Flavours of Malaysia
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Flavours of Malaysia. Tour designer: Steffanie Tan Telephone: (+60) 4 376 1101 Email: [email protected] MALAYSIA | 11DAYS / 10NIGHTS Route: Round-trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang Type of tour: Culture and gastronomy 1 TOUR OVERVIEW Savour the very best Malaysia has to offer with this delicious 11-day gastronomic pilgrimage from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, the country’s culinary capital. Reflecting Malaysia’s multicultural mix, the cuisine is a tantalising blend of Malay, Indian and Chinese dishes with a healthy dose of European influences. Every day is a feast of the senses as you wander through fragrant markets and spice gardens, make your very own delicacies at cookery workshops, munch on tasty street food and dine in the most renowned restaurants. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Chinatown: Stroll through the bustling Petaling Street for an insight into the Kuala Lumpur’s thriving Chinese community The high life: Dine in 23rd and 57th floor restaurants boasting panoramic views of Kuala Lumpur’s futuristic skyline Cooking classes: Pick your own fresh ingredients from the morning market and then make your own Malay lunch Kuala Lumpur: Visit the top sights and attractions in the capital with a lifestyle and culture tour Victorian values: Eat at colonial-era mansions in George Town and see how the elite lived in the halcyon days of empire Trishaw treats: Feast your way through George Town on a trishaw, stopping at hawker’s stalls, bakeries and eaterie DON'T MISS Kuala Lumpur: Munch on some goreng Penang: Few of the mosques or George Town: Try Tambun biscuits, pisang – the deep-fried banana fritters churches in the island can match the which are flaky pastries filled with a that are a local delicacy colour of Wat Chayamangkalaram Thai sweet mung bean paste fried with Buddhist temple shallots DAY BY DAY DAY 1 | KUALA LUMPUR Upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, you will be met at the arrivals hall by a representative and transferred to what will be your accommodation for the next five nights, the five-star JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur. This exclusive hotel is located in what is popularly known as the Golden Triangle, the main shopping and nightlife district. Facilities include a fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool, whirlpool and sauna, and tennis courts. Once you have checked in and are all settled in, meet at the lobby for departure at 19:00 hours to Bijan Bar & Restaurant in the leafy Bukit Ceylon district. Here you will enjoy a Malay set dinner (exclusive of drinks) in chic and contemporary Asian surroundings. Dishes at Bijan mix traditional recipes with modern innovations, a fusion of forgotten favourites and delicious new flavours and textures. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur. 2 DAY 2 | KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures with more than 130 languages, four main religions and three alphabets, and this diversity is evident even within each constituent demographic. As you’ll learn over the coming days, ethnic Chinese make up about a quarter of the country’s population – in Kuala Lumpur they account for more than 40% – but even they are extremely diverse. There are Hokkien, Cantonese, Peranakan… each making an invaluable contribution to Malaysian society, culture and commerce. At 09:30 hours, you will be immersed in KL’s vibrant Chinese scene with the start of Petaling Street Heritage Food Trail. For two-and-a-half hours, we will explore the beating heart of the capital’s Chinatown, trawling the morning market and the side alleys where food stall hawkers and small restaurants have been selling delicious street food for decades. The sights, sounds and scents of Chinatown will tickle your palate all morning long. During this walk, you will gain an understanding of the different types of food and the traditions related to them, and sample a selection of signature dishes, snacks and drinks. Once your appetite has been insatiably whetted, we’ll stop for a hawker’s lunch (exclusive of drinks) in the lower ground floor of Lot 10 Hutong food court. This foodie’s paradise is home to more than 30 eateries, many of which have been owned by the same families for generations. Each one offers a different dining experience, whether it is clay pot chicken rice, fried oysters, beef ball noodles, roast duck, Hokkien noodles, kong tai Singapore prawn mee, soong kee beef noodles or Hainan chicken rice – you will be spoiled for choice. After lunch, return to the hotel for a free afternoon, meeting again shortly before 19:00 hours to head off for dinner. This evening’s venue is Marini’s on 57, a modern restaurant serving traditional Italian dishes that are as spectacular as the views from the 57th floor at the top of PETRONAS Tower 3. This slice of Italian heaven in the Kuala Lumpur sky boasts the best front row views in town of the twin towers. Marini’s is the place to be and it has an unparalleled selection of pre- dinner cocktails and premium whiskeys to savour after feasting on your Italian set dinner (exclusive of drinks). Overnight at Samburu on a full board basis. DAY 3 | SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE (5-6 hrs on game drives) Today begins with a hands-on cooking experience that will have you licking your fingers in no time as we partake in a five- hour wok course in the jungle outside Kuala Lumpur. Depart at 07:30 hours for the LaZat Cooking School in the lush Penchala Hills, where the sound of roosters crowing and monkeys scampering in the rainforest is part of everyday life. Begin with a market tour to buy the fresh ingredients for the class and then continue to the school for a jaunt through the exotic herb garden, where vital ingredients in Malay cooking abound. Catch a scent of bird’s eye chili, turmeric plants, lemongrass, curry leaves and kaffir lime, and imagine how they would spice up a dish. Then it’s time to try your hand in the kitchen, using traditional stone and wooden utensils in the modern kitchen under the guidance of your expert instructor. After sweating it out in the kitchen, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. The afternoon is free. Meet shortly before 18:30 hours in the hotel to depart for the popular Noble Mansion restaurant to feast on an eight-course Chinese dinner (exclusive of drinks). Dishes at Noble Mansion tend to be a modern take on traditional recipes, a policy which is matched by the décor, where flowery upholstery, gilded ceilings and auspicious Chinese proverbs adorn shiny, black lacquered walls. Among the house specialities are liver sausage in char siew roll, giant scallops, fresh water prawns, ocean grouper and seafood wok, and steamed live Australian perch with chef’s special preserved radish. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur. DAY 4 | KUALA LUMPUR (160km – 2.5 hrs) You are what you eat and what better way to see how it applies to KL-ites than by getting to know them – and their food, of course – with a full day Kuala Lumpur lifestyle and culture trail. After a leisurely breakfast, depart from the hotel at 09:00 hours for an interactive experience, which will acquaint you with the capital, from the hidden gems to its most dazzling attractions. To enhance your enjoyment, you will be given a ‘passport’, which will act as an agenda and guide with maps and clues during the trail as you carry out the prescribed tasks and solve puzzles through 10 checkpoints in Kuala Lumpur. A certificate of completion will be presented with an exclusive printed T-shirt to mark the completion of the activity. (Please wear light clothing comfortable and walking shoes or sandals. Bringing a hat and drinking water is also advisable.) So hop on the KL Light Railway Transit system and discover places like Kampung Baru (a Malay village) to sample traditional Malay cakes and also to take a selfie with the iconic Kuala Lumpur City Centre in the background. Hop off at 3 Brickfields and find yourself immersed in the sights, sounds and scents of Little India, and head to Chow Kit to visit the largest wet market in Kuala Lumpur. Have fun tossing and flipping roti canai (Indian flatbread) until they become transparently thin, making them light and crispy when fried. Challenge yourself to ‘pull’ teh tarik, Malaysia’s national beverage, without dripping a single drop on the floor. And along the way there are plenty of opportunities to nibble on multicultural delicacies. From the fascinating experience of a local wet market to getting a beautiful henna tattoo, you will come away with a memorable Malaysian experience from the morning leg. Take a break for lunch at Bombay Palace, which has earned itself a reputation as the ‘culinary ambassador of India’. Here you can choose from a menu that features dishes from many of India’s regions, with trained chefs turning out a range of northern specialities that feature anything from 20 to 40 herbs and spices. The afternoon is free. Meet shortly before 19:00 hours in the hotel to depart for The Troika, an exclusive condominium, for dinner at Cantaloupe. Located on the 23rd floor, this modern French restaurant serves classic favourites, with the occasional Malay inspiration added by chef Christian Bauer. Dishes such foie gras satay, roast Wagyu sirloin and butter-poached lobster with fried beef tendon are made with the utmost intricacy and innovation, and are full of rich flavours. This select dining experience is enhanced by the stunning views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline, with the Twin Towers and KL Tower visible.