This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 15, 2020 - June 21, 2020
Lee Mei Chun, a mother of three, regularly goes to Jalan Anggerik Vanilla W 31/W in Kota Kemuning, Selangor. She has always called it “the Hero Market street” and does not not know its official name.
“I like to go there because I can get all my grocery shopping done in one place. Although it is a small inner street, it is quite convenient. What’s more, I can also easily find food to take away for my family,” she says.
Every Saturday, Lee goes to Hero Market to buy fresh vegetables, fruit and other essential items. Then, she heads to Shiang Kee Fresh Meat Specialty or YSK Freshmart across the road from Hero Market.
“YSK Freshmart sells pork and some frozen seafood. Shiang Kee not only sells pork but also frozen and dry food items like noodles and frozen vegetarian food. I normally go to Shiang Kee,” says Lee.
After that, she buys breakfast and lunch for her family, usually from Restaurant NTS, Restaurant BBQ Soon Hing or Restaurant Kar Heong.
Restaurant NTS is a hawker centre that offers a wide variety of dishes, making it convenient for Lee to buy food to take home for her children.
“They have their favourites there. The downside is that not all the stalls are open in the daytime. The hawker centre has a greater selection at night. I usually go for the char kuey teow, mee rebus and western food there,” she says.
At Restaurant BBQ Soon Hing, Lee usually buys the barbecued pork wantan mee and roasted pork and chicken rice.
“Soon Hing is known for its roasted food items. It has a lot of customers and is always full. So, I do not dine in often and prefer takeaway,” she adds.
Restaurant Kar Heong’s menu comprises roasted meats as well as steamed chicken and noodles. Lee likes the steamed chicken and raves about the chilli sauce.
Other businesses long the road include a pharmacy, physiotherapy centre, florist, pet grooming shop and F&B outlets.
“My only grievance is the traffic. It is a one-way street and sometimes, some drivers go against the traffic, which is quite dangerous. Also, there are those who double park and turn the two-lane street into one lane. It clogs up traffic and inconveniences others,” says Lee.
According to Hartamas Real Estate Group founder and group managing director Eric Lim, an intermediate unit along the street was transacted at RM1.7 million recently. The rental for a ground-floor unit ranges from RM4,500 to RM5,500 per month.
“As Kota Kemuning continues to grow, this street will continue to reap the benefits of the growth and spillover from other commercial streets. There are plenty of amenities along the street such as Hero Market,” he says.
“The banks and offices surrounding the street play a complementary role. All these factors create a synergistic effect that will help the street stay vibrant and convenient.”
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