AlestraSince opening its doors in 1995, the family-oriented One Utama mall has continued to expand and add to its long list of retailers.
It currently ranks as the sixth largest mall in the world and continues to stay strong in the top ten due to its ever-growing size. Their tagline, “It’s All in One” is undeniably more accurate as time passes with old and new visitors alike stating their preference for this mall even until today.
Image credit: Slices of Light
AEON (formerly known as Jaya Jusco) was the very first departmental store to spread its wings in One Utama, but it’s definitely not the only one available, what with Parkson, TANGS and Isetan joining the community over the years. Notwithstanding its key anchor tenants, there are currently over 700 retail shops for visitors to savour.
If you’re looking for a bite to eat or just a place to chill with some snacks and a drink, you won’t be disappointed. There are currently two food courts available: one in the old wing (by AEON) and the other in the new wing (Food Republic). However, if you prefer a more upscale eatery, there’s also Delicious Cafe, Dragon-I, Dave’s Bistro and Bar Grill, Din Tai Fung, Sushi Zanmai and many more. As for fast food outlets, you can easily choose from KFC, McDonald’s, Texas Chicken, and Carl’s Jr among the available options.
Image credit: 1 Utama Shopping Mall
Shopping malls in the suburbs around Kuala Lumpur were scarce in the 1990s, with bigger retailers concentrating their efforts in the city centre itself.
One Utama chose to distinguish itself from its big-city competitors by appealing to wealthy residents in and around their Bandar Utama township. Even though family-friendly malls are common in the Klang Valley these days, One Utama was definitely the spark that started it all and the originator behind its ongoing successful track record is See Hoy Chan Holdings, one of Malaysia’s leading developers.
Image credit: 1 Utama Shopping Mall
Regular visitors are familiar with local jargon surrounding the mall such as “OU”, “1U”, “new wing”, “old wing” “bridge” and many others. The “old wing” refers to the initial section of the mall when it first started and the “new wing” refers to a new mall addition across the road a few years later. The “bridge” refers to the connecting section between the newer and older side of the mall.
Image credit: 1 Utama Shopping Mall
One Utama also introduced themed zones for easier navigation:
- Highstreet, a place where premium brands take centre stage
- Oval, the mall’s largest promotional space for various events and festivals
- Rainforest, a special high-ceiling greenhouse area filled with luxurious foliage
- Entertainment Zone, featuring two cinemas, an arcade, and karaoke
- Sportzone, which houses a bowling alley, gym, indoor rock climbing, batting cages and futsal courts
- Secret Garden, a well-maintained rooftop garden housing 500 species of flora
- Centre Court, which offers a variety of retail shops for all ages
Image credit: Tee Meng
See Hoy Chan Holdings definitely intends to continue expanding to provide for the residents of its township and their vision is to build with seamless connectivity. The shopping mall boasts numerous entryways to enable their visitors to access the mall easily. It’s also connected to the 5-star One World hotel, Plaza IBM, KPMG Tower, 1 First Avenue and the Bandar Utama MRT Station. Through careful consideration, visitors need not worry about getting mall accessibility since the management is obviously continuously improving and updating their services.
If you’re looking to drop by this must-visit shopping destination, you can easily use the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP Highway). You can even stop at the Bandar Utama MRT Station, whereby access to the mall is then by an MRT Feeder Bus. Whichever your choice of transportation, you’ll definitely want to explore this ever-expanding mall in the peaceful suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
