food

Top 5 Picks at The Intermark Food Court

October 26, 2015

The simplicity of the dish and the springiness of the pork balls make this a crowd pleaser. – Pic courtesy of Vivienne Pal, October 26, 2015. Over the years, food courts in Kuala Lumpur have successfully turned the long-held belief that truly delicious, authentic local fare can only be found in dirty street alleys and decades-old kopitiams.

Snazzy, clean and hipster-looking, many of the new food centres popping up in the city centre's malls and office blocks are offering lip-smacking dishes that may cost a little more than the street offerings, but successfully deliver in the taste department.

The food court at The Intermark is one of the places to look out for if you're hungry during lunch hour. It has a full-fledged, well-stocked supermarket (an absolute boon for working mothers!), bakery, and halal and non-halal sections – all within the same floor.

Here are some of our top picks of the best halal and non-halal dishes to indulge in the next time you're there.

1. Sun Huat Kee Signature Pork Ball Noodle

The signature dry pork ball noodles (RM9.90; regular) at the non-halal section is one of our favourites. This simple dish of tender blanched noodles, well-seasoned with a soy sauce mix and topped with minced pork and pork sausage that slices easily puts a smile on our faces.

We would have preferred a more generous topping of pork sausages and minced pork, but that is easily arranged at an additional price of RM0.80 and RM1.80, respectively. The stall also offers daily specials and a selection of hot and cold beverages – nothing fancy, just the usual suspects.

The simplicity of the dish and the springiness of the pork balls make this a crowd pleaser. – Pic courtesy of Vivienne Pal, October 26, 2015. 2. Lam’s Kitchen Spicy Chilli & Crispy Pork Fried Rice

Lam’s Kitchen is your typical Chinese roast meats and “dai chao” (fried dishes) stall. This outlet serves such a wide selection of dishes and meats that there is often a long queue. One of our favourites, and also one of the stall’s most popular, is the spicy chilli and crispy pork fried rice (RM10.80).

The spicy chilli & crispy pork fried rice is one of the most popular dishes at Lam’s Kitchen. – Pic courtesy of Vivienne Pal, October 26, 2015. Fluffy, grainy rice perfectly coated in chilli oil and eggs, and cooked with generous servings of “siew yoke” were the makings of great fried rice. Note: this might be too oily for some, but that’s the way we like it.

3. Menya Musashi Saba Fish Bento 

Menya Musashi is known for its hearty ramen dishes, but at the Intermark food court, this Japanese chain also offers a sizeable selection of bento box meals. This is wholesome Japanese fast food at its best: just pick your meal, pay and hand it over to the attendant for a quick reheat in the microwave!

For a pre-packed meal, we like that the food is fresh and the serving, generous. Our top pick is the saba fish bento: for RM15.80, it packs a generous slab of grilled mackerel over a bed of Japanese rice with a side of pickles, salads, fried chicken, a gyoza and miso soup.

4. Baba Can Cook Nyonya Laksa

Peranakan cuisine is quite uncommon in food courts, which explains why Baba Can Cook is a perrenial favourite here. The restaurant offers a selection of set and a la carte meals. We loved the nyonya laksa (RM11.80) which is served only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This dish is a powerhouse of noodles served with a thick and rich curried broth and plenty of garnishing, including fish cakes, chicken slices, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, bean curd sheets, tau pok and the proverbial sambal belacan for a little bit of kick.

Be warned: this dish can cause drowsiness from the burst of flavours and textures! We also recommend the Peranakan Ale (RM9.00), a homemade fizzy ginger brew.

The ayam berempah is flavoured with fresh spices such as red chillies, torch ginger flower, lemongrass and thinly slices calamansi leaves. – Pic courtesy of Vivienne Pal, October 26, 2015. 5. Baba Can Cook Ayam Berempah

We know we've already mentioned Baba Can Cook, but we were absolutely convinced their  Ayam Berempah (RM11.80) had to be also be included in this list.

The chicken thigh is cooked in a curry redolent with the flavours of fresh rempah such as red chillies, torch ginger flower and lemongrass, and a sprinkling of thinly sliced calamansi leaf. This is served with steamed rice, a side of stir-fried vegetables and a small omelette quarter. Absolutely satisfying!

Overall, The Intermark food court has a decent selection of food from salads, to economy rice, and Indian-Muslim, Korean and Japanese food. It gets quite packed during the lunch hour on weekdays, but there is just about enough seats to go round. – October 26, 2015.

Intermark Food Court | Add: Lower Concourse, Intermark Mall, The Intermark, 348 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur | Opening hours: 10.00am – 9.00pm daily | GPS coordinates: 3.16154, 101.71996 | Halal and Non-Halal (separate sections)