As we drop our pens, close our books and embrace the euphoric state of putting an armful of our babies to bed, we've realised it would be downright rude of us to withhold the most noteworthy happenings in Stockholm, Milan, Seoul, Dubai, Amsterdam, and our newest beauty, Kuala Lumpur. From a city-wide revolt against meter-dodging taxis in Kuala Lumpur to the rise of food-hall dining in Stockholm, there's plenty to share.
High-end vs Low, and Korean Kuisine Takes the Lead
Food, food, food. Gourmands continue to be spoilt for choice when travelling, but the polarisation between the established dining haute-spots of Europe and the hot-on-their heels Asian capitals continues to grow. While culinary heavyweights Stockholm, Amsterdam and Milan move towards pared-back, produce-driven menus, home-grown seasonal ingredients and rustic homestyle dining, Southeast Asia's youngest capital Kuala Lumpur continues to embrace Gallic Gastronauts and the elevated experiences they offer. Classic Korean cuisine may have swept the globe and won legions of loyal fans, but Seoul is looking forward, with modernised, molecular-tinged local dining rising to the fore – as evidenced by the first ever Korean restaurant to be named in S. Pellegrino's Asia's Best 50 Restaurants list 2014, Jung Sikdang (#20).
Heritage Renaissance
Cultural travel is by no means new, but the sad, not-so-distant tendency of some global cities – especially those in Asia – has been to race one another to eradicate the old in place of the bigger and better, often at the expense of historical treasures. Thankfully, a new trend towards preservation is emerging, with hotels particularly inclined to refurb and repurpose heritage buildings. Kuala Lumpur embraces the globally-popular vintage renaissance, merging original colonial architecture with striking new spaces and shab-chic sensibilities – take for example the Hotel Majestic, an illustrious 1930s doll now restored to glitzy 5-star glory. Across the globe, design-led Scandi capital Stockholm continues to melds old and new with aesthetic ease, with fission-hot openings like hotel Miss Clara, which debuted with Art Nouveau architectural heritage intact.
The New Classic
As the fast-paced, rapidly-developing world continues to crave all things handmade, artisan and decidedly yesteryear, the movement away from flash and faff and towards a more bohemian philosophy gains ever more momentum – and nowhere is this more prevalent than in village-vibey creative hub Amsterdam. While unquestionably a gateway to the finer European delights – arts, culture, and cuisine – the Dutch capital has also firmly established itself as an epicentre of the hipster influx, with the real see-and-be-scene hangouts no longer the most 'glam' in town, but the more edgy and underground – lively NDSM dock diner PLLEK being one of the new kool kat mainstays. And although shimmering desert mirage Dubai thrills with its innovation and luxurious excess, it's not only glitter and gold that's grabbing headlines: the local contemporary art scene continues to flourish, making it a must-visit for any art enthusiast.
Fash Foot Forward
Milan, one of fashion's long-reigning European hotbeds, is still rich with rewards for label-hunting Mabels, especially now with everyone from Armani to Dsquared2 to Byblos opening not just boutiques but hotels and restaurants too. Not to be outdone, Stockholm strongly represents the ubiquitous Swede-chic food and fashion scene with luxe one-stop department shops like Mood Stockholm, while Seoul has embraced its own avant-garde sense of style via local design-heavy 'lifestyle emporiums'.
Want more? Get the local lowdown from brand new stays, restaurants, bars and spas, to bespoke shopping and activities in the latest editions of LUXE Milan, LUXE Amsterdam, LUXE Stockholm, LUXE Dubai, LUXE Seoul and the brand new LUXE Kuala Lumpur – all available at www.luxecityguides.com.
Links:
Jung Skidang, Seoul: www.jungsik.kr
Hotel Majestic, Kuala Lumpur: www.majestickl.com,
Miss Clara, Stockholm: www.missclarahotel.com
PLLEK, Amsterdam: www.pllek.nl
Mood Stockholm: www.moodstockholm.se
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