March 14, 2016

A Weekend Staycation at Novotel Melaka


Family trips are important to me as I always feel guilty in not spending enough time with my loved ones. The little one grows up faster than we often realize so it’s important to me to spend enough time with him always. Though it is often said that we can spend time in the comforts of our home, a short getaway vacay always never fails to tighten our bonding time.


Over a weekend recently, we packed up and head on over to Malacca for a weekend getaway at one of the latest hotel that just opened recently at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Novotel Melaka, from the AccorHotels Group, opened recently late last year. The 4-star property offers 351 rooms with majestic views of The Straits of Melaka as well as the historic city view.

Located in the heart of the bustling city with major attractions and shopping mall nearby, Novotel Melaka is a great hotspot to stay when one is in Malacca. We located the hotel easily and had no issues reaching the hotel late Friday evening.


As soon as we walked into the foyer of the hotel, we were greeted by the sight of a beautiful and spacious lobby that oozes modern contemporary.


One can’t help but to catch the shimmering tree pillar in the lobby glowing beautifully. Lots of seating are well spaced out through the lobby, offering guests places to lounge comfortably.


Located near the check-in counters, I spied a business center as well as a Mac corner!


After a quick check-in, we head on up to our Executive Room located on 15th floor. Our evening view of the room yield signs of happiness as the bedroom looked really invited and warming. Our king sized bed was framed by the headboard fitted with lights and a modern pattern.


Each side of the bed had fitted table shelves and personal retractable lights for night reading as well as light switches for easy access. There were there usual phone and alarm clock by the bed.

Next to the bed was a lounge chair perfect for some relaxation as well as a side table that had some welcome goodies.


What my little one thought that was so cool was that we can see the bathroom through the glass wall separating the bedroom and the bathroom. Fear not for those who are not comfortable with this feature was one can simply turn on the shutter to cover up the glass wall for privacy purposes.


The bed faces a 42-inch LED TV and a work desk with lots of electrical plugs including internet access. In the same area, there is also the amenities of a small bar with tea and coffee facilities, a fridge and an electric safe deposit box.


The cabinet is located along the hallway and has the usual bathrobes, slippers and even an extra pillow.


The bathroom featured three section spaces, making it comfortable for respective uses. The shower room features a rain shower head as well as the regular shower handle. The vanity unit has all the markings of essential bathroom amenities such as fluffy bath and hand towels, hairdryer, soaps, toothbrush, shower gels and lotions. Using the same design as the bed headboard, the vanity is also framed with lights, serving tasteful designs as well as good lighting.



Needless to say, after a relaxing shower, we all dozed off happily on the plush bed in wonder bliss.


During the evening, the city was glowing with loads of glittering lights!


Here’s a look on the morning view from our room as well. We had the city view and enjoy the beautiful blue sky set against the backdrop of the many buildings in the historical city. 

Novotel Melaka offers various rooms to cater to your needs. Head on over to their website to check out their Superior Room, Executive Room and Executive Premier Room as well as The Suite.



The Executive Premier Room allows guest access to the Premier Lounge for a treat of dining at the breakfast buffet, all-day refreshments as well as evening cocktails and bites. The Premier Lounge has a gorgeous view of the city at any time of the day. There is even a meeting room available exclusively for guests staying here.


We caught glimpse of The Suite where there is an additional space sectioned for living room. The Suite also has a larger bathroom with its own bathtub and features an electric frosted glass control to offer privacy. There are more perks in the suite such as two LED TVs and an espresso maker among other things.





Novotel Melaka offers guests lots of choices when it comes to dining. The main dining restaurant is The Square where the all-day-dining takes place and one can enjoy a list of special buffets, hi teas as well as Malacca Nyonya delights in the Jonker’s Kitchen a la carte menu. There is also a Gourmet Bar located next to The Square, where guests can lounge and enjoy pre-dinner drinks or some snacks from their snack menu. Catch my next post on the food in Novotel Melaka!



For business purposes, Novotel Melaka offers a list of options suited to meetings and events. There are well-equipped meeting rooms as well as a Grand Ballroom that is very spacious and caters up to over 480 pax. I really like the meeting rooms as these are designed with modern touches, making meetings and events more lively and bright while keeping the professional status.



The Grand Ballroom was being prepared for a function that evening when we visited. Outside the Grand Ballroom is a large foyer, perfect for events and grand functions such as weddings as well as launches.

Another space perfect for private business functions or events is located all the way on the rooftop. There are two more meeting rooms there as well as an open air private deck that can host up to 100 pax for functions. Overlooking the city, the private deck is the perfect location for an outdoor wedding scene.


With wind blowing gently and the gorgeous blue sky over heading the deck, it has got one of the nicest view of the city.


Heading back down to the hotel, we also checked out the gym located next to the swimming pool. Equipped with full gym facilities, guests can sweat it out on their holidays too.



In the gym area, there are bathroom facilities equipped with a sauce for his and her moments.



I save my all-time-favorite places for last. In every hotel I visited, the swimming pool is always my needed salvation. Novotel Melaka’s swimming pool is beautiful. Although it doesn’t have any fancy shapes or design, the swimming pool is set beautiful in the center of the building. The design of the pool offers guests moments of glorious peace and tranquility as they relax, take a swim or laze by the pool for sun, drinks and books or maybe a few cocktails…





Besides the regular adult swimming pool, my little squealed in delight when he saw the kids’ pool that also has a kid’s playground with slides. Needless to say, my little one had an awesome time playing in the pool with other kids.






Novotel Melaka is also great for family staycation as there is a dedicated kids’ corner located at the lobby area near the Mac centre. Kids can hang out there for some fun time as the adult catches up with some internet surfing at the Mac centre.



The hotel is also surrounded by many shops offering massage and spa services as well as some street food and convenient stores. We simply took a stroll one evening and enjoy some of the shops outside the hotel. With its strategic location, Novotel Melaka is only a few minutes away from most of the famous tourist hotspots in Malacca. Beautiful decor that exudes warmth and comfort plus its kids-friendly plus points made the hotel a great family hotel to have a staycation in Malacca.

Visit the Novotel Melaka’s website and Facebook for more promotional details and information.



NOVOTEL MELAKA
Jalan Melaka Raya 2
75000 Melaka
Tel: +60 6289 8222
Fax: +60 6289 8289

GPS. N 2° 11' 16.44'' E 102° 15' 13.72''

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NovotelMelaka/

March 1, 2016

The Point KL, Jalan Kasah @ Damansara Heights



A French & Italian New Menu



The Point Restaurant & Bar Kuala Lumpur has been serving luscious dishes to many gourmands and has continue to evolve since it first started 2 years ago. Nestled in Jalan Kasah at Damansara Heights among other solid long-time favorite restaurants, The Point also draws foodies who loves modern and fine flavours of Western and Asian cuisines merge together in harmony.



The Point KL aims to please and is a restaurant and bar set on Level One and Two of another restaurant. Head on up by the side door to the first level of the dining area while the second floor houses the bar area. Both levels are design with minimalist modern style flagged by grand neon gold glows in the restaurant. The restaurant is beautifully elegant, framed by its modern furniture and wall panels as well as the grand pieces of art.




The bar takes on a modern contemporary ambiance with cool blue glows with dark modern furniture. There is are also private rooms available for dining as well as lounging.


Helmed by Head Chef Kua Jin Hao, The Point KL launches a brand new fusion style menu that is inspired by local, Asian, European and Mediterranean flavours this year. The menu is divided into Tapas, Brunch, Dinner and Dessert selections and is already available at the restaurant in February. In conjunction with their second anniversary, the new menu is the perfect celebration for the restaurant cum bar.


First up, Brunch delights took form in various variations of eggs and breakfast favorites. One can’t go wrong with the classic Big Breakfast (RM28). Dive into juicy pork sausages, pork bacon, prosciutto, scrambled or poached egg of your choice, hash brown and brioche toast. Hearty and all cooked well, the dish is faultless and makes a great brunch to start the day with lots of protein in tow.


Next up, a Bonnie and Clyde combo of Portabello Mushroom & Mozzarella Croquette (RM28) packed a memorable treat for brunch. Certainly may not be the healthiest but the dish of breaded fried whole portobello mushroom stuffed with mozzarella cheese paired with a perfect 62c sous vide egg on brioche rocks in flavours and textures.



Its got all the check marks of yumminess with oozing cheese in meaty mushroom with crispy breading and glorious eggporn sensation in the creamy and luscious sous vide egg before being tied up with what looks to be mustard cream sauce. I would definitely order this again anytime of the day!


Ok so burger may not be the best choice for brunch but hey, I won’t be complaining on this one. Surf and Turf (RM32) is a whopper of a burger with its pairing of golden crispy battered crayfish topped on crispy crumbed corned beef patty on buttered toasted bun and smothered in creamy dill sauce. There’s no easy way to eat this but man, this burger is just darn awesome in my books. A side of golden fries and mesclun salad completed the dish.


For entrees, we savored a few from the menu and the Salted Egg Yolk Soft Shell Crab with Curry Leaf Infused Cream Sauce Served in Lettuce (RM29) was a good take from our Asian favorite dish. The chef did put in much effort in terms of flavours and textures in the dish. The soft shell crab was crispy and well coated with the creamy salty egg yolk sauce. Lettuce and cabbage balance up the deep fried crab and crunchy shredded pastry skin added more texture.


The Prawn & Crab Croquette with Laksa Coconut Broth & Salmon Roe (RM31) was really unique in terms of flavours. The combo of prawn and crab patty was decent with a nice crispy shell of crumbs. It was the laksa coconut sauce that stood out as the spiced up creamy sauce was delicious and aromatic. The sauce took the croquette to new heights of flavours, making the dish memorable.


A mouthful in terms of name and ingredient list, the Citrus Cured Salmon Carpaccio, Served with 62c Egg Yolk, Wasabe Mayo, Salted Kelp & Truffled Toast (RM42) was also pretty at sight. The subtle citrus note in the salty salmon paired well with glorious sous vide egg with molten egg yolk center. When savored together with all the other ingredients, the dish also proved to be memorable in a fine way.


When we saw the Suckling Pig 12 Hour Slow Cooked, Served with Plum & Balsamico (RM52), there was expectation set as we looked forward to Suckling Pig said to be cooked for 12 hours slowly and served with plum and balsamic sauce. However, the actual dish was too small in portion to even leave any impression for our table diners. The flavour was decent and I would think the suckling pig was cooked well so maybe it was just the portion size that didn’t make it. We did feedback and hope for a better portion to be able to enjoy this dish better.


The best dish of the night for me was undeniably the Truffled Cold Angel Hair with Avruga Caviar (RM30). Sheer simple pasta paired with lavish and highly prized Avruga caviar and truffle oil did wonders for the flavour profile. The cold pasta still had a good al dente bite and every slurp was deliriously aromatic with heady truffle perfume. Salty popping black pearls of caviar added a gorgeous pop of flavour and texture to the pasta. The dish is so awesome that it’s worth hogging it to oneself…


We finally touch base on mains and the first dish to arrive was Pan Seared Black Cod (RM62), served with smoked caviar, asparagus, mushroom fritters and balsamico sauce. The cod was cooked just right, melt-in-the-mouth flesh with sweet and creamy notes. The smoky and salty briny notes of the caviar amped up the flavours of the dish. Textures came from crispy mushroom fritter and crunchy asparagus.


The next dish of Bah Kut Teh (RM47) had us all ogling with glee at sight of thick slabs of more 12 hours slow cooked pork belly served on a bed of quinoa, sautéed Bok Choy, crispy mushroom tempura and a a bold stroke of chili padi soy glaze. I enjoyed the soft unctuous pork belly but craved for more sauce. There is definitely a wonderful aroma of Bah Kut Teh spice and herbs but I wished for more boldness in terms of flavours. As odd as it sounds on pairing Bah Kut Teh pork belly with quinoa, it actually works and is quite enjoyable. Love the creative twist on this classic dish!


The Chicken in Percik Sauce (RM38) is obviously a take from our local Malay percik dish. Chef Kua made the dish more refine and sous vide the chicken thigh for tenderness. Served with creamy mash, asparagus, quinoa crisp and percik sauce, the chicken lacked the smoky element that makes percik so deliciously good. Nevertheless, we polished this dish off easily because the chicken was tasty and juicy.


Pasta lovers will be pleased with The Point’s pasta choices. Our Halibut Fish Linguine (RM28) had strands of linguine tossed in creamy based sauce cooked with pieces of halibut, asparagus and herbs. Topped with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese, the pasta was very flavourful and hearty. The dish is best savored hot as it is rich and creamy.


We also tried the Pesto Prawn Linguine (RM30), a version of basil pesto with a creamy note. Flavours are certainly bold and punchy with lots of herb notes. A large prawn worked well with the pasta, adding sweetness to the dish.


Our third pasta dish was Spaghetti Rosso (RM28). Pasta tossed in a creamy and tangy sundried tomato pesto sauce crowned with anchovies and toasted pine nuts. I loved the comforting and intensified flavours of rich tomato sauce with a creamy touch. The added salty anchovies and nutty pine nuts reminded us of the Italian’s love for such ingredients.


As the evening comes to an end, we shared bites of The Point KL’s desserts that took on more classic treats. The Mille-Feuille Ricotta (RM26) had layers of puff pastry sandwiched with rich and cream ricotta cheese filling and dressed with peaches and berries.


The Chocolate Fudge (RM25) was decadent in every spoonful. Intense dark cocoa that is sinfully delicious and fudgy, the fudge was so addictive with the cold ice cream.


The Crème Brulee (RM25) is spiked up with Kahlua and Bailey for extra happiness.




The Point KL has lots of potential as far as the menu goes. We loved many of the dishes and the creativity of the fusion. Coupled with an elegant ambiance, it’s a great hang out place after work as well as a place for celebrations and indulgence.



THE POINT RESTAURANT & BAR
First and Second Floor,
No.122, Jalan Kasah,
Damansara Heights,
50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 03 2011 8008


Business Hours:
Monday – Sunday Dinner: 6.00pm - 10.45pm
Dining: Brunch - Wednesday - Sunday, 11.30am - 2.00pm
Bar: Daily, 5.00pm till late