Mali's Corner

Outlet: Mali's Corner

Where: Platinum Walk, Setapak

What: Char Kuey Teow, hawker food in a trendy place

Mali's Char Kuey Teow is so popular among KL-ites that its reputation is legendary, and can rank itself in the same hawker-fare bracket as Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, Hokkien fried noodle, and others of its genre, as one of KL's must-try food. An appearance in Astro Prima's Warung Kita programme brought our attention to this particular warung (featured was Mali's original location in Wangsa Maju). However, Mali's has moved into the upmarket with an outlet at the Platinum Walk in Setapak.

The outlet is simple, nice and ordinary - so it fits the hawker food that it serves. Practicing the self-service concept, walk up to the counter and order. But you can have only char kuey teow, nasi lemak and nasi ayam hainan (up to 4 p.m.) here.

Pic 1 and 2: The service counters.

So go for the big one - order Char Kuey Teow Special - special because it is served with shrimps. And the shrimps are a lot - we counted nine succulent, big ones in the dish. As for the taste, it was just so mesmerising, every spoonful was majestic it simply melted in our mouth. You just want to have more.

Pic 3 and 4: Savour the succulent Char Kuey Teow Special. And empty your plate. See how many shrimps are served.

We also tried the nasi lemak - erm, well, it tasted like any average nasi lemak.

Verdict:

Staff: Friendly enough, but I do have a minor grouse - its self-service concept. When you serve hawker fare and only have three dishes on the menu, perhaps self-service is not the way to do it.

Decor: Simple but comfortable enough. But the open kitchen was a nice addition, so you can drool while they fry your order of char kuey teow.

Pic above: More dining space at the upper level of the outlet.

Food: Aiseh, no need to repeat myself here. Mali's deserves a spot in the Travel Channel as one of KL's international-class hawker food. Bourdain, try this one out.

Coming back: Definitely absolutely. KL's finest.

I'm Going to the Gatsby Deodorant Street Fair

Gatsby, the really popular and renown maker of quality beauty and hair care products for men, will be throwing a street-themed bash for its Malaysian consumers next month. Billed as the Gatsby Deodorant Street Fair, it will take place on the 17th of April 2010 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Front Foyer, Ground Floor of the Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur.

First established in 1976 by the Japanese company Mandom (of which Mandom has a far older history when it was still known as the Tancho Stick), the Gatsby brand shot to prominence with the release of "Moving Rubber", a series of exceptionally cool hair styling products. At the Street Fair, Gatsby will launch its latest product, the Double Protection Deodorant, which will be available in both roll-on and spray can variants. Knowing Gatsby as a stylish and exciting brand, the Street Fair is ought to be an enjoyable affair, with a lucky draw being the highlight of the day. Various exciting gadgets worth up to RM15,000 will be up for grabs.

And of course, being a Japanese-based company, the Street Fair will also have a lot of fun and amusing games on offer. Among them is the Sumo Wrestling in air-bag suits, gladiator battles, and many more. You can be sure that the games will be funny, addictive and not really be about winning.

So mark your calendar for the Gatsby Deodorant Street Fair, and here are the details again:

Date: 17 April 2010

Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Location: Front Foyer, Ground Floor, Berjaya Times Square, KL

And do drop by this link for more info on the event. See you guys there!

Village View

Place: Village View, Jalan Reko, Bangi

Ambience and setting: Kampung-style, rustic Malay setting. Huge and spacious, but poorly-lit. For large family outing, choose the rumah kampung seating - a mock pondok with hollow space underneath the table so you can bersila or stretch your legs.

Food: Seafood, Malay and Thai cooking, Western

Review: We came in an entourage of fourteen, so the pondok was very suitable. At least the kids will not disturb other patrons. We find the Jalan Reko branch was very much bigger than the one at Selaman, and the waiters were a lot more efficient too. The service was okay, tak cepat sangat tapi tak la lambat sangat.

Food: Kitaorang rasa specialty sini ialah Ayam Boxing, Ayam Pandan (tak berapa sedap) dan mungkin Tomyam Poktek (serabut sangat). Tapi untuk malam itu, sebab Along dan Kak Fatin yang belanja, so kami tunggu makanan sampai je la, which was Siakap 3 Rasa (ikan garing, kuah ok), telur bungkus (pedas), Tomyam Campur (ok) dan Kailan Ikan Masin (tak nampak ikan masin). Overall, boleh la.

Verdict: Restoran konsep ni memang banyak kat Bangi - especially kat area Selaman (tapi jangan pegi Yankie's Hut tau) - dan kedua-dua cawangan Village View ini memang antara yang terbaik, choose the one at Jalan Reko if you want the ambience. Highly recommended.

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