LRT No. 22/50 articles – LRT AMPANG PARK: Prasarana x Malay Mail x Rebecca Saw
NOTE: This is my year long collaboration with Malay Mail and I am charged to explore gastronomic around (within 600 m walk) fifty selected (Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (RapidKL) train stations (LRT & MRT).
** Written work (pre-edit by editor) and images are mine.
Published article: Published 7th AUGUST 2017
1. In Malay Mail e-Paper:
2. On MalayMailOnline.com:
ORIGINAL submitted article: My long winded one!
Since I was assigned to uncover worthy eats around the Ampang Park area I stepped into the Ampang Park Shopping Centre again after years.
Like all malls, it housed a few food outlets but it was Patisserie Yusuf Usta that caught my eye with its enticing display of Turkish breads and desserts. Their baklava was amazing; flaky, tender and not overly sweet.
I tried künefe too, a crispy, cheese-filled dessert made with ‘kadayıf’. I left much more informed as well, thanks to Chef Yusuf who obligingly responded all my queries during my meal.
Just opposite is The Intermark Mall. Here, Fresco which is part of Jaya Grocer is a popular choice, with another option being The Intermark International Food Hall.
The former runs on a “grocerant” (grocery and restaurant) concept where diners select their choice of meat or seafood from the supermarket, pay and get it cooked for a nett fee of RM8. Sides are optional.
BELOW: Fresco – buy raw meat and get it cooked for you.
BELOW: The Intermark Internation Food Hall – non halal section.
BELOW: Lam’s Kitchen signature fried rice with roast pork.
BELOW: The Intermark Internation Food Hall – halal section.
BELOW: Halal selections.
Too much effort you say? Well, head over to the ready-cooked food counter and take your pick from lamb, beef lasagne, roast chicken or pies. Then select your sides from a spread of almost ten types. Here, a quarter chicken with 2 sides goes for RM20.90.
The Intermark International Food Hall is divided to halal and non-halal zones. The non-halal side sees Lam’s Kitchen commanding a perpetual queue during meal hours for a good reason – their signature fried rice with roast pork is excellent for its price.
BELOW: To-go packs of Japanese fare at Jaya Grocer.
BELOW: Freshly shucked oysters from Southern Rock Seafood are available too!
The Intermark shares the same building with Double Tree by Hilton hotel so if you are seeking a bar for Happy Hours or to tuck into a scrumptious buffet, Cellar Door and Makan Kitchen would suit the purpose. Tosca is recommended for casual Italian dining and it offers an inviting view of the hotel’s pool as you tuck into homely pizzas and pastas.
Over at GTower, pocket friendly meals can be found at FoodHive where a cluster of food outlets offering local and international cuisine are located at lower ground floor. You can choose to savour signature dishes from several states in Malaysia within Food Clan or opt for NZ Curry House for passable mamak fare. Rakuzen would appease any urges for sashimi, soba and teriyaki.
For sky high wine and dine, ascent to the 28th floor. Luxuriate in sophistication and relish contemporary, seasonal cuisine in Tanzini and Tanzini Upperdeck. The same ambiance greets you on the 29th and 30th floor where the VIEW Rooftop Bar and Bridge Bar curates over 500 Old World and New World wines in addition to a cigar lounge.
BELOW: Fine dining at Tanzini and Upperdeck,
In close proximity, Troika Sky Dining is another multi-concept, upscale dining venue at an altitude.
The space is segregated into Cantaloupe (French restaurant), Strato (Italian), Claret (wine bar), Fuego (South American) and Coppersmith (craft cocktail bar).
All five outlets offers excellent inventive menus, be it food or libations, beautifully presented in stunning interiors with a palpable posh vibe.
It goes without saying that the cloud-skimming views is something to be appreciative of in addition to the opportunity for some fantastic photos.
BELOW: Dinner at Fuego.
BELOW: The view – it gets better as the sun sets.
There are 2 options for pork-free dim sum in this vicinity; Tao at Intercontinental Hotel and MinMax Restaurant at PNB Darby Park.
Tao offers Chinese fine dining within an opulent oriental space.
Fine ingredients and attention to detail are the hallmark of the dishes here and their weekly dim sum buffet is one of the most popular in the city.
Meanwhile MinMax accords a simpler dining ambiance, but with good food nonetheless.
BELOW: Halal dim sum at Min Max.
Dazzling restaurants and air-conditioned venues aside, the streets within this vicinity offer its fair share of hawker favourites for budget eats. On Jalan Mayang Sari the food trucks and hawker stalls does roaring business during lunch hours. Come sundown, over 20 food trucks congregate at the ‘Food Truck Park’. Patrons are spoiled for choice with rice and noodles dishes, pastas, burgers and grilled meats, with most priced under RM15. A dining space with tables is available for those who chose to eat at the park and I observed that it does get crowded, as many opted to dine under the open skies.
BELOW: The evenings-only Food Truck Park.
BELOW: The afternoon (weekdays only) gathering of food trucks on Jalan Mayang Sari to appease the hungry working class in the area.
At first glance The Ikan Bakar @ Menara Atlan is like any other Malay rice stall, offering a wide variety with reasonable prices being key to its popularity. But here it offers a bit more; as its namesake suggested, grilled seafood with addictive accompanying sauces that draw a consistent crowd daily.
But my favourite spot for lunch in this vicinity is the vegetarian canteen at Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery. I love the clean flavours of the food, the variety, the uncluttered space and of course, the reasonable prices. The ingredients are fresh, the dishes wholesome (if you avoid the fried items) and tasted homely. For years I’ve dined here and everything remained familiar. Perhaps it is due to its location within a temple, for there is a palpable peaceful vibe within the space even during peak hours.
Patrons are likewise polite and respectful, cleaning up after themselves as per the rule here and queued and paid for their food in an orderly manner. The volunteers manning the stalls are always helpful and I am thankful that there is still such homely food in the middle of one of the most commercial areas of KL.
DIRECTIONS:
All these outlets and malls are within 600 metres walk from Ampang Park LRT. Do refer to the MalayMailOnline copy as above for directions.
Last but not least….
My original article is usually longer/ ‘more complete’ since I wrote on and on without restriction.
Understandably, due to space constraints, the original was edited prior to publication. Thus I’ve shared my original article as above.
You may also find that my articles for this Prasarana x Malay Mail x Rebecca Saw series rather diplomatic/non- opinionated, but it is meant to be so as per the brief given.
Anyhow, if you think I’ve missed out on some eateries worth highlighting near any MRT/LRT stations, please let me know! I’ll be sure to go check it out.
Please do be in touch via FB message HERE.
Thank you and I look forward to your suggestions! 🙂