[Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia] Fantasy Valley Restaurant 桃源谷饭店
By Elin Chow - Monday, January 03, 2022
Photo By: Elin Chow
Located at the foot of Bukit Tinggi, about 45 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur, the Fantasy Valley Restaurant is nestled along a flowing stream amidst tropical lush greenery.
There are actually two restaurants with similar names in the area. Both of them are called 桃源谷 in Chinese, but in English, one is called Fantasy Valley Restaurant and the other is called Wonderland Valley Restaurant.
In order to reach the restaurant, you have to drive across a boulder-strewn muddy stream over a rickety bridge. The bridge is very narrow, allowing only one car to pass at a time. After driving across the bridge, you will find ample of parking spaces in front of the restaurant.
As the restaurant is situated next to a running stream and surrounded by lush greenery, including bamboo trees, we can get to enjoy the soothing sound of the flowing water and the cool, fresh air while we feast on our meals.
However, the stream was very muddy due to incessant rain the night before we visited. On sunny days, the water in the stream is usually clear and slow moving. For those adventurous ones, you can also go for a quick dip in the clear stream after your meals!
There are two seating areas in the restaurant. You can either choose to sit in a larger area located on the second floor that is slightly away from the stream or a smaller area right next to the stream. We chose to sit on the second floor overlooking the stream because we didn't want to get ourselves wet from the fast flowing stream.
The menu is quite extensive, offering a variety of river fish, kampung chicken, pork, seafood and a selection of "wild" meat such as wild boar and frog.
Kam Heong Clams 金香啦啦
Curry Wild Boarlet is one of their signature dish. The meat, which are coated with thick and rich curry broth is much more tender and succulent than adult wild boar meat. Cooked in a clay pot, the meat are juicy and have absorbed all the flavor of the curry gravy. The spiciness of the curry was mild and goes perfectly well with rice.
Claypot Kangkung 瓦煲蕹菜
Claypot Kangkung is another of their signature dish. The Kangkung were stir-fried in a clay pot with chili and crunchy bits of pork lard. It was nice and savory, but we find that it still lacked a bit in terms of fragrance and seasoning.
Steamed Patin Fish 清蒸巴丁鱼
We ordered Patin fish steamed with soy sauce. Topped with shredded ginger and cilantro leaves, the fish was very fresh but unfortunately, a little overcooked. The fish was a little tough and dry when it was supposed to be smooth and tender. We also felt that it was under seasoned, so it actually tasted a little bland.
Intestine Fried with Shrimps 虾米生肠
Stir fried pig's intestine with dried shrimps. I am not sure whether this is nice because I don't eat internal organs. But since no one complain the taste of it, I think it shouldn't be too bad.
This was the most expensive dish that we ordered. The giant freshwater prawns are skillfully steamed to perfection with generous amounts of ginger strips, egg whites, light soy sauce and a hint of aromatic Chinese cooking wine.
The prawns were fresh, firm and springy. Steaming the prawns with cooking wine really brought out the natural sweetness out of them. They were so heavenly delicious!
CONCLUSION
The restaurant can get pretty packed during weekends, so I really recommend coming early to avoid long wait time. We arrived at around lunch time on a weekend and found that the restaurant was already packed with people. But fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long to be served. In fact, they were pretty fast in serving our food.
All in all, I find that this restaurant is a great place to visit if you would like to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life and enjoy a peaceful meal in a nature environment.
Fantasy Valley Restaurant 桃源谷饭店
Lot 926, Kampung Bukit Tinggi
28750 Bentong, Pahang
Malaysia
Hours: 11 am - 9.30 pm, Closed on Tuesday
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