By GERRALD GILLES AHI
KUCHING: Diners will be spoilt for choice at Metrocity Matang with eateries sprouting like mushrooms after the rain in the area with no fewer than 40 now.
The outlets are offering wide varieties of cuisines from fastfood to seafood, Indonesian, Mamak and Malay food.
With the present number of eateries, Metrocity Matang is easily having the biggest concentration of eateries at any one place in the state.
Owner of Boss Laksa, Abun Rulycandra, who has been in operation for two years, said Metrocity Matang is a strategic place to operate a food outlet.
According to Abun, on average, his outlet welcomes between 300 and 1,100 customers dining at his place a night.
He said the area was rapidly growing with the opening of more eateries.
“This place is strategic because apart from the many choices of cuisines, parking is also not a problem. These have attracted many to dine here,” he added.
Proprietor of Nak Cendol Cafe, who wished to be known only as Mizan, said he had been doing business in Metrocity for two years.
He said apart from the many choices of cuisines, most of his customers liked to come to Metrocity Matang for dinner due to the ample parking space.
Metrocity Matang is located in the middle of Batu Kawah, Matang, Telaga Air areas and has good road access to many areas including Samariang.
“I hope Metrocity Matang will one day become a food hub,” he added.
Abdul Hardie Khalid, who owns Kedey Kamek, said there were too many food outlets in Metrocity Matang now.
According to him, Kedey Kamek was the first food outlet to be opened in the area four years ago.
“Then, many of the shoplots were still empty,” he added.
He believed that more people would come to Metrocity Matang if the existing unoccupied shoplots were used as offices by government departments and agencies and the private sector.
For Iskandar Razuki, a younger brother of the owner of Cafe 37, too many eateries opening up would not be good for the existing outlets as the customers would have too many choices.
“In fact, many eateries have also closed shop not only due to management problems but also stiff competition,” he said.
Meanwhile, a customer Nining Istifa Suryani,24, suggested that it would be better if there were outlets selling foreign cuisines such as from Korea, Thailand and Vietnam with Western-style cooking also operating in the area.
“This would give diners even more choices. The survival of the individual outlets will then depend very much on the type of food they offer, the quality of their services, cleanliness of their shops and also competitive pricing,” she added.
