Food courts are usually viewed as functional and never renowned for their exquisite cuisine. They serve as a quick remedy for hunger. But Food Republic, Pavilion KL, is attempting to change this commonly held perception.
Boasting a wide variety of gastronomic fares, ranging from Thai, Hong Kong, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Korean, Indian, Japanese, Italian and Malaysian, this place will have you hard-pressed trying to decide which of its 23 stalls and four mini restaurants to dine in. Don’t be fooled by its stylish décor, as you can get a decent meal for an average price of RM10, and even as low as RM2! As for the food – and herein lies the difference between Food Republic and other food courts – is pretty good.
If you’re in the mood for some roasted meat, Hong Kong Roast (thus called because stall owner Ron Tong’s father went to Hong Kong to learn more about the art of roasting) offers a choice of Crispy Roasted Duck and Chicken, served either with rice or noodles. The meat is roasted to tender and juicy perfection. They also prepare it braised and BBQ style. In addition, you can also order Dumpling Noodle and Fried Wantan/Dumpling.
It wouldn’t be a food court if it didn’t serve Malaysia’s traditional favourite, nasi lemak, would it? At Mak Tom’s Nasi Lemak, you can fill yourself up with a pretty decent serving of this local fragrant concoction. It comes with your standard condiments - hard-boiled egg, nuts, ikan bilis, keropok – and for a more sumptuous meal, you can choose from a variety of side dishes including sambal sotong, chicken rendang, beef rendang, kerang and ayam masak merah.
Those looking for light snacks to munch on should check out You Tiao. Thanks to owners Jeffrey Leong and Gian Li, this Chinese delight is available every hour of the day and at a high-end mall at that, instead of by the roadside. Good enough to be eaten on its own, you can also opt to eat it with soya or porridge, the way the Chinese have traditionally taken theirs. Other Chinese favourites available include tau foo far, butterfly fritters, fried yam and sweet potato balls, fried bun and sesame ball with lotus.
For something cool and thirst-quenching, take your pick from mix fruit, ABC, cheng ping, tao suan, red bean, pulut hitam, barley with beancurd, gingko nut and cendol at Desserts.
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