated forest covering 8 acres of prime land amidst the stunning vistas of a majestic rugged granite rock face.

Planned group fitness activities: tai chi, line dancing, senior yoga, physiotherapy, and stretching exercises to arts and craft and even a community kitchen should keep senior residents occupied and fulfilled. A gym, a multi-purpose studio, an airy and spacious library, a games room, a theatre and event space accommodating up to 200 persons are found onsite.

The first phase of 344 units features one- and two-bedroom units tailored for independent senior living whilst the second phase will comprise 75 units for seniors requiring assisted care. Phase three will offer larger units for independent senior living.

Millennia Village offers medium and long-term tenancies of 1 month to 3 years, with pricing depending on the stay duration. For a limited time only, Millennia Village is offering a long stay promotion at RM5,500 per month for two persons.

A trial stay of 3D/2N is also available from RM1,200 for two persons. All room packages include a fully furnished unit, housekeeping, Wi-Fi, free access to all facilities, daily breakfast and dinner. The offers are valid until 31 August 2024 and are subject to prevailing taxes.

For more information about Millennia Village, please call 06-7609677, email: dianechia@milenniavillage.com or visit www.millenniavillage.com.

[UPDATED] CREAM OF ANCHOR FOOD PROFESSIONALS' CROP

To launch its latest European-style dairy range in Malaysia, Anchor Food Professionals delivered a set of exquisite afternoon tea treats by The Studio KL to the doorstep.

The exquisitely curated sweet treat selection featured Lemon Posset, Hot Chocolate in Cup, Banoffee Tart, Passion-berry Choux, British Soldier, Traditional English Scones with Sticky Toffee Pudding Butter and Summer Berries Jam, Almond Cream Butter Croissants. Savouries included Chicken Pesto on Focaccia, Truffle Honey Croquette and Sauté Mushroom and Onion Bruschetta.

It was a delicious way of showing how the new products: Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream, Anchor Classic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Anchor Extra Yield Cooking Cream, and Anchor Culinary Cream can be artfully incorporated to create delicious savoury and sweet morsels such as those presented in the tea offerings.

During the launch webinar, Jack Tan, Foodservice Director of Fonterra Brands Malaysia said, “The pandemic has caused consumers’ food preferences to shift. One of the most noticeable trends is more food businesses are searching for everyday functional products that provide simple and quick benefits to their food or beverage creations.

“Today’s consumers are also drawn to feel-good products. While the pandemic has been tough on many food businesses, we help them stay on top of these trends by constantly improving their favourite recipes with better flavours, textures, presentation, and overall quality.”

Award-winning pastry chef Jean-Francois Arnaud then demonstrated how he used Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream to create exquisite Red Fruit Cloud and Blueberry Cream Brioche, explaining the product’s many advantages during the process.

Then Pele Kuah, Brew House’s Group Executive Chef shared his preference on the use of Anchor Extra Yield Cooking Cream in the kitchen as he prepared Salmon Alfredo Pasta with Lemon & Ikura and Nasi Lemak – two signature specialities from the Brew House.

One of the founders of myBurgerLab, Renyi Chin showed two new recipes: Buttermilk Cheesy Fried Chicken Burger and Baked Cheese Rice using Anchor Classic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – a traditional-style mozzarella cheese with flavoursome and complex taste to wrap up the webinar session.

Jack Tan also highlighted Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream which is designed to bring reliable performance and functional stability with its light and airy texture. "It’s the perfect infusion for any rich delicacy – be it hot, cold, or frozen."

Chefs, bakers, pastry makers, passionate cooks, and home-bakers can obtain Anchor European range of mozzarella cheese and creams through their distributor partners, while consumers can purchase the products at major supermarket chains and bakery ingredients shops.

For more information, visit Anchor Food Professionals’ official website at www.anchorfoodprofessionals.com, or follow www.facebook.com/AnchorFoodProfessionalsMY and www.instagram.com/anchorfp.my.

NEWS FLASH

Anchor Food Professionals together with Star Media Group also launched Anchor Start Up – a course-by-course bakers’ online learning platform accessible at https://startup.kuali.com.

Jack Tan, Food Service Director, Fonterra Brands Malaysia said their mission is to serve up inspirations to Food & Beverage businesses, including home bakers. “With Start Up, bakers can drive their business performance by harnessing specific skill sets learnt as they carve their own competitive advantages, and sell more via The Batter Place listing platform. With this initiative as a way for bakers to skill up and scale up, we believe it will create a catalytic effect for the baking community in Malaysia.”

For more information, visit https://www.kuali.com/kuali-bakers-programme/.