KSL City Mall, Johor, Malaysia
We escaped to KSL City in JB over the F1 weekend when the massive jams in the city got majorly annoying. The newish mall, opened in April last year, is like a half-priced version of our Far East Plaza. With about a gazillion mani-pedi bistros and massage (non-dodgy ones, mind you!) parlors, giant hypermart Tesco (which apparently reminds the Hubs of his poor broke undergrad days in the UK), and a huge cinema hall, we made a day of it exploring the labyrinth of a mall. And, with the very favourable exchange rate currently, our Singapore dollar was certainly stretched to the max. Brilliant for our self-imposed budget sequestration.
And while the food basement may not be as extensive as, say, Takashimaya's food basement, there are a couple of hidden gems here that the locals flock to and you'll do well to seek them out.
The Penang Laksa (RM$5) from D'Laksa was awesome and on its own, made our whirlwind trip worthwhile. The best Penang-style laksa we've had in quite some time. Here, chewy noodles, crisp lettuce, sardine flakes (you're lucky if you get a bunch of them), and tart raw onions are served up in a thin broth flavoured by tamarind, chilli, lemongrass and galangal. A thick dollop of stickily sweet prawn paste rounds off the barrage of flavours.
The stall facade for reference. Even if you don't immediately see this, you'll certainly smell this from a hundred meters away. The tantalizing smells were what drew us to this spot in the first instance.
Another place that drew us in, just by scent alone, was the Indonesian-style Tom Yum Soup (RM$6) loaded with plentiful fish balls, prawns, white fungus, chicken slices, and kangkong in a runny nose-inducingly spicy broth. Invariably compared to the Thai version, this was less sour, less shrimpy, with a chicken stock base that was just as potently hot.
The stall facade for reference. Even in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, the tables were all occupied. We had to share a teeny tiny spot with another couple.
To wash down all that grease and douse the fire in our bellies, a cup of Chendol (RM$3), with fat slivers of green jelly that slid down the throat, mushy red beans and a milky crushed ice sweetened with smoky gula melaka was just perfectly refreshing.
The stall facade for reference.
KSL City Mall
Johor Bahru
Malaysia
Website: www.kslcity.com.my
And while the food basement may not be as extensive as, say, Takashimaya's food basement, there are a couple of hidden gems here that the locals flock to and you'll do well to seek them out.
The Penang Laksa (RM$5) from D'Laksa was awesome and on its own, made our whirlwind trip worthwhile. The best Penang-style laksa we've had in quite some time. Here, chewy noodles, crisp lettuce, sardine flakes (you're lucky if you get a bunch of them), and tart raw onions are served up in a thin broth flavoured by tamarind, chilli, lemongrass and galangal. A thick dollop of stickily sweet prawn paste rounds off the barrage of flavours.
The stall facade for reference. Even if you don't immediately see this, you'll certainly smell this from a hundred meters away. The tantalizing smells were what drew us to this spot in the first instance.
Another place that drew us in, just by scent alone, was the Indonesian-style Tom Yum Soup (RM$6) loaded with plentiful fish balls, prawns, white fungus, chicken slices, and kangkong in a runny nose-inducingly spicy broth. Invariably compared to the Thai version, this was less sour, less shrimpy, with a chicken stock base that was just as potently hot.
The stall facade for reference. Even in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, the tables were all occupied. We had to share a teeny tiny spot with another couple.
To wash down all that grease and douse the fire in our bellies, a cup of Chendol (RM$3), with fat slivers of green jelly that slid down the throat, mushy red beans and a milky crushed ice sweetened with smoky gula melaka was just perfectly refreshing.
The stall facade for reference.
KSL City Mall
Johor Bahru
Malaysia
Website: www.kslcity.com.my
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