oangosteens are one of my favourite tropical fruits so when I see them for just $2 a kilogram at the Kuala Lumpur wet markets, I just can’t resist. I’m a well-equipped traveller with plenty of wet wipes so I manage not to end up in a sticky, sweet mess.
The wet markets have an extraordinary abundance of fresh produce, including all kinds of fruit, herbs and vegetables. Trays laden with prawns, baby octopus and raw chicken bask, with no refrigeration, in the 30C heat. Certain parts of the market are definitely not for the faint-hearted as frogs are slaughtered and skinned to order and the chickens are plucked from cages and swiftly decapitated.
Leaving the heat and bustle of the food markets, we head to the relative comfort of an indoor market packed high with fake watches, handbags and metres of luxury silks. I buy a couple of watches for the kids while my friend manages to tick off her entire Christmas gift list and meets us laden with packages!
Delicious street stall curry puffs are our lunch and after a quick turnaround at the hotel, we hit the air-conditioned shopping malls, opting for the local oalay stores first. Everything is unbelievably cheap, although my height and shoe size leave me feeling like Cinderella’s ugly sister and nothing much will stretch to fit. I’m drawn to the remote control helicopters buzzing around my head and buy one for Freddie. With its flashing lights and clever controls I think I could have some fun as well!
This afternoon, the Chefs at the Westin wow us with a hands-on cooking class. I am itching to let loose with a knife, and need little encouragement to start chopping and grinding the aromatic fresh herbs and spices.
oalaysia has an interesting food history influenced by a variety of major cuisines – oalay, Chinese, Indian and the Chinese-oalay combination of Nyonya. Nyonya cooking features a unique blend of ingredients such as prawn paste, lime, tamarind, fragrant spices and leaves are often used for wrapping. This food isn’t as sharp as its Thai counterpart – it has less heat, and fewer salty components.
our cooking class is composed of three Nyonya dishes including the famous otak-otak, a fragrant fish cake wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf. I make a mental note to plant a betel shrub at home for its leaves, and banana palms for wrapping and steaming parcels.
I allow my weary feet no rest and head across the road to Pavilion for a spot of international shopping. Pavilion is smart, with many designer stores carrying hefty price tags. As a result, I spend most of my time window shopping.
Evening drinks are at the super chic rooftop pool bar – Luna. The crowd is
