Breathing the Revolutionary Air @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas
November 3, 2011 | 38,425 views
“Come find me at Publika in Solaris Dutamas okay?”
And I was like … Huh? What Publika? A new business centre (again)? Another towering block of offices? Or another Empire wanna-be? (sans the horrific blast that left me Empire-less for more than a month now!)

A quick search around the web got me linked to a few reviews on Eat Food Village and B.I.G (Ben’s Independent Grocer), both anchor tenants of the relatively new shopping mall in Solaris Dutamas.
Exuding a youthful vibe and unorthodox flair perfect for yuppies, hippies and foodies. You can even imagine them organizing arts festivals, cultural events and the likes in this premise without people raising an eyebrow.
Read on to find out more about Publika; a playground for the creative minds ….

Chatime is the culprit in spreading this undying cravings for Taiwanese-style freshly brewed/roasted milk tea with bites of bouncy (QQ) pearls. They’re EVERYWHERE. (It was Halloween when we were there, hence the cobwebs and gory setting)

EAT FOOD VILLAGE – A quick glance will lead you to thinking that … wait, is this another Hutong @ Lot 10? (Here’s a post on Yeoh’s Bak Kut Teh @ Klang)
You must be wondering why have I never written a piece on Hutong, in spite of this passion for writing about street food.
The fact is, I have been there for a couple of times. Yes, the selection of famous hawker fares from all around the Klang Valley (plus a few modern/clashing elements like Kissaten, etc) seems to be magical on paper, yet the claustrophobic ambience with dodgy nooks and corners (coupled with an unmistakably bad ventilation system) did not leave a fine impression on me.
Okay, maybe they were trying to replicate the exact environment of a glutton street (‘wai sek kai’), but Hutong could do with more space and better lighting. Just personal observations.


BM Yam Rice; Bukit Mertajam in Penang is a place famous for the duck egg char kuey teow, and yam rice. This stall at Eat Food Village serves the classic yam rice without much frills, yet satisfying enough with various options of braised meats. I chose the braised pork set (RM9.90/USD3.20) that came with a side of braised egg and beancurd, a peppery soup lightly garnished with some coriander and of course, a luscious bowl of pork cuts braised in a dark, starchy gravy that brought to mind a very homely, comfort dish.
Hence, can’t blame me for having second thoughts about Eat Food Village @ Publika. Same concept, different execution. And thankfully, the food court was tastefully done; elements of old Shanghai and a bright dining area with comfortable spaces between the tables.

Of course, how could I have missed the chance to sample the famed Kin Kin Pan Mee. After all, they started this chili pan mee craze years ago back when they had only one outlet on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. And there’s the endless rants on the amazing chili pan mee they serve, balanced with equally nasty posts about the quality of their service.
Personally, I have not visited the original outlet. But the second branch at Pandan Indah got me so disappointed. And that was my first chili pan mee experience. To the extent that I was doubting the positive feedback from various sources.
Of course, a stream of me-too’s ensued; the most prominent being Super Kitchen that I actually enjoy though there were times when the Chow Yang branch failed me. Yet, I found myself going for more “tormenting” sessions.
This one at Publika? Still failed me. Though relatively better than the branch at Pandan Indah. The poached egg was okay, yet a little too cooked rendering the experience more of a lumpy, sticky affair rather than a moist, lubricated one. (Wait, I couldn’t have sounded more obscene.). The plate of chili flakes (THE measuring stick for good chili pan mee) was about 2-3 teaspoons-full. Probably not enough for daredevils/masochists seeking for a scorching experience, but the portion was just right for me.
There was this Sentul Hokkien Mee stall that was doing brisk business and received accolades from my friend who works at Publika. The Lorong Seratus Tahun curry mee and Loke Yun Ampang chicken rice stalls were receiving cold shoulders, surprisingly. The wantan mee stall (sorry forgot the name) was comparatively successful too; the noodles retaining the much-desired crunch and tossed in a savoury sauce.


And of course, what better way to douse the fire (or maybe, lack thereof) from the chili pan mee than a refreshing cup of Chatime‘s signature? The QQ Milk Tea had coconut jelly (nata de coco) and the omnipresent pearls (tapioca balls). At RM4.90 per cup, fire extinguishers don’t come cheaper than this.



Still seeking for more caffeine intoxication, we ventured over to Our Daily Bread next to I Love Yoo! on the same floor as Eat Food Village, but outside of the food court.
They serve Illy coffee, with a myriad of freshly-baked pastries and cakes. A corner tucked hidden away from general view, we walked past this a few times yet Our Daily Bread did not catch our attention.
The Belgian chocolate lifted the unassuming piece of pastry to a different level, while the cupcake was a far cry from being the best that I have tasted. Since the proprietors are Malaccans, you should probably give their homemade kaya a try (not extra smooth and artificial, but with a coarse texture yet redolent with flavours … so they claimed).
Oh, and they make Whoopie Pies on certain days. So it’s best to call up and reserve this rarely found specialty.
Our Daily Bread @ UG1 – 55 (Tel No : +6017-883 4438)

Ben’s Independent Grocer stocks up on various fresh produce (even hydroponic plants ready for harvesting!), and imported goods. There’s a cafe/bistro that attracts a steady stream of patrons … so overwhelming that you have to line up to grab a seat!

PUBLIKA @ SOLARIS DUTAMAS
More information from their website including the Location Map, other retail outlets, promotions, the concept etc.

thx for info sharing~
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feel like outdated if i don’t come here hor…hehe lol
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Haha …. no lah.. the place is too new. They open until about 8-9 pm only since in the evening.
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That shot of the saw-sculpture artwork is fantastically captured!
Wat camera/lens are u using, may I ask?
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 4th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Hi Felix. I use Nikon D7000, and a Tamron 17-50mm/f2.8.
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I forsee publika to be the next in place. Except that they need to buck up on their parking spaces. ALOT of people are very confused with it. luckily i work in SD itself, it’s easy for me. 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 4th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Yeah …. kind of misleading even when inside the parking lot. Because you dunno which end’s which.
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I just been there last week,
I like the surrounding there,
I love the Wantan Mee too!
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 5th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Yeah…seems that many people I know like that wantan mee too ….
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now a days there is similar concept about a mall with Full of foodies! 🙂
Thanks for the great info 🙂 cheerS!
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
You’re most welcomed. Yeah …… good to see that people are looking fwd to visiting food courts out of cravings, instead of convenience.
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You sure can eat a lot!! =.=”
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Haha …. nolah, I had the yam rice only. The others were friends’ orders. Chatime was of course …. MINE.
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didn’t know you were an empire fan! hehe. but yeah, publika is looking promising. Wish the parking wasn’t such a maze though!
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[…] my previous Eat Food Village + Chatime review, and another piece on Ben’s @ […]
Check this out : http://www.mysales.com.my/hot-market-square-publika-every-tuesday-6706
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Darn, you took one of the best photographs among all the food and travel blogs I’ve seen. And I find it late to only come across your blog now. Keep up the good work! Bookmarked your site. 🙂 Oh, and mind sharing what type of lens are you using? Heh.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 3rd, 2012 at 1:01 am
Hi Christie! Sorry a bit late in replying messages lately.
I am using a Nikon D7000 with a Tamron 18-50mm/f2.8. Only these, as I traded off the kit lens for the Tamron one.
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I dont know when was the last time you guys went to publika, but my god, the ffood in the food court sucks like hell….. would i go there again? NOT. even the wan tan noodle lady was rude to the customer.. (not to me but the others) and we had to wait for such a long time for a plate of over salty noodles?
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Really? Oh dear. The last time we went was way back then, before cafes like Red Beanbag, S.wine, etc ever started.
How about the BM yam rice?
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HAI…I JUST LIKE TO GIVE A GENERAL COMMENT…AS I SEEN IN OUR COUNTRY,MSIA. THE CUSTOMER SERVICES IS LOW RATED ..OVERALL, SHAME WHEN I BEEN ABROAD ,NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF SHOPS ,THEIR SERVICES FROM GOOD IN AVRAGE BUT TOP CLASS IN MOST SHOPPING MALL OUT THERE, DOSENT MATTER U HADE TO SERVED GENERAL PUBLIC,EXECUTIVE OR TOP ONE BUT THE SERVICE AND POLITENESS,WITH SMILES THAT IMPORTANT…YET IS SHAME BECAUSE WE KEEP SAYING TO THE VISITOR OUR SOCIETY IS FRIENDLY N POLITE…WHY ONLY TO A FORIGNER…??????
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[…] the “Revolutionary” Mall in my books, Publika has this air around it that draws the weekend crowd over for a carefree […]