Midvalley Megamall in KL, Malaysia

I visited Midvalley Megamall in KL, Malaysia last weekend...

In fact, that's the first time in 3 years that I travel to KL for leisure ... having been traveling there once per month on average from Singapore for business.

What attracted me there was the new Gardenia Galleria in Midvalley as well as the good Penang food in KL.

What? Good Penang food in KL? Yes, Penang is too far to drive to just enjoy the food, that's what I thought! But I was wrong, tell you about that in a minute ...

Now, I just want to share a few tips in case anyone is visiting KL for a short break:

- The Penang laksa at the Pavilion (Jln Bkt Bintang) is excellent: look for the stall with 'PAN MEE' and ask for Assam laksa. It's authentic in my opinion (unless otherwise verified by a true 'Penangian')

- The room at Hotel Cititel is RM180 per day if you book online. That's a GREAT deal for Singaporeans as after the exchange rate, that's about S$80 to S$90 per day!

- Gardens Galleria basement foodcourt is connected with the basement of Midvalley Megamall. (I didn't realize that and I had to drive in circles just to reach the car park of Gardens though I could have parked at Cititel and easily walked there). The foodcourt is really nice, well designed and worth visiting. No wonder the corporation boast that this could be the best food experience in KL!

Oh yes ... what happened was I didn't realize that it's the 1st Sunday afternoon of Chinese New Year where residents are returning to KL after visiting their families and relatives in other states and cities. I was caught in a terrible jam from Seremban and had to exit to the old main trunk road to continue my journey to KL which was also congested with traffic. It took me 7 hours to drive from Singapore to KL (usually it takes 3.5 to 4 hours) - I should have driven up to Penang for Penang food!

But still, the Gardens Galleria at Midvalley was worth visiting.