Lifestyle and Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
Expats moving to Kuala Lumpur will soon enjoy all the benefits of living in this world-class shopping destination. KL is a bustling city offering a range of activities and great nightlife and weekend options. Weekends allow expats with families to engage in travel around the region or there are sporting and social clubs within the city that meet over the weekends.
Expats in Malaysia are in for a treat for the senses when it comes to the range of dining out options available. Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines and this is particularly evident in the when sampling the delicious fare on offer in the exotic, trendy and stylish restaurants in KL.
The government does place a 10% service charge and 5% VAT on all restaurant bills. This surcharge is easily avoidable simply by eating at some of the roadside stalls and food bazaars, which cater for all tastes and budgets. Resident expats are sure to show you the best street eats, which usually include satay (marinated and barbecued meat on a skewer), nasi lemak (savoury rice steamed in coconut milk), chicken rice and fried noodles.
Food in Malaysia is a melting pot of world cuisines influenced by Indian, Chinese and Thai cooking styles. Being a meeting point of cultures and immigrant communities Malaysian has come up with some unique tastes such as Nasi Goreng, a rice dished cooked with coconut milk and served with anchovies, roasted nuts, cucumbers, a slice of egg, sambal (chilli paste) and curries. The mixture of fragrant spices, coconut milk and curry leaves make mamak (Indian Muslim cuisine) Kuala Lumpur’s most popular cuisine. Chinese dishes are also a firm favourite with prominent dishes such as bakkwa (dried pork) and char kway teow (stir fried noodles with prawns, eggs, pork and sprouts) readily available throughout the city.
For sit-down meals Kuala Lumpur offers a range of fabulous options. Bon Ton restaurant in Lot 10 Shopping Centre is at the forefront of Kuala Lumpur’s dining out scene, their sesame crusted salmon fillet with roasted mashed potato and cream of chilli cilantro will be sure to keep you coming back for more. Bombay Palace, on Jalan Tun Razak, specialises in North Indian cuisine and the lamb vindaloo is arguably the hottest in Malaysia!
If brushing shoulders with KL’s upper crust is what you’re after then Eest is the place to be seen. Located in the Wesin Hotel, Eest specialises in a Pan-Asian dining experience with signature dishes from Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. Pacifica Grill and Bar serves up a delicious array of fresh seafood, complete with some great views through their floor to ceiling glass windows. For expats fresh off the plane, Seri Melayu is a great introduction to Malay culture and cuisine. Patrons are introduced to delicious Malay fare while taking in a Malay cultural show.
Malaysia is a world-class shopping destination, so much so that exploring the city’s 66 main shopping malls is a popular pastime adopted by many locals, tourists and expats.
Expatriates relocating to Kuala Lumpur need not worry about packing all their favourite wardrobe items as one trip to the Golden Triangle, the city’s premier shopping area, will see all your old favourites replaced, renewed and revitalised.
The Golden Triangle is central to KL in terms of entertainment and business as well. Bukit Bintang Street is lined with shops and malls stocked with IT goods, fashion merchandise, designer brands and electronic goods – malls like Low Yat Plaza, Sungai Wang Plaza, Lot 10 and Times Square stock all these items and more. At the base of the Petronas Twin Towers, shoppers can find the popular Suria KLCC, which has a host of designer goods. Other shopping destinations around the city include Midvalley’s Megamall in Bangsar and Midvalley area, which is worth a browse.
Jalan Hung Kasturi is the place to go if you’re looking for Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market, which is the best place to buy arts and crafts, antiques, paintings, handicrafts and quirky souvenirs. Nearby Chinatown is an ideal destination for those looking for a bargain, or a spot of bargaining. Chinatown has everything from herbal medicines and dried food through to designer t-shirts, jewellery, wallets and handbags.
Kuala Lumpur entrenches itself as any shopaholic’s dream destination with the Mega Sale Carnival in July and August, orchestrated by the Ministry of Tourism for Malaysia in an effort to boost Kuala Lumpur’s reputation as a world-class shopping destination.
Eating Out
Expats in Malaysia are in for a treat for the senses when it comes to the range of dining out options available. Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines and this is particularly evident in the when sampling the delicious fare on offer in the exotic, trendy and stylish restaurants in KL.
The government does place a 10% service charge and 5% VAT on all restaurant bills. This surcharge is easily avoidable simply by eating at some of the roadside stalls and food bazaars, which cater for all tastes and budgets. Resident expats are sure to show you the best street eats, which usually include satay (marinated and barbecued meat on a skewer), nasi lemak (savoury rice steamed in coconut milk), chicken rice and fried noodles.
Food in Malaysia is a melting pot of world cuisines influenced by Indian, Chinese and Thai cooking styles. Being a meeting point of cultures and immigrant communities Malaysian has come up with some unique tastes such as Nasi Goreng, a rice dished cooked with coconut milk and served with anchovies, roasted nuts, cucumbers, a slice of egg, sambal (chilli paste) and curries. The mixture of fragrant spices, coconut milk and curry leaves make mamak (Indian Muslim cuisine) Kuala Lumpur’s most popular cuisine. Chinese dishes are also a firm favourite with prominent dishes such as bakkwa (dried pork) and char kway teow (stir fried noodles with prawns, eggs, pork and sprouts) readily available throughout the city.
For sit-down meals Kuala Lumpur offers a range of fabulous options. Bon Ton restaurant in Lot 10 Shopping Centre is at the forefront of Kuala Lumpur’s dining out scene, their sesame crusted salmon fillet with roasted mashed potato and cream of chilli cilantro will be sure to keep you coming back for more. Bombay Palace, on Jalan Tun Razak, specialises in North Indian cuisine and the lamb vindaloo is arguably the hottest in Malaysia!
If brushing shoulders with KL’s upper crust is what you’re after then Eest is the place to be seen. Located in the Wesin Hotel, Eest specialises in a Pan-Asian dining experience with signature dishes from Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. Pacifica Grill and Bar serves up a delicious array of fresh seafood, complete with some great views through their floor to ceiling glass windows. For expats fresh off the plane, Seri Melayu is a great introduction to Malay culture and cuisine. Patrons are introduced to delicious Malay fare while taking in a Malay cultural show.
Shopping
Malaysia is a world-class shopping destination, so much so that exploring the city’s 66 main shopping malls is a popular pastime adopted by many locals, tourists and expats.
Expatriates relocating to Kuala Lumpur need not worry about packing all their favourite wardrobe items as one trip to the Golden Triangle, the city’s premier shopping area, will see all your old favourites replaced, renewed and revitalised.The Golden Triangle is central to KL in terms of entertainment and business as well. Bukit Bintang Street is lined with shops and malls stocked with IT goods, fashion merchandise, designer brands and electronic goods – malls like Low Yat Plaza, Sungai Wang Plaza, Lot 10 and Times Square stock all these items and more. At the base of the Petronas Twin Towers, shoppers can find the popular Suria KLCC, which has a host of designer goods. Other shopping destinations around the city include Midvalley’s Megamall in Bangsar and Midvalley area, which is worth a browse.
Jalan Hung Kasturi is the place to go if you’re looking for Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market, which is the best place to buy arts and crafts, antiques, paintings, handicrafts and quirky souvenirs. Nearby Chinatown is an ideal destination for those looking for a bargain, or a spot of bargaining. Chinatown has everything from herbal medicines and dried food through to designer t-shirts, jewellery, wallets and handbags.
Kuala Lumpur entrenches itself as any shopaholic’s dream destination with the Mega Sale Carnival in July and August, orchestrated by the Ministry of Tourism for Malaysia in an effort to boost Kuala Lumpur’s reputation as a world-class shopping destination.
