Kate Spade New York opens at Suria KLCC

I've always been a girl who loves to shop and living in KLCC with several massive malls so close and more time on my hands than I'm used to, I've certainly been indulging in a bit of retail therapy!

What's so great about places like KLCC and Pavilion is that because they're so big, a new store is always opening somewhere to keep shoppers interested. The latest to excite me is Kate Spade New York, which opened its KLCC outlet yesterday. Until now there's only been an outlet at the Gardens Mall in Mid Valley. The store looks bright and inviting, the rainbow of colours cheerful accents against the mainly white fit out. 

Kate Spade store at Suria KLCC

And inside? A girly girl's dream - high heels with bows in the prettiest colour combinations, ladylike cardigans straight from Emma Pilsbury's wardrobe and my favourite - cute cocktail rings in jewel colours that come in a cocktail gift box complete with recipe on the back! The perfect gift for one of your girlfriends.

You can find Kate Spade New York on Level 1 of KLCC next to Calvin Klein.

Christmas Day brunch at the Ritz Carlton

This year would be the first Christmas away from home for The Boy and I, so to fend off any bouts of homesickness, we needed a Christmas feast to rival any either of us have had with our families. Around this time it seems that every nice hotel and restaurant puts on a fantastic buffet to help KL-ites who don't want to cook at home indulge in a festive feast. 

Being half-English, Christmas at home has always meant traditional fare of turkey and ham with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and the like. While I knew ham was going to be hard to come by in KL, I set about finding the buffet closest to what was familiar. I love local cuisine but on Christmas Day, I didn't want to see any noodles or nasi lemak at the buffet!

Eventually we decided on the Christmas Day Brunch at the Ritz Carlton - stylish surrounds and the promise of delights including turkey, roast beef and venison plus an array of seafood.

Beautiful Christmas tree outside Cesar's restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

We arrived right on time (The Boy wanted to be first in line for the food!) and were shown to our table in Cesar's restaurant. As I had expected, the place looked wonderful and the food was delicious.

The interior of Cesar's restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

I completely overindulged on the seafood selection - tiger prawns, mussels, lobster tails, Alaskan king crab, smoked salmon and more - then moved onto the requisite turkey. Ordinarily, I  find turkey to be a bit bland, but with chestnut stuffing, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and delicious gravy, it tasted just like Christmas. Meanwhile, The Boy raved about the venison next to me - pink and juicy on the inside just like it's meant to be, the meat was tender and flavoursome.

One of my multiple plates of seafood featuring prawns, smoked salmon, mussels, lobster tails, a crudite of pear and blue cheese, marinated eggplant and semi-dried tomatoes.

Soon it was time for my favourite part of the meal - dessert! And what a spread there was. The traditional favourites of Christmas pudding, log cake and mince pies; a chocolate fountain with fruit pieces and marshmallows; an array of miniature desserts from tiramisu to trifle; and the choice of crepes, ice cream and Eton mess made to order. 

Eton Mess

Did I mention the mugs of pure liquid chocolate in milk and white varieties? The Boy decided to try both and they were pure heaven, though the white chocolate was so sweet I could only take a small sip after eating so much food!

It was a wonderful meal and we were both feeling completely overindulged and too full to move - just the way Christmas is meant to be!

The Boy and me in front of the giant gingerbread house in the Ritz-Carlton lobby

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas in KL

I might be in my mid-twenties but I still get excited about Christmas each year. I love the food and the presents (giving and receiving!) and the general sense of festivity in the air.


So naturally, I've been delighted to find out that Christmas does exist in Malaysia! While it may not hold a great deal of religious significance to many in this part of the world, one thing's for sure - the retail sector has embraced this festive time with utter enthusiasm.

No matter what mall you go to in KL right now, you will be sure to see amazing festive decorations to rival any I've ever seen. I particularly like the Christmas Wonderland on display at The Pavilion. Check it out!

Follow your heart

On my last day in the office before I left Sydney, a good friend and colleague said to me,
"Sometimes you just have to follow your heart."

And that really is why I'm here. While others might move overseas to seek adventure and new experiences and challenge themselves, I will admit I was perfectly happy with my life in Sydney just the way it was. So when my boyfriend of 3 years was given the opportunity to move to Kuala Lumpur and set up a new office for his company, I definitely had mixed feelings. On the one hand I wanted to be supportive of something he's wanted to do for a long time; on the other hand...I didn't want to leave home! I didn't want to quit my job! And what would KL do to our relationship?

While KL plans had been on the table for quite some time, things were only finalised at the very last minute giving The Boy literally about a week to sort out his life in Sydney and move. He left in such a whirl that in between cleaning the apartment to put on the rental market and sorting out his travel insurance, there was barely time to be sad about our impending separation. I moved back in with my parents and younger siblings while I planned my own departure, thankful that email, Skype and Viber make long-distance romance slightly easier to maintain.

4 months and one brief visit to KL later, it was me checking in the world's biggest suitcase at Sydney International Airport and hugging my dad goodbye. And here I am. No friends, no car, no office - I'm starting from scratch with The Boy the only familiar thing left from my old life.  

To be honest, until The Boy's job opportunity came up, KL wasn't even really on my radar as a travel destination. The only memory I had of the place was of a late-night stop over at KL airport way back in 1998 en route to London. And it wasn't a particular good memory either - I had managed to lose my camera and was desperately trying to ask airport staff for help finding it. I never did get it back and spent the next 3 weeks in Europe buying a disposable camera in every city.

This time around I'm hoping for better memories. I've followed my heart to KL and I know this will be the biggest test of our love but also the greatest opportunity. We could have stayed in Sydney and stuck to our comfortable routine, knowing exactly what each day, week and month would bring. 

But instead we're here, out of our comfort zones and for the first time really having to depend on the other person to get through. I miss my family and friends in Sydney and KL is full of frustrations, but I know there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. 

Nasi Lemak!

I can't write about eating in Malaysia without trying Nasi Lemak, an unofficial 'national dish' in this country. Literally meaning 'fatty rice', this tasty dish is not for the health conscious!

Nasi Lemak consists of light, fluffy rice cooked with coconut water and accompanied by cumber slices; ikan bilis (small fried anchovies); hard boiled egg; peanuts and a sweet-spicy sambal. The version I had also included curry chicken and a small side dish of pickled vegetables, making it more of a substantial meal.

Nasi Lemak at Madam Kwan's, Suria KLCC

Traditionally, nasi lemak is served wrapped in a banana leaf and you can get different variations to eat at any time of day. I was surprised to find it is typically a breakfast dish with the optional meat etc. added for lunch or dinner.

Nasi Lemak is found widely here in KL, with budget versions available for as little as 2.50RM (less than $1AU) from hawker stalls, to pricier versions served at Malaysian restaurants such as the popular Madam Kwan's.


This is definitely a crowd-pleaser and even if you are not a fan of spicy foods, give it a try because it's really not that hot! The sambal has more of a kick than real mouth-burning spice!

I just don't know what to do with myself...

Only a week in to my new life in KL and I'm already feeling stuck. After a weekend of settling in (bought new pillows!) and getting to know my way around the local area (i.e. the nearest shopping mall), The Boy is back to his long work hours - the perils of starting your own business - and I find myself with every afternoon completely empty.

There is only so much time I can spend by our glorious pool having grown up in a country all too aware of the risks of sun exposure, and as much as I love to shop, after walking past the same stores every morning and night even the mall starts to lose a little of its lustre. Not to mention I am trying to remain faithful to our extremely conservative budget, which translates to about $15AU a day!

So in an attempt to find something to do that lets me
a) stay inside
b) not spend money
c) feel like I've accomplished something

...I've decided to start a blog.

This isn't going to be the sort of thing where I whinge and pour out my emotions and philosophies on life to an invisible online audience. There will probably be a bit of that. But I want to use it more to tell stories about the places I go, the dishes I eat, the shops I like...all the things about my new and different life in Malaysia that might be interesting, or useful for people to read.

That is my hope anyway. Wish me luck.