This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 6, 2020 - April 12, 2020

Southeast of Kuala Lumpur and stretching from Jalan Pudu to Kajang is Cheras, a vibrant area with shopping malls, educational institutions, eateries and entertainment spots that serve a middle-income population.

Taman Taynton View, at Batu 6, Jalan Cheras, is a former rubber estate developed by private developer and lawyer N Kamala Devi in the 1960s, who named the roads there after family members and friends.

Taman Taynton View is close to educational institutions, shopping malls and transport hubs such as Cheras Leisure Mall, EkoCheras Mall, Pantai Cheras Medical Centre, SMK Cheras, SMK Seri Mutiara, UCSI College and the Taman Mutiara MRT station. It  is easily accessible via Middle Ring Road 2 and Jalan Cheras.

Data from Rahim & Co International Sdn Bhd show that properties in Taman Taynton View comprise mainly 2 to 4-storey shopoffices, 1 to 3-storey terrace houses and 3-storey semi-detached and detached houses.

“The shopoffices with an average built-up of 5,000 sq ft were sold at RM1.8 million to RM3 million in 2019. Monthly rent ranges from RM2 to RM3 psf, giving yields of 4% to 5% a year,” says Rahim & Co International’s Cheras branch manager William Ng Mun Kin.

“As for the residential properties, the terraced, semi-detached and detached houses, which have built-ups of 1,150 to 5,000 sq ft, were sold at between RM550,000 and RM3 million last year.”

The rental rates of the terraced houses range from RM1.20 to RM1.50 psf a month, yielding 2.8% to 3.5% a year. “Owing to the lack of rental data, it is hard to work out the yields for the semi-detached and detached houses,” says Ng.

An ongoing residential project in the vicinity is Modern Age Development Sdn Bhd’s Tiara Hills, comprising three-storey superlink houses and four-storey townhouses, with built-ups of 3,253 sq ft and above, and prices that start at RM2.03 million. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2022.

Food galore

Taman Taynton View is home to popular Chinese restaurants and other eateries that draw the crowds throughout the day.

Among them is Fatt Hei Len Restaurant, which is known for its sumptuous Cantonese fare. Packed with diners who come to savour its affodably-priced delicious food, the air within is laden with the aroma of Siu Heng wine — a traditional fermented Chinese wine  — emanting from the steamed fish.

A must-have for first-time patrons is the Pao Heong Rice. Cooked in a fragrant broth,  it comes with fresh and juicy big head prawns and flavourful pre-fried rice. Another favourite, especially with children, is the Yam Basket with Sweet and Sour Pork.

If you are looking for a hearty breakfast, look no further than Restoran Lim Kee Pan Mee, which is only a five-minute walk from Fatt Hei Len Restaurant. Its signature handmade noodles, in dry and soup versions, is served with generous portions of minced pork, dried anchovies, mushroom and vegetable.  Add on dumplings or pork meatballs for RM2.

Other notable eateries include Lai Foong Beef Noodle Shop, Fei Poh Curry Mee Restaurant, Restoran Rong Kee & Sons Fishball, Restoran Leng Kee Seafood and Restoran Dao Ma Qie Noodles House.

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