A myriad of choices

THE rapidly expanding SkyAvenue Mall at Resorts World Genting has been impressing visitors with its wide range of shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Foodies especially are spoilt for choice with the mall’s numerous restaurants, cafes and food courts.
One of the latest places to open is the mall’s very own Medan Selera food court, located on Level G.
Tucked away from the bulk of the foot traffic on the concourse floor, the food court is something like a hidden gem for visitors who want to take a break from the crowd to indulge in some delicious – and mainly local – dishes.
There truly is something for everyone at the food court, with stalls separated by food categories.
There is also an open chilled area where one can select drinks, salads and desserts, including fruits and jellies.
For those who just want to ‘grab and go’, a section offers local kuih-miuh, curry puffs, samosas, and other tasty treats.
The food court is managed by sous chef Hapizi Hussain, a veteran in the F&B industry with 25 years of experience.
Hapizi has been running Medan Selera ever since its soft opening in February, ensuring that the food is always served fresh, while maintaining its authentic flavours.
“Medan Selera is a place where you can get the best selections of local and international dishes,” Hapizi says. “As for our stalls, we have Rice and Spice, where you can get Malay and Indian rice dishes, and Laksa, which serves different types of local laksa dishes.
“We also have Noodle, which serves mainly Chinese noodle dishes, while the Western stall actually serves mostly Arab dishes.
“And then we have Crispy Chips, where you can get fish and chips, fried chicken, and some light snacks.”
Hapizi adds that the Medan Selera is pork-free, which allows it to cater to a wider range of visitors.
Most of the dishes there range in price from RM15 to RM21, which is actually quite affordable, considering the portion sizes served.
Visitors can also enjoy breakfast sets, which consist of one meal and a drink, for just RM12.
When it was time to order, we truly had a hard time choosing what to eat.
At the Rice and Spice stall, you could basically build your own meal based around the choices of rice, nasi lemak, nasi briyani, nasi kerabu and nasi dagang, before choosing the meat or seafood dish to accompany it.
I had nasi briyani with tandoori chicken, which was excellently prepared and flavourful, as well as a sizeable portion.
There are also set dishes for those who know what they want. The nasi kerabu set was also delicious and very filling, with the fish fried just right.
We also tried out the Singapore fried beehoon from the Noodle stall, although we could just as easily have ordered the char kway teow, mi Bandung, or mi rojak dishes.
From the Laksa stall, we decided upon laksa Johor, which tasted delightful, and really warmed us up with its rich, thick broth.
We also tried out the chicken shawarma from the Western stall, and the well-battered fish and chips from the Crispy Chips stall.
To sweeten things up, we tried out several of the local desserts available there, which came in chilled plastic cups. My personal favourite was the sago gula Melaka.
The food court can seat around 270 people, although there are plans to expand the seating capacity and add new stalls once the Twentieth Century Fox theme park, which will be located on the same level as the food court, opens later this year.
Medan Selera’s operating hours are from 8am to 10pm. For more, visit the Resort World Genting website.