SURIA KLCC
Suria KLCC is close to the top -- or should that be basement --
of KL's shopping greats.This luxury mall occupies the bottom six podium floors
of the Petronas Twin Towers, and their 170-meter-high Skybridge.It has
everything from luxury goods to everyday items, including branches of Parkson,
Isetan, Cold Storage and Marks & Spencer, a fantastic food court, a
cineplex, a huge branch of Kinokuniya bookstore and a fun-filled Science
Discovery Centre and aquarium.The adjoining KLCC Park has water fountains and a
two-acre playground.
MIDVALLEY MEGAMALL
While it can’t match Bukit Bintang malls for high-end luxury,
Mid Valley is one of KL’s most popular malls for its abundance of affordable
shopping -- not to mention a huge array of stores and restaurants (430 and
counting), 18-screen cineplex, large Metrojaya and Aeon department
stores and exhibition center.There are two food courts, but those in the
know head to Oasis on the second floor, where the prices are cheap, and food
more authentic.If you really need an upmarket fix, you can walk across the
connecting passageway to The Gardens Mall.
PAVILION KL
If Suria KLCC has a rival in the upscale shopping stakes, it’s
Pavilion.Since early 2012, the two malls have been connected by an
air-conditioned walkway, which makes getting between the two a breeze.Pavilion
is as much known for its dining as its shopping, with a range of casual places
(Fish & Co., Din Tai Fung, Madam Kwan’s) and fine dining restaurants, such
as Al-Amar (Lebanese cuisine) and Spice of India.Where it really wins is with
its location -- it's at the top of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur’s most famous
shopping street, lined with a dozen different malls.
THE CURVE
It might be located way out in west KL, but The Curve beats many
of its competitors with its indoor/outdoor layout, range of al fresco
dining and pedestrianized walkways.Add to the mix Kuala Lumpur’s only
Ikea, as well as an adjoining Tesco, and you have the most family-friendly mall
in town.This explains why it fills up on weekends with parents pushing
strollers.But there’s still ample room to shop.For eating, almost every
Malaysian favorite can be found, including branches of Pappa Rich, Little
Penang Cafe and Secret Recipe.
BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE
New York has one, as does Hong Kong, so it only makes sense that
KL -- arguably Southeast Asia’s shopping capital -- has a Times Square.Highlights include
Malaysia’s largest indoor theme park, split between family-friendly and
adult-only rides; a Taipei-style night market on the third floor, complete with
flashing neon signs, manholes and food stalls; and the Grand Musical Stairs,
where you can pretend to be Tom Hanks in the movie "Big," as you make
your own music on giant keys.All this and much more in what claims to be the
world’s ninth largest building in terms of floor space.
