CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Dec 7 — The year-end school holidays means a surge of traffic in the major cities. City folks who already have to deal with traffic snarls during the week have to put up with congested weekends as well this time of the year.
The urge to get away (break away could be more like it?) from the manic pace of city life becomes rather urgent.
Good if you feel the same way. After all, everyone deserves a break from the monotony of work. Thus, let me share this piece on my recent escapade to Cameron Highlands.
Instead of running you through the history of Cameron Highlands (or worse, geography... you must be kidding if you have not heard or read about the place before if you are a Malaysian!), or recommending things to do (easily planned with good resources on the Internet and guides from your hotel), let me focus a bit on the food options.
We chose to travel on a weekday to beat the traffic, as one of the banes of travelling to Cameron Highlands is the incredibly frustrating weekend congestion around areas like the Brinchang morning market, Sungai Palas Boh tea plantation and the weekend (Fridays and Saturdays only) night market in Brinchang town.
Since we were driving from Ipoh, we arrived at Brinchang town first (after Kampung Raja and Tringkap) and stopped here for lunch. The temperature was hovering around 25 to 30 degrees Celcius (this was slightly more than a month back), thus thick clothing was almost not a requirement until much later in the evening.
You Hoo Restaurant serves Chinese food for lunch and dinner at relatively higher prices than its counterparts in smaller towns like Tringkap or of course, the lowlands (Simpang Pulai, for example), but still within manageable range as there were locals eating there as well albeit for the economy rice.
The deep fried tilapia fish in an Indonesian curry sauce was interesting; while the sambal petai with prawns and salted egg wild ferns (pucuk pakis) are somewhat trademarks of restaurants around the area. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to try some of locally-grown mushrooms cooked in a myriad ways.
Lunch was then followed by a relaxing afternoon tea at the Jim Thompson Tea Room in Cameron Highlands Resort; the epitome of luxury accommodation here.
A traditional 3-tier afternoon tea set can be shared by two to three people, with a pot of tea of your choice. We selected the blend of mango tea with a distinct accent of fruity mango infused into the black tea.
The oven-fresh pastries, sandwiches (including the classic cucumber sandwich) and homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam were satisfactory, although the scones still pale in comparison to The Smokehouse Hotel’s version which I will come to later.
The elegant and calm ambience contributed to a sense of tranquility which was exactly what our city-battered minds needed.
We then checked in to the refurbished Strawberry Park Resort (must have been a good five years since I last visited), which still retained that rustic charm with a dash of the contemporary.
Now, with time to kill in Cameron Highlands, one can either fall into a deep slumber to recharge or soak up the sun and breathe in the crisp mountain air by farm-hopping.
Deciding on the latter, as we were fully aware of the lack of activities come sundown on a weekday, we drove to Big Red Strawberry Farm for a serving of desserts; strawberry milk shake and fresh strawberries in yoghurt and honey.
For the health freaks (or wannabes), a cup of blended butterhead lettuce will jolt every receptor in your body and possibly send you running to the loo (just kidding).
Instead of pushing the limits of our “petite” guts any further, we settled for a lighter dinner at Kumar Restaurant in Tanah Rata. Capati and thosai served with boneless marinated tandoori chicken washed down with a cup of piping hot (very much welcomed in this climate) teh halia, before calling it a night.
The next morning, after falling asleep to sounds of crickets gleefully orchestrating a symphony in the mountains, we woke up for breakfast at Brasserie ‘85 at Strawberry Park Resort and then headed to Sungai Palas Boh Tea Plantation.
This can be a treacherous drive on a busy weekend; as you need to maneuver the vehicle pretty well to avoid colliding with oncoming traffic.
But the amazing view of the vast tea plantation coupled with clean, fresh air made the perilous journey for a cup of tea all the more worthwhile.
We visited a few more farms and sights in quick succession; Lavender Farm and a taste of the lavender-infused soft serve ice-cream, Butterfly Garden, Time Tunnel Galleria (a definite must-see) and MARDI Agro-Technology Park (marvel at how they can literally grow grapes and apples in the garden).
A marathon of sights can only mean one thing: more FOOD to feed the starving soul.
We paid Yong Teng Café a visit in Tanah Rata; you will find it at the stalls named Gerai Makan MDCH which is somewhat off the main road of Tanah Rata, diagonally opposite Maybank Islamic.
This stall is run by a deaf couple in their 60s (presumably) who are passionate about every customer’s needs. Their signature fruity pancakes made fresh daily, with a drizzle of honey, chopped bits of strawberries and banana with a hearty scoop of vanilla ice cream made for a delightful choice for brunch.
Yes, they may be deaf but they probably are better listeners than most of us.
A trip to Cameron Highlands is never complete without stopping over at The Smokehouse Hotel; basking in the sunlight in the garden while sipping on tea and eating freshly baked scones with a deadly addictive serving of clotted cream and strawberry jam.
The Tudor style façade is reason enough for a mad photography spree.
A good stroll and well-deserved siesta later, we woke up to incredibly chilly winds and a dip in the temperature due to an earlier drizzle right after our afternoon tea session. The best foil to combat the chill? Steamboat.
There must be dozens of steamboat restaurants in Cameron Highlands, but one that stands out from the rest is Cameron Organic Produce Restaurant; self-proclaimed (probably true) first organic steamboat restaurant in Malaysia.
This is located right opposite of the entrance to Rosa Passadena Hotel off the main road of Brinchang town, so it’s not entirely easy to find if you are not familiar with the surroundings.
Ordering is hassle-free, either you go for the one with meat or the one that’s pure vegetables, (both at RM20 per pax). My suggestion? Go for the vegetables that are grown organically in their farm; the medley of fresh, crisp and sweet greens will get you hooked on them in an instant. This, coming from a primarily carnivorous eater.
The last morning before we departed for home, a leisurely-paced walk around Brinchang market was all it took to fill the trunk to the brim with local produce like corn, sweet potatoes, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, etc. But not before sampling freshly fried sweet potato balls studded with sesame seeds and a portion of deep-fried mushrooms from the stall selling the deep-fried snacks at the market.
At the end of the three-day getaway, shedding the newly-acquainted pounds was the last thing on our mind. Feeling rejuvenated and emotionally calmer than a few days back, a short holiday in our own backyard may not be that uncool after all.
James Tan loves good food and blogs at Motormouth from Ipoh (www.j2kfm.com)
