MIGF 2015---ALIYAA IN PLAZA DAMANSARA, KUALA LUMPUR IS THE BEST SRI LANKAN RESTAURANT IN MALAYSIA!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

DATO STEVE DAY, FOUNDER OF MIGF AND VIJAY SETHU, CO-OWNER OF ALIYAA

ALIYAA ISLAND RESTAURANT AND BAR
48 PLAZA DAMANSARA, JALAN MEDAN SETIA 2,
BUKIT DAMANSARA, 50490 KUALA LUMPUR
03- 2092 5278

aliyaa.com

RM 198++ WITH WINE FOR 5 COURSES, RM 148++ WITHOUT WINE

CHEF SAPNA ANAND PRESIDES OVER THIS SPECIAL MIGF MENU

'Aliyaa' means 'elephant' in Sinhalese the language of Sri Lanka and I happen to know several slim girls named Alia! Now I can call them Elephant without fear of being beaten to a pulp!

Owner Vijay Sethu from Singapore and local owner Abethan Kanthasamy are Sri Lankans and could not find proper Ceylonese food in KL which is not to be confused with Indian cuisine, so they started their own restaurant.

And lucky for us, they did as Aliyaa is now 5 years old and going strong. Aliyaa has quite a following and is always packed since the price is quite delightful too since times are bad and the rent must be paid.

Why Aliyaa has 'Island' added to it is beyond me but Ceylon or Golden Chersonese is an island so this must be it. Don't expect the restaurant to be accessible only by boat and located in the middle of a lake! 

Aliyaa is famous for its Sri Lankan Crab Curry which must be eaten with gusto using hands. Theirs is different from the Chinese style crab so try this.

I love Aliyaa's appetiser of roasted cashew nuts and muruku served on a platter. I ate an entire platter and only stopped when the distressed waiter Gull and his team implored me to leave space for the MIGf Menu which they had put their heart and soul into. So I reluctantly pushed aside the second platter.

I must say the service is astonishingly good. I asked a waiter named Gull from Lahore, Pakistan where to buy batteries. 

99.99% of other waiters would simply mention the name of the store and point the direction. Instead, Gull said, "How many batteries do you want? I will go and buy for you, sir." I almost fainted straightaway from amazement and I am not easily impressed.

In the end, I asked him to bring me and we went to 7-11 to get my batteries. Aliyaa's staff provide service on par and better than some 5-star restaurants.

But we did not come to buy batteries and luckily Aliyaa lives up to its reputation as a foodie haven! Their string hoppers is a must and these are not to be confused with grass hoppers ok?

The photos and paintings hanging on walls are for sale! So if you fancy one, just check out the price. Owner Abethan Kanthasamy is also a renowned photographer like Dato Kee Hua Chee and his limited edition, big format photos of Cuba sell for RM 5,000 to RM 7,500 each.

The photos of Indian dancers in Siem Reap by another pixman go for RM 1,000 yo RM 1,200. 

No Sri Lankan dinner is complete without their famous appam which are cooked before your eyes and served piping and deliciously hot and sweet!

Drop by soon. 

aliyaa.com

ANDRE GENTZSCH OF IMPIANA HOTEL KLCC, VIVIAN CHONG OF MIHR COMSULTING AND ALIYAA'S CO-OWNER VIJAY SETHU WHO ALSO OWNS 4 FINGERS CRISPY CHICKEN IN SINGAPORE WHICH ARE 4 FINGERS LICKIN' GOOD

DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND HIS RARE, WHITE CROCODILE BAG JOINS THEM

I LOVE BIG COCKS AND THIS TERROR-WERROR RED COCK IS AS BIG AS IT GETS

OUR TABLES UPSTAIRS

THESE ARE TO DIE FOR---BEST CASHEWNUTS AND MURUKU ON EARTH

DATO RICHARD TEO OF A CUT ABOVE, MARCUS TEO AND MUDZHAR SYED ALI OF JAGUAR LAND ROVER

FUN OR WHAT

THESE PHOTOS OF DECREPIT, 1950S AMERICAN CARS TAKEN IN HAVANA, CUBA BY ABETHAN KANTHASAMY SELL FOR RM 5,000 TO RM 7,500 EACH

MY FAVORITE BIG COCK

THESE SELL FOR RM 1,200 UP

PITT LEE AND DAVID TEH THE FAMOUS ARCHITECT

DELICIOUS PASSAROUNDS

DATO JEFFREY LIM AND DATIN SU DAY

SIMON CHIN JOINS

DATO STEVE DAY THE FOUNDER OF MIGF AND VIJAY SETHU

CANNOT BELIEVE VIJAY IS TALLER THAN THE MAT SALLEH

ENTIRE RARE ALBINO CROCODILE FOLDED AND TURNED INTO A BACKPACK

VERY DE NICE

DATO RICHARD TEO AND PITT LEE ADMIRE TEH CROC BAG REPLETE WITH ALL 4 LEGS

RAJA SINGHAM AND MEERA MAHENDRA NATHAN

VIJAY SETHU, DATO STEVE DAY AND RAJA SINGHAM OF BRICKFIELDS ASIA COLLEGE

MEERA MAHENDRA NATHAN TEACHES LAW AT ASIA BRICKFIELDS COLLEGE WHICH SHE AND HUSBAND OWN

DAVID TEH AND NISHDEV SINGH SIDHU SARJIT SINGH

JOANNE AND DR GABRIEL PETER SAIGO OF LUMINOUS MEDICAL CENTRE

DATO STEVE DAY OF MIGF, DAVID TEH OF PAKATAN REKA ARKITEK AND NISHDEV SINGH SIDHU SARJIT SINGH OF JAGUAR LAND ROVER

ANDRE GENTZSCH OF IMPIANA HOTELS AND RESORTS AND DR GABRIEL PETER SAIGO 

GROUP PIX

DATO STEVE DAY INTRODUCES HOST VIJAY SETHU, CHEF SAPNA ANAND AND TEAM OF ALIYAA

VIJAY SETHU WELCOMING GUESTS

VERMICELLI CRUSTED FISH CROQUETTES TAMARIND AND JAGGERY COULIS CORIANDER PESTO

GUEST CHEF SAPNA ANAND EXPLAINING EACH DELIGHTFUL DISH

EVEN THE PLATE HAS AN ELEPHANT AS ALIYAA MEANS ELEPHANT!

SO CUTE AND ADORABLE

PRAWN RASAM SHOT WITH PAN GRILLED PRAWN AND MUSTARD

STUFFED CHILLI CRAB WITH PEPPER, CORIANDER CRUST, CARROT, COCONUT SAMBAL, GREEN PEA AND MANGO CURD

MARKING EACH DISH

STRING HOPPERS WITH GRILLED SEA BASS, SMOKED EGGPLANT MOJU AND SAFFRON STEW

CEYLON LAMB WITH LEMON RICE AND CRISPY OKRA

ORANGE BLOSSOM PAYSAM WITH ROSE ICE CREAM AND CRUSHED PISTACHIO

COOKING APPAM THE TRADITIONAL SRI LANKAN DESSERT

READY TO SERVE! THE HANDSOME HUNK AT LEFT IS GULL FROM LAHORE, PAKISTAN

FLAMBEED WITH SWEET BRANDY

DELICIOUS

GUEST CHEF SAPNA ANAND

MARCUS TEO AND DADDY DATO RICHARD TEO

MARCUS TEO AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE LOOK LIKE TWINS SEPARATED AT BIRTH

THE TEAM OF ALIYAA!

DAVID TEH THANKS ALIYAA TEAM ON BEHALF OF GUESTS

RAJA SINGHAM ALSO THANKS ALIYAA STAFF

CONGRATULATIONS ALL ROUND FOR A GREAT MEAL!