Indian expat POOJA GUPTA lives in a Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood called Mont Kiara. “I’m a stay-at-home mum and a full-time designated driver for my beautiful kids, Prateik, 12, and Ishanvi, 9,” she says. We find out why Pooja likes this part of KL, including her favourite restaurants, places to shop and details of her condo in KL and other neighbourhood highlights.
# An overview of your Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood
What’s the name of your street?
Changkat Duta Kiara.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your KL neighbourhood?
The most common misconception about Mont Kiara is that it’s a very expensive neighbourhood to live in. It does exude an upscale cosmopolitan vibe, but personally I feel it’s ideal for families with children who value convenience and an international environment with access to a range of services and amenities.
Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?
“Seni, Mont Kiara.”
How long have you lived here? Why here?
It’s been 10 years now in KL and we have loved every bit of living in Mont Kiara. There are so many positives about this neighbourhood but what we love the most is the multicultural environment and diversity that makes it so vibrant.
Mont Kiara is beautiful, green and constantly buzzing with activity. The best part of living in this neighbourhood is that everything is within walking distance and so accessible. Whether it’s shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, activities for kids, a movie theatre, hiking trails, international schools – you name it, Mont Kiara has it.
In one word, Mont Kiara is self-sufficient. We absolutely love it here!
# Out and about in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see?
The beautiful view of our pool. It’s just so calming, and it makes me feel instantly relaxed!
What’s the closest store to your front door?
Apart from having our very own mini mart exclusively for the residents of our condo, we have three shopping malls – 1 Mont Kiara, 163 Retail Park and Publika – which are all about a 5- or 10-minute drive or a short walk from where we live.
All the malls have a variety of retail stores, supermarkets and restaurants. My favourite would definitely be Publika. It has a wide range of lovely boutique shops and art galleries, you’re also completely spoiled for choice when it comes to dining.
The weekend street markets with local vendors adds to the creative vibe. As a family, we love to walk around and take in the vibrant atmosphere.
If your street was chosen for a remake of a film, which would it be?
Crazy Rich Asians!
We’re sure your neighbours are great, but is there anything you wouldn’t mind a little less of?
Our condo is a large one, and majority of the neighbours are extremely friendly and nice but when there are so many residents there is bound to be some friction. I just wish some of them would stop complaining about the smallest of issues and turning them into big ones. It does happen at times but thankfully not very often.
What’s the unofficial uniform of your street?
Shorts and t-shirt.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street?
I haven’t seen strange things on my street but what I found strange as well as cute was when we first moved to KL was seeing dogs – regardless of size – being taken out of the condo for a walk in a pram. I have lived in three other countries before moving to Malaysia, but never have I ever seen a dog in a pram. It was and still is adorable.
# The best things about living in Mont Kiara
What are your three favourite places to eat or drink in your KL neighbourhood?
- Drop Indian Restauranrt. This is literally a 5-minute walk from where we live, and it’s reasonably priced with very authentic food. It’s located on a street that comes to life after 9pm and the party goes on till the wee hours of the night.
- Paradise Dynasty. Located at 163 Retail Park (again, a 5-minute drive from home), this spot serves fantastic Chinese food and the steaming hot xialongbao are mouth-watering. 163 is a very child-friendly shopping mall and always buzzing with activity.
- Marta’s Kitchen. This lovely Spanish restaurant is a bit further away – and when I say further away, I mean around a 7-to-10-minutes drive! The restaurant has a “live” kitchen and a lovely atmosphere. Apart from good Spanish food and tapas, they serve some excellent wine. The Sangria is a must-try!
What are the best places to shop?
Publika mall has everything that you need, from clothes and jewellery, to supermarkets, home essentials and electronics.
What are some fun or interesting things to do in the neighbourhood?
The Thursday market at Plaza Mont Kiara is a very popular weekly event for both locals and expats living here. You can find everything from organic fruit and vegetables to home-baked goodies. If you love exploring street markets that have a beautiful blend of international and local flavours, don’t miss the Thursday Market.
Other things to do include taking morning walks on the nearby trails, and heading to 163 Retail Park Mall for the ice skating rink and movie theatre.
What’s one thing you’d never change?
The greenery of Mont Kiara.
How about one thing you would change?
The amount of construction taking place in and around Mont Kiara, and the traffic during the peak hours.
If the city gives you a million dollars to soup up your Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood, how would you use it?
If I had a million dollars, I would use it to make more parks around Mont Kiara. I think that’s the one thing the neighbourhood is missing – more open space.
# Exploring other parts of Kuala Lumpur
What are your favourite KL spots for taking out-of-town guests?
- Mantra rooftop bar in Bangsar
- Petaling Street (Chinatown)
- The Twin Towers
- Thean Hou Temple – a beautiful temple on a hill with panoramic city views; it has colourful lanterns, intricate architecture and beautiful gardens.
- Perdana Botanical Gardens
- Concubine bar in Chinatown
- Trigona Bar at The Four Seasons Hotel
- Batu Caves
- The Troika Sky Dining
When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go?
KL has a lot of culture in and around but if I do feel the need for a dose, then it probably would be either Little India (Brickfields), Petaling Street (Chinatown) or the Batu Caves.
If you’re missing home, what do you do?
What I miss the most about home is some good authentic South Indian food. Yes, I’m a foodie! So I would probably go to a restaurant in Brickfields called MTR and have dosas or a good South Indian vegetarian meal. My husband Puneet and my kids love the food they serve, so it’s a win for all of us. They get to eat some good food and I get a taste of home.
# Your condo in KL: A fact file
- Name of Condo in KL: Seni Mont Kiara
- Facilities: State-of-the-art gymnasium equipped with the latest cardio machines, free weights and a breathtaking view of the pool; two Olympic-sized pools surrounded by lush greens, cabanas and lounge chairs to relax (kids have their very own wading pool to enjoy); beautifully landscaped garden with a walking path and a lovely and peaceful atmosphere for adults and kids to enjoy; playground for kids; barbecue area; spacious functions rooms for birthday parties and other event; tennis, squash and badminton courts; 24-hour security; and in-house restaurants including Midnight Baker for breakfasts, and multicuisine restaurant Lafayette Signature.
- Size: Seni is a freehold condominium with a total of 4 blocks and 605 units of different sizes including penthouses with private pools.
- New or old? The condo is around 10 years old.
- Walking distance to supermarket? Yes.
- Community vibe: What we love most about Seni is that it embraces a variety of residents from different countries, backgrounds and cultures. The community is very active, with families interacting regularly and organising various cultural and social events. Seni also gives a resort-like vibe with lush green trees surrounding the swimming pools, cabanas and lounge chairs for residents to relax, chill and just be with nature.
If you also love your condo in Kuala Lumpur and the area would like to share the best of it with others, just email us at contribute@expatliving.net with “Street Talk” in the subject line. Include your name and street, and we’ll be in touch.
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