Pearl Point Shopping Mall

As mentioned before, I used to frequent Pearl Point Shopping Mall for 9 months from October 1997 - June 1998. It is adjoined to Pearl International Hotel and Pearl Point Condominium.

I finally landed my foot here once again after 13 years and I hardly recognized the place I once knew. Its main tenant has changed over the year, from Hiong Kong to the present Econsave.

The main entrance is the same as it is used to be but is now flanked with eateries outlets, Domino's Pizza and an Indian mamak restaurant.

The passage way at the ground floor appears to be narrower than what it used to be due to the new Econsave supermarket which occupy most of the space here. There used to be a KFC outlet on this floor but it has long moved out. However, Starbucks and Subway can be located here.

The interior of the mall was totally revamped and I can see the stark contrast compare to my years back here. However, traffic is kind of slow here, even on the weekend.

Moving down to the lower ground floor which also house the car park. There are several stalls selling cloth, bags and Chinese antiques.

The most spacious area of the mall is located on the 1st floor. This floor used to be occupied by Hiong Kong supermarket. Hand phones, computer accessories and Popular book store are located here.

Interestingly, there is a shop which sold specifically condoms and funky sex accessories.

I am unable to make sense out of it but I was wondering why the management still left the Chinese New Year decorations here even though the celebration has elapsed some 3-4 months ago.

The first floor also connected to Pearl International Hotel where one can have full view of their coffee house and main concourse area.

The second floor houses the food court where I usually came here to have my dinner. It is now a pale shadow from its glorious year. Back then the food court was a busy place and offered a variety of food.

Old Klang Road

Old Klang Road is the oldest and most historically significant roads in Kuala Lumpur. The road was constructed by the British Federated Malay States government from 1905 to 1908 and was the only link between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang at the time.

This place hold a special place in my heart as this was where I stayed for about 9 months back during my college years back in 1997. This twin building here is where I stayed back then. It consists of Pearl International Hotel and Pearl Point Condominium which is connected by a shopping complex beneath.

The security measures at the main entrance of the Pearl Point Condominium has been improved by leaps and bounds compare to my time here. The door is now secured with magnetic door lock which is manned by security personnel.

The Pearl Point Shopping Complex beneath it also undergone transformation for the last 14 years or so. This is the place where I did my grocery and eating out.

The old compact flat houses which I reckon was built in 1970s when Overseas Union Garden was unveiled.

This mamak stall (located next to Pearl Point Condominium) is where we used to hang out late at night.

This building used to house my previous college, PRIME College before been assimilated to SEGI group. It appears the building is now owned by a new owner, ITJ College.

This food stall here, just opposite the college is where I used to have my lunch. Back then the place is smelly and unhygienic. Now, the whole area appears to be "sanitized" and clean.

Moving down the road, some old structures still remain as they were such as the Old Klang Road Wet Market and Post Office.

The Scott Garden is the latest edition which houses Tesco as the main tenant. OverTime restaurant and pub is also located here.

Lucky Plaza and Plaza OUG had also been giving a facelift and they definitely looks much more attractive compare to my time. On Thursday night, there is a night market nearby these plazas selling various hawker food, affordable apparels, daily usage items and etc.

The eateries, massage parlours, boutiques, mini markets and entertainment outlets seem to thrive along this road. It is now more accessible with frequent RapidKL bus plying along this road from Central Market to Puchong and Subang.

Kee Mei Siew Pau

Seremban Siew Pau (baked dumpling) is well known throughout the country. There are many imitations since then and the best can be still found in the original shops which produced the delicacy.

My search for Seremban Siew Pau lead me to Kee Mei Siew Pau which is located at Jalan Dr. Krishnan.

Apparently, this shop is the branch at the centre of Seremban old town. Its main shop must be a distance away from the town.

The Siew Pau (chicken or pork filling) is sold RM 1.20 per piece. The price for a siew pau is steadily on the rise now.

A baked version of the steamed bun, it has crispy exterior but fluffy golden brown fillings of minced chicken or pork. It has been sometime I eaten a siew pau and Kee Mei's product definitely received a thumb up from me.

Sin Yee Kee Beef Noodle

Seremban is famous for its beef noodle and one of the best place to sample it is at stall no. 748 at the Seremban Central Market. The stall, which had begun in the early 40s has a rich history. It started at the old Seremban market before moving it to its current location in Seremban Central Market. It is currently run by the second generation of its original founder.

The beef noodles come in dry or soup version. I opted for the dry version and the noodles come in medium (RM 5) or big (RM 6) serving. The noodles itself is made by the owner themselves. The noodles are mixed with a special gravy (preservative free) which gives it a distinctive flavour.

The beef appears to come from selected cuts as it is not too tough and soft. Other goodies that went into the noodle are beef's intestine, sesame seed and peanuts.

The beef ball soup (RM 6) is another dish worth trying. The broth is thick and rich. The beef balls are bouncy and delicious. The soup definitely goes well with the dry version of the beef noodle.

Batu Caves

Batu Caves which is located approximately 15km to the north of Kuala Lumpur were discovered in 1881 by an American explorer.

Over time, the place was used as a picnic for the colonials and later as a hideout for the Communist. The caves are now an important site of worship for the Hindus.

It is a limestone hill with series of caves and cave temples. Built in 1891, it is created by K. Thamboosamy Pillai, a prominent Malaysian of Tamil origin during the pre-independence years. He was a wealthy businessman, tin miner and government contractor who were also considered as the leader of the Tamil community.

One of the most fascinating features here is the world's tallest statue of Lord Murugan, standing at 42.7 metres high. It was unveiled in January 2006 and took 1550 cubic meters of concrete, 250 tons of steels bars and a whopping 300 litres of gold paint to build.

Visitors coming here to witness the caves have to climb the magnificent 272 steps staircase that leads up to the temple. In the future, there will be a cable car which connects the base of the hill to the top but nothing beats the fun of walking up the stairs to reach the caves.

The interior of the main caves are pretty large and house a few temples and souvenir shops.

Inside the caves, the Subramaniam Swamy Temple is the centre of worship for the Hindu god, Murugan. The caves become very busy when Hindu devotees and visitors from all around the world come to Batu Caves during Thaipusam.

Visitors will be in awe of the paintings depicting scenes from Hindu folklore and statues of deities.

Keep an eyes for the monkeys surrounding the caves as they can be quite nasty when it comes to food.

The other attraction added to this site is the Dark Cave where entrance fee of RM35 will be charged for adult and RM18 for children below 10 years old.

At the foot of the hill, a significant transformation seems to took place since my last visit here, probably some 15 years ago. There is a nice and relaxing recreation area called "Cave Villa" which augur well with the surrounding. The management charge an entrance fee for visitors to enter this park though.

Getting to Batu Caves now is a breeze when compare to previous year as the KTM Komuter station is just beside it. A trip here from KL Old Railway station will take approximately 20 minutes (RM 2 single way).