ABC Grilled Seafood @ Temerloh, Pahang

The Chef to Thank for such wonderful seafood!

To feast on good ol' fresh Patin fish, you should always head east towards Pahang, particularly Temerloh, which is renowned for their Patin fish. During our recent trip to this  little town, I've found that besides Patin fish, Temerloh also houses a fantastic restaurant serving excellent grilled seafood.

Exterior View

ABC - You can also order it in a glass as a drink

Situated along the main road of Temerloh's New Town (Temerloh is divided into two sections; Old Town & New Town), ABC (as what the locals commonly call it) is a famous eatery among the Chinese in Temerloh. Named after their famous Air Batu Campur (ABC) drink, this place is also good for its grilled seafood such as the grilled stingray, chicken fish, calamari, prawns and etc.

Boiled Cockles

We started with some boiled cockles (see-hum) to wet our appetites. Nothing extraordinary here, after all cockles are just cockles but it was an enjoyable, light snack to munch on while waiting for the rest of our dishes (Would have been even better if they served Ba Li Tong too!). Do get your Hepatitis A jab before feasting on these slimy little scavengers though =)

Sizzling, Succulent Squid

Next to arrive was the Grilled Calamari. This dish was really delicious! In fact, this is Sandal's favorite! The squid was succulent and chewy without being too rubbery, and it was seasoned and cooked in a special, fragrant, turmeric tasting, spicy sauce on a banana leaf. Simply addictive!

Very moist and fresh Grilled Sting Ray

From left : Grilled fish sauce, Chicken Fish (A.K.A Ikan Katak - an alternative to the stingray), Cockles sauce

We also ordered the Grilled Stingray. To be honest, I have totally given up on Grilled Stingray due to the countless dry and overcooked ones I've consumed in KL/PJ. That is, until I've tasted the ones here. Unlike the normal Portuguese-style ones you can find in almost every food court in KL/PJ, the grilled stingray here was way superior as it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It was done so well that I didn't even need to dip the fish into the chili lime sauce that came with it for extra flavoring.

Sweet, firm, tasty prawns

The winner of the night however, was the grilled prawns. Not only was it fresh and bursting with aromatic flavors, the 8 medium-sized prawns only cost us a mere RM15. Definitely not something you can find anywhere in KL/PJ!

Verdict :

If you're ever in Temerloh or happen to pass by this town in the evening, do give ABC a try.  It's definitely worth every dollar and cent. Food here is not only tasty but cheap as well. I can't remember the exact price for most of the dishes, but rest assured that they are at least 20% cheaper than most of the ones you'll find in the city. Business hours are from 6pm till midnight daily, except for Mondays. For directions to this restaurant, please take a look at the map or gps coordinates below.

Toothpick says : Just writing about the food here makes me salivate! Will definitely return.

Sandal says : Can't wait to eat their "sotong"

Address :
Jalan Kuantan,

28000, Temerloh,

Pahang.

GPS :

N = 3° 26' 52.20", E = 102° 24' 48.66"

Google Map :

3.447834, 102.413518

Restoran Makanan Laut Loong Sing @ Kampung Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

For very fresh and tasty Steam River Fish, you should always head eastwards to Pahang.

Beautiful evening

On a cool evening, we drove from KL to Kampung Bukit Tinggi, Pahang (approximately 45 minutes drive) to get a first-hand taste of their renown Steam Patin. Upon reaching, you will notice dozens of seafood restaurants around the area. We settled on Loong Sing, as we have heard good reviews from friends and family about this particular restaurant.

Look for this shop

For a party of 3, we ordered a steam Patin fish with soy sauce (Cheng Jeng style), spare ribs with sweet and sour sauce (Pai Kwat Wong), homemade fish paste with mushrooms and vegetables (Yu Wat), fried brinjal with garlic and cili padi, and homemade tau foo with minced meat.

700g Steam Patin @ RM42

True to word, the Patin fish was excellent! The texture was bouncy and firm, and most importantly, it was totally devoid of the raw fishy taste (in Chinese we call it 'Sang Mei') of river fish that you'll commonly find, when you order steam river fish in KL/PJ restaurants (excluding high-end Chinese restaurants).

Homemade Tau Foo @ RM8

Fried Brinjal @ RM6

We also enjoyed the smooth, creamy taste of the homemade tau foo, the crispy and chewy brinjal accompanied by little pieces of dried fried shrimps, and the sweet and sour tang of the fried spare ribs.

Homemade Fish Paste @ RM15

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs @ RM9

However, we would advise against ordering the homemade fish paste as it had a funny taste that we couldn't place our fingers on. In my opinion, the fish paste from another restaurant, Loong Kee Restaurant in Gotong Jaya, is much better.

Outside the restaurant

Verdict :

At the price of RM91 inclusive of drinks and rice, we had a great and satisfying meal. Coupled with the clean and cooling weather up there, it is a perfect stop for a meal if you are on the way to Bukit Tinggi, or if you don't mind a little detour from your journey to Genting.

Take note however, the restaurant is located quite deep in. In other words, if you are coming from KL, take a left turn and make a U-turn to Kampung Bukit Tinggi. Following this road, you will pass a row of commercial shops (many seafood restaurants here) facing the KL - Karak highway (these shops should be on your left now). Continue driving and you will pass a little bridge and right before you reach the junction to the real village itself, you will see Loong Sing on your left.

Have a happy journey and a great meal there!

Toothpick says : I know where to go now, whenever I crave for a good fresh steam river fish.

Sandal says : This is the right place to stop for highway cruisers. Forget about Karak or Gohtong Jaya.

Adress :
No. 97, Bukit Tinggi,
28750 Bentong, Pahang. 

GPS : 
N = 3° 21' 0.21", E = 101° 49' 17.72"

Google Map :
3.350101, 101.821621

 

Kow Po Ice Cream Shop @ Bentong

Thumbs up from Mickey

Nothing beats a cold, refreshing ice cream on a hot, sunny, humid afternoon. Nestled in the small town of Bentong sits this Chinese coffee shop that makes its very own homemade ice cream. This little shop is known as Kow Po, named after its current owner Mr. Tan Kow Po. His father was the man who started the business before passing it on to him. Today Kow Po's son, Jeffery Tan, also helps him out in the coffee shop and can be spotted tending to the ABC machine if you're there. Needless to say, this looks like a thriving business that will pass down to their many generations to come.

One of everything please!

A party of 3, we stop by for a refreshing break and ordered 2 Jumbos and 1 ABC Kow Po Special. The Jumbo which cost RM7.50 consists of 3 scoops of ice cream with canned fruits. As we ordered 2 Jumbos, we got to try 6 flavours; Vanilla, Banana, Coffee, Peanut, Chocolate and Pandanus. These were all the flavors that were available that day. The Peanut flavor was very salty and we found the Chocolate so strong in Coco that it tasted bitter. However, the rest of the flavours were refreshingly pleasant and well worth every dollar. Furthermore, Mr. Tan has mastered the art of making not only creamy ice creams but wonderfully smooth ones as well. The ABC Kow Po which cost RM3.50 came with a scoop of Pandanus ice cream. Very refreshing on a hot day but nothing extraordinary.

Coffee, Peanut & Banana

Chocolate, Pandanus & Vanilla

ABC with Pandanus Ice Cream

Kow Po also serves free plain water with the ice cream and if you're feeling peckish you can order their Yong Tau Foo for RM4 per portion.

A portion for 1

Jeffery Tan & the ABC machine

Verdict : 

For a total of RM22.50, Kow Po is exactly the stop you should make if passing by Bentong on a hot, sunny day. The ice creams are priced reasonably and texture creamy yet light. However, the flavours are slightly limited and if like me you're a fan of caramelish, milky, or hazelnut flavours, Kow Po might not be your cup of tea. But who knows? For every flavour that I am impartial to, might be a flavour that you favour ; )

Toothpick says : Love the texture of the ice cream but wish they had more flavours like rum&raisin, hazelnut and etc. Will definitely drop by again to try their famous durian flavor that wasn't available that day.

Sandal says : Disappointed! Didn't get to try the Durian Ice Cream. Will definitely skip the Peanut and Chocolate flavours in my next visit.

Address :
Kow Po Coffee Shop
2, Bentong Heights,
28700 Bentong
(Beside Hong Leong Bank opposite Bus Station)
Opens: 10.00am – 7.00pm (close on every alternate Monday)
 
GPS :
N = 3° 31' 20.36", E = 101° 54' 39.22"

Google Map :
3.522322, 101.910894Address:

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary @ Pahang

Welcome to Kuala Gandah

Established in 1989 by the Jabatan Perhilitan (Department of Wildlife and National Parks), the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Lanchang is a base for the Elephant Relocation Team, which began the elephant translocation program in 1974. The centre houses a number of resident elephants which were brought in from Myanmar and Thailand. These elephants are trained and used in translocation exercises to help capture problematic wild elephants throughout Peninsular Malaysia. The centre also looks after orphaned elephants to keep them safe from illegal hunters and encroachment activities.

Dinner time for baby elephant

Beautiful nature

The National Elephant Conservation Centre is open to visitors from 8.00am - 4.30pm throughout the year except for some public holidays. When you're there, the first thing you need to do is to register at the counter located in the main building. Take note that only visitors who register and receive a yellow sticker can enjoy a fun ride on the elephant, bathe and feed them. Be there early to register for this sticker as it is only limited to 120pax/day. Otherwise, you'll just have to settle with the red sticker which is only limited to visiting purposes.

Area restricted to Adult Elephants only

Bathing area

Entrance to this centre is FREE, but a simple gesture of goodwill i.e. donation is encouraged and truly appreciated as this will ensure that these sweet loving  gentle giant creatures will continue to have a place to live in. For elephant lovers, you no longer have to travel all the way to Thailand to experience an elephant adventure. A journey by car to Kuala Gandah will only take approximately 1.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur city via the Kuala Lumpur - Karak Highway and East Coast Expressway.   

The Young Ones

Don't worry! There are many signboards around

Time	Activities
8.00am	Breakfast – Elephants are fed with pellets and concentrates
9.30am – 10.30am	Training – Elephants are trained to learn basic commands such as sit and stay, obey specific commands for translocation works and break bad habits
10.30am	In the enclosure – Elephants are free to roam in the enclosure
11.30am – 12.00pm	Lunch – Visitors can join the staffs to feed the elephants with fruits
12.00pm – 2.00pm	In the enclosure – Elephants are free to roam in the enclosure
2.00pm	Bath – Visitors with yellow stickers can help to bathe the elephants in the river
2.45pm	Ride – Visitors with yellow stickers can ride the elephants
3.00pm	Stalled – Elephants return to their stalls
3.15pm	Dinner – Elephants are fed with fruits and plants

Verdict :

Sandal says :

• Trip Experience - 9/10 (good to know we have such a place)

• Cleanliness - 7/10 (the place is under construction)

• Value for $$$ - 10/10 (it's free!)

• Recommend to a friend? - Yes (enough of working, go help the elephants)

Toothpick says : 

• Trip Experience - 9.5/10 (Wonderful! I love elephants)

• Cleanliness - 6.5/10 (river very muddy, construction work in progress)

• Value for $$$ - 10/10 (free of charge, but please donate to help upkeep the elephants)

• Recommend to a friend? - Yes (Do visit, elephants are playful animals who enjoy attention =))


Address :
National Elephant Conservation Centre, 

Department of Wildlife and National Parks, 

Kuala Gandah, 28500 Lanchang, 

Pahang Darul Makmur. 

Tel: +609 - 279 0391; Fax: +609- 279 0398


GPS :  

N = 3° 35' 33.9", E = 102° 8' 38.5"


Google Map :
3.59224,102.144181