RETRO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT DORSETT KL

Vibrant shades of red, orange, green, pink, purple and blue sets the Christmas tree at the lobby of Dorsett Kuala Lumpur lobby apart this year. General Manager Adele Ang waved a ‘magic wand’ to officiate the lighting up ceremony. 

The hotel also invited a group of refugee Myanmarese children from from the Shalom Education Center to perform Christmas carolling before guests were ushered to Checkers Café for dinner. 

In line with the Dorsett group’s “Stay Vibrant” global brand proposition, a green Instagrammable wall beckons selfie enthusiasts to strike a pose. After pre-dinner drinks and live entertainment by resident band, DMJ Trio, guests proceeded to the lobby for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The culinary team left no stones unturned in their quest to impress, showcasing a kaleidoscope of Yuletide specialities. Colourful and dainty portions of appetisers such as Pate with Peach and Mini Sliders jostle for attention amidst international Cheese Platter and Seafood on Ice.

 

Pasta cooked a la minute and the carvery counter feturing Whole Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Chestnut Stuffing, and Salt Baked Salmon with Mustard Dill Cream Sauce garnered long queues that evening.

 

If you’re planning to reserve a seat for the upcoming Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner (RM118nett per person), the extravagant menu includes grilled meat from the live Barbeque station in addition to a plethora of hot dishes: Beef Goulash, Lamb Navarin, Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce, Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Tomato Seafood Ragout.

 

Over at the sweet wonderland of dessert, Gingerbread in different shapes and sizes beckoned invitingly. Luscious temptations such as Chocolate Yule Log, Christmas Cookies, Macarons, Berry Trifle, Cheesecake and Stollen were laid out too.

 

 

Checkers Café will also serve an equally lavish New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner (RM118nett per person) from 7 pm onwards on 31 December. Guests may proceed to Dorsett Residences Bukit Bintang at the hotel’s annexe, to catch the fireworks at the rooftop pool area on Level 30.

 

 

For festive takeaways, Christmas Treats are sold at Windows Lounge. Assorted Christmas Cookies, Almond Stollen Bread and other goodies are available while Roasted Tom Turkey and Roasted NZ Leg of Lamb can be reserved ahead of time.

 

For reservations at Checkers Cafe, call tel: 03-2716 1010. For more information, visit www.dorsetthotels.com/dorsett-kuala-lumpur or find Dorsett KL in www.facebook.com/dorsettkualalumpur or

IG @dorsettkualalumpur

IMMERSIVE "ONE DAY IN TAIWAN" EXPERIENCE

A fun hands-on afternoon featuring DIY Xiao Long Bao (Taiwanese dumpling) making and oil-paper umbrella painting gave us media folks and some Malaysian artists, YouTubers, and travel trade attendees an immersive “One Day in Taiwan” experience.

Taiwan Visitors Association hosted the workshop together with Taiwan’s related tourism organisations, to promote the island’s diverse tourism attractions including Taiwanese cuisine, popular destinations and diverse culture activities.

Taiwan Visitors Association Kuala Lumpur Office Director, Abe Chou urged Malaysians to visit and discover Taiwan before those present dived into making chocolate-filled Xiao Long Bao.

 

 

 

A master of traditional oiled-paper umbrella painting then guided us on how to paint our own oiled-paper brolly – an interactive way to educate us on the Hakka craftsmanship from Meinong District in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

A form of customary wedding gift, the Hakka words of “oiled paper” and “have son” are auspicious homonyms. Also, the Chinese character of “umbrella” also represents a blessing for newlyweds to have children and grandchildren.

 Refreshments include Taiwan’s famed Bubble Tea, baked mini pineapple cakes and taro pastries. Adding to the afternoon’s lively pace are informative and fast-paced online quiz and bingo games incorporating interesting facts and different attractions in Taiwan.

 

I nearly won one of the return KL-Taipei flight tickets but sadly, Lady Luck wasn’t on my side that day. A case of so near yet so far. Still, it was an afternoon well spent and credit must go to the organisers for upping the ante in making it such a memorable event.

 

Packed with a myriad of travel resources, Taiwan is listed eighth in 2019 Top 10 Travel Destinations by Globe Spots. Booking.com also ranked Taiwan as the world’s friendliest country in 2018 while Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) cited Taiwan as the 3^rd most attractive country for international Muslim travellers.