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!