Lavish lays in Malaysia – Part 1
Kuala Lumpur is a fast paced megacity where you’re more likely to be asked what you last ate than where you come from. Food and shopping are a national obsession, yet only hours away are the lush rainforests of Kota Kinabalu and the wildlife of Langkawi which provide a different kind of luxury escape.
I’m all about luxury and exploring and Malaysia is the perfect place for both. My recent trip took me to four ahh-mazing hotels which you need in your life. Today I’m featuring the Mandarin Oriental, which in my opinion is the best luxury city hotel- ever.
The last time I heard a live pianist on a baby grand, I was walking around David Jones but here in the club lounge of the Mandarin Oriental , I have a glass of Moet in hand and if I had a corgi on my lap I would feel like the queen 😉
Tonight it’s chicken rendang and a calamari sambal, but tomorrow I hear it’s Thai and I am loving being a member of the ‘club’ at the Mandarin Oriental where I can even get my pjs ironed (no need for air miles!) I am claiming this spot as my virtual office in the sky.
I do of course eventually retreat to my two-bedroom apartment. It’s a homely haven; comfy couch, large screen TV, floor to ceiling windows and two enormous bedrooms both with ensuites. My corner bedroom has paparazzi views of the Petronas Towers, KLCC park plus a nightly show of illuminated fountains which would be quite at home in Vegas. I hit the spa for a massage, then the gym which is a maze of tech equipment mad max would have fun with.
Instead of lunch at Lai Po Heen where Peking duck is carved at the table, I secure a table at Spain’s acclaimed Aziamendi88 and unashamedly broadcast my luck to friends back in Sydney on social media. Why wait months for a table in Spain when you can fly here and virtually walk in! Creating a stir across Asia, it’s Malaysia’s first three Michelin star pop-up and I don’t need to leave the hotel!
In a recreated Spanish courtyard, a picnic box opens to reveal a trio of tastes. a bonsai tree sprouting tomatoes at the table is joined by a silver spoon of egg yolk injected with hot truffle jus then ‘the garden’; a masterpiece of edible beetroot soil, tomato emulsion and carrot is served, minus the pitchfork! No wonder you need to shop to work it off!
A shopper’s paradise flanked by a number of malls all within bag hauling distance, I set off on a retail journey of connecting tunnels via the convention centre and skyline walkway. You have to love KL – it’s the only place which enables your purse to have its own freeway journey without any time spent at traffic lights or wrong turns. Be afraid, shopaholics, be very afraid!
Stay tuned for Part Two of Malaysia lavish lays – coming soon.
Book a stay at the Mandarin Oriental.
Looks like a beautiful hotel to stay at when in Malaysia! Kuala Lumpur is such a vibrant city and the food is incredible. We have done a food tour while in a KL and it was the best thing ever.
Here is our blog about it http://www.veryhungrynomads.com/eating-in-malaysia-like-a-local/