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     Have you
ever wonder is there any food outlet
in Malaysia that can be categorized as “Cepat, Sedap dan Murah”? It’s a rare combination of
3 positive ingredients especially the place that I’m about to mention is a
Malay restaurant. I believe you guys surely have at least a name in your mind
about a place that can be categorized as cepat, sedap dan murah. I’ve been to a
lot of food outlet, be in expensive, cheap, or fine dining, thanks to my other half who is a keen food critic,
but nothing came down as close as the Village View Restaurant in Bandar Baru
Bangi.

     Firstly, I
don’t get paid for writing this blog, but in the spirit of justice, we have to
be prepared to give credit where it’s due likewise we condemn things that are
negative. Secondly, before I elaborate more about the food and stuff, let me
tell you the easiest way to get there, in case you got your hands itching to
come down here to have a taste of ikan
pari bakar berempah! (did I raised some eyebrows here?). Take the KL –
Seremban highway from Sg Besi toll, exit at Kajang exit which is the second
exit after the Serdang/UPM exit. The toll fare is RM1.80. After the Kajang
toll, look for the Bandar Baru Bangi signboard, which will lead you to the left
road (right is a flyover to Putrajaya), and there is a traffic light just ahead. Go straight after the
traffic light and you’ll see Shell, Esso and Petronas petrol station
respectively. Just after the Petronas
station, there’s a left junction, turn left. Drive a little bit of downhill,
than the place is on your right. Easy.

     The setting
of the place is nice for anybody and any occasion, be it family gathering,
romantic candle-light type dinner or office function. The space is ample and
clean, you’ll have no complain about it. There are 1 big fish pond welcomes you
at the entrance with scores of hungry Koi fish. You’ll head straight to the
cashier counter in the middle, and the tables are arranged in lines throughout
the place. The concept for the place is of course traditional Malay village
style, with dark wooden table and chairs. The roof is high as to free up the
smoke and better ventilation. The floor is cement render and the kitchen were
place at a roofed open area at the right top of the place looking from the
entrance. This makes it accessible for patrons to have a look at how the
cooking are being made and wonder why your dishes can be served below 10 minutes at best, or 15 minutes
at worst. It is very rare that your
food is served after the 20 minutes mark. That is fast (cepat) considering how
big the place is and how many customers are there at peak hours.

     But how
about the food quality? Is there any passion
in the cooking? You might ask. Hey, Penang char koay
teow are mode within 20 seconds, but it is still one of the best char koay teow
in the country if not the best. There
a wide range of Malay food, Thai food and a little bit of western. I’ve never
tried their ‘Siakap 3 rasa’ before, but try to order ‘ikan pari bakar berempah’
which is our all-time favourite. Priced at only RM12, it is well cooked and the
sauce is great too. Btw, I heard the 3-rasa range is great. The range of
tomyam; seafood, daging, ayam, campur is nice and quite hot, just nice I should
say. For those who like to spice up their ass a little bit more can always
request for extra hot. I recommend tomyam campur
as it combines all of the above in 1 bowl. For starters or snacks, you can try
the ayam pandan or chicken boxing,
which is priced at around RM4.5-5 p/plate of 6. The others are normal a-la
carte dishes, but don’t get me wrong, it does taste good, better than any other
places we’ve been through the years. I can say that every dish is unique in
taste and the ingredients are very well measured every time. The quantity in each serving is adequate for two
persons. The cooks never had a bad day in office I should say. Some people say
the food there are normal, but for me, considering the speed of their cooking,
it does taste better than most tomyam shops we’ve visited. Take a sip of the kailan ikan masin sauce and you’ll know
what kind of detail I’m talking about.

There are a wide variety of drinks
available, from normal drinks such as the
tarik, Nescafe tarik or orange juice, but my favouite is surely hot
Cappuccino. Priced at only RM2, you rarely get to drink cappuccino at tomyam restaurants.
Specialty drinks is called Combo or Combo Blended, a bigger cup for a mere
RM4-5. It is enough for you to get through the meal. For first timers, I
suggest you order the following;

  1. Nasi
         putih x2
  2. Tomyam
         campur x1
  3. Ikan
         pari baker berempah x1
  4. Kalian
         ikan masin x1
  5. Ayam
         pandan x1
  6. Combo
         drinks x2 (big glass)

 The above selection will probably cost you less than RM35
for two. Not a bad price to fork out for a ‘Cepat, Sedap & Murah’
restaurant, plus the relaxing environment, and friendly waiters. There are
hundreds of tomyam outlets in Bangi alone, but people keep coming back to this
place. Do you think they keep coming back just for the ‘normal’ food they offer?
In fact, there are 3 other restaurants in the 500 meters radius alone, but this
place draws the biggest crowd every dinner time. For all the combination
mentioned above, it’s worth the money, only at Village View Bandar Baru Bangi.

 

CEPAT, SEDAP & MURAH