NIGHT MARKET FEAST AT THE STRAITS ESTATE

The vibrant vibes of local night markets or pasar malam meet the signature street food of Penang, Melaka, Johor and other Malaysian states at V E Hotel & Residence, KL's newest 4-star hotel in Bangsar South.

Love local laksa? Then you'd be fired up by all 13 varieties of the noodle dish at the buffet spread. Take your pick from the tangy yet appetising Penang assam laksa to laksam from the East Coast and the robustly flavoured Sarawakian version.

Few people can resist the sight, smell and taste of hot-off-the-grill ikan bakar and satay...we certainly couldn't when we saw the tempting array of fish, seafood and meat being char-grilled by a chef on duty.

Relish the smoky, spice-rubbed fare with your choice of dips and sauces, be it sambal belacan, dark soya sauce with sliced chilli, tamarind with sliced chilli and shallot or the classic peanut sauce for those skewers of beef and chicken.

Chicken shawarma, spit-roasted lamb and roast beef should please meat-loving diners. Complement these proteins with aromatically spiced briyani rice and some soulful curries for a substantial meal.

Besides all the hawker-type offerings and rustic kerabu and ulam, expect to find main dishes of ayam goreng berempah, sambal petai goreng ikan bilis, butter prawns, daging masak berkuah and pucuk manis masak lemak among others.

The Straits Estate is the hotel's all-day dining restaurant which boasts soaring high ceiling and a bank of expansive glass windows with soothing views of a water feature. Nearby is the swimming pool which looks out to the bustling enclave of Bangsar South.

Customary servings of dessert such as pengat durian, tapai ubi, assorted local kuihs, macarons, cakes, puddings, tropical fruit and ice kacang can be had to conclude your fast-breaking session.

Available until 5 July, The Straits Estate Pasar Malam Buka Puasa buffet is priced at RM108+ per person. Group bookings of 20 persons and above will be entitled to 25% off.

For reservations, call The Straits Estate, tel: 03-2246 2889. Address: Level M3, V E Hotel & Residence, 8. Jalan Kerinchi, Bangsar South City, KL.

JOURNEY TO GREAT VALUE BRITAIN...DAY 4

 
There's so much more to Great Value Britain than just London. Having grown up reading Enid Blyton's stories, the English countryside came alive for us when we set foot in The Cotswolds. Rolling hillsides known as 'wolds', quaint English villages, picturesque river valleys and woodlands dot the pastoral landscape which sent us shutterbugs into a snap-happy frenzy!

Much as we were reluctant to leave the dreaming spires of Oxford, a short train ride on the Great Western Railway from Oxford Station whisked us off in a blink of an eye to Moreton-in-Marsh, one of the principal market towns in the northern Cotswolds, situated on the Fosse Way. 

 

 

Typical moody grey and rainy English weather heralded our arrival to the town but our spirits were quickly lifted by the sight of a florist shop filled with a profusion of beautiful blooms. From bulbous tulips and violets to roses and daffodils, our little group went gaga over the wide assortment of flowers in the shop. The owner was gracious enough to allow us to take some photos.

 

The charming little town grew up in the 13th century as a market town with a wide main street, narrow burgage (conditions under which land or property were held in return for service or rent) plots and back lanes. 

 

 

Most of the buildings in these counties were built using local honey-coloured limestone known as 'Drystone' (refer to pic of wall above). Many Drystone walls were built in the 18th & 19th centuries - the stones were skillfully stacked together without any cement!

Although Moreton-in-Marsh only had a main street, our brief walkabout revealed some charming shops stocked with interesting merchandise. 

After browsing through an old-fashioned toy shop (it looks like something out of an Enid Blyton's story books), we popped into Tilly’s Tea House (4 High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0AF, tel: +44 1608 650000) – a beautiful Cotswolds tearoom for brunch.

I wish we had time and tummy space to try everything on the extensive menu but alas, it was impossible. Instead of lunch, I succumbed to Tilly's famed cream tea and it proved notable. The warm, buttery fruit scone with real clotted cream and strawberry jam was just divine!

After pinching a bite or two of my dining companions' sticky toffee pudding, Cornish pasty, salmon quiche and choc cake, I daresay they were the bee's knees too. No wonder the tearoom did roaring business as hungry visitors and locals came for their fill of cakes and to buy a selection of jams and chutneys.

Moments before our bus arrived for our next stopover which was Bourton-on-the-Water, we spotted The Cotswold Cheese Company across the road. Being the crazy foodies that we are, Jennifer and me couldn't resist dashing into the shop, just to feast our eyes on the vast selection of English cheeses and goodies in there.

We were reluctant to depart for the neighbouring village of Bourton-on-the-Water but pressed for time, we had to resist the urge to shop. Any misgivings were soon forgotten the minute we stepped off the bus as Bourton-on-the-Water was too pretty for words!

I won't bore you too much with long-winded descriptions...look at the scenic snapshots and you'd see the fairy tale setting of Bourton-on-the-Water. Bubbling brook, weeping willows by the river embankment, honey-coloured and ivy-wreathed stone houses and cosy little shops, trimmed hedges, little winding side lanes...it's truly reminiscent of an Enid Blyton story!

 

 

We even joined visitors thronging a local flea market which had some worthy buys but bearing in mind our baggage restrictions, again we had to curb our shopping impulse. 

  

  

For shopaholics, I'd recommend lugging back these interesting handcrafted miniature English cottages and some wine-scented candles or buttery shortbread in commemorative tins.

Unfortunately for us, the occasional shower soon turned into a major downpour when we reached the train station. Since it was the Easter hols, we all had to huddle in a small shelter as the rain and wind battered down after we disembarked from our bus. Sigh...suffice to say we had never been more relieved to board our train from Moreton-in-Marsh back to Oxford and onwards to Bath.

Nevertheless, it was a splendid day well spent. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and given a chance, had no qualms about returning for a repeat visit to the Cotswolds.

Travelling from Malaysia to the UK on a budget? Discover GreatValueBritain now via http://www.visitbritain.com/malaysia or visit CIT Malaysia http://cit.travel/europe/united-kingdom to plan your VisitBritain itinerary.

COMING SOON! 

The city of BATH makes a splash with us before 

we bid farewell to Great Value Britain.