Malaysia travel - Dining and Shopping

Food and Dining
Perhaps, one of the many reasons to visit Malaysia is for its variety of delicious foods. Almost anywhere you go you'll be reminded of food (as opposed to pure sustenance)in its many splendours and variation of enticements. Although the whole country is like one huge centre of dining, there are still places that stand out as representing the better version of each culinary delight.

The unique and authentic cooking styles and flavours of Malay, Chinese, Indian and the other ethnic communities is a very fulfilling experience. Dining out is relatively inexpensive. You can dine in five-star hotels, food courts, hawker centres, 'kopitiam' (Chinese coffee shops), restaurants, local and international fast food outlets or even al fresco at warungs or roadside stalls. Through the decades the interesting potpourri of local cuisine has gone through many transformations, resulting in what has been termed as fusion food or 'improved' versions of favourite dishes.

Dining Out
Because of its myriad cultural influences, Malaysia is a country renown for its creative, complex, and lovingly prepared original cuisine. Food is taken very seriously here, from the five-star restaurants right down to the hawker's booths. Sauces tend to be highly developed, often incorporating local fruits and spices, and the seafood dishes are what you'd expect from a country almost entirely surrounded by ocean. To get a good overview of what's out there, check out the cuisine section.

Shopping
Shopping in Kuala Lumpur promises variety, value and convenience. There is a bewildering range of shopping establishments catering to every taste and budget, these include modern air-conditioned shopping malls, department stores, handicraft centres, duty-free shops, bazaars and nightmarkets.
Among the items high on the shopping list of tourists are pewter, batik, duty free items, electrical products, pret-a-porter attire, sportswear and handicrafts.

A novel experience for overseas visitors is the night markets or 'pasar malam' which begin their trading activities in the late afternoon.
These open-air markets feature hawker stalls that sell a variety of local produce, foodstuff, clothing and cakes. Haggling is a common practice. Street artists and traditional medicine vendors are an entertaining sight here.

The Shopping Carnival, an annual sale held in March/April in Kuala Lumpur and other major cities in Malaysia is an opportune time to pick up great bargains. There are several principal shopping precincts in the city. The most popular is the area bounded by Jalan Cheng Lock, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman , Petaling Street, Jalan H.S.Lee and Bangsar.