My Domestic Art

The second day of our trip was spent outdoors and exploring what Kuala Lumpur has to offer. First up was the Batu Caves, an iconic and popular tourist attraction, about 25 minutes away from KL city centre. It is a limestone hill, rising to almost 100m above ground, comprising of a labyrinth of caves. These caves feature ornate Hindu temples and shrines, with beautiful statues and paintings. At the front of the cave is an impressively large statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity. To get into the main temple cave, we have to climb a steep flight of almost 300 steps. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes! More steps to the top. Beautiful view just as nature intended! There are lots of monkeys frolicking around freely. They generally don't bother you. Just do not try to touch them - I saw a tourist trying to pat one of them and it turned around and growled aggressively. We particularly enjoyed the Dark Caves. The 45-minute guided tour to enter ...

We were never short of dining options whilst in KL, there's food at every corner, be it food court, fast food chains or mid-range to expensive restaurants. Our favourite dining options are the ones found in PAVILION MALL. It is a slightly upscale shopping mall with a good mix of high street and expensive shops and numerous dining establishments. We were there on a daily basis to try out the various cuisines on offer. I really liked the cool, relaxing vibe of the eateries - ranging from cozy coffee shops, quick bites, classy bars and family-friendly restaurants.  We had a delightful Western fair one night.     The kids' choice - Japanese comfort food, another night. We also had Ippudo for their silky, al dente ramen cooked in flavoursome pork broth. Worth queueing up for! Our FAVOURITE of all has to be the Korean fried chicken restaurant KYOCHON at Level 1, which we absolutely loved. The BEST Korean fried chicken we've ever had! ...

Kuala Lumpur is a great option to bring the kids for a holiday without breaking the bank. And the best thing is we don't even have to take the plane! No hassle of waiting around in the airports, and then entertaining and keeping the kids quiet in cramped airplane seats!! Even though driving to KL takes about 5 hours barring traffic, the route itself is pretty straightforward and you can have stop-overs along the way to break up the journey. To avoid the long queue at the checkpoint, we left EARLY. We set off at 6.30 on a Friday morning and the checkpoint was a breeze. We hardly encountered any traffic and we reached our hotel by 11.30am. We stayed at the PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur as we wanted to be in the Bukit Bintang area, where food, shopping, and entertainment are easily accessible. The location of ParkRoyal can't be beaten. It is directly opposite Sungei Wang Plaza, a mall for bargain shopping and cheap eats. It is also about 8-minutes walk to Berjaya Times S...

The combination of chicken and potatoes is so simple yet wonderfully perfect that my kids absolutely adore. Tasty and tender chicken pieces, paired with crispy thin potatoes, cooked in delicious sweet soy. A truly simple comfort food that is sure to please! Quick Braised Chicken with Potatoes Ingredients: 500g chicken thighs - sliced thinly 2 potatoes - sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic - minced 1 shallot - minced 1 tbsp. oyster sauce 3 tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tsp sugar salt pepper Instructions: Deep fry potato slices in batches until lightly browned, then set aside In a large wok, heat up cooking oil over moderate high heat, toss in garlic and shallots, cook till fragrant and browned Toss chicken, season with salt, pepper and the rest of the seasoning Continue cooking until chicken is browned Add 1/2 cup water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken is tender Add a little water if the sauce has dried up, then add back the potatoes, careful not...

Comfort food in under 30 minutes, with basic pantry essentials. When I am short on time and want to get a meal ready on the table quickly, I like to whip up a simple pasta dish with what I have in my cupboard. Not only is this tuna pasta incredibly quick to cook, there's no defrosting of meat and not much chopping to do. The ingredients list is short and they are things I always have on hand... Garlic, onion, can of tuna, tomatoes and basil. I can get dinner sorted in under 30 minutes and my kids absolutely love this pasta. It is saucy, tasty and delicious! Tuna and Tomatoes Macaroni Pasta Ingredients: 1 can (140g) tuna 3 cloves garlic - minced 1 small onion - minced 1 tomato - chopped handful basil - chopped 5 tbsp. tomato paste salt pepper 350g macaroni pasta grated cheese - to serve Instructions: Cook pasta in boiling salted water, according to packet instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in a ...