The Mosaic Music Festival 2013 is slated for March 8-17 at The Esplanade. Tickets are available via Sistic for $40-120.

Acid House Kings
The pioneering Swedish indie pop group, which comprises brothers Niklas and Johan Angergård and Joakim Ödlund, performs sunny karaoke-friendly melodies as well as darker compositions.

Esperanza Spalding
Hear jazz, soul, funk, big band tunes from the decorated music star's many albums including Junjo, Esperanza, Chamber Music Society and Radio Music Society.

Gilbert O’Sullivan
The UK’s Gilbert O’Sullivan plays hits from the 1970s including “Alone Again (Naturally)”.

Gretchen Parlato
The award-winning singer-songwriter dazzles with her charming renditions of jazz classics.

Grimes
The edgy Canadian pop singer draws inspiration from Enya, TLC and Aphex Twin for her psychedelic tunes.

Grizzly Bear
The progressive rock band, comprising vocalists Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, drummer Christopher Bear and bass guitarist Christ Taylor, plays tunes from their fourth album Shields including “Sun in Your Eyes”.

Joss Stone
With two Brit Awards and a Grammy under her belt, this soul songstress presents old school covers from the 1970s and 1980s as well as original compositions.

Julia Stone
The Australian folk songstress performs minimalist tunes from albums such as The Memory Machine and By the Horns.

Kaki King
American guitarist Kaki King plays offbeat tunes from albums like Day Sleeper, Legs Make Us Longer and Junior.

Miles Smiles
This group pays tribute to American jazz trumpeter Miles Davies, a veteran performer whose career spanned more than 20 years.

mouse on the keys
The Japanese post rock jazz band plays tunes from their popular album An Anxious Object.

MUTEMATH
The New Orleans-based electro rock group plays songs from their hit albums including Armistice and Odd Soul.

My Brightest Diamond
Shara Worden performs tunes from albums like The Orange Album, Quiet B-Sides and A Thousand Shark’s Teeth.

Pablo Ziegler Meets Tokyo Jazz Tango Ensemble
The Latin Grammy-winning pianist and Japanese jazz group play upbeat tango rhythms.

Salif Keita
The Mali-born singer-songwriter heads a six-piece band, playing soulful melodies that incorporate Latin and West African beats.

Tennis
Married couple Patrick Riley and Aliana Moore's play indie pop tunes from their debut album Cape Dory and second release Young and Old.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
The veteran Japanese ska group, which was formed about 25 years ago, plays original tunes and their take on well-known classics like Duke Ellington's “In a Sentimental Mood” and “Love Theme” from iconic film The Godfather.

world's end girlfriend
Katsuhiko Maeda's contemporary classical solo project, world's end girlfriend, is behind the signature tunes from movies such as Late Bloomer, Air Doll and Starry Starry Night.

Wouter Hamel
The Dutch pop star behind hit albums like Nobody’s Tune is here for his first concert in Singapore, supported by Thierry Castel, Rory Ronde, Sven Happel, Gijs Anders van Straalen and Mark van Kersbergen.

[ CHINA ] Le Passage Moganshan Luxury French Country House Hotel
Surrounded by tea fields, producing black, green and yellow tea, this French country home is decked out in an entirely European style, a nod to the foreign missionaries and expats who visited these hills in the 1800s. The hotel has antique wood floors, vintage rugs, brass fixtures and clawfoot tubs. There’s also Gallic country food made with seasonal produce, a fine collection of bio-dynamic wines and pear brandy (distilled on-site from pears grown at their farm).

[ CHINA ] Sun Island Club
Set on the only natural island in Shanghai, upstream of the Huangpu River, this wellness resort features 453 villas, two 18-hole golf courses and a spa. The place gets its food from the nearby Mahota Farm, a 33 hectare field located on Chong Ming Island. The fresh produce is utilized at the resort’s many F&B establishments including Italian restaurant Mama Mia, Peacock Palace, serving TCM-influenced meals, and hotpot eatery Zen Den Table.

[ INDONESIA ] Jeeva Beloam
Facilities include Tenda Restaurant a communal setup with fresh fish sourced daily from local fishermen, poultry (raised by local farmers) and vegetables grown on-site. Rooms are rustic (though bedrooms have air conditioning) and direct beach access. While you’re not lazing on the beach, there’s also swimming, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking and fishing on offer.

[ THAILAND ] Thanyamundra Organic Resort
This resort boasts an on-site farm, set on rolling terraces at Khao Sok National Park in the Surat Thani Province. Everything’s organic and the produce (indigenous fruit, vegetables and herbs) is used in traditional Thai recipes. Guests can also walk around the farm via scenic paths and trails.

[ THE PHILIPPINES ] The Farm at San Benito
Raw and live cuisine is the order of the day at this holistic retreat. Find vegan granola, nut butters, bread, salads, chutney and even desserts made from fresh ingredients picked right from the hotel’s own farm. All meals are designed to be high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Headspace
Blink and you’ll miss it. This quaint shophouse nook looks nothing like a salon. No shiny surfaces here; just hand-drawn walls, ceiling lamps and a handful of propped up wooden box shelves. Run by Loh Yahnee, who left her banking job of eight years to pursue hairstyling, this little salon serves just two at a time (and provides free Wi-Fi for you to stay connected). Haircuts from Headspace lean towards the quirky side (think asymmetrical pixies and blonde tails), so be quick with that booking if that sounds like your thing.

Hounds of the Baskervilles
Named after the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle crime novel, this charming old English-style collective serves up the ultimate in luxurious men’s grooming: straight razor shaves with the quintessential hot towel treatment and immaculate haircuts (that take forever but are so worth it). Run by the dapper Feroze McLeod and his team, the real kicker of the salon is that some of their Australia-trained barbers are also professional tattoo artists, and the shop gets visits from guest inksmen around the world. Appointments are recommended.

Premium Barbers
Another barber concept that has received a warm welcome from discerning local folk is Premium Barbers. On top of providing what all true traditional barbers are good for—hot towel ($35) and hot foam shaves ($35)—Premium Barbers also has haircuts (from $29) and shoe shining ($10) on the menu. Feeling a little showy? Get your hair colored or even some hair tattoo art done.

Bartini

After one of those sweltering, can’t-focus days at work, a brain freeze is exactly what you need. Cool down with $5 Bellinis, $10 frozen daiquiris, and $10 frozen margaritas.

Cassis

This new upmarket joint is set to heat up the Clarke Quay scene. (Two words: shirtless butlers.) Be plied with four complimentary tequila cocktails upon entry before 1am—perfect for you creatures of the night.

Fern & Kiwi

Complimentary vodka with either cranberry or soda mixers for the month of February, after which they’ll mix things up with a steady rotation of house pours. Stay tuned.

JiBiru Japanese Craft Beer Bar

Chocolatey and fruity notes dominate the freshly updated lineup of craft beers, ales, and ciders at $10++. Best part: It’s totally egalitarian, so don’t be afraid to explore your girlier side, guys.

Salt tapas & bar

This spanking new night offers free sangria, mojitos, and Kwai Feh (lychee liqueur) martinis at this bustling dinner spot. If none of these drinks gets you licking your lips, we don’t know what will.

The Exchange

Free flow of cosmopolitan, apple, lychee, and orange martinis. For a little extra pampering, don’t miss the complimentary gel manicures at their quarterly Wednesday night collaborations with City of Nailz & Wax.

Specs: 16MP, 1,080p HD video, 23mm wide angle lens, 21x digital zoom, 8GB internal storage, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), 4.8-inch multi touchscreen, 1.4GHz quad core processor. Available in black and white.

Overview: Compact cameras with Wi-Fi connectivity are becoming more common; but with its first Galaxy Camera, Samsung has taken things to a new level, offering a complete Android OS touchscreen device with a 3G connection. That means you don’t need to run around searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot, or bother with tethering it to your smartphone; you can instantly upload your pictures wherever there’s a mobile phone network. And you can run the same Android apps as any Samsung smartphone would.

The good:

• The camera’s auto mode is fairly snappy, and the creative filters make your pictures look instantly like they’re photoshopped.

• The smart mode contains several settings, from night mode to silhouette. We love the “Rich Tone” that lets you take photos against sunlight.

• The expert mode allows you to adjust everything from aperture, f-stop, exposure and ISO.

• The slow motion video mode is fun and makes your HD video look professional.

• You can sync the camera with Google Drive, Facebook and, most importantly, Dropbox, which allows you real-time storage of up to 500MB. Syncing with Dropbox means your pictures will be uploaded automatically so you can erase pictures from your camera anytime.

• The screen is huge and the touchscreen perfectly sensitive.

• It’s a full-blown Android device, meaning you can play games, or use any other Android app on it.

The bad:

• The picture quality is that of a very low-end compact.

• Bulky!

• When using the camera through Instagram, you cannot use the zoom function.

• Turning the camera on and off results in a slight delay.

Verdict: If you are a real shutterbug, many compacts are much better cameras. But if you are simply addicted to the idea of shooting and sharing, and love playing around with fun filters, this is possibly your best choice to date. Then again, you can just get a Galaxy S3 or a Galaxy Note 2, and wait to see what’s next in the Galaxy Camera series. 

Cosmopolitan

If Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City lived in Singapore, she might meet her art-loving friend Charlotte for after-work drinks at this hip Gillman Barracks’ establishment. Though not on the menu, the bartenders will gladly mix up the ladies’ favorite of Smirnoff vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec and a squeeze of lime. Served up in a thin-stemmed martini glass, it’s the perfect sip to savor over a long gossip session.

$16 at MASONS

French 75

At the center of the WWII classic Casablanca was Rick’s Café Américain where French, Italian and Nazi officials all gathered. You’ll find a similarly international clientele at Tier Bar. It’s also off the menu, but they do mix a mean French 75 (gin, Champagne, lemon juice and sugar concoction), just like the ones the Nazis favored in the film

$25 at Tier Bar

Vesper Martini

Perched high up on the 70th floor of the Swissotel the Stamford is New Asia’s slicker sibling City Space—just the kind of spot the ultra glamorous James Bond might visit. The view here is just as jaw-dropping as its drinks list, which includes their take on 007’s old favorite, the Vesper: Tanqueray gin, Ketel One vodka and Lillet.

$22 at City Space

Milin Yuvacharuskul, founder/designer of Milin

Bourbon Smash Dress, B16,500
“It has to be different yet glamorous, sexy and sparkly, which is Milin’s signature style. New silhouettes and new proportions are a must on the red carpet. This dress resembles the shape of a cocktail glass, and the organdie is sequined and dyed with a gradient-shade.”

Teerut Wongwatanasin, founder/designer of Vickteerut

Vickteerut dress, B14,900
“I choose this dress because it defines the term ‘Vickteerut Woman,’ mostly due to its simple design, neat cut, beautiful pattern and design made to highlight the female figure. This gown will not outshine the wearer but, on the other hand, make the wearer shine!”

Karatphet Issara, founder/ designer of Kem Issara

Kem Issara princess dress, B13,900
“This dress is simple but special in itself. It has many hidden details and yet retains a minimal classy look, allowing the wearer to play around with their hair and makeup.”

Mollika Raungkritya, founder/designer of Kloset

Summer sky dress, price B12,450
“ This dress might not look very fancy but the bow contains hidden details and so does the dress, like the gold tinsel used, it’s a simple yet unique piece”.

Back in the old days, kitchens were dark, mysterious places. Then came the now ubiquitous open kitchen. 2013, it seems, will be the year of the chef’s table in Bangkok. Chef’s tables allow diners to get even closer to the action, throw the menu out the window, and surrender their entire dinner into the chef’s able hands. The setup is usually a private dining room hosting six to 12 people, and either a small open kitchen or at least some kind of preparation table where the chef can add some final flourishes to your dishes before serving. The concept is at its most extreme at Water Library Thonglor, which is a single bar seating a maximum of 8 diners where diners starts at 7:30pm on the dot, and there is no menu. But you can now also find chef’s tables at other reputable restaurants, such as Smith, Le Beaulieu and Sala Rim Nam.

At French institution Le Beaulieu, Chef Herve Frerard explains “the idea of our chef’s table is very much in line with the philosophy we are developing at the restaurant, which we call ‘made to be shared, convivial dining.’” Beyond the opportunity to get up close and personal with diners, Smith chefs Peter Pitakwong and Ian Kittichai see these chef’s tables as a kind of experimental playground. Pitakwong says, “Basically, we’ve been traveling and taking inspiration from around the world and then incorporating them in our plates. I see [the chef’s table] as something that makes us keep thinking forward. It’s an opportunity to cook away from Smith’s regular menu. Some market ingredients, like the sea urchin, can’t be on the menu. So this is an opportunity for us to serve this kind of food.”

Frerard, too, sees the flexibility of the chef’s table as key to his philosophy, which is based on ingredients of the day, depending on what tempts him at the market. For that concept to work, diners at chef’s tables are expected to let the chef take control. You may not even be presented with a menu. In exchange for your loss of control (and a hefty price tag) expect rewards like fresh Brittany razor clams cooked in Café de Paris sauce or some local produce from the Royal Project that just happened to be harvested that morning.

At Sala Rim Naam, celebrity chef Vichit Mukura has been operating a chef’s table for a year now. To him, the chef’s table is also an opportunity to change diners’ perceptions of Thai food. By selecting the finest ingredients, and being on hand to share the stories about their origins, Vichit can justify his restaurant’s higher price tag. He knows how a particular fish was caught, he can share stories about his own rice field, and suddenly ordinary dishes like khao tom (rice porridge) become special. Vichit says he encourages the diners’ curiosity: “Even those who don’t ask questions, I try to educate them anyway. They need to know the unique charm of our food. Thai food doesn’t have to be looked down upon as street food anymore.”

Even if you’re not an expert foodie, chef’s tables have the added value of being entertaining, and bring a sense of occasion. And for celebrity chef Ian Kittichai, theatrics are half the fun: “We once threw nitrogen on the diners’ table. It’s not dangerous but it definitely caused some excitement.”

Le Beaulieu

B2,500-B3,000 (additional B1,500 for wine pairing) per person. For 4-10 guests and booking in advance is strongly recommended.
Athenee Tower, 63 Wireless Rd., 02-168-8220. www.le-beaulieu.com

Smith

Prices start from B3,800 for 7 courses, per person. For 7-15 guests and booking in advance is recommended.
Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-261-0515-6. www.smith-restaurant.com

Sala Rim Naam

B3,900 for 6-course and B4,900 for 8 courses, per person. For 4-7 guests and one-day advanced reservation is required.
48 Oriental Ave., 02-659-9000

Water Library

B6,600 for 12 courses (food only), per person. Service starts at 7:30pm.

Emirates

Destinations from Bangkok: Hong Kong, Dubai.
Passengers: First =14, Business = 74, Economy = 399

Malaysia Airlines

Destinations near Bangkok: Kuala Lumpur to London
Passengers: First = 8, Business = 66, Economy = 420

Singapore Airlines

Destinations near Bangkok: Singapore to Tokyo’s Narita, Melbourne, London
Passengers: First =12, Business = 60, Economy = 399

THAI Airways

Destinations from Bangkok: Hong Kong, Tokyo’s Narita, Frankfurt
Passengers: First =12, Business = 60, Economy = 435

Price Comparisons

Bangkok -Hong Kong

THAI - Eco from B10,560 / Business from B26,215 / First from B37,850
Emirates - Eco from B8,935 / Business from B19,260 / First from B30,900

Southeast Asia - London

Singapore Airlines from Singapore: Eco from B32,107 / Business from B174,059 / First from B315,554
Malaysia Airlines - from Kuala Lumpur: Eco from B35,130 / Business from B138,201 / First from B322,489

The Verdict: Best Airlines to Fly in an Airbus A380

First Class Winner: Emirates
From prices to perks, we think the Emirates Airbus A380 has the very best first class. Apart from Bulgary amenities, we really love the idea of a shower room and the lounge, which are a big deal if you are flying long haul. Malaysia Airlines comes second, with the largest pitch and very few seats, promising great service and privacy. Singapore Airlines comes third, thanks to the dream team of collaborations with luxury brands (Givenchy, Ferragamo, Bose) and top chefs (Gordon Ramsay and George Blanc).

Business Class Winner: THAI
When it comes to business class, Singapore and Emirates’ smaller pitch widths are a letdown. THAI wins in this category thanks to large pitch and fewer seats, which means better-quality service.

Economy Class Winner: Emirates
THAI has the most passengers in Economy class—which means one big cattle-class zoo and not enough air hostesses to feed the livestock. Singapore Airlines and Emirates are pretty equivalent in eco, but we’re giving Emirates the top spot again as it has more destinations flying with the A380.

Emirates www.emirates.com/th
Malaysia Airlines www.malaysiaairlines.com
Singapore Airlines www.singaporeair.com
THAI Airways www.thaiairways.com
Other airlines that offer A380: Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, China Southern Airlines and Korean Air

Wish Us Luck

As part of their final project for their master’s degree at the Faculty of Artists’ Film, Video and Photography at the University of the Creative Arts, London, twin sisters Wanweaw and Weawwan Hongvivatana took a one-month trip by train from London back to Bangkok, the result being their first full-length film. Wish Us Luck will screen at House RCA from Mar 7 onwards. See our interview next issue.

Fatherland

Veteran director Yuthlert Sippapak is back with a politically-fueled film touching on the issue of instability in Thailand’s three southern-most provinces as seen through the eyes of two soldiers deployed there. Unfortunately Fatherland’s opening had to be postponed from last year and we’re still waiting on an exact date of screening. The good news is Yuthlert recently told BK that the film will definitely hit cinemas this year.

Karaoke Girl

Joining Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s 36 at last year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam was the debut project of Visra Vichit-Vadakarn, Karaoke Girl. Half documentary, half fiction, the film was inspired by the real life of Sa, a sex worker who fled to Bangkok when she was 15. She also stars as herself. The production has since featured at the Berlin Film Festival and is expected to screen in Bangkok cinemas this year.

Tang Wong

Director Kongdej Jaturanrasamee follows up his first indie film, P-047, with another, Tang Wong, a comedy-drama that follows four high-school boys who, in praying that they achieve their dreams, promise to repay their good fortune by doing a Thai dance. As in P-047, Kongdej tackles the concept of personal identity but here the focus is also on belief. The film has already traveled to the Berlin International Film Festival and is expected to screen here later this year.

INTERVIEW Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit

What are you currently working on?
My second full-length film titled The Year of June, which is one of three films sponsored by the Biennale College Cinema in Venice. So next week (Feb 18) I have to go back to Venice to film it. The project is kind of rushed as it must premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival in September and it should screen in Bangkok not long after. I also have another project with GTH. I’ve written three scripts for GTH already—Bangkok Traffic Love Story, Top Secret and the first story in 7-Something—but I will also direct this time. It’s not finalized yet but work on the production should start next year. 
 
Despite international acclaim, 36 only got a limited screening in Bangkok. Why?
I knew from the start that 36 would not be a mainstream project and that it would be hard to find sponsors. So I started small-scale using my personal funds. The reason it got a limited screening was not only down to the theaters but my own doing. Screening a film in a big theater isn’t as simple as saying, “Hey I have this file, can you show it?” It can cost almost a hundred thousand baht. I didn’t have the money so I chose to screen it using a projector at BACC. The reception was great—it made me realize things can be done this way, too. This doesn’t mean that I’m turning my back on theaters. Once I got the money, I converted 36 to the system that House RCA can support. So that's why the film finally sceened at House in July.         

 
What support does the Thai film industry need?
I believe the government should help fund directors, as they used too. It means a lot, seriously. Let’s say we want to produce one film that will cost B10 million. If it’s not a mainstream production, it might only get B4 million in revenue meaning the director loses B6 million. No one wants to take a risk like that, so people produce only films that are guaranteed to succeed—compromising their art. If we had support from the government—let’s say B5 million—the risk would be much smaller and more people would be willing to take it.