JASON MRAZ GOOD VIBES TOUR LIVE IN MALAYSIA

Photo credit: Eric Morgensen

Multiple GRAMMY® Award winner JASON MRAZ will be bringing his Good Vibes Tour to Malaysia on Monday, 13 May@8.30pm at Axiata Arena.

In 2002, Jason Mraz shot to flame with his debut album Waiting For My Rocket To Come and since then, Jason Mraz has amassed a diverse fan-base around the globe, bringing his positive message and folk-pop sound to rapt audiences through his vibrant recordings, humorous live performances, and philanthropic efforts.

Jason Mraz has earned numerous platinum and awards for his various releases, made pop history with his record-breaking singles, “I’m Yours” and “I Won’t Give Up”, won two Grammy Awards, received the prestigious Songwriter Hall of Fame Hal David Award, and sold out amphitheatres and arenas across the globe (including sell-outs at The Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and London’s O2 Arena).

Jason Mraz first performed in Malaysia in 2009, followed by Tour Is A Four Letter Word in 2012. On playing for his Asian fans, Jason says: “I enjoy travelling to and performing for listeners in Asia. I feel a sense of gratitude and enthusiasm unlike anywhere else in the world, which makes a performance feel more like an event than a recital. The audience participation in Asia is harmonic and supersonic. I am thrilled to return, reconnect and re-experience the joy.”
 
The Good Vibes Tour announcement follows the release of Jason’s sixth studio album KNOW. on 10 August 2018, becoming his fifth consecutive studio album to debut in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.

Photo credit: Justin Bettman

Know. was produced by Andrew Wells, who brings an organic and groovy feel to the album’s classic, acoustic rock sound. “I see it as a sonic evolution from my last album, YES! ”Mraz says. “It’s just got a bit more caffeine, whereas my last album was a bit more herbal tea.” Know. reteams Mraz with his longtime collaborators, Raining Jane. “We thought it’d be fun to make ‘No’ as the follow -up to YES!, but instead of ‘N-O,’ the negative, it’d be the positive, ‘K-N-O-W.’”
 
The Good Vibes Tour started in North America last summer. This tour continues in Asia where Jason Mraz will perform in Manila, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Taipei in May 2019. 

Catch Jason Mraz Good Vibes Tour live in Kuala Lumpur:
Date : Monday, 13 May 2019
Time : 8:30pm
Venue : Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Ticket prices : RM198, RM298, RM398, RM498, RM598 and RM698 (VIP)
Tickets are available NOW on www.myticket.asia
 

SIMPLY MALAY FARE FOR BUKA PUASA AT BIJAN

Heartwarming Malay dishes will take centrestage at Bijan restaurant from May 9 – 31 in conjunction with the month of Ramadan. The Simply Malay buffet will enable city folks and diners to rediscover the rich and diverse Malay food heritage, from traditional delights of yesteryear to modern renditions of classic dishes for buka puasa.

Well-established for its Malay food in the city, Bijan manages to uphold its solid and dependable reputation from the preview spread laid out for our sampling. While major draws such as Kaki Kambing Bakar (roast leg of lamb), Sup Tulang Rusuk (spiced beef back rib soup) and Pasembur (local mixed salad of shredded cucumber and jicama, fried beancurd, prawn fritters and hardboiled egg with peanut sauce) are part of the extensive line-up, Bijan unveils several trump cards to set itself apart from the competition.

Apart from the usual skewers of chicken and beef, the Satay selection includes Udang (prawn), Sotong (squid), Perut (tripe) and Paru (beef lung). Otak-otak (fish paste wrapped and grilled in coconut leaves) and Pais Ikan (grilled parcels of spiced fish paste in banana leaf) complete the veritable textural feast. Suffice to say, the grilled offerings are thoroughly suffused with aromatic, appetite-whetting smokiness that leaves you wanting more.

If you are partial to offal, the Lidah Salai (house-smoked beef tongue) is highly recommended too. An acquired choice for sure but rest assured, the tender chunks with toothsome chewiness are quite delectable. Sample it with a dollop of Bijan’s signature Sambal Hitam, a sweetish, dark pounded chilli dip with subtle acidic tang from the inclusion of tiny belimbing buluh (tiny, yellowish-green sour fruit also known as bilimbi).

 

No respectable breaking of fast spread is complete without some kerabu or robustly flavoured local salads. Whipped up with grated coconut, chopped chillies, shallots, coriander and lime juice amongst other ingredients, Kerabu Betik Daging Salai — papaya salad with smoked beef, Kerabu Nangka — young jackfruit salad and Kerabu Sotong Bakar — grilled calamari salad are choice picks to look out for.

 

Notable local appetisers such as Cucur Jagung (crispy corn fritters), Getuk Ubi (deep-fried tapioca discs) are ideal for priming the palate before you move on to savour the mains.

Plain rice or Nasi Minyak (herbed rice) makes a good foil to capture the full-blown expressive flavours of the myriad of hot dishes served. Second-to-none specialities to load up on include Rendang Daging Hijau (grassfed beef simmered in fragrant green rendang gravy), Ayam Kampung Limau Purut (village-bred chicken cooked in a nice, mildly creamy curry with kaffir lime leaves and a bright vermillion, zingy Kambing Gulai (Australian lamb with potato curry).

A perennial favourite Bijan is famous for is the sublime Sotong Masak Hitam. Its dark appearance looks deceptively plain but the tender pieces of squid cooked in black ink sauce are anything but pedestrian. It would be remiss to pass up on this showstopper.

 

Also worth sampling is Udang Masak Lemak Nenas (pineapple curry with prawns) although the prawns we tried during the preview were slightly powdery. A tiny glitch which can easily be corrected when the real show hits town.

On the sweet spectrum, the plethora of Kuih, Pengat and dessert temptations are varied enough to ensure a decadent high. Trad Malay cakes such as Kuih Kosui, Puteri Mandi, Lepat Jagung, Kuih Koci and more jostle for attention alongside Banana Pudding, Ais Kacang and assorted fresh fruits.

The Simply Malay buffet is priced at RM120++ per person from 9-31 May but special early bird promotional price is RM110 nett per person. Early bird vouchers can be purchased at Bijan or via Tableapp online reservation in our website: www.bijanrestaurant.com

Exclusive for Jom Makan Life readers, use this promo code:

JOMMAKANLIFE/BSM19

for BUY 5 FREE 1 promo bundle on Bijan's Simply Malay buffet.

For reservations, please call Bijan Bar & Restaurant, tel: 03-2031 3575. Address: No.3, Jalan Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur. www.bijanrestaurant.com

SPICE, RICE AND EVERYTHING JAFFNA'S NICE AT YARL

Yellow as the sun and fluffy soft, the signature Yarl Dosai (plain RM3, Yarl Egg Dosai RM4) is an inviting option for afternoon tea (4pm onwards) or dinner at Yarl Restaurant in Brickfields.

The dosai gets its vivid hue from turmeric powder; its compelling taste enlivened by aromatic fried onion and curry leaves. Accompanied by dhal and onion curry, the delicious and comforting dish is one of Yarl’s many crowd-pulling Sri Lankan specialities.

Ten years ago, Yarl — derived from Yalpanam, Jaffna’s old name in Tamil — was merely a sidewalk stall in the middle of Brickfields. Today, it’s a full-fledged restaurant which had  undergone a fresh facelift about two months ago. Although the premise isn’t air-conditioned, whirring ceiling fans keep the no-frills interior cool and comfy for a cuppa and quick meals from 7am to 10pm daily.

Two home-trained chefs are tasked with rustling up a wide array of distinct Jaffna specialities at Yarl; based on their arsenal of ancestral recipes and ingredients imported from Jaffna and the Northern province of Sri Lanka. Spices are blended and ground in-house for maximum flavour and freshness.

 

The daily selection of dishes focuses on the 6 Tastes of Food in Tamil known as “Arusuvai” i.e. Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Spicy and Astringent (Dry). Every meal should include an equal balance of all those flavours, to properly satisfy each major taste bud on the palate. Hence, the lunch buffet at Yarl consists of 15 different types of vegetarian dishes as well as 8 non-vegetarian dishes.

Prices are reasonable too. Take your pick of 3 veggies with rice (RM7) or rice with 2 veggies & chicken (RM9) or mutton (RM12). Rasam and sambal are complimentary with the meal. On Friday, we are told red rice is served.

Notable vegetable dishes we’d recommend include Beetroot Varai, Pumpkin Varai, Pavakkai (deep-fried bittergourd chips), Brinjal-Tomato-Garlic Curry, Lentil Sothi and Vegetable Cutlet (RM1.50). Fragrant spices are used judiciously, more to imbue aroma and flavour in the different dishes than for heat. Only the brinjal-tomato-garlic curry will set the tastebuds tingling with zingy heat.

The non-vegetarian plethora is equally compelling especially Sura Varai — flaky shark meat floss cooked with turmeric, onion, chilli and grated coconut being the most outstanding pick of the crop.

My dining companions rave about the Mutton Bone Curry since they enjoy digging in to relish the marrow. Piquant and bursting with zingy heat makes the Prawn Sambal a standout but I daresay the Mutton Peratal, Chicken Curry and Fish Curry prove on-point too. Chicken Pirattal (RM8), Fish Cutlet, Chicken Varuval, and Fried Tenggiri (RM12) are also available.

For a taste of authentic Jaffna street food, try the house speciality of Chicken Kothu (RM10) — chopped fried roti with spices, onion, leek, scallion and egg. In Sri Lanka, street vendors hawking this popular steet food are a common sight.

Its enticing, smoky taste is similar to local char kway teow. At Yarl, you can order Vegetarian Kottu (RM7) as well as Egg (RM8), Prawn (RM15) or Mutton Kottu (RM12) prepared with a choice of Roti, Puttu or Idiyappam.

Since Yarl opens early for breakfast, it won’t be remiss to start the day with Puttu (RM2.50) or Red Puttu (RM4), freshly steamed cylinders of white or red rice flour and grated coconut. The typical Jaffna way to savour puttu is complement it with side dishes of Dhal and Vendhaya Kulambu (fenugreek curry).

Special mention must be made of the Appam here. Light and crisp at the edges with a soft, pillowy centre, the Sweet Appam (RM2.50) sprinkled with brown sugar and coconut cream is sublime as an afternoon tea treat or dessert. The richer-tasting Egg Appam (RM3) is no less delectable although Sri Lankans tend to eat it with curry or sambal.

For more information, please call YARL RESTAURANT, tel: 010-360 6624. Address: 50 Jalan Pedang Belia, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.