Ten Minutes to Ombak

Please click the photo above to play the daily videoA steady start, which after the week this has been felt almost like a luxury. No early calls, no one unexpectedly admitted, nothing rearranged overnight. Just a morning that began at the time it was supposed to and proceeded in roughly the order intended.

The first good news of the day was Imran going home. Discharge day has a lovely finality to it — the bag packed, the forms signed, everyone slightly lighter than when they arrived. After the anxiety of the start of the week, it was a pleasure to see that particular chapter close so tidily. Paperwork done, and with it the sense that the week had finally stopped asking things of me.

Which is presumably why I felt the itch to take the camera out. There's a mood that comes after a run of obligations, where you want to do something entirely for its own sake, and walking about with a camera is about as pure a version of that as I know.

So: from Suria to Ombak KLCC, on foot. Under ten minutes, which on paper sounds like a stroll and in practice, in this climate, is closer to a short commitment. The haze was hanging about, doing its usual job of muting the sky, but it had apparently made no arrangement with the humidity, which carried on regardless. The air had that thick, damp quality where you arrive somewhere having done very little and feel as though you've been gently steamed. Not the most comfortable ten minutes of the week, but short enough to forgive.

Ombak itself was a first for me, and quite a spectacle. The sort of building that's clearly been designed to be looked at as much as used — sweeping, confident, very pleased with its own curves. I walked up to the rooftop, which rewarded the effort with the kind of view that makes you briefly forget you're damp. Most of the shops haven't opened yet, which gave the place a slightly eerie, freshly unwrapped feel — polished floors, empty units, the faint impression of a stage set waiting for its cast.

The basement, however, had found its audience. A matcha event was underway, and it had drawn quite the crowd — a sea of people united by an apparently bottomless enthusiasm for green powder whisked into things. I admire the commitment, even if I didn't join the queue.

Then back to Suria the same way, rather less surprised by the humidity the second time round. The important thing: plenty of footage for the KLJJ channel. There's a quiet satisfaction in coming home with a full card, knowing the walk has already turned into something.

Later, Mak came by on her way to a cousin's wedding in Kota Damansara, and she didn't come alone — a few uncles and aunts along with her, which instantly turned the house into the sort of place where tea is made in larger pots and conversations overlap without anyone minding. All of Anita's cleaning from the night before earned its keep.

A day that started quietly and finished full of family, with a new building, a matcha crowd and a camera's worth of footage somewhere in the middle. Not bad at all.

First Look

The Four Seasons Hotel right next KLCC was recently opened and by the lobby, it housed a multi story mall by Robinsons which caught my eye my recent walks.

Finally this afternoon after work, all four of went there to have a look around and we were pleasantly surprised. At least to the lower ground area which housed a gourmet food outlet called Atlas.

We had some sandwiches there and the salami there was the best I had in town. Idlan went crazy with doughnuts and macaroons while Irfan had some gelato.

If I was hungry I might have tried one of their bar cum café which sells high grade wagyu beef by the weight. You just then pay extra RM for them to cook for you plus the trimmings if you wanted to have it at the restaurant.

That may be my destination in the coming week.

Before we left, we also went up the four floors of retail outlets but we didn't pick anything up. The object of the exercise was to have a look. And that was what we did.

With the café being this good, I wonder what the room service would be like at the hotel ...

Pasar Seloka Raya

Anita read somewhere that there was a bazaar going on at Publika. She wanted to buy some items there and asked if I can drive her there.

Being a public holiday, getting a parking spot could be tricky. But it turned out that there were plenty of pace at the lower levels. Once there, you just needed to climb on the escalator to get to the shopping floors. Quite convenient.

And the bazaar was great. After half an hour, Anita could not make up her mind about what to buy. There were too many optins and since the place was packed, it was difficilt to get any service. Maybe she should come back during work days when there were not too many people.

The bazaar mainly sell clothes. It was a great place to get Raya clothes for children, The dresses were damn cute, so were the baju melayu. There were also ornaments and cosmetics. The one stall which attracted my attention actually belonged to the singer, Amy Search.

I ended up buying some lights for the balcony for Raya decorations. All battery operated and portable. Definitely a great place to spend an afternoon shopping with plenty of cafe and restaurants - alas, it was Ramadhan. Great place to hang around ...

New Look IKANO

When I first returned from the UK, one of the first mall I went to visit was Ikano Power Centre. It was brand new back then. Just opened. The mall opposite, The Curve have yet to be opened. IKEA was only just being planned.

It was a stand alone mall but with Harvey Norman and other anchor tenants, they were doing well. They also had a very good food court on the top floor - which has since been replaced with Toys'r'Us. Since it was by the highway - NKVE and LDP was not that busy back then - getting there and back was convenient. Parking spaces were also aplenty.

Inside the new flagship Harvey-Norman store

Over the years they had many changes but none were as drastic as from the beginning of the year. The mall had been closed for a good part of a year now and was just reopened before Xmas. A major departure from what it used to look like.

Now, Harvey Norman expanded to a couple of floors. The whole of lower ground on one side was occupied by Ben' groceries shop. Cold Storage had moved out. The place also looked cleaner and brighter.

The many eateries on the lower ground floor remained opened, and on the evening that we went to visit, it was packed. Looked like it was a change for the better ...

Maison at Pavilion

Since my father in law been discharged, getting some time away from the house with Anita had not been straight forward. We managed a couple of hours last weekend since Anita wanted to do some shopping at Pavilion. We ended up having a late lunch at one of the new café there called Maison.

Located on the second floor of the complex - where there used to be an Italian café - the place was only recently opened. They served mainly desserts and sandwiches with a distinct French flavour. The set menu they had there was reasonably priced and since Anita was starving, she went for the lunch set while I just ordered one from the standard selection set.

A nice ambiance

For that, we got starters, mains and dessert - and a generous portions at that. Plus coffee or tea at the end.

Anita went for roasted Angus beef and it was enough for the two of us to share. I had some chicken terragon which actually wasn't as great as the beef. The dessert was a delight. We had bread and butter pudding with some gorgeous vanilla custard to top it.

My chicken tarragon Definitely worth a visit. Nice ambiance, friendly waiter and waitresses - all local. Good took some time to be prepared but it was worth the wait ... Definitely with come back and try another item from the menu.