Photographing Muffins & Co. at The Souq

“The Souq provides a perfect opportunity for any entrepreneur to start and own a retail business. Since a majority of the renovation costs have been covered and prepared in the Souq, business owners just need to spend on a very minimal set up cost. The Souq provides its tenants with ready-to-move-in shop units equipped with all the necessities from power supply, individual airconditioning, phone line and up-to-the-business signage. Tenants will only need to set up proper display units or furniture and a very low renovation cost if necessary, then bring in the products and their shop is ready for operation.” — The Brunei Times

A photography assignment at Muffins & Co. took me to Level One of the Airport Mall where it’s located at the Main Street Unit right next door to The Souq’s management office. Muffins & Co. is owned by the same team behind established bakery, Mr Baker’s Bakershop at Batu Besurat and Mr Baker’s Cafe at Gadong Central.

Very first order of the afternoon — selecting a face for Muffins & Co. — positioning and lighting Jong wasn’t the easiest and straightforward of task considering the space constraint and constant battle with tungsten bias ambient lighting, with the shadow behind subject intentionally left untouched.

10 varieties of freshly baked muffins from the kitchen of Mr Baker’s Bakeshop were brought here for the shoot and for the lucky few to sample. Check out Muffins & Co. on Facebook

Photographing Mr Baker’s Cafeteria

The first official hint that a cafe was in Mr Baker’s Bakeshop pipeline was this ad in Borneo Insider’s Guide magazine featuring pictures from my first shoot at the bakery, a day which coincided with the delivery of a 15-inch fresh vanilla fruit cake to Wu Chun. Months later, in the weeks leading up to the cafe’s opening, the much anticipated shoot took place at the spacious location at Gadong Central — arrived on location to set up at 8am and finished packing up at 7pm — 11 hours of styling and shooting I kid you not and I got to sample their freshly prepared sandwiches and beverages.

click on image below for reactions and comments on Facebook

click on image below for reactions and comments on Facebook

Equally busy during the shoot is cafe owner Eric who kept his social followers updated on Facebook and Instagram.

click on image below for reactions and comments on Facebook

My choice of available light for food photography — a pair of 60-inch umbrellas made by Photogenic USA with shots tethered to a Dell Studio 17″ laptop for instant, critical feedback.

It’s impossible to undertake a commercial assignment and not have on hand a large high definition
display for critical review of shots. My Dell Studio 17 goes with me everywhere.

The Cafe’s selection of Italian style grilled sandwiches called Paninis. I sampled these and loved the crunchy exterior and warm insides.

Freshly baked healthy variety of take-out breads now a convenient access in Gadong Central while you dine-in.

A clean, modern, rustic cafe interior designed by WaMa Designs

Photographs from this shoot are to fill the white vertical spaces to the right of this photo.

This photo was lit by 3 flashes, one firing into a 60-inch umbrella, another a 32-inch umbrella hidden in the far end corner to provide balanced lighting from front to back including a third flash to light up the kitchen.

On the day I delivered the recently photographed images of the new Cafe, local Bruneian staff were given hands-on training in food and beverage preparation to equip them for the official opening. At time of this post, MrBaker’s Bakeshop employs 70% local Bruneian staff.

“SHEET” – The Empire Hotel and Country Club’s First Edition Recipe Booklet

Foreword by Executive Chef Torsten Schubert: It’s a pleasure to welcome you to the first edition of the Empire Hotel’s recipe booklet. The word “SHEET” defines to cover or layer an object with a sheet. In the following recipes, you will discover the various methods in covering or layering food. Throughout the hotel, 12 Chefs from various outlets and nationalities have created their very own signature dishes with the use of “SHEET”. Photographing these dishes for the Empire Hotel has connected me to the interesting personalities of the 12 Chefs whose outstanding efforts made this recipe booklet possible.

“SHEET” is the Empire Hotel’s first recipe booklet as much as it’s also my first published recipe booklet and is available in a limited run of only 250 copies. The copy I have is serial numbered “88″ and you can grab a copy at Spaghettini Restaurant for only B$15.

The word “SHEET” defines to cover or layer an object with a sheet. In the following recipes, you will discover the various methods in covering or layering food.

Throughout the hotel, 12 Chefs from various outlets and nationalities have created their very own
signature dishes with the use of “SHEET”

Executive Chef Torsten styles the Bakes Blue Swimmer Crab Parcel for the shoot.

French Chef Benjamin lending a hand to Indian Chef Raj’s creation Tandoori Chicken Lasagna.

Indonesian Chef Deddy’s Beef Rendang Ravioli

Malaysian Chef Azizi’s Poached Salmon in Roti Jala Cannelloni

Singaporean Chef Henry’s Oriental Marinated Chicken Tortilla

Bruneian Chef Fairuz’s Blackcurrant Leather

In the booklet, you’ll find 12 recipes namely: Thai Spring Roll & Chili Dip, Baked Blue Swimmer Crab Parcel, Seafood Crepes & Balinese Sauce, Poached Salmon in Roti Jala Cannelloni, Slipper Lobster Wrap, Lamb Satay Roulade, Pan Seared Cod Fillets in Hot Black Bean Sauce, Beef Rendang Ravioli, Oriental Marinated Chicken Tortilla, Tandoori Chicken Lasagna, Blackcurrant Leather and Nougatine “Mille Feuille” Chocolate-Nougat Sauce.