Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur @ The Epitome of Cosmopolitan Living

It is always interesting to arrive at your international destination in the wee hours and see how everything works. Some pre-arrangements are essential especially when the last flight of the day to your arriving destination to avoid any sudden panic attack when things don’t turn out the way it should be. While the airport representative was waiting anxiously with the ever-smiling face welcoming us past 01:00 hours after we alighted from our flight due to the somewhat delayed of the Malaysia Airline flight to Kuala Lumpur. Without further hesitation thanks to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel pick up arrangement, we drove right away in the dark and headed straight to the hotel at once for immediate comfort. mylifestylenews writes……

After a 45 minutes smooth ride, we fronted the hotel reception and greeted by our names as their usual suspect for such “early arrival”, we were pleased that the registration was brief and precise in order for us to crash in before we could wake up in one of this signature properties of the Mandarin Oriental hotels for the epitome of cosmopolitan living in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city.

Mandarin Oriental groups of hotels now has a record of 15 hotels with Forbes travel Guide Five Star Awards and a revisit is always made better by the presentation of something new. One of the many highlights of this stay was the recently renovated indoor/outdoor sports and leisure floor on level 3 as well as the gym, Spa and the adjacent poolside Aqua Restaurant & Bar (guest rooms to follow). With such a complete makeover that bodes well for the future direction of this Kuala Lumpur landmark, there is no question that you would want to spend more time to enjoy such provided facilities with such major updated refurbishment.

As the expression goes, “everything old is new again!” The makeover starts with a nod to Malaysia’s colonial past, with wood paneling, light colours and fabrics which transform the space from the moment you step into the lift lobby on level 3 and the impact is immediate. The spa reception is so much more inviting with the eye catching blue color toned wall, you feel like you are entering a Perakanan house in greater detail.

The gym is superbly broken up into different sections with a partial use of lattice screens to define different spaces and it is easier to determine where you want to start your work out and the brand new exercise equipment/machines will ensure you don’t forget any muscle group. We should also highlight that the view is sensational, overlooking KLCC Park, so motivation should not be an issue.

To add another dimension, the new yoga room is the perfect place to meditate and reconnect with your inner self, as we did one morning with the expert guidance of the in-house yoga master. A virtual indoor golf driving range for those fanatics that want to brush up on their swing without being exposed to the intense tropical heat is also another add-on.

Moving outdoors, poolside dining at Aqua Bar & restaurant will give you even more reasons for alfresco dining with its global tapas concept that has an open kitchen and wood-fired oven. Another highlight is the pool deck where they have created more space for pool-side cabanas and sun lounges, no more disappointment not being able to secure a sun lounge during peak periods.

 It really has been transformed from good to very chic, with the cabanas mixed up in different positions and some allowing you to watch the pool action while enjoying the spectacular city skyscraper views. Others quietly tucked away to the rear of the pool deck for more privacy and some tranquility in the shade with less noise and disturbance.

The poolside space is also now nicely broken up into different levels with clusters of different seating arrangements that will appeal to young and old. Playing tennis in the tropical climate is a lot more enjoyable than before with the new surface putting a ‘new spring in your step’ as they have also resurfaced the tennis courts in a new fenced-in enclosure to avoid any distractions from the swimming pool deck.

The new look of the leisure facilities was the highlight of our staycation, plus the glorious tropical weather, blue skies every day for a change was an added bonus. There should be a lot more excitement with new things to unveil as the year progresses. Our experience felt like a New Year’s present that just keeps on giving and makes every day a joy to stay within the environs of the hotel to relax with that fabulous Mandarin Oriental hospitality.

Tried & Tested:

Location: 5/5

Design & Decor: 4/5

Room Amenities: 4/5

Housekeeping: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Value For Money: 4/5

Experience: 4.5/5

Highlights:

Infinity Pool

Spa

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +6 03 2380 8888

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated. 

BiBO Introduces "DEBRIS" Menu @ A Tribute To VHILS Exhibition

When art meets food, it is not only benefiting your vision but also delighting your palette simultaneously. With that in mind, Bibo Chef Mutaro Balde pays a tribute to the 28-year-old Hong Kong based Portuguese urban artist/Sculptor VHILS  aka Alexandre Farto, known for his public portraits whose work reflects the consequences of development in cities all over the world by adding layers then craving on it and exposing the layers behind instead of erasing.

A specially crafted a five-course "Debris" dinner menu by Chef Balde drawing inspiration from VHILS's explosive style and architectural aesthetics both on the wall and on the plate in conjunction with his new solo exhibition presented by Hong Kong Contemporary Art (HOCA) Foundation.

Some of VHILS' art works are also on displayed and exhibited at BiBO during this "Debris" menu promotion runs till 17th April 2016. Priced at HKD$1250 + 10%. A HKD$200 will be donated to HOCA Foundation for sponsoring the TRAM project happening in Hong Kong upon ordering this special curated menu.

One of the many VHILS's art works in BiBO.

<DIORAMA>

White asparagus, egg mimosa, chicken jus and parmesan foam 

This is a very harmonious dish as the white asparagus had a very sweet taste, the subtle flavor of the chicken juice and pepper seasoning added some kick, with the crunchiness of the asparagus is absolutely perfect. Just the way how asparagus shall be enjoyed!

<SCRATCHING THE SURFACE>

Sauteed girolles mushroom, dry apricot, shallots, chives and black olives 

This beautiful dish has many riches to enjoy: fragrance, emulsions/foam, and a piquant slither of salty cheese tempered with a dash of parsley puree.

<MAYHEM>

Slow-cooked sagabuta pork, cumin and carrot puree, beetroot, baby onion petals and foie gras ravioli.

The pork meat was firm in texture and subtle in flavor yet moist and very easy to cut. It is gorgeous in flavor with the carrot and cumin adding to the deliciousness.

OR

<HOMOGENEO>

Poached line caught sea bass, black truffle mashed potatoes, endive petals, grilled squid and beurre blanc.

The sea bass had a lovely soft flesh to the touch and generous in portion, with delicate flavours provided by the beurre blanc and truffle mash served by the side that was not overly dominating with the right balance.

<Mixed fruit salad with coconut sorbet>

This pre-dessert is harmony of flavours, with great fresh fruit finely diced to be able to blend with the fresh coconut taste of the delicious sorbet.

<ERODE>

Crepe, Hazelnut chocolate cream, chocolate sauce, mascarpone cream, vanilla ice cream

The crepe was a classic French concoction and exuded a dense richness of chocolate in between the crepe layers and had a lightness of touch to the knife, with the cream and ice cream adding that traditional depth of flavours to be savoured.

OR

White chocolate mousse, hazelnut rocks, blueberry balsamic sauce, raspberry sorbet.

This delightful combination of seemingly random ingredients was stunning in the creation of different textures, every mouthful delivered something unique that stood out and was so delectable.

 Chef Mutaro Balde & artist/Sculptor VHILS  aka Alexandre Farto.

For details, please contact +852 2956 3188 or bibo@bibo.hk

CARTIER @ The Mystery & Fascination of A Night Butterfly

 This superb object remains strangely undefinable, a creation that intrigues from the very first glance with its interplay of transparency and gem-settings. Is it a pendant, a watch, or a medallion? Here is a pendant designed by an expert hand, out of which the form of a butterfly appears amid outstretched lines and rhythmical curves. The wings are comprised of sapphires, with rows of diamonds making up the body. Judging by its colours, it would seem to be a night butterfly. At the centre of the totally transparent dial is a mysterious double tourbillon, the emblem of Cartier’s watchmaking expertise: suspended in the void. The chain of geometrical motifs set with diamonds earns the medallion a place in the Cartier tradition of transformable jewellery: its chain is adorned with a perfectly detachable 25.93-carat oval sapphire, an extraordinary jewel from Sri Lanka.

This watch is unlike any other, the object of passion created with flair, as the art of the jeweller and the watchmaker converge towards a common aim. An object of incredible complexity, it embodies a form of pure jewellery in which all mechanical features remain invisible. At Cartier, that which is concealed is as impressive as what is seen, and thus the fully decorated watch movement is visible on the rear face via a sapphire back. The dazzling result can be counted in hours, or rather in months: almost 2,050 hours of work, the equivalent of 17 months of intense collaboration. The magic of Cartier has once again left its mark, surpassing the boundaries of each field of expertise to imagine a new world in which a night butterfly can play with eternity. Tourbillon Mystérieux Azuré pendant watch White gold, one 25.93-carat oval-shaped Ceylon sapphire, diamonds, sapphires, onyx. Manufacture mechanical movement with manual winding, calibre 9463 MC, mysterious double tourbillon.

LEONARD SS2016 POP ART Reimagined On Silk Collection

  

LEONARD SS2016 collection plays with colors pure and primary, yet essential, as if splashed across a blank canvas. A spontaneous expression. Transparencies and opacities. A false ingenuousness, a real nonchalance. ­The candor, the energy of color. The collection brings together an engaging visual extravaganza that showcases a seamless convergence between traditional printing technique and intensive Pop Art graphics. The collection is a clever reinterpretation of the signature prints by translating the elusive inspiration to the vibrant graphics of colors and words. Pure and contrasting, the color story is meticulous thought over like painter’s palette and hand applied on silk.

Designer plays with historic Leonard Paris house prints. She draws them from the archives like an artist constructing his palette, with innocent and acid nuances. She breaks them down, creates false accidents, and unveils them under a silk and nylon organza. Butterfly wings are blown up and resized to become a luminous abstract detail: a tear of yellow on a blue background. ­The Leonard Paris signature band brings a graphic rigor to the obscure. Like one clean line. The color archive of the brand is home to thousands of hues, each given a specific name and arranged according to mysterious yet traditional criteria that passed down from generation to generation. The Leonard Paris workshop follows the sternest standards from sketching to the crucial process of hand printing, which uses up to 30 colored silkscreens in order to create a realistic representation of flowers. Such a complicated process is nothing less than the purest form of artistic creation.

Flowing jumpsuits printed in a repetitive motif with different variants, à la Andy Warhol are the key look in this colection. ­The traditional Leonard Paris prints play in a recursive, almost Droste effect. Structured jacquards and dresses with appended words, motifs and pure colors, recall the lacerated posters of Jacques Villéglé. Ample skirts are paired with cropped tops and white jackets that give the illusion of having been naively decorated with marker scribble, but are actually printed with an original archive motif. A luxury for the everyday. ­The evening goes out in the day versus a day that lives during the night. Joyful sophistication. An unshakable confidence. Words, images, collages. ­The nervous vitality of the artist’s stroke. Original joy. Th­e power of the instantaneous. David Hockney comes to mind, his ability to seize an instant, as we gaze upon a color block dress or a trench coat with eel skin pockets in cobalt blue. ­There is something of this in the Leonard SS16 collection by Yiqing Yin: seizing the instant, translating this into a playful expression of color and words.

Happy Easter 2016 @ mylifestylenews

mylifestylenews

WILL

BE 

BACKED 

ON 

29th MARCH

We

WORK HARD

IN 
ORDER

FOR US

TO

CATCH THE BUNNY 

AND

FIGHT FOR
MORE
CHOCOLATE

Good Friday Weekend Break @ mylifestylenews 

Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat Watch

Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat Watch  is an automatic movement watch with 25 jewels, 42h power reserve, 28'800 alt/h. Polished stainless steel case, diameter of 40 mm, convex sapphire crystal and water-resistant to 3 ATM. Silver color dial, curved, applied silver color indexes, hand polished silver color hand and Heart Beat at 12 o’clock. Also available in black leather strap, dark grey dial and rose gold plated polished stainless steel case.