Suzi’s Corner – Ampang Point

On the Saturday after Chinese New Year we stopped by at Suzi’s Corner. It's little changed over the years with a new signboard, new plastic table cloths and few new stalls about the only visible changes.
 
Unfortunately the Steak Hut was closed but there were plenty of other nice things to try.

I had read an article in The Star which recommended the the mutton biryani so i thought that i'd give it a try. This biryani is served in a claypot and I added cheese nann and my wife had Ikan Bakar Tiga Rasa with some white rice.






The food was very tasty and just as were were finishing the heavens opened and tropical downpour started. What better excuse is there to stay put for a while and get and relax over a few more bottles of beer.



When the bill came they charged me RM187 which was rather a shock and from memory the prices were:

Mutton Birayani RM25
Cheese Nann RM15
Ikan Bakar RM60
Nasi Puetih (RM??)
Beer RM75 (RM25 ea)
Soft drink (RM??)

The food was very good and I’ll return soon for some steak and double checking the prices at the same time.

Sunday Roast - Healy Macs at Publika

Sometimes I find I can go years without visiting a local place, Publika Mall being one of them and recently lightning struck twice during a weekend when I had to visit on both a Saturday and Sunday.

Publika is an upscale neighbourhood shopping mall located in Solaris Dutamas, Sri Hartamas, a sprawling up-and-coming residential development. The basic layout consists of a mall and some shop lots on each side of it but at different levels due to the hilly nature of the adjoining land.

I was due to meet some friends for lunch at a cafe and other than the name and that its in block D I had no idea where exactly the cafe was so I tried checking the website only to find that it was down. Upon arrival at the mall I found that the information screens were also down and when I approached a security/info counter their outlet list is only for units inside the main mall and not in the adjoining shop units.

The next day I had to return for something and decided to stop for late lunch. After looking for somewhere to eat, deciding to try Red Bean Bag, then being perplexed that it shuts its kitchen from 4-6, we then found an outlet of Healy Mac’s and to our delight they were serving Sunday roast.

After taking our seats and being given a menu the issues began. A common problem I find in KL is that when a restaurant isn’t particularly busy the staff become oblivious to what is happening around them and that day we seemed to just become invisible. The staff seemed to be a mix of different nationalities (usual places) who didn’t really gel together and communicate well which compounded the problems.

Eventually we managed to call somebody over and asked him where there menu for the Sunday Roast however he had no idea what a Sunday roast actually was. After getting some help he finally took the order and a while later the chef came out to see us and check what we actually wanted due to the clueless waiter getting it all wrong.

I’m certainly no connoisseur of Sunday roasts however what was served up wasn’t impressive. The 2 slices of beer were cut so think they were like gristly steaks accompanied by 2 mini potatoes, 2 mini mash scoops and some other veg.



It tasted average I have to say I wasn’t impressed and will be in no hurry to order another one from here. The service didn’t improve after the meal and the staff were happy walking around ignoring people and forgetting orders.

On the positive side live Irish music was provided a group of people who seemed to just turn up, sit at a table and jam which was pleasent and the Guinness wasn’t bad either.

More Malaysia Airlines Website Issues

With a dose of sarcasm the wonderful user friendly and robust website of Malaysia Airlines has done it again.

When trying to book a KUL-SIN return ticket and selecting some of the promo fares its not allowing me to book due the following error:



Seriously how hard can it be to hire some IT staff who know how to develop and maintain a website?

Is it any wonder that they are losing money!

Clearance Corner

Western imported good are pretty expensive in Malaysia so any opportunity to pick up some on the cheap its welcomed.

Having previously worked in the retail industry I’m well aware what food labels or date codes mean and their associated risks. Almost everything these days has to have a best before date however most non perishable food is usually ok to consume for considerable amount of time afterwards.

Cold Storage is a large retail chain carrying a large selection of imported goods with many supermarkets in both Malaysia and Singapore. It always amuses me that Cold Storage stock a range of imported Waitrose budget products and sell them at a premium price. Seriously who would pay a premium for tins of economy veg or packets of frozen french fries?

In almost every outlet located somewhere is a section displaying goods approaching their best before date and in some cases there some absolute bargains to be had especially the Waitrose goods.



I think in developing an addiction to buying marked down goods because its now the first place I visit whilst my wife is picking up the usual groceries.

Well done TM

Over the past 13 years I've encountered more than my fair share of screw ups and general incompetence from Telekom Malaysia aka TM.

Recently we started encountering issues with our Unifi network connection whereby it would just hang and render the phone, internet and IPTV service inoperable. A full reboot by switching the power off & on usually resolved it. Unfortunately last Friday evening the problem started occurring every few minutes and then a total failure occurred.

Felling lost without the internet and with great trepidation I contacted TM Unifi support and was pleasantly supposed that the call was dealt with quickly. A ticket was opened and owing to the weekend I resigned myself to there being no service restoration until Monday at the earliest.

On Saturday morning I received a call from an engineer to enquirer as to whether he would be able to access to the telecoms riser at my condo and upon answering yes I was informed that he would be there around 11:30

The engineer arrived more or less on time and quickly diagnosed that the modem was faulty and he would swap it out for free owing to it having a lifetime warranty. There must be an issue with the modems used because this is the 3rd we have had with our new one being the latest model.

I have to say well done and thank you to TM for the prompt and excellent service received this weekend.

KLIA Taxi - Scam or not?

I would like to alert travellers to an issue with taxi’s at KLIA.

The taxi system at KLIA is pretty confusing for most people unless you are a regular traveller to Malaysia and the very poorly design website www.klia.com.my doesn't offer any information regarding taxi services at the airport.

The main taxi company at KLIA who until recently held a monopoly is Airport Limo. This company provides a multi tired limo service by way of stating your destination, class of taxi and then purchasing a coupon for the journey.

The other system is what’s known as a city cab which is basically a standard meter taxi service which operates from level 1.

One of the frustrating problems with Airport Limo is the regular shortage of taxi’s especially at peak periods or owing to traffic congestion in KL. It is quite common for the coupon counter staff to tell you that there are no taxi’s or that there is a big queue.

I usually take a premier taxi which is between the budget and limo for a more comfortable ride and the fact that most of the drivers know the location of my condo.



The taxi coupons sold are valid for a month and owing to my weekly trips to and from Singapore I always have an option to use it another week if I change my mind and take the train or city cab.



Over the past few months I’ve noticed a trend whereby I’ve been told time and time again that there were no taxi’s and that I must get a limo or mini bus which costs significantly more than a premier taxi.

When I’m told that there are no taxi’s and I must get a limo/mini bus I simply request that they sell me a ticket. The counter staff look confused and usually don’t want to sell me one. When I firmly request a coupon the behaviour of the staff usually follows a similar pattern whereby a lot of time is spent on the radio chit chatting (about me) and generally ignoring me.

When I force the issue the staff act very sheepishly and begrudgingly sell me a coupon. Now the strange thing is that 9.9 times out of 10 when this happens I find little or no queue and at least several taxi’s available at the premier car area outside door 5.

The behavior of the staff and the fact that there isn’t usually more than one or two people queuing for the premiere taxi’s makes it appear that there is a scam taking place to rip off unfamiliar travellers. I have witnessed several other people encounter similar experiences at both the budget and premier services.

So is it a scam or are the unwelcoming counter staff simply out of touch with what is happening in the queue even though they have a radio?

The taxi service at the LCCT operated by a different company also tries this from time to time, however I haven’t found it quite so prevalent.

Perhaps it’s time raise a report to the authorities, not that SPAD will take any real action.

iPhone Repairs in KL

Now if anybody is likely to drop something in our house then it’s usually me. Last Sunday the roles were reversed and my wife dropped her iPhone 4s onto a tilled floor. After realising what a silly thing it was to do and enduring some banter from myself, the phone was checked and although there was  visible damage, the phone was dead.

As usual when things go wrong the timing was less than perfect with myself due leave within the next few hours to catch a flight back to Singapore.

After searching the internet for iPhone repair companies we found an a nearby independent company called Iphone2Fix. After checking the website and Facebook page I tried to call them but the handphone went straight to voice mail. Undeterred I drove the short distance and gave them a personal call.  

The small shop was clean, organised and the 2 staff were friendly and professional. After checking the phone they found that it simply needed a full reboot and not being an iPhone user myself I had no idea how such procedures were executed.  

There are so many places in Malaysia were service is awful and the integrity of individuals is questionable that it was a pleasant surprise to find this place.  

I cannot vouch for the quality of any repairs but so far so good from what I've seen.

iPhone2Fix (Setapak)
No 2-9, PV128, Jalan Genting Klang,
Setapak, 53300 Kuala Lumpur.
Phone: +010 245 5160 (Mr. Neezam / Amran)
Email: iphone2fix@gmail.com
Web: iphone2fix.net

KFC Malaysia - Restricted Menu

KFC in Malaysia is hardly the greatest advertisement of the KFC brand.

The service is often poor due to the staff being being slow and just larking around with their colleagues. To compound the problem the staff have such short term memory loss that they typically are unable to remember more then one item for example they have to keep checking the counter to see what we ordered 1 Zinger burger err what next?... err a coke, what next? ... errr wedges, hence the reason for the queues.  Owing to press reports of past incidents of staff attacking customers who complain its probably best to just keep quiet.

In addition a big concern is the hygiene standard because many of their restaurants I visited had dirty tables and a floor that was full of dirty marks and dropped food. Unlike some fast food outlets, KFC Malaysia don't seem to prioritise cleaning and housekeeping.

During the CNY holiday I visited an outlet in Wangsa Maju and was disappointed to find that the menu had been restricted from 9-17 Feb.



I've never experienced KFC UK, Singapore or Thailand doing this to why do KFC Malaysia do this?

Yet another feather in their cap of bad service awards.

Ikea Restaurant in Malaysia

I recently got dragged to Ikea in Malaysia during the recent Chinese New Year holiday long holiday. As expected the store was quite busy but bearable.

One thing I've never understood is the attraction of their restaurant considering the abundance of good affordable food.

On the particular day that I visited the queue stretched the full length of the restaurant which has to be the longest I've seen there.

Now if the food was fantastic or very very cheap then I may just see the logic of queuing for hours but hello this is Ikea, hardly the gastronomic paradise of Malaysia.

I really don't get it so perhaps somebody could help explain this attraction to me?

River View Seafood Restaurant @ Pasir Penambang, Kuala Selangor

I remember the first time I visited Kuala Selangor back in 2000 to see the fireflys at Kg. Kuantan. After taking quick walk around Bukit Melawati as the sun was setting we set off I noticed some rustic looking buildings in the distance, some on stilts jutting out into the river. Due to the absence of a decent map and the desire to find the firefly’s at I didn’t explore further.

During another visit in 2001 I decided to drive around and explore and found myself in Pasir Penambang. One particular restaurant called River View Seafood Restaurant looked busy, had a sunset view and despite not being hungry we stopped to check it out. We enjoyed our snack and cold beer whilst watching the sun set and returned many times over the years when guests have visited.

Over years the place has become more touristy and is popular with most Malaysians due to its pork free status. The prices seemed to have increased but reasonable and the food/ambiance is still the same which is pleasing.  

We recently took some guests to Kuala Selangor and with the new KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR Expressway) the journey is much quicker and easier. Naturally makan makan at Roverview was on the agenda.
 

  Easy to spot but parking can be an issue. 

 

The spacious and open interior. There is also a small upper floor available

Steamed fish

 Crab and cockles

 Pineapple rice and mixed veggies

Sweet Bread to soak up the crab’s chilli sauce

River view and sunset

Soon after sunset we departed for Kg. Kuantan and I couldn't help reflect on how hard it used to be to navigate the small and dark roads in the days before GPS was available for cars.

We enjoyed our meal at River View look forward to returning again soon for another sunset experience.

Food/Beverage: 9
Ambiance: 9
Value: 8
Service: 7

River View Seafood Restaurant
No. 1 Jalan Pasir Penambang
45000 Kuala Selangor
Tel: +60 3 3289 2238
http://www.rsrv.biz.ly

Malaysian Football Shirts

One of the things that surprised me when I first arrived in KL 12 years ago was the level of interest in English football. This is mainly due to the mass TV coverage as well as the local league having been decline for some time due to a match fix fixing controversy, poor football quality and a ban on foreign players. As a result the many people have adopted the English Premier League as their own. In contrast the national side is a promising young team and could bring some success in the future. 

Following Malaysia’s success in winning the 2010 AFF Football Championship I’ve noticed that there has been a general increase in the number of replica shirts worn by people.

Over the years I’ve had several guests ask me where to buy an official replica shirt and this is a very difficult question to answer.

KL and the Klang Valley are a shopper’s paradise with the giant malls often housing both independent sport shops as well as official outlets from the main players such as Nike. In these stores you can find usually find replica kits from most of the top clubs and countries in Europe as well as few popular countries such as Brazil however I’ve never seen any Malaysian national or domestic kits in all the 12 years I’ve lived here.

I remember in 2001 a colleague from the UK wanted to buy a Selangor shirt much to the amusement of our Malaysian colleagues who suggested that he may have more luck if he tried a pasar malam.

Judging by the some of the search results on google I’m not the only person who is perplexed by difficulties in buying a Malaysian football shirt.

If anybody knows where to get them then please let me know?

Suzi’s Corner @Ampang Point, KL

After another long break since my last visit I recently visited Suzi’s corner one Saturday evening. Nothing much has changed since my last visit, the steaks were as tasty as ever and the diverse crowed makes it a nice place to hang out for a while.



Served with fries, green beans and a steak sauce





Medium cooked which is just the way I like it







Yes I know its greedy but the cheese nann is good to help soak up the steak sauce





Something to help keep me cool



The only criticism I had was that the service by the staff who provide the drinks and other (non steak) food was slow and disorganised for some reason that night.

Food/Beverage: 9
Ambiance: 9
Value: 9
Service: 6

Previous review: http://www.maninseat12a.com/2011/03/steak-hut-suzis-corner-ampang-point-kl.html

Suzi’s Corner
213/26 Jalan Ampang batu 4 1/2,
Jalan ulu kelang
Ampang, Malaysia, 68000
17:00-05:00
Please note: The Steak Hut stall is only 18:00-23:00 and is closed on Tuesdays
Tel: 03-42566720

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/suzis-corner/187090090532?v=info

Tony Roma’s @ One Mont Kiara

On a Saturday 25th Feb we visited the Mont Kiara branch of Tony Roma’s for lunch and to shelter the rain.

I’m not a regular at Roma’s so I was looking forward to something different. Upon entering via the front entrance the staff seemed busy and disorganised and it was a while before we were attended to.

The choice of tables offered was limited not because it was busy but rather because so many tables were uncleaned and dirty.

Eventually a table was cleared and a menu given although after being left for a while it took several attempts to contact the staff to place the order for our food & drinks.

Now a point to make is that next to my wife's chair was a large splat of food on the floor from a previous diner and despite several requests to clear it no action was taken.

We ordered the chicken cesar flatbread pizza and a chicken swiss & beef bacon sandwich. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the food but what I will say is that the flatbread was delicious and the sandwich was hearty and filling. The beer was on a 1 for 1 promo which is always a nice bonus.

Despite the food being good it was rather a disappointing event because of the poor service and cleanliness whereby many tables were left uncleared for a long time ( 20> mins).

The staff said that they had been busy due to a voucher promo and the upper section of the restaurant was closed for some reason but their headless chicken impersonations made things worse.

There is also a complete back of background noise, perhaps the lack of music or TV noise is the issue but it created a strange ambiance.

Overall if it was pretty mixed bag with good food but poor service and cleanliness.

Food/Beverage 8
Ambiance 3
Value 7.5
Service 4

One Mont Kiara
Lot G-23A, Grd Flr, 1 Mon't Kiara,
No.1, Jalan Kiara, Mon't Kiara
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-6203 0580
Fax: 603-6203 0601
http://www.tonyromas.com.my

KLIA Express in need of refurbishment

Owing the awful taxi system at KLIA being unable to cope with peak times I often take the KLIA express when returning to KL on a Friday evening.

Whilst this train is hardly a high speed express its pretty useful to get to KL Sentral when the traffic is bad or there is no taxi however the downside is the relatively high fare of RM25 1 way.

The service has been running for around 10 years and the interior of the carriages is starting to show its age. More and more often I’m finding that the seat covers are worn or dirty and the air conditioning isn't working correctly which results a stuffy and musty smelling train.
 

In addition many of the internal and external windows have a coating making it either hard to see out or looking gloomy and dirty.



In addition I cannot fathom out why the luggage racks are placed half way down the carriage which makes taking suitcases etc into the train rather difficult. This really is a stupid design decision for an airport rail link train and having seen other Siemens trains in Europe I can only speculate that its must have been requested by the customer!

Malaysia has a bad record of train maintenance with KTM ending up cannibalising other trains for parts, many delays and too many derailments.

Lets hope the KLIA express isn’t heading that way as well!

Tamarind Springs – Ampang

In November my family visited Malaysia so it was an opportunity to try some places that I’d been meaning to visit for years but had never got round to going to.

One such place was Tamarind Springs located in Ampang which is just a short drive from KL (traffic permitting!!). The restaurant is a classy venue set in a natural forest reserve and contains a mixture of rustic Asians treasures and furnishings.

The menu offers fine contemporary Indochinese food which is a level or two above that found in other places within the Klang Valley.  On of the great plus points is the absolutely delightful location, being set on the edge of a natural jungle and at night its extremely atmospheric.

As well as great outdoor setting the interior is tastefully finished to provide a nice ambiance.


We enjoyed the food so much that we visited again the following week. Unfortunately I only have a few photo’s of the food however I can confirm that the dishes suggested by the waiter are thoroughly recommended.


Food/Beverage 9
Ambiance 9.5
Value 8
Service 8.5

Jalan 1,
Taman Tun Abdul Razak (TAR),
68000, Ampang,
Selangor
Malaysia
http://samadhiretreats.com
Tel.: +60 3 4256 9300

When a dog is like a dog but not actually a dog!

I recently saw this article on bbc.com regarding the emotional rollercoaster of living abroad which caught my eye when when it mentioned Malaysia.

Whilst I understand that people opinions are very subjective I do agree with several points raised about Malaysia especially about the dog!

At our condominium in KL the guards are less than competent and often get confused so I cant help thinking those described in the story are from the same company as the one we use.

Airport Lounge Access with Priority Pass

Access to airport business lounges is typically only gained if you are an airline CIP (commercially important passenger) however throughout world there are some shared lounges which you either pay on the door, book a visit using one of the many holiday add companies or join a lounge membership scheme such as Priority Pass.

Being a regular air traveller I try to keep my time at the airport to the absolute minimum and often grab a quick snack/drink on the way though. I'm fortunate that my weekly commute is between Singapore (Changi) and Kuala Lumpur which are two very good airports.

During my usual routine which involves a quick stop here and there followed by a snack (sandwich/burger meal) which costs SGD 7-10 and if there is a queue its very rushed pitstop.

Following my recent protracted delay at Changi I started thinking that things things would be easier if I can get lounge access so that I can just sit down, relax and nibble on some snacks.

In some previous roles I was fortunate to travel business class on a regular basis and become accustomed to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge however those privileges have long since passed.

After some research I found that the Priority Pass Membership scheme looked good and offered several membership plans based around usage including an unlimited visit plan. Some further searching led me to some discount codes which gave USD 80 discount on the first year as well as renewal making the total cost per year at USD 319.

Whilst this is no small sum I estimate that I will use the lounges 65+ times per year which equates to around USD 5 per visit.

Not all of the lounges offer alcohol however the Plaza Premium lounge has a beer tap and when a pint of beer in the bar opposite will cost around USD 10+ the Priority Pass membership starts look very good value.

Now when my wife (The Lady in Seat 12B) found out the conversation went along the lines of, you have bought what? why do you need this because the trip is only short? makan why do you need to makan at the airport, why do you  etc etc  etc......

The conversation carried on until I made it clear that any more complaints and the treasury would be carrying out an audit on expenditure at Watsons, Guardian and all the other beauty places frequented over the past 24 months following which a reluctant approval was given... sweet!

Good Service @ Hup Hoe Electrical, KL

My apartment was completed in 2008 and I needed to get some lights, in fact it was lots of lights for the multiple rooms I have. There are many lighting shops in KL so where do I start as an Englishman because it’s easy to end up paying inflated prices.

The contractor I was using at the time recommended a small simple place called Hup Hoe Electrical in Jalan Ipoh, KL and in addition this there are a couple of other electrical shops nearby so its handy location. I have to say that was initially sceptical when I walked in because it’s just a simple traditional shop but I found the service and prices good so no complaints what so ever.

Fast forward to 2011 we are having some renovation done and needed a few more lights of a similar kind to those purchased from Hup Hoe before. When I visited a few weeks ago nothing had really changed in the shop since 2008 and it was good to be recognised by their staff as a previous customer and then offered several discounts without having to ask.

In Malaysia I sometimes find that the service really sucks but at this shop was its really refreshing to find that I was both recognised and the discount was applied without asking.

Kudus to the team at Hup Hoe Electrical……

House Frankfurt @ Bangsar

My first week in Malaysia back in September 2000 was somewhat what of a whirlwind. Coupled with the excitement of exploring the nightlife in my new home and my London colleagues travelling on a business trip to KL at the same time it was a absolutely manic. One of the first places we visited was House Frankfurt in Bangsar Baru and I still remember my lack of enthusiasm as a brit having to visit a German restaurant and bar in Malaysia.

I remember that I enjoyed the food and atmosphere and subsequently returned several times over the following years and was never disappointed.

Bangsar has gone through many changes over the years and despite the nightlife scene effectively ending in 2003/4 there are still some good places to eat and drink and House Frankfurt is one of them still going strong.

I often walk past in the afternoon and see Peter (the owner) give me a wave and feel somewhat guilty that we don’t visit anywhere near as often as we should.

We recently found ourselves in Bangsar early one Saturday evening and decided to call in. A warm welcome was received from Peter and decided to sit at the bar

The drinks selection is not as extensive as some other speciality bars and restaurants although there was no complaints from myself.

For dinner I ordered a bruschetta as an appetiser and a chicken schnitzel as the main course.

The bruschetta was a little plain being serviced on sliced bread but schnitzel and the accompanying potatoes were tasty.

My wife ordered the beef goulash for the appetiser and seafood spaghetti as the main course and found the food tasty. I helped finish the appetiser and concur that it was delicious.

Overall I enjoyed my visit and will return again, hopefully on a more frequent basis

Food/Beverage 8
Ambiance 8.5
Value 8
Service 9

12, Jalan Telawi 5
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel.: +60 (3) 2284 16
http://www.housefrankfurt.com
Note: Non Halal