Village Roast Duck @ Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur

Village Roast Duck at Bangsar Village - This place goes into my favourite list of restaurants in KL for few reasons. One; I love duck meat, and Two; the rest of the menu is great! The roasted duck here is a bit more moist and soft compared to other restaurants without losing out the crispiness of the skin. There's also a strong tint of sweetness in it but not overwhelming.

The restaurant was packed even on a weekday and service is quick and precise. We were lucky to get a table as soon as we arrived, with only moments later, a crowd was gathering at the entrance with a waiting list.

honey roasted meat and roasted belly is equally good and fresh...

The main dish : A portion size is enough for 2/3 person

Mixed vegetable with mince meat, a quick and tasty dish

Honey ribs was part of our menu as well. 

We love the dry chili oil sauce to go along with the meals. 

Overall, a very satisfying meal and a great place for family dining. The price would be slightly above average but with the great service and great food, makes it all worthwhile. 

4.8 out of 5 !!

Publika @ Solaris Dutamas

Publika, the new commercial destination within the new urban hub in Solaris Dutamas Development, the multi-level solution in segregating pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Whilst there's a shopping mall-like component which is the major piece of the whole development, it is flanked by shop-fronts to the adjacent streets, offering more interactive streets, on- street parking, and seamless pedestrian connectivity.

At certain strategic corners, lift lobbies have been carved into the massing for access to the towers above.

All these are built over a terrace configuration of parking, in respecting the terrain. Where there's opportunity, horizontal access to the parking has been established at certain points to get into the retail areas. One really needs to know exactly where to park to be able to get to the nearest points of destination within the commercial area, otherwise, can easily be confused by the layout. Permeability seems to work well in connecting the parking areas to the retail but way-finding in this place still needs a bit of work.

 Public art seems to be the concept of this place, but honestly, I think it needs a bit of effort in curating and creating a more identifiable theme. 

 It does house one of my favourite restaurant!

 Text inlay with messages gives the square a nice touch

 This open area seems to be quite an attractor here with some drinks and food readily to be purchased along it and enjoyed in front of a live band....

 The mall of Publika

 This whole street like environment is over a slab with parking below it. Shown here are +2 or +3 level above the entrance street level, connected via ramps a the end of the block.

One of the highlights for me is the BIG supermarket. Great stock of food, good chain of supplies and a fantastic place to find organic food and speciality foods.  

Overall, I can't wait to see how this place develops. I've always been in a favour of complex horizontal development such as this where a complex can be divided into blocks and in the same time, allowing more natural light, outdoor interaction and connectivity.

For more info and pictures, check out the following websites

-http://www.publika.com.my/publika/home/intro.php

and on Solaris Dutamas

- http://www.propwall.my/dutamas/solaris_dutamas

Fat Boys, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

If you haven't been to Publika at Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur, well, you're missing some cool events and establishments there! I'll be writing more about it soon, but first and foremost, I must say that one of the best restaurants there is Fat Boys, the Burger Bar. The appeal here is the option of customizing your own burger, ranging from different buns, patty and fillings. I've had already 2 servings there and still can't seems to get enough of it!

 root bear float seems to be a good combo!

 entrance to the restaurant.... it was 'packed' in the weekends. I had to put my name on the waiting list and got a table in about 10 minutes. 

My own customized burger, a white sesame bun, pork patty, bacon, cheddar cheese, sweet onion sauce and caramelized onions. 

Overall, I think this place deserves s 4.5 out of 5! 

The Noodle House

We get our monthly fix of Asian food from The Noodle House chain restaurant across the UAE. Food's pretty decent, not too expensive (between moderate and high) and we're more than satisfied with their services. I've yet to try everything in the menu, but so far, I've been happy with most of the items I've ordered. Definately coming here again! -Recommended! - 7.5/10.

Ice Cream Sampler - Kinokuniya Cafe

One of our current favourite dessert is the Ice Cream sampler in Kinokuniya Cafe. Consist of three flavours, red bean, green tea, and ginger, it's pretty, it's cool and most important of all, it is delicious! The cafe itself is chic and elegantly done, with well lit spaces. 

 red bean

 green tea

 and ginger...

goes very well with cappuccino or latte...

Dubai Marina

Perhaps one of the highest floor area ratio or plot ratio development in the world, here are some pictures of Dubai Marina, almost fully developed with mixed use program and quite community centric. Served by a highway nearby, the Dubai Marina has a rather pedestrian friendly environment, especially for car-oriented town such as Dubai.