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Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
These uniquely M'sian food plushies are melting hearts
All eight Malaysian food-themed plushies by 'Chubbies' are irresistibly cute. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) PETALING JAYA : Nasi lemak you can't 'bungkus'. Curry puffs you can't eat. Ice cream potong that never melts. Disappointed? Don't be because you can curl up with them in bed instead. That's the idea behind Chubbies, the first and only local plushie brand, inspired by Malaysia's best-loved foods. Started last year by couple Ian Gan Ming Zhi and Jess Ho Mun Yan, Chubbies adds a local twist to plushies, from their designs to their cheeky names. Their first creation? 'Cara the curry puff'. This local brand was founded by couple Ian Gan Ming Zhi and Jess Ho Mun Yan. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) 'In 2022, we were in Bangkok, just casually browsing in a mall, when we came across some food plushies,' Gan, 31, told FMT Lifestyle. That's when inspiration hit. 'Being such a food-centric country, it felt strange that nothing like this existed here,' Gan added. 'For a long time, the two of us had wanted to create something meaningful. We've always had a bunch of hobbies so we thought, this is a great idea to pour our hearts into,' Ho, 29, said. Although they're manufactured overseas, each plushie is designed in-house by Gan himself, armed with just his iPad and pen. With corporate backgrounds, neither had experience in design or anything remotely as cute as plushies. Still, they pushed on. Their first creation, Cara the curry puff, remains their best-seller. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) And don't be fooled, making plushies is serious business. 'When we first created the character, it was ugly,' Gan admitted. 'It was so bad – weird twirls, the wrong colours, odd proportions, eyes far apart, and we even had to figure out the right level of squishiness.' He said it was quite an interesting process because you had to know how textiles worked in order to create a well-crafted plushie with a pleasing design and the right amount of 'squeeze'. And guess what? Their curry puff plushie is still their best-seller. From there came another Malaysian staple: nasi lemak, affectionately named Nyle, complete with anchovies and peanuts embroidered on the back. 'Our nasi lemak plushie doesn't have an egg, because he donated his egg to Ravi the roti telur,' Ho shared with a laugh. Gan and Ho recently redesigned their plushies as bag charms. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) The couple also wanted to add a drink into the mix, but bubble tea and cup plushies had been done to death. So, they opted for something unmistakably Malaysian: teh ikat tepi, personified as Talia. And just to up the charm factor, they gave all their plushies adorably cross-eyed gazes. They now have eight plushies in their collection, including Sophie the Seri Muka, Ollie the Otak-otak, and their newest addition, Polly the ice cream potong. Ho shared that the best part about starting Chubbies has been the customer interactions and stories. 'One of our customers bought a nasi lemak plushie for her friend who was on a diet but craving nasi lemak,' she revealed. 'During Ramadan, we even get comments saying our social media posts of plushies are too tempting.' Chubbies is on track to expand their range of Malaysian food-themed plushies. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) Chubbies has also won over mums, who share them with their kids, take playful 'eating' photos, or hang the plushies on school bags. 'When someone receives our plushie, I hope they feel joy, and happy that they have something unique and Malaysian. I also hope they feel hungry!' Gan said. And with the craze over Labubu plush toys and bag charms, Chubbies has now added a little tag to each plushie so it can be hung. In the future, the couple hopes to expand Chubbies to include custom designs and even giant plushies big enough to fill your bed. So, if you're struggling to control your cravings, you might want to grab a Chubbies plushie instead! Follow Chubbies on Instagram Shop online or find them at: TWIGS Bookshop, Sunway 163 Mall Unit 1F-12, First Floor, Sunway 163 Mall 8, Jalan Kiara Mont Kiara 50480 Kuala Lumpur GiftPortals, One Utama Shopping Centre 2nd Floor, S1028 1 Utama Shopping Centre No. 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama Bandar Utama Petaling Jaya
Free Malaysia Today
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Legoland launches world's first Lego flower garden
The Lego flower garden in Johor is open to the public. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) ISKANDAR PUTERI : Imagine a flower that never wilts. Not a readymade one but one you can actually build with your own hands brick by brick. Proudly blooming at Legoland Malaysia in Johor is the world's first Lego flower garden. Covering over 4,100 sq ft and built using more than 792,000 Lego bricks, Miniland's latest attraction is a vibrant burst of colour. Opened to the public on April 28, the garden took more than 2,200 hours to complete. It features 58 varieties of Lego flowers from the popular Lego Botanicals collection, including sunflowers, orchids, bonsai trees, cherry blossoms, and wildflower bouquets. One of the standout features? A stunning customised Lego model of the Rafflesia – an ode to Southeast Asia's iconic (and famously stinky) bloom. The main highlight at the Lego flower garden is the customised Rafflesia. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) According to CS Lim, vice president of Legoland Malaysia Resort, the project was a year in the making. 'The Lego botanical series was getting very popular, so we thought, instead of people buying one box and building one flower, why don't we build an entire garden here to have all those flowers in one location,' he told FMT Lifestyle. Taking a stroll through the flower garden, you'll soon realise it is truly a unique experience. A mix of real plants, artificial greenery, and detailed Lego sculptures gives the space a feel that's as close to a real garden as bricks can get. There are more than just flowers here. Spot Lego koi fish in the pond, butterflies perched on petals, and birds resting on branches. Fun fact: there's even a hidden scent machine to make the garden smell like real flowers. The attraction also includes a workshop where you can build your own Lego flower. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) 'Coming to this garden, I hope visitors feel serene,' said Lim. 'But most important is the experience – not just to take nice photos, but also to take part in the activities, build your own flower, and take it home.' Workshops are led by Zariq Mohd Ali, 31, the only master model builder in Malaysia. Visitors can join him to creatively repurpose old Lego bricks into brand-new floral masterpieces. 'I've loved Lego from a really young age, but as you grow older, you have other responsibilities and interests, so I kind of let it go,' he shared. With a degree in economics and international relations, Zariq was retrenched twice from his ecommerce job. The Lego flower garden features 58 varieties of flowers from the Lego Botanicals collection. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) 'One morning I was jobless and saw an Instagram post saying they were looking for a master model builder in Legoland. And I told myself, 'hey, if I don't try, I'll never know'.' Today, he's living every kid's dream job. 'I want people to leave with that sense of wow,' he said of the garden. 'It would be incredible if this place even became a spot for proposals.' Each Lego sculpture – big or small – is handmade by Zariq and his team of skilled builders. Miniland includes several miniature Lego attractions, including this one depicting Batu Caves. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) The flower garden joins a long list of impressive miniature attractions at Miniland, built with over 30 million Lego bricks and showcasing famous landmarks from 17 Asian countries. There's the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, India's Taj Mahal, Melaka's Christ Church, and Batu Caves – just to name a few. In fact, the Miniland Amazing Malaysia section alone features over 1.38 million Lego bricks, celebrating the country's rich cultural diversity. While you're there, be sure to explore the other attractions too – from the water park to the dragon roller coaster. To find out more, check out the Legoland Malaysia Resort website.
