Reporting from Oriental City

Einstein? EMC Squared Tower in London...

We headed for Oriental City around 4pm yesterday. It wasn't a good time for a journey on the motorway as it was close to peak hours, people were commuting home from work. The traffic on M3 to London made the highway seemed like a perpetual snail crawl to perdition as our tank was running crucially low. Lucikily we managed to reach service for refuelling and onto A406, route to Wembley Stadium before it was dark. A further half an hour later we found ourselves clueless and lost. At that very momment, suddenly it felt worthwhile to head back home a few minutes after realising that I have forgotten the crucial thick A-Z London map-book (that was as soon as DH started the car engine..actually to have gone back into the house to get it was not really a big hassle. I guess I was too lazy) And it might have been useful to have actually WRITTEN down that suggestive route from Mapblast. Well, I guess our memory have been put to test.

I tell you to be lost driving in London is not what you want. Especially when it is NOT central London and road signs are hopeless, not much help at all especially when the road you are on seems endless. (Central London is not too bad as road signs are about everywhere)


Lion dance lesson. Ironically the instructor was an Indian, students were chinese.

With a few hunches here and there, we finally got to Oriental City in Colindale just before the sun set. It wasn't a big place. It is just like any normal shopping complex you would see in any small town back home. DH likened the standard to a shopping complex in Sg Buloh. Many shops within were already closed and some that were still opened had their merchandise displayed outside their shop alongside the pathway. Well, something like Kompleks Pertama lah, I would say only a bit smaller size-wise. Immediate after the entrance you'd see a small wooden stage, with a few benches for spectators. And I thought so this is where cik siti showcased. takde la gempak mana...

She could have chosen a much better place but I guess there is no better place to sell up her remaining unsold tickets than Oriental City.


The concourse.. looks big but in fact quite small

There were a lot of chinese shops. One was selling herbal remedies, the other selling jades and chinese-style jewelleries and some others are ethnic shops. We were looking for the food court but only found two chinese restaurants on the first floor.


Food court

Later after a brief tour, we were finally seated in the food court. The size is slightly bigger than that in One Utama, with huge selection of oriental stalls. There were Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporean, Japanese and Malaysian. The one Malaysian has an adequate sign "Lemon Grass Malaysian Halal Food" at its front. Many there were chinese, some are Malay students and a few mat and minah sallehs.


A quid each...

We were fascinated by the male Malay cashier who singlehandedly managed the Malaysian stall. Not fascinated by the way he copes but the endless smiles he threw to every customer. Very friendly. During the feast-endevouring, I have pledged to smile at all times, inspired by this cashier.

"Smile all the time, can....but as long as you don't smile and do this!"
said DH with a big grin on his face and as he rolled his eyes towards his nose.

"You'll look demented!"

The food was a bit on a down side and DH claimed to have a bloated tummy as soon as he finishes his seafood Tom Yum. The taste didn't reflect the colourful and variety of samples displayed. So one good lesson is learnt, never judge a dish by its garnishing and variety ingredients! We should have gone for the Malaysian stall instead for the satays were excellent. Or tempura and banteu from the Japanese stall.

Next time, we will have sotong kangkung instead. If there will ever be a next time!


The Durian Fruit Centre...

After the frustrating meal (except for the satays), we went into the supermarket. It was huge. Anything from petis, belacan, to daun kesum, durian, you name it, are all available. They even sell halal meat. What seemed like a brief visit turned out to be a checkout with a basket full of groceries. Well not quite actually, we had a big green guava, a packet of chicken gizzards, keropok singkong (hehehe..the name's funny isn't it?), a packet of frozen kaya pau and a few selection of preserved fruits (asam) in our checkout basket. Not bad huh for an hour trip?


Harrods at night...

Well, I might as well be a food critic and travel journalists..but who cares, this is my blog.

Adieu!