For most, the mere images of sharks conjure up nightmares and scenes of horror (partly thanks to Steven Speilberg’s factually incorrect movie – Jaws), and definitely something to avoid.
However, to a diver, sharks are some of the most beautiful creatures and one that’s to be protected and to be adored, preferably up close and personal. Lucky me, I got to do that just a while back right here in KL.
Aquaria KLCC Shark in the City Cage Rage launch
It all got started a few months ago when I was invited to the Shark in the City – Cage Rage launch at Aquaria KLCC from Dato’ Simon Foong, the owner of the aquarium who is also a Twitter user with the handle @Aquaria_KLCC. We “converse” via Twitter on numerous occasions, and that’s how I got to know the good dato.
Aquaria KLCC is truly a world class aquarium, right in the middle of the city
While Aquaria has been allowing certified divers to dive in the main tank for quite a while now, Cage Rage allows even non-divers to experience the thrill of being in the water with the sharks (behind a cage with protective panel, using a breathing pipe and mask instead of scuba gears)
Knowing that I’m an avid diver, Dato’ Simon then extended a coupon for me to dive at the aquarium, and I finally did it a few weeks ago, and here’s how it went.
above the main tank, just prior to diving
An appointment is strongly recommended, and I made mine a few days prior to the dive. On the day itself, there was another diver, Omar, who came to do the same thing.
We were first shown two short videos showcasing the creatures we are going to meet, then the dive masters gave us a briefing about the dos and don’ts as well as the dive plan.
Then we were off to the main tank! Check out the video above for the highlights of my dive, complete with soothing music for your pleasure. Yes, you are welcome.
the magnificent sand tiger shark at Aquaria KLCC
The dive itself was chilling and thrilling. Chilling cos the water is at around 24-25 Celsius instead of the more common 28-29 Celsius in local water (the sharks actually prefer even colder water, but it’s a compromise with other tropical fish in the tank), and thrilling because there’s all those huge predators you are swimming with.
we are in the tank! and became part of the exhibit
The big boys were definitely the sand tiger sharks, they look real bad ass but mostly just kept to themselves, showing only minimal interest to the divers. There’s also the inquisitive giant grouper than probably weigh more than me, beautiful leopard shark (one that we had hoped to see at Similan Islands trip), the graceful giant blotch fantail stingray, the speedy cow nose ray, moray eel, and much more. It was a feast for the eyes, never would you see such a collection in a single dive.
giant grouper, sand tiger shark, moray eel, leopard shark
The dive costs RM 400 per person per dive and lasts about 45 minutes to an hour underwater (or as long as you can stand the cold), bottom depth is only a few meters and so it is very safe. You must be able to navigate fairly well in the water as the tank isn’t open ocean and can be fairly restrictive.
Overall though, it was a great experience, and one that i’d recommend to anyone who wants to get up close to them big sharks, or to wet your bones during off seasons.
Now maybe it’s time to plan the next dive trip!
Last Friday I was invited to a buka puasa dinner at KL Convention Centre. Interestingly, even though this is my 6th Ramadan spent working at the towers, I’ve never had a buka puasa event there.
In fact, I didn’t even know that there’s an in house caterer at KL convention centre with full kitchen staff, chefs and all that jazz. Well now I do!
so this is supposed to be an exhibition hall, now a dining area!
The buka puasa event is located at Hall 5 (think PC Fair) of the convention centre, a massive hall that was transformed into a giant restaurant with plenty of tables, 5 buffet stations, a dozen food stalls, and even plants and other decorations. It was quite impressive to say the least.
sup campur, roast lamb kuzi
The one thing I always remember about every buka puasa dinner I went to was the queue. When you have everyone expected to eat at the same time, there’s always a long queue and LRT-type traffic going on. This isn’t so at this place, since the convention hall is massive and the buffet area spared to 17 different stations, human traffic is much more manageable.
goreng gorengan, ulam, jeruk, nasi ayam, sup asam pedas and more
Since the information is available (on every table), let me list down the dishes available
soup, roast lamb, murtabak, desserts and more!
On top of these you still have 5 buffet stations serving all sorts of lauk from daging dendeng to udang goreng kunyit, ulam to bubur, ketupat, lemang, and serunding too. It is impossible to sample everything even if I go there half a dozen times.
To be honest, I didn’t really expect too much from “catered food” but this buffet spread proved me wrong. Except for the slightly lack luster lemang (I love Lemang from Kijal) and ordinary pasta, everything we’ve tasted were actually very good.
now why can’t I pose as well as Haze -__-
My favorite of the night was the lamb, that whole roast lamb was so tender I think I’ve never tasted lamb quite as good as this. It was literally a revelation. Several others on the same table went on for second serving of the same thing too. The tiny desserts we sampled were delicious too!
Buffet is priced at RM 90++ per person and runs till end of Ramadan, not a bad deal at all if you ask me.
Selamat berbuka puasa!
Address:
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GPS: 3.154443,101.712649
Tel: 03-2333-2888
Tucked at the corner on the ground floor of Wisma Central is a little hidden Japanese ramen shop that even many white colar guys around the area is oblivious to. I didn’t realize the existence of Tenka Daiichi Ramen for the first couple years I was working at KLCC myself.
Tenka Daiichi Ramen at Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang
Despite its hidden location, business seems to be pretty brisk whenever I went there. The restaurant is operated by a middle age uncle and the chef looks to be his Japanese wife. This is of course, purely my own interpretation via observation.
Lunch and dinner menu differs, with more choices over lunch and only 5 combination dishes served at night. However, there seems to be a separate menu in Japanese that might offer other choices, or that could be just a sake menu. The clientele at Tenka Daiichi Ramen for dinner consists of almost entirely Japanese expats.
Ramen with char siu
I almost never failed to order their char siu ramen whenever I’m there. A couple pieces of glistering rolled pork shoulder (not roasted like Chinese style though) swimming in the subtle but sweet tasting soup and that soft but firm noodle. You can also order them with a side of gyoza too.
Other items they serve include cold tofu, pork patty, grilled fish, and a few different types of ramen. Expect to spend around RM 10 for lunch and perhaps over RM 20 for dinner here.
Address:
Tenka Daiichi Ramen (behind 7-11)
Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.158728, 101.714473
Ladies and gentlemen, today we’re gonna talk about lunch sets. Reasonably cheap lunch sets at KLCC (but not at one of the food courts) that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
May I present.. Santini!
To be honest, I’ve only started going there less than a year ago despite having been working at KLCC seemingly forever. The only reason being that 1) I thought it was very expensive, and 2) I actually didn’t know where it was located.
fish & chips, grilled chicken, spaghetti bolognese
There’re quite a few choices on the menu that goes for RM 14.90 per set. You get a choice of soft drink and a main course, and if you’re feeling rich (or extra hungry), add RM 3.50 for soup of the day, garden salad, or illy coffee.
Pretty good deal if you ask me.
So far I’ve not been able to not order either the grilled chicken or grilled lamb leg. Both of those dishes were pretty yummy, and comes with a bit of salad topped with balsamic vinegar.
grilled lamb leg, and my colleagues!
I’ve also tried the spaghetti and a bit of the fish & chips, they tasted pretty decent too. Other choices include pizza of the day, pasta, whole meal sandwich, and salad.
Do make sure that you have a pretty flexible lunch hour if you plan to go there though. Like many restaurants in Malaysia, this one suffers in slowness of execution during busy lunch hours. Service too can be a bit lackluster at times.
On the bright side, this is only about as pricey as Little Penang or Madam Kwan for a completely different cuisine. The more choices the better. 
note: Santini is actually own by Tai Thong, which also runs San Francisco steakhouse, among other restaurants.
Address:
Santini at KLCC
Lot No. G45B,
Ground Floor, Suria KLCC
GPS: 3.157581, 101.712102
Tel: 03-2382 0329
If you enjoy queuing up for lunch at KLCC during the 12:30-2pm rush-lunch hour, there are two places you can absolutely count on – Little Penang Cafe and Madam Kwan. Both serves pretty decent local dishes at a clean and comfortable environment, with Little Penang Cafe being the slightly cheaper option.
Little Penang Cafe at KLCC
Having based at KLCC for the better part of my working life, it is no surprise that I have been to Little Penang Cafe on numerous occasions. While the purists might argue that there is no substitute for actual Penang hawker foods, I often am willing to compromise and pay a little bit more to have something not far from the original, and as a bonus, it’s located just right downstairs from where I work.
The menu at this place is quite small, but essentially covers all the bases when it comes to Penang foods. There’s char kueh teow, curry mee, prawn mee, loh bak, nasi lemak, mee goreng, chendol, otak-otak, fish ball soup, and so on.
curry mee and Penang style steamed otak-otak
I almost always order the curry mee and otak-otak whenever I pay a visit. The curry mee is almost as Penang as one can get (sans the coagulated pork’s blood though), with traditional ingredients like prawns, cuttle fish, tau pok (deep fried tofu), cockles, and mint leaves. The coconut milk based soup with unlimited sambal on the side is pretty fragrant too, I actually enjoy it quite a bit.
The otak-otak served at Little Penang Cafe is of the Penang style, steamed, and slightly bigger in portion. I find that the steamed otak-otak here is better than those from Otak-otak Place.
nasi lemak with fish, and chicken; curry mee
My colleagues ordered the nasi lemak, one asked for fish, and the other chicken, or was it a curry fish rice? Anyway, both were happy with their food and they certainly looked pretty appetizing. The sambal with the fish packs a kick too, and the drumstick from nasi lemak was reported to be very flavorful.
KY, Was, and Chew at Little Penang Cafe, KLCC
Main dishes are priced from RM 8.90 onwards, with drinks a few ringgit each, just slightly above the asking price for similar items at the food court. Not a bad place to get my Penang fix.
Oh, I wouldn’t order their loh bak if I were you though.
Address:
Little Penang Cafe
4th Floor, KLCC
50088, Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.157581, 101.712102
