[Rory Lo]

For me, my favourite street food culture is Nasi lemak tepi jalan (which basically mean by the roadside) . Nasi Lemak is a dish popular in Malaysia. “Nasi” means rice while “lemak” means fat or greasy in Malay. It consists of rice which is cooked with coconut milk, dried anchovies and curry meatballs. It is served on the side of crispy roast peanuts, hard-boiled eggs and starchy vegetables such as pumpkin or taro root. Sometimes the curried meatballs are replaced with grilled chicken or fish. The dish is found everywhere in Malaysia. However, most of the nasi lemak found in Malaysia is heavily influenced by Indian spices.

The dish originated in Malaysia, where it is generally available for breakfast or supper. It is also popular in Indonesia and Singapore (where it is called nasi lemak). It can also be found in Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam by different names. It is also found available in restaurants or stalls and food stalls in Indonesia and other countries in the region. In Indonesia, nasi lemak is often fried and served with sambal (chilli sauce).

Originally, a wide variety of spices were used to cook the rice: including curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder and lemongrass. However, today throughout Malaysia and Singapore this combination of spices still remains the most popular way of making nasi lemak. The dish can be accompanied by other dishes or food such as vegetables, anchovies and chicken.

Indian Muslims were known to have brought this style of rice into Malaysia from India. But in Malaysia it is said that Malaccan Muslims like Syed Mashor Jasin popularized this rice all around Malaysia as well as other parts of South-East Asia. This rice is also popular among Malay Islander Muslims of Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia.

If you are in Malaysia and looking for the truly authentic taste of nasi lemak, head to a local food court or by the roadside stalls. You will find stalls selling freshly made nasi lemak dishes with coconut milk that are not overly spiced. Pure, unprocessed and authentic nasi lemak is only found at a few nasi lemak stall vendors.

[Rory Lo]

My boyfriend and I celebrated our six years anniversary at The Atmosphere 360, located in the middle of KL city. The restaurant offers a great dining experience and a beautiful view of the city, especially at night. The Atmosphere 360 is part of the changing landscape of Malaysian restaurants. This restaurant offers a modern take on traditional Asian cuisine. This can be seen by taking a look at the interior design and the types of food served here. The setup was done to ensure that stress was reduced for the patrons of this restaurant.

For diners, Atmosphere 360 also offers an interesting experience to be served while one is relaxed and comfortable. The view is the main attraction for this restaurant. You get to choose which view you want, and you will be charged extra for certain views (for example, facing KLCC tower). You have to make reservations as they don’t accept walk-ins due to a high number of customers.

This unique concept of The Atmosphere 360 brings a variety of firsts in dining. The restaurant has designated areas to host parties, where guests can sit at tables and eat food lovingly prepared by their chefs in a private home-style setting. Apart from the main dining area, there are separate entertainment areas for families and children or simply a place to have fun which has all-new interactive games for children to play with their parents.

The atmosphere has an array of unique features that make the dining experience more memorable. The restaurant was opened to improve the quality of life for its customers. The interior design was created to bring out the best in its diners with certain features and layouts.

The staffs and management are well-trained in order to provide a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for all their diners. There’s also live music and performers playing the piano and live singers as well. Their cocktails and wine are pretty good and they have a wide array of options to choose from. They will serve coffee or tea when it’s dessert time and the staff will give a gentle reminder when your dining time is almost over (you are allocated 2 hours to dine)

Overall, it was a great experience for me and my boyfriend. We didn’t regret it as we love the romantic atmosphere as well as the KLCC view.