Well, if you are nearby, in the area or you have some time to spare – you guys could check out Empire City. Several eateries has popped up since our last visit here 2 years ago. We had a brunch meeting at 1 Utama Shopping Centre and it was concluded by the time lunch hour hit. Since we had about 2 hours to spare and Empire City was less than 10 minutes away, we figured why not drop by to see what is new.

** Just a word of caution. Depending on which side you are coming from, there are lots of developement in the area. Roads that used to enable you to turn left and right are now strickly a straight, one way road. It gets really confusing if you get lost. The easiest way is still via LDP. You are on LDP, passing Bandar Utama, 1 Utama, keeping to your left towards Damansara Perdana but rather than turning left, you head straight into the U turn and at a certain point, keep to your immediate left into Tower H of Empire City. Waze will lead you right to it. Try not to miss a turn, as that is when the headache starts, as you’d get lost and Waze itself gets a lil cranky – not much of a help.

Pinn is located in Tower H. There are several towers here but it is unlikely that you will get lost as the entrance of the parking itself leads you directly into Tower H. PARKING IS FREE. Just look out for the signs. You would see ‘MYEG’, ‘MYKISS’ and eventually ‘Tower H’, once you see that, that is where you park. Then, just look out for the lift where a security guard is sitting by, that would be the right lift to head up. As there are several lifts nearby, it can get a tad confusing. No harm in asking him how to get to Pinn, At least then you’d know you are on the right track.

I like what they did with the place. There were about 4 eateries, located at the lobby and so, it was brightly lit and well spaced out. During lunch hour, expect lots of folks walking about. It did not feel like I was walking around in an office block at all, it felt more like a retail space.

These are the 4 eateries here:

Kyushu was the most popular. I initially wanted to give this a go but it was so crowded and the waiting line was ….well, it was obvious that it was going to take a while. I was hungry and so, I decided to move on and see what the other 3 restaurants has to offer.

Senso, Hot Emperor and Pinn.

I walked over to Pinn because I liked how it looked and as soon as I saw their menu, I decided that lunch was here. They basically offer local favorites and at that point in time, as soon as I saw ‘Nasi Lemak’ on the menu, I had to have it.

Pinn is cosy and welcoming. If you are alone and simply want some time to yourself while enjoying a meal, this eatery is perfect for you. Pinn is also a good place to head to if you need an eatery with a condusive environment to have a meeting/ discussion and even a friendly get-together. Best part is, they have WIFI here, so you can get work done here too.

Lunch Set: Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng and Iced Cincau, 15.90 ringgit + Mee Hoon Siam, 12.90 ringgit + Ice Coffee, 5,50 ringgit

Food tasted good. I enjoyed their Nasi Lemak. The chicken especially was da bomb. There were 3 medium sized chicken pieces which was about 95% boneless. I thought the 3 pieces of meat was generous in portion size, it lasted me throughout the meal. It was tender, juicy and crispy. I loved the fact that the outer layer did not have too much flour in it and I think the batter had spice added to it because it wasn’t just the usual fried chicken, it was a flavorful one. The Anchovy sambal was awesome too. It reminded me of the sambal my mum used to make back when I was younger. It was filled with anchovies and onions, sided towards spicy than sweet. The dish as a whole was yummy.

The Mee Hoon Siam was yummy too. Loved the fact that the Mee Siam here was the dry version. Sometimes it is cooked in the wet style – all slimy and wet. I detest those kind … Uggh. My friend thought it was a tad pricy for what it was – noodles with shredded egg and a few pieces of meat (very few), he thought 12.90 ringgit for that was on the higher side for what it was worth. I did not mind it much. The price was okay for me. Being the type of eatery it was, I suppose there was a certain price point that they needed to maintain. I did not see an issue with the 12.90 ringgit. So, it is a matter of perspective, I suppose. Tastewise, it was yummy. It was flavorful, not too spicy, just right.