WHERE SHOPPING IS GREAT...IN LONDON (part 2)

Our recent visit to London with Malaysia Airlines (MAB) and Visit Britain (VB) enabled us to discover #shoppingisGREAT indeed in Britain. Retail therapy is a joy thanks to the utterly mind-boggling variety available.

Posh stops like Bicester Village and Burlington Arcade - refer earlier blogpost here: http://www.jommakanlife.com/2015/11/where-shopping-is-greatin-london.html - are eminently suitable for the well-heeled but there are two other top retail spots that caught our fancy too. Depending on the size of your bank account, both Westfield London and Borough Market offer plenty of choices and places to fritter your time and money away.

WESTFIELD LONDON

Shopaholics staying at Dorsett Shepherd’s Bush will be delighted to know this sprawling mall is merely 10-15 minutes away on foot. Spacious and well-lit, it houses more than 300 retail shops, from high street to high end brands.

 

Recent expansion has also seen the opening of The Village at Westfield London, a lifestyle haven dedicated to luxury names like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Versace, Prada, Aquascutum, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany & Co, etc.

 

The newly refurbished Debenhams department store is one of the major tenants here, occupying 140,000sq.ft. We had a field day just browsing through the huge Marks & Spencer store which included a cosy café.

Pix courtesy of Chasingfooddreams.com

Personal Shopper, Handsfree Shopping and Valet Parking services are provided to make shopping a breeze at Westfield. When we were there, the remodelled Southern Terrace just opened with a slew of new F&B outlets: Itsu, Zizzi and Five Guys in addition to an interactive Santa’s Grotto with Shrek this Christmas!

 

Great buys include pretty tin boxes of shortbread from either M&S or Debenhams, designer leather bags (Fossil, Coach, Burberry?), apparel from the many boutiques and high street stores, beauty and personal care items from Boots and edible goodies from Waitrose.

Parents can also keep their children occupied at KidZania London. A quick tour of the place proved enlightening as Dorsett Shepherd’s Bush has a miniature reception cum check-in desk and bedroom in this 75,000sq.ft. child-size city.

 

Designed to empower and inspire kids on real life occupations, KidZania enables young visitors from aged 4-14 to try role-playing the part of a fire fighter, actor, radio announcer, journalist, doctor, cashier, artist, etc. 

 

The different role play sections have informative plaques to show the minimum age requirement for activities available; staff are deployed to guide the young guests along.

For more information on Westfield London, visit: https://uk.westfield.com/london while details on KidZania London, visit: http://london.kidzania.com/en-uk

BOROUGH MARKET

A compelling stopover for serious foodies like us. London’s most famous food market is stuffed to the gills with fresh and cooked British produce, and abundant artisanal food & drinks.

Heaven is indeed a place on earth for us as temptations beckon from every nook and corner. We tried scores of delectable stuff: cheeses, biscuits, cakes, salted beef sandwich, ice creams, paella and a surprisingly decent Malaysian curry!

The orderly layout of the stalls and shops makes it a stimulating feast for the senses. There is even a leafy section for patrons to sit and enjoy a breather which was what we did.

 

For more information about Borough Market, visit: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

 

Thank you Malaysia Airlines, Visit Britain & Dorsett Hospitality International for all courtesies accorded to us during the London fam trip.

GREAT EVENING WITH GARY RHODES

Chef, restaurateur and author Gary Rhodes is United Kingdom’s first Michelin-star chef but he has none of the airs and snootiness often associated with celeb chefs. Hailed by his peers as the chef’s chef, Rhodes is a proud ambassador of the Great British Classics. With a sterling career record spanning over three decades, Gary Rhodes showed his culinary firepower at Hilton KL recently for An Evening with Gary Rhodes at LeveL7even.

The prolific Rhodes was brought in by Visit Britain for the GREAT Britain campaign where he held court at several events in collaboration with Hilton KL Executive Chef Warren Brown, to showcase the best of British culinary.

During the glitzy dinner which was graced by the British High Commissioner, Rhodes coolly demonstrated three signature dishes to a rapt audience at the hotel show kitchen. He repeatedly emphasised on the importance of fresh produce and the need to keep things simple throughout the session.

Dinner commenced with a splash as The Sea – delicious cured Loch Fyne salmon with fennel and red radish slaw. Complemented by buckwheat blini dotted with light horseradish cream, the delicate but sumptuous starter paired with Misha Dress Circle Pinot Gris 2012 from Central Otago, New Zealand whetted our appetite for more.

 

Bold, big flavours beckoned from The Ground – organic celeriac soup poured into a deep dish of caramelised apple and walnut timbale, sprinkled with stilton crumble. I was smitten by the sharp, feisty taste of the English blue veined cheese which was well-matched with Oahu Vineyards Magenta Rosé 2011 from NZ’s Kapiti Coast.

The Land aptly showcased Britain’s beloved classic of Beef Wellington. Hearty and unpretentious, this farmhouse favourite came with sublime beef jus and sides of mushroom, pommes fondant, baby spinach and glazed carrot. To enhance the flavourful red meat, a fab Australian red wine, McLaren Vale Mitolo Angela Shiraz 2013 was served.

 

Evoking a sense of dry British humour, dessert was simply called The Mess. Presented on a slate platter, we felt like kids playing with our ‘deconstructed’ Eton Mess. A treat dating back to the 19^th century comprising fresh strawberries, dainty meringue, dollops of cream and strawberry purée, it made us chuckled when the wine bore an equally funny name – Wooing Tree Tickled Pink Late Harvest Pinot Noir 2012 from Central Otago, NZ.  Gorgeously supple with a lingering finish, the tipple was actually berry good.

It was an evening well spent as Rhodes had everyone eating out of his hand; he charmed one and all with his witty repartee and left an indelibly GREAT impression on us.