Concorde Inn KLIA

Concorde Inn KLIA has been functioning as a transit hotel for travelers since the establishment of the KLIA more than a decade ago. It is located in a rather isolated area surrounded by oil palm plantation.

Getting here is not a problem as free shuttle bus is available every 30 minutes from KLIA and every hour from KLIA2.

 

It has a huge lobby with lots of sofa for visitors to hang around comfortably. The lobby also has a souvenir shop and real time flight departure/arrival time display from KLIA.

The superior room here is rather spacious and comfortable. My last stay here was about a decade ago and nothing much has changed except for the flat screen TV on the wall. I reckon it is time for the management to change the mattress as well as the split unit air conditioner.

The suite has a bigger area and most of this type of room has its own private balcony facing the swimming pool.

 

 

There is not much to do here except dipping in the pool or head to the spa. There is a football field, tennis court and gym for those who wish to sweat it out. Otherwise, just take a short walk to Charter Field town, just across the road where there are a few restaurants, convenience shops and even a tyre shop.

If one fancy seeing aircraft taking off and touching down, just stand at its main entrance for unrestricted view of the aircraft every few minutes or so.

 

Melting pot is the only restaurant available here and it is open around the clock. There will be a live band performing here every day from 8-9pm before the band retreat to the bar.

Nu Sentral

I just realized that Nu Sentral has opened to public this month when I passed through KL Sentral. I decided to pay it a visit and see what it got to offer.

 

Nu Sentral is basically just beside the KL Sentral with a direct walkway adjacent to the KLIA Transit ticket counter. From what I gathered, the mall has its soft opening around end of March this year.

 

Its size blew me away. I believe there is about 7 or 8 floors of retail spaces here. It also offers a more comfortable environment for commuter from KL Sentral to the KL Sentral Monorail Station.

One of its distinguished features is the skylight which allow the natural light into the mall. The sky light has a modern touch to it and definitely add some aesthetic value to the new mall.

 

 

Just walk outside to the balcony, one can have a clear view of the bustling Brickfields and its surrounding skylines.

 

Nu Sentral houses almost every retail shops and brands normally found at other shopping malls around Klang Valley with Parkson as its main tenant.

With Nu Sentral, I guess the commuters who commute regularly via KL Sentral will now have more reason to hang around here longer.

Red Bull Air Race Putrajaya

Air Racing never caught my interest until recently it was held probably for the very first time in this country. Its awareness programme was held in Pavillion KL a few weeks before the actual race.

The venue for the race was at Putrajaya with its huge lake becomes the race course.

I took this opportunity to experience the race as it is basically held at my "backyard", so to speak and the availability of the free shuttle bus from Putrajaya Sentral to some of the venues.

The first drop point (Zone A) also act as an interchange station was located adjacent to the Seri Gemilang Bridge.

It is a disappointment really as most of the strategic areas had been barricaded and one must purchase a ticket to have a clear view of the race. Even the bridge's pedestrian walkway was cordoned, otherwise it would offer a spectacular view of the race.

I tried my luck and took the buses to other venues, namely the grand stand and race club which is located in the vicinity of Pullman Hotel Putrajaya but it was a total waste of time as most of those areas were cordoned to the public unless one possess a ticket.

 

It was not a fruitful day but I still able to catch a glimpse of the fast travelling planes at various spots. The best place to watch the entire event without paying any cent would be the Seri Saujana Bridge but it was too late for me after passing it on my way home.

Fatboy's The Burger Bar @ Avenue K

I love my burgers and with many burger joints been established over the past couple of years, I decided to try the much talked about Fatboy's The Burger Bar.

I been noticing its new outlet in Avenue K and decided to give dine here as the crowd here is usually low compare to other malls nearby.

Sometimes I wonder how the owner comes out with its mascot which depicts a fat dude which looks really mad. 

It has a simple layout with some classic American songs been played. The staff service need to be improved though because I was annoyed that my order was not taken after I was seated for about 5 minutes. The supervisor who is an expatriate however did a good job and made me feel welcomed.

Each table has full set of chili, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper for the convenience of the diner here. For the record, they sell beers (although not draught beer) too and this will go well with the burgers.

The Wimpy Burger (RM 19) with a choice of pork, beef or lamb patty is a scaled down version of the outlet's specialty burger "Fat Basterd". I opt for the pork patty which comes with streaky bacon, cheddar cheese, fried egg and BBQ on sesame bun.

The burger is about average for my taste buds. It's a bit odd that the tomato and lettuce are served as side dish and not in between the burger. I don't like the idea of a burger which comes with a fried egg. They should also pay attention to details as the small flag was posted upside down and this somewhat affect the overall appearance of the dish.

I reckon the best way to go is to build my own burger. At least I get what I want in my burger and hopefully it tastes awesome!

Fatboy's The Burger Bar
Level 3-8 Avenue K
No. 156 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

One Last Look at LCCT

We will bid farewell to the LCCT this Friday before it is shut down permanently and shift its entire operation to klia 2. I had an opportunity to use this facility for the very last time last week and there is a mixed emotions as I had been a frequent user of this airport for the past 4 years (on average, I came here once in a fortnight).

LCCT is notoriously famous for its crowded area, lack of dining places as well as slow traffic especially during peak hour. It is quite a nightmare for visitor coming here and I have several share of experiences too especially arriving after midnight or spending a night here.

 

The departure hall is also poorly designed and most of the time there were hardly enough seats for departing passengers. Usually there is also a long queue at the security check points as there are only 3 screening machines operating at peak hour.

 

On the positive note, passengers can get a full view of the arriving and departing aircraft from the departure hall.

Walking along the pathway to board and disembark the aircraft is not a pleasant experience as I believe many passengers end up at the wrong aircraft due to the confusion and massive crowd. It also prove to be inefficient as the stewardess have to perform another identification check before boarding the aircraft.

I have no idea on the fate of the Tune Hotel @ LCCT after this Friday. I predict it might close its operation or remained open as a support hotel for the klia2.

I am glad klia2 has finally completed as it somewhat solved most of the shortcomings in LCCT. I reckon many had suffered for the past 8 years when using the poorly designed LCCT and looking for a more comfortable ride and environment at klia2.

Makko Restaurant @ Melaka Raya

A trip to Malacca will not be complete without sampling its famous Nyonya dishes. Melaka Raya is one of the best place to look for Nyonya food and somehow I ended up at Makko Restaurant.

Makko Restaurant is one of the big names when it comes to Nyonya food. Its interior exudes a rustic ambience which made the dining experience kind of enjoyable.

Paku with sambal is nice as usual. I believe paku is best cooked in this manner.

Fried Fish with Chili Paste. The fish is huge and fried to perfection. The chili paste just add a new dimension when it comes to gravy to go with the fish.

Udang Lemak Nenas is probably something new to me and this dish is best paired with rice.

Cincalok Omelette is a must try as it is consider their specialty and it did not disappoint me. However, the otak-otak is a big disappointment. Muar otak-otak is definitely better.