Hanging out with the Artsy crowd.

I made a spontaneous decision to participate in this years KL design week about a month ago;
I still can't decide if it was a good call or not. I suppose such a last minute attempt at contribution never exactly proves fruitful. I hadn't done my research in advance and jumped straight into deciding how 'Delectable by Su' would be a part of it.
We live and learn I've been telling myself all weekend; I guess that's what the rest of us there at the secret event have been saying to ourselves all through our low traffic long hours as well. It's funny; all the vendors were incredibly disappointed; but we had made the best of our effort spent preparing for our tent exhibits. Designers, artists, inventors, musicians and cartoonists all gathered in our miserable hole in the wall they named our 'venue'. *laughs*The initial hours of sweat and dust filled fury had left the girls and I a little frustrated. We fixed up our quaint Delectable garden filled with delicious things for sale and clothes lines pegged with images of my delectable creations. It was incredibly satisfying to watch our ideas materialize. I remember sitting in the tent with my girls; brainstorming and getting excited about our crazy tent decorating ideas! Haha It was hilarious! So much fun.All the other participants were incredibly creative with their given canvases too!We knew it would be an insane idea attempting to paint up the entire tent in just 3 days; so we basically went nuts with couple of spray colours and stencils. I officially am scared shit of cutting stencils; it hurts like a $%*!$(... >.< What are we having at the tent?
Adorable garden themed cupcakes and delicious sugar cookies are for sale.
Our new line of Delectable clothing and bags will be available too! Besides; we do give out occasional free stuff; in support of the environment and in an attempt to promote Delectable by Su. Such as? Hmm.. bow clips, seed packets, hugs? smiles? *laughs* Just come by for a visit! The girls and I love having people to chat with!
It's funny how many on lookers came by to ask us if it was really edible!? Haha they couldn't believe the cute little birds and sculpted cakes images were actually food!
Where?
It's at Capsquare; Off Jalan Ampang in the City (KL). Close to the Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang junction. From 10am-10pm (** Note: The girls and I will not be exhibiting on the 4/4/09 this saturday! we were there this afternoon - Friday and have sold out past lunch)

There are really cool exhibits inside the building and very interesting bits of art in every corner of the mall; I just wish more people knew about it. Last weekend on Saturday; Earth hour in the evening generated a big crowd during the marathon walk. Unfortunately after all that excitement, the buzz at our secret tents died together with Malaysia's lights at 8.30pm. I hope you remembered to shut your lights out for an hour too!
I wished my blog a happy third birthday and we began to pack up to leave for the night. As we ate our sandwich dinners in darkness lit with candles; I thanked my 2 darlings for working with me through to wee hours in the morning the night before. We hadn't made much money from our sales; but we did manage to sell all our fresh fare by afternoon on Sunday. I'm making some more for this Friday; but till then... I'm going to take time off to write my articles and reorganize my plans for the next month. I usually do this during my weekend drives and badminton sessions; unfortunately I'm backed up on all that finicky detail up to today.
We hadn't found a moment to take a breather since last Friday and were terribly exhausted when the girls came in to work this morning. Hehe well; Boss has fallen sick; so it would have been the perfect opportunity to give everyone a rest too. I'd stick to paperwork while they're away.

To those who have submitted their mugshots and hadn't received a voucher in the mail; I SINCERELY apologize! Haha I'm working on them at the moment!
Don't worry about printing out the silly pdf; everyone who sent in photographs are entitled to RM20! Just come by and show yourself! Lots of free stuff for you to redeem.

*Oh; who's seen Su on the NST newspaper yesterday? Haha I've been getting calls from everyone since.*blush blush* How cool was that! I'm going to frame it up for my bedroom! *giggle*
I'm so grateful for all the media support I've been getting. It really has helped Delectable by Su introduce itself to Malaysia these couple of months.

**I CAN't BELIEVE IT! I've exceeded my Upload limit?!?! WTH blogspot! When in the world was there a freaking limit! *shocked* ... thats news to me.
*hmph* I had some awesome photographs of KLDW to share. *tear*
ahh well; will work on resizing photos next time.

In anticipation of Many new Delectable Happenings!

Everything that I had going for me; has suddenly ballooned to an imaginable magnitude.
It's pretty overwhelming, but me; being the natural scrooge is refusing to turn away opportunities which have presented themselves at my doorstep, have taken willingly taken them on!
Is it greed? Have I made wise choices? At this point, I'm thinking not. It's just too much! I am very confident with my ability to handle multiple projects and compartmentalizing my time accordingly. Well; I was at least. At University it was a breeze, right now... it's a #$@$&!!* tsunami!
Every day is a new beginning to something different; terrain begging to be explored, it's an adventure! I enjoy every moment of it no doubt; I am learning more about the 'real' world more than I can imagine, but when I take a moment to reevaluate; I'm actually still standing at the far end of the finish line.
I'll be honest; I'm afraid. Very much.

I understood what I was going to put myself through when I had decided to begin this Delectable journey. Speaking about and anticipating it was a walk in the park, but watching it unravel before me like a parcel with a million layers is ridiculously taunting!
Little tidbits of luck have kept me excited; little words of encouragement from everyone help push me miles; but truth is... i would be falling apart in exhaustion without my babe and my dear.


Here are my girls. Eli; my babe. Nicky; my dear.
Yes; we make a mess, yes we struggle... yes they make mistakes...yes they forget... yes they lose things... and yes; they are occasionally late for appointments; but without them, I'd probably find it very hard to love my job. They are my invaluable support; both mental and psychological! Hehe they pick me up when I'm down and remind me to smile through my tough times. They never leave me to bare my own worries and constantly make me feel they have my back. Everyone's a 'blur-sotong'-lah occasionally! haha but I suppose everything comes with practice. The same way I am; they are both enthusiastic about work; chirpy in the mornings and very much loveable!
I'm glad to have my El and Nic with me on this journey.

What's the happenings? Well.... lets just say; Delectable won't just be a place in cyberspace very soon. :D

Delectable? No kidding! *blush*

There's nothing more Delectable than a delicious and tanned chocolate man. mmMm.He's filled with delicious chocolate layers of cake; thick luscious creamy dark ganache and a hint of espresso. *drool*

I got rid of my regular 'cute' and took it up a notch with the 'sexy' for this particular piece.
It was fun one to do. Had my hands all over 'him' for hours. *cheeky grin*
Well, I had to leave out the head and other more 'strategic' bits of him to leave a little for imagination *giggle*. The ladies had a good laugh, the birthday girl was blushing from ear to ear! *laughs* I personally feel it sometimes pays to be a little discreet and keep the best bits 'invisible'.
Someone had to make a comment about how realistic his nipples were; and to be honest, I was thrilled! I was determined to surf google images for 'men's chests' to get the perfect proportion and shape. *cheeky grin* I had no choice! It's part of the research! hehe :D
The tool belt, pouch, hammer and equipment gave my sexy chocolate stripper a personality. It told more of a story in comparison to me adding a face to the body.
What do you think is his story? *giggle*
*shrug* I had a story in mind as I sculpted; but yea.. this is not the best place to speak about it. Haha :X

Delectable Mugshots @ KL Design Week! 2009

Come join in the fun!Click to enlarge

Would love to meet everyone!!! I wanna take photos and hang out. Grab a cup of coffee SU style *grin* It'll be awesome! I would love to give everyone more details about the KLDW event; unfortunately at this point... I'm still scrambling to tie it all in.
Will have more updates closer to date.
Please give us a call if you have any queries!

I'm so excited to see those declarations!!!
To my international readers; feel free to send in your Delectable mugshots too! However the vouchers will be limited to locals who are able to redeem their vouchers at the event personally.
Declarations in all forms are welcomed; send us links; images; all sorts!
We will have Delectable t-shirts, totes, tank tops, cookies, cupcakes and lots more for sale at our 'secret tent'! Lot's of stuff for you to exchange your RM2o for. *grin*

Oh! You must be wondering; who's the adorably delectable bunny rabbit?
Well; Let me introduce you to Jo! He's a new addition to my team. You'll definitely be seeing more of him in the coming weeks. He's mischievous; fluffy and ever so fond of delicious treats!
**kudo's to my (cikgu) Jason for his creative genius www.cubebites.com

Aight guys; it was a fun morning blurp; but it's back to cakes for me.

Signing off with love, hugs and frosting;
Su

*Sheepish grin*

I felt a little uneasy. A little unsure.. and I suppose nervous in general.
The room was filled with anxious students; but it was as though the entire waiting hall was empty. I stuck on a silly sticker onto my chest; it was for them to identify me loud and clear... Su-Yin. The stickers remind me of 'help' groups and self improvement seminars. *shrug*
It was 10 minutes to 4pm and I could sense that everyone around me was just a little too shy to begin making friends; I caught the eye of a pretty young girl across from me. She saw me, and glanced away, looked at me again and this time checked out my name tag. I smiled at her to break the awkward silence. She surprises me by walking over. She goes "Do you write a blog online?"
I lose blood in my brain for a couple of seconds and then begin to blush continuously all over. Haha as I gathered myself between giggles we made conversation and spoke about travels; she was so pleasant, I was thrilled. Of course; I handed her a namecard; and reminded her that I made cakes *wink*
Very quickly; an hour of class came to an end; It was amusing. The classroom of quiet individuals out in the hallway were now roaring with laughter and dancing comfortably in each others hands. *shrug* It was Salsa; it's difficult not to warm up to your partners considering how we were reminded to look at their faces at all times. Pretty intimidating for shy people like me.
As we bid our goodbyes another young girl comes up to me with "You look very familiar; are you Su Yin; the girl who makes pretty cakes?"
I didn't know what to say. I don't remember what I said. I must have babbled something ridiculously confusing. *slaps head* People in Malaysia don't usually come up to me with such first lines. *laughs* I had to give her a hug. It was an awesome feeling. Of course I did conveniently slip her a couple of name cards too! *grin*
I don't know what the majority of blog hoppers come in to see; but I presume it is Cakes. Not so much the writing or food photography I'm guessing.
Haha would love to get feedback guys.

I woke up one morning and decided I was inspired by sheep! and that very night; I received an order confirmation for a christening cake. I thought to myself Sheep it is.
*giggle*
Really I'm not kidding; it is as simple as that.
I don't spend hours gathering inspiration... I just grab whatever comes. Be it in my dreams or in my daily encounters.

I don't mean to be vague.

I bet I'm not the only blogger out there who have wrote pieces which never make it through to the 'publish' button. :S
Especially now that I own a business and a public blog that run side by side; I sometimes feel I should watch what I say, how I say and where I say.
A couple years back; I was free to say whatever the #$*@$ I wanted to say! where the #@*& I decide to say it!*laughs* I didn't need to worry about people judging my professionalism or body image; *shrug* as much as I would like to disregard it; it has finally began to show through my blogging.
Not at all am I implying that I've changed in terms of my views and outlook on things; I still do speak my mind.... Just I guess a little more cautiously. The domino effect... the "he said she said" ...the public scrutiny; it all sends chills down my spine. Hehe I'm too straight to play politics. I'm true to this blog of mine which I choose to keep neutral and un-commercialized.
Of course through the years I've came across a fair number of wolves who have taken bites off of this unsuspecting little red riding hood. Funny how it's changed my perception on reality and the world of business. I've concluded that 'business' is a dirty word.
It's what I do; but it's not easy playing the part of the honest and upfront newbie. I intend to stay grounded to my ethical standards and maintain this sense of social responsibility despite the eyerolls and "ppftts" I get from those far ahead in this rat race.
I do realize I'm part of the minority and I have to be on my toes protecting myself from those who prey on my gullible beliefs; but I know it will be worth it in the end.
I've achieved more than just gathering a handful of 'contacts' in terms of business partners and clients. I've made friends along the way. Friends who will be there for me because they believe in what I do and intend to see me break past my difficult periods. I've been incredibly lucky to have had a host of talented individuals offering to support me with valuable knowledge and opportunities; plainly out of pure kindness. You wouldn't imagine the different interesting challenges I've been offered to dabble in. From design work, to fabric prints, clay sculpting, speeches, pastry development, product testing to the very recent opportunity to do a restaurant review for a magazine! Ridiculous! I was thrilled!!
It was so much fun!! I came home wondering if maybe I should pursue this. I love writing and I'm all about detail, flavours and cultures.
I would love to tell everyone about the restaurant and the food; the chef ...etc. However, the guys down at Best Food Junction will probably not be very happy with me spilling the beans before the publication is out. *laughs*
They brought a professional photographer and I got to watch him do his 'thing'; I was on cloud 9.

**these were taken with my personal silly little SLR; hehe

The chef came out and had a chat with us; and they appreciated my feedback; it was surreal.
Writing an article about cakes is different; it's what I do, i live and breath cakes. Being asked to submit my views on something as different as Japanese food was much more challenging. I sometimes amaze myself when I realize I have little tidbits of information about everything food! *laughs* I must had read too many articles/blogs/cookbooks/food magazines. I've probably been unconsciously storing all this info for years. Funny!

Ipoh: Nostalgia vs Modern Influences

Ipoh is a small town. A quaint placed filled with passionate individuals who are adventurous with flavours and unforgiving when it comes to mediocre tasting food.
Certainly one would expect a place such as this to be naturally introduced to fusion foods from across the globe. Well to be honest; not many dare invest in such ideas; weary of risking reputation and competition from local hawker favourites.
You'll be surprised to discover that those who have taken the plunge and kept high standards have been doing awfully well for themselves. I've eventually concluded that Ipoh-ians pay well for great food. I wouldn't compare both champions of fine dining and roadside hawker side by side in an attempt to distinguish the better. It's a whole different dimension of comparison! Not possible; they'd probably both share a tie for the gold medal in my books. Hehe
I have "Su's little google guide" for those who want to make a quick hit and run in this food haven I call home.
Don't visit Ipoh without Su's food guide! Click on the little balloons for details on my favourite eateries.

View Larger Map

Of course there are more than these several I have made mentions to; I definitely suggest scouting a local guide to help show you the ropes.
It is incredibly easy to be mistaken about the way food is priced in Ipoh. The tiny nostalgic corners could cost just as much as a decent meal of Mod-oz deliciousness. All I can tell you is; eat what you like, either way... it's going to be Delicious! I have this theory; in Ipoh, every restaurant/hawker is decent. If it isn't; it's probably going to be shut next week. *grin* I don't kid when I say Ipoh-ians are brutal with food. Word spreads quickly amongst us foodies!



Just to share; here are clips from 2 extremely contrasting meals I've had with the family. Located just a short 2 minutes drive away from each other. Ipoh and it's diversity; it's hard not to fall in love.

Hung Kee; Hasn't much changed since I was 8. and according to aunts, uncles and grandpa; it hasn't much changed since their time either.

Indulgence; Restaurant and Boutique Hotel; Don't leave without having tasted the Tiramisu!

The Dodo in all of us.

It's nice to see friends poking fun at each other and having a laugh about it!This set was done for a very special client of mine who wanted a gag gift for a girlfriend of hers. It was an incredibly sweet and funny surprise for her. Made me wish at times I had a group of close knit girlfriends who are close by; to call for lunch; to take a walk with.. I guess at this age; most of us are dispersed around the world pursuing our careers; I do miss my girls lots every step of the way.
Reverting back to light-hearted mentions; the main theme for the cakes were Dodo birds. Dodo?!
I was a little confused initially; why would they want extinct birds all over the cupcakes! Haha
I then went to one of my favourite online resources : www.urbandictionary.com

Relating to the extinct and perpetually bungling Dodo bird. Used to describe someone without common sense and who always has the pathetic confused look on their face when a question is asked.

My perception of the design theme and process then became much easier to work on. Haha too funny!
At the delivery; the birthday girl wasn't a dodo at ALL! Wow! she was a corporate professional; stylishly dressed and impressively charming; I have to admit though; she was a little quiet and taken aback when we turned up at her office with birthday wishes and cake. I guess she was in shock! Haha it took her awhile to fully appreciate the moment. I love it when we succeed at 'surprise deliveries'.
It was incredibly cute and heartwarming; she flipped the card and had a sheepish snicker at an cheeky little message we had attached from her girlfriends.

It's nice to be able to acknowledge the blonde moments we all have individually. I laugh at myself to squirm out of embarrassing situations....and to be honest; being the klutz that I am, I have enough moments to fill an entire triple tier file cabinet! *laughs* The first tier for physical klutziness; the second for verbal diarrhea and the bottom set aside for the many times I misplaced, misread and misinterpreted.

*Whats with the puma jacket?hmm.. it was a private little joke about nicknames and a boyfriend.. I wasn't sure what it was; clients never exactly disclose as much juicy details as I would like them to sometimes....
*giggle* it's cause they know I own a blog... a PUBLIC blog... *evil grin*