Malaysia Food

Location: N03 42.718 E101 44.199 Frasers Hill, Pahang

Getting there: Very near the clock tower, beside the post office.

Meal: Lunch

I went to Frasers hill at the turn of the millennium and I fell in love with this place. It was a corner of a row of dilapidated shophouse and what lured me to love this place is the well kept collection of orchid and other unusual flora and fauna. It is like having a summary if years of jungle tracking and having the highlights of unusual plants in one place. The mode dilapidated it is with green flora and fauna, the better it looks and feels. It is hard to imagine that this place is just beside a road. As soon as you enter, you feel that you are tucked away in a hut in the middle of the jungle.

I was once in Frasers a few years later for a short jaunt and the place was fully booked by golfers. I decided to take a break from rural-cyber monotonous life and headed down to Frasers. Fortunately, the place was empty. What seems to be employees were chatting and watching television, 5 of them I counted, and none of them entertained me, I had to go to the counter and ask for the menu, and another effort to make an order. The food is very bad, worst then it looks. The tea I ordered was high in tannin, undrinkable. And the flora and fauna is very much grey or brown. I am fairly disappointed with the food, service and ambiance.

Ratings:

Food: 3/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 1/10

Remarks: Used to be a good place to chill out. I guess it takes effort to make the place green and lively. Go at your own risk.

Location: N 03 56.5713 E 102 21.6380 Jerantut, Pahang

Getting there: Pass the Pasar Besar on the left, then take a left. It is a corner lot, but you need to go along an empty road before arriving.

Meal: Diner

I arrived late in Jerantut, with plans to go to Taman Negara the following day. I had a tip that this is the best restaurant in town. I headed here close to 9pm, which is bedtime for most in this town. They were not very interested in new customer at this time.

The interior was very red, typical small town restaurant, things works… barely. They seem to have a good selection of Chinese tea and you can choose form an array of them.

Food was pretty good. Nothing to shout about, a decent dinner if you are looking for one.

Ratings:

Food: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 5/10

Remarks: Try to go a little earlier. I think they may have better service when it is about sunset. I did not try many eateries in this town, but this one is quite good.

Location: N03 49.0034 E103 20.3939 Kuantan, Pahang

Getting there: On the way from Kuantan to Teluk Cempedak, just before Kubang Buaya traffic lights.

Meal: Dinner

The day before, I spotted bikers hanging out in front of the place. Fortunately, it seems rather quiet this time when I went to the restaurant. Even so, the ground floor is fully occupied and upstairs, a whole long table stretching the length of the floor was reserved.

The kuah came first and it is quite a wait until the ketupat came, which  was well presented on ceramic dish. By then, I was quite hungry and could not resist picking up pieces of cucumber and dipping them in to the kuah. When the satay came, it was hot out of the grill. The satay was well seasoned, with strong accents of kunyit (turmeric).

Ratings:

Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Value:10/10

Remarks: Very good satay at reasonable prices. Can rival the best on the west coast of the peninsular.

Location: N03 48.6494 E103 20.2160 Kuantan, Pahang

Getting there: Somewhere in the Padang Lalanag Industrial area. Near Kuantan Marine Police Quarters.

Meal: Lunch

When I got out of the car, the first thing I notice is the strong smell of the sea, namely seafood. Not fresh, but stale due to the fish warehouse in the area. The outside of the restaurant is signless and I wonder if I am in the right area; it is right opposite a seafood warehouse and the front of the restaurant looked like another warehouse. Right beside it is a police quarters. All I see at he front of the restaurants are people looking like thugs having drinks. I was wondering if I was in the right place. As I enter the restaurant, I felt like walking in to a gamblers den. People were playing cards over hard liquor and shouting at a somewhat aggressive but playful manner.

I ordered 3 dishes, shark and 2 vegetable. They were quite insistent on recommending expensive stuff such as prawns. I ordered a sugarcane herbal drink and it came in an alcohol looking bottle loosely covered with a small piece of plastic and rubber band.

The restaurant was rather empty when I arrive but was full as I finished my meal. I was told that one may have to wait to be seated at peak hours. Meals came in no time for my case. All the dishes came with generous amount of garlic, be it in bits or croûton sized. Must be about a handful for each dish. Makes me wonder if they own a garlic farm and had bumper harvest.

The meal was satisfying, generous portions and fit enough to fill one’s tummy after a hard days work.

Ratings:

Food: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Value: 7/10

Remarks: Dishes can ward away Dracula.

Location: N03 48.7450 E103 22.2109 Alt 50 ft Kuantan, Pahang

Getting there: It is at the entrance of Teluk Cempedak.

Meal: Breakfast

In the morning, the blinds are down and you have no idea that this is a popular curry mee joint. When you enter, you would find a crowd looking for vacant tables. There are tables behind the shop adjoining to the toilet as well; a testament to their popularity.

The curry mee is served with chicken, probably to appeal to a wider audience. The chilli sauce on the table does not go well with the curry mee, a little sour in taste. The curry has a strong coconut taste to it and not spicy.

Rating:

Food: 6/10
Service: 6/10
Value: 7/10

Remarks: Parking a few meters down the shop, you get tourist parking prices.