Khaylis’ December Gift Guide for the Clueless Boyfriend

With Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year around the corner, the season of giving and receiving is definitely upon us! God knows that when it comes to gift buying, women take to shopping like a fish to water. Men, on the other hand, well, tend to see shopping as a form of torture, like drowning in water.

So, as an altruistic act to all Man-kind, I thought I’d put together a short but comprehensive December Gift Guide for The Clueless Boyfriend, showcasing some of my favorite products I’ve discovered over the past few years. Most products are available in Kuala Lumpur, with a few exceptions which may require a quick pop-over across the causeway to Singers.

So, boys, get your Moleskins/Blackberries ready to take notes!

1) Maya & Ruhi Jewelry – I’ve written about the gorgeous handmade pieces by artisan jeweler /cool lady Pearl Bhasin, whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions, and ordered a number of pieces from (my most recent purchase being a fantastic turquoise necklace). Pearl has an amazing eye for color and makes the most fantastic designs using the most vibrantly hued stones. Her Klimt earrings with its signature spiral design and bright stones are classic pieces. The Maya & Ruhi line is available at Isetan KLCC and Isetan & Robinsons at the Gardens, or at her online Etsy store. She is contactable through her blog for commissioned customized pieces.

2) Something from Wondermomo + Whoop – Ahh, the shop that will change your life, indeed. A real treasure trove, Wondermomo + Whoop, located in Plaza Mont’Kiara, stocks the most random but amazing collection of dresses, denim, blouses, menswear, bags and other accessories from hard to find designers, all prices at reasonable discounted prices. It is the only shop that AF and I both look forward to visiting (and the only shop that AF has perhaps out-shopped me at, dare I say). Wondermomo has an amazing range of denim and shoes, and just in, a shipment of Karen Walker sunglasses - you’ll definitely leave with something for your honey, if not for yourself! Wondermomo + Whoop, Plaza Mont’Kiara (behind Subway).

3) An engraved iPod with a personalized playlist – who wouldn’t love getting a new iPod, especially with a personalised message from a loved one inscribed at the back and tune-ready with an awesome playlist of your choice! Fellas, this may be the only opportunity you may get to impose some of your serious musical taste on your lady (out with Girls Aloud, in with the Arctic Monkeys!) Just head on over to the Apple Malaysia store and place your order. Need some ideas for a playlist? Try the New Moon Original Soundtrack; your lady will be impressed by how Twilight savvy her man is, while you get to impose some serious indie music on your lady. The range of iPods and engraving services are available at the Apple Malaysia website.

(Picture pilfered from here)

4) Brunch at Dish for 2 – I’ve attended two birthdays held at Dish (one of them being my own) and can’t impress enough on how good the food and service is at this little offspring from the Delicious Group chain of restaurants. Dish offers a bubbly brunch every Sunday, with free flow Veuve Clicquot and serves a delectable spread of their Greatest Hits; dishes upon dishes of colorful antipasti, juicy meats barbecued to perfection, grilled foie gras, freshly shucked oysters, the most decadent lobster omelets, and a dizzying array of desserts to send you and your lady into a post-brunch Sunday afternoon coma (loose clothing highly advised). A non-bubbly option is also offered. Book ahead of time as seating is limited. Dish, Dua Annexe, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Call +603 2164 1286 to make reservations.

5) A custom made sign from Blok On– Why not kill two birds with one stone this festive season? Make your honey happy with her own customized Blok On sign, handmade by local artist Syamly WHILE supporting Malaysian artists and local talent! Blok On offers custom handcarved “Lightbloks”, clocks, signage and accessories. Their Lightbloks are their signature piece, an illuminated handcarved sign made with your color and stylized font of choice. I’ve personally ordered a red deer ClockBlok from Blok On (of which I have yet to pick up) which will take up a prime space on a wall in the living room of our new house, Mushaboom…whenever we manage to get the keys next year, that is, but that’s a different story. For inquiries and orders, email syamly@gmail.com.

6) How I Met Your Mother, Season 1-5 on DVD – I can’t for the life of me figure out how I managed to only discover this TV series late this year, given that it’s been running since 2005. Following the lives of a group of five early 30-something year olds living in New York (plot rings a bell, anyone?), HIMYM has fast become one of my favorite TV series this year. Much quirkier than Friends, I think I relate to the characters and stories much more than Friends as it captures a lot of the same growing pains and situations all late twenty-somethings/early thirty-somethings deal with. Besides, Barney is awesome! So head on over to your favorite pirated DVD supplier, bring home Seasons 1 to 5 (trust me, its an investment) for your darling and lock yourselves up for a weekend DVD marathon of Legen…..(Wait For It)……Dary proportions! (You’ll understand that after you start watching it.) Available at all well stocked pirate DVD shops.

7) A bouquet of helium balloons from Balloon Buzz – Fellas, a bouquet of flowers is SO 2008. If your really want to blow your special lady away with your originality and sheer ingenuity (with my help of course), why not try something different and gift her with a bouquet of a dozen colorful helium balloons! Picture the look on her face when you walk into the restaurant (watch the ceiling) with a fantastic bunch of balloons for her! You can thank me later. Helium balloons have a life span of 8 hours (so pick them up as late as possible or else you’ll end up giving your honey a bunch of sad deflated rubber pouches) and are available from Balloon Buzz Party Shop (branches in PJ, Ampang, Bangsar, USJ and Shah Alam).

8) A stack of Food Lit Books – In my humble opinion, the next best thing to eating food is reading about food. I’m not talking about your typical recipe book here; chances are your sweetie pie already has a collection of Nigella/Jamie/Delia books in her kitchen. The latest trend in publishing is in fact Food Lit; books about the ordinary lives of people framed in the context of food, and written in the most delicious prose (pun intended). It’s Chick Lit in the Kitchen! One of the more popular Food Lit books, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell was recently made into a film starring Meryl Streep as Julia Childs. My top picks of Food Lit books in no particular order:

- Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes, Amanda Hesser – a true story of a courtship between the food writer and her husband taken from her column in The New York Times.
- A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, Molly Wizenberg – from the famed author of the award winning blog Orangette, Wizenberg rights about her favorite recipes, interspersed with personal reflections about her family and growing up in the kitchen.
- Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler – a collection of short essays from an assorted set of writers recounting many a solitary supper.
- The Amateur Gourmet, Adam D. Roberts – the hardback product of one of my favorite food blogs, Roberts tells the tale of how he went from being a frozen-pizza-eating law student to a passionate home-cook and food writer.

Who knows? Maybe after reading the selection of books above, your girlfriend will feel so grateful and inspired, she’ll whip you up something delicious in the kitchen! All books available at Amazon or by order at '>Kinokinuya, KLCC.

9) Korres Natural Products – Once upon a time a few years ago, Parksons KLCC use to carry the Korres Natural Products range, a Greek brand specialising in the yummiest smelling organically made skin and hair care products. My favorite was the Bitter Almond range – if you had crossed paths with me a few years ago you would have wondered why you couldn’t stop thinking about almond cake. Unfortunately, Parksons stopped carrying the Korres line, but a few months ago while I was killing time during a work trip to Singers, I came across a Korres shop stocked with their entire range, quietly tucked into a corner at the mammoth new mall, ION Orchard. They have a lovely range of Body Mists in unusual scents like Saffron, Magnolia (a personal favorite), Jasmine and Fig. Forget Body Shop boys. Buy her Korres’ Juniper and Olive Tree Shampoo, or Wild Rose Cream, or even Vanilla Cinnamon Body Milk. Your girl will taste so yummilicious you’ll want to take a bite out of her. Korres, #B2-34, ION Orchard, Singapore.

10) Kikki.K Stationary & Gifts – If you’re going to make the trip down to ION Orchard to stock up on some Korres loot, you might as well stop by what has to be the most adorable stationary shop in the world, Kikki.K Stationary. Originated from Australia but thoroughly Swedish in aesthetic, Kikki.K is like the IKEA of stationary, selling the cutest pens, diaries and endless assortment of stationary your girlfriend never knew she needed but wants oh so very badly! I spent over an hour just ooo-ing and ahhh-ing at their products until my colleague had to drag me out of the shop to catch our flight. Trust me; all girls love stationary – it’s a remnant from our schoolgirl days. Get her a matching pen and diary set so she can write her hopes, dreams and aspirations in it (and you can secretly try not to read it when she’s not looking). Kikki.K, #B2-44/46, ION Orchard, Singapore.

11) Luxe City Guides – If your significant other has as much wanderlust as I do, she’ll definitely appreciate you getting her a handy, pocket sized Luxe City Guide to her favorite cities around the world. The Bali edition has a wonderful selection of only the best and yummiest restaurants on the island, the best places to shop for clothes/shoes/silver jewelry/homeware, the best places to get a massage, the best bars to have a cocktail at, you get the picture. That’s right, nothing but the best for your woman! Other guides to nearby cities available include Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong & Macau, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo (but no Kuala Lumpur, go figure.). Available at Czip Lee, 39 & 41, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru.


So those are my Top 11 picks for my December Gift Guide, folks. Get shopping boys! (Alternately, girls, go ahead and treat yourself!)