This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on May 12, 2017

3 buffet options for Mother’s Day

Nook at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral

MOTHER’S Day is just around the corner and if you haven’t made dining bookings already, Nook at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral is serving up a sumptuous buffet spread to celebrate the occasion. Expect to find a range of casseroles, a selection of fresh seafood on ice and a carving station offering a treat to satiate all taste buds. Since no buffet is complete without a dessert section, save some room for the array of ice cream, cakes and cookies. There is also ais kacang for local flavour! The Mother’s Day buffet — available this Sunday for lunch from noon to 2.30pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm — is priced at RM110 nett (per adult) and RM55 nett (per child aged six to 12 years old). Aloft is situated at 5 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. Call (03) 2723 1188 or visit www.aloftkualalumpursentral.com for reservations and more.

Cinnamon Coffee House at One World Hotel

ONE World Hotel commemorates mothers all this weekend with its “Mama I Love You” promotion at the Cinnamon Coffee House. Be spoilt for choice with dishes such as garlic chicken with honey and rosemary sauce, sliced beef Wellington with Café de Paris butter sauce, seared fish fillet with tomato and olive sauce, braised lamb stew with dried fruits, ayam panggang percik, daging dendeng, mutton briyani and buttered prawns with curry leaves. End the gastronomical journey on a sweet note with desserts like fresh raspberry and butter cream rose mini meringue nest, passion chocolate mousse cake or bundt cake with violets and blackberries. Hi-tea (between noon and 4pm) is priced at RM118 nett per adult and RM59nett per child aged four to 12 years old. Dinner (between 6.30pm and 10.30pm) is priced at RM137 nett per adult and RM69 nett per child aged four to 12 years old. One World Hotel is located at First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, Petaling Jaya. Call (03) 7681 1157 or email [email protected] for reservations and more.

Botanica + Co

BOTANICA + Co invites you to spend time with the special woman in your life over a leisurely buffet lunch, created exclusively by its head chef Sam Neoh and which includes a seafood station, a cheese and tomato bar, and other live kitchens. Chef Koichiro will be heading the highly anticipated Bocosan Izakaya, demonstrating his acute culinary vision with an exciting Japanese station. The buffet brunch on Sunday is from 11.30am to 4pm and open only to walk-in diners at RM130++ per person and RM118++ for mothers. Botanica + Co is located at Ground Floor Podium, The Vertical, Jalan Kerinchi, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur. Visit www.botanica.com.my or call (016) 965 6422 for more details.

1 movie to catch

IF you plan to watch a movie on the big screen this weekend, You Mean the World to Me is an excellent choice. The Penang Hokkien film follows the story of Sunny, who returns to Penang to shoot a new film about his family without them knowing. But he runs out of money when shooting an essential part of the movie. When his sister finds out about the film he is making, she gets infuriated and confronts him. Sunny then has an epiphany that changes his perspective of his past. Log on to www.cinema.com.my for details of show times, cinema locations and more.

3 pampering gift ideas

A day out at Hammam Spa

FOR ultimate relaxation, check out the host of packages offered by the luxurious Hammam Spa, the first Moroccan version of the Turkish Bath in Southeast Asia. One option is the Sultana Hammam, which lasts approximately three hours and 15 minutes, and consists of moorish body envelopment, rose blossom hair masque and aromatic or slimming massage. Hammam Spa has outlets situated at Level 4G Publika Shopping Gallery Mont Kiara Kuala Lumpur ((03) 6201 0881) and at 3F7 and 3F8 Bangsar Village 2, Bangsar Kuala Lumpur ((03) 2282 2180) and both require 36 hours advance notice for reservation. Visit www.hammamspas.com for more information.

Perfume from L’occitane

CELEBRATE the beauty and refinement of the iconic woman in your life with L’occitane’s new fragrance, Arlesienne. Made from a floral fusion of rose, violet and saffron, it evokes the mystery, beauty and grace of the woman of Arles. The Arlesienne fragrance and body gift set is priced at RM355 and available at L’occitane outlets nationwide.

Skincare from Melvita

MELVITA’S Greatest Love Set is an organic gift to boost skin’s glow and vitality, with proven improvement in terms of radiance and 24-hour hydration. Priced at RM435, the set consists of Youthful Smoothing Serum-Lotion, Nectar Supreme The Serum and Oil as well as Nectar Supreme The Crème. All of these products reap the benefits from ingredients such as royal jelly — the secret to the queen bee’s longevity — and kniphofia nectar — a plant with exceptional revitalising powers.

3 splurges for the queen of your heart

Christophe Claret

FOR a timeless gift that exudes class and elegance, opt for Christophe Claret’s Marguerite. The woman in your life is bound to cherish this arm candy that is available in 30-piece limited editions for each colour — white, red gold, flake or champagne and set or with set petals. Two graceful butterflies take centre stage and flit around a daisy and all it takes is one press on the pusher at two o’clock to make the numbers disappear to reveal a personalised message. On the back, the owner can indulge in the “He loves me… he loves me not” game, the simplified English version of daisy petals. This Marguerite models feature more than 600 diamonds in total — 380 diamonds of different sizes for the bezel and the lugs and 220 for the petals — and priced at 88,000++ Swiss francs (RM379,290++).

Volkswagen

HARD-to-refuse deals make it the perfect time to head to a Volkswagen dealership if you’re thinking of treating your mother to a brand new ride. Starting from as low as RM25 per day (based on a nine-year loan instalment), she can be the proud owner of a Volkswagen Polo or Vento. Other options are the Jetta (RM35 per day), Golf (RM45 per day) as well as the Passat Comfortline, Passat Trendline and Tiguan Comfortline (RM51 per day). Visit the nearest Volkswagen showroom to find out more or visit www.volkswagen.com.my.

DeGem

A GORGEOUS pair of earrings and necklace with pendant make up the DeGem Revere collection, launched in conjunction with Mother’s Day this year. Inspired by the multitasking capabilities of mothers and understanding the importance of flexibility in life of a mother, both are versatile to suit multiple occasions. The earrings can be worn as studs for a simple, classy look or dangling for a more feminine style. The pendant of the necklace can also be converted into a statement ring with just a hook of a band. Retailing from RM6,800, the collection is available at all DeGem boutiques.