[Pahang] 5 Things to Eat in Bentong

I have never thought of going to Bentong until I received a wedding invitation. Before arriving, I expect Bentong to be a small sleepy town. But it is actually a mid-sized town with lots of things to discover, mainly food!

Bentong produces the best ginger amongst other vegetables. The food here is fresh, somewhat we city people call from-farm-to-table concept. And have you heard this before, Bentong has the best Musang King durian. Apparently it is the best durian in Malaysia. I'm not a fan of durian, so I've skipped that totally. If you're not a durian fan, rest assured, there are still many great food that you can try.

One of it is the (1) Thong Kee Coffee Shop wanton noodles. The noodle is packed with homemade goodness. It has a special texture that holds the sauce so that you won't miss the taste everytime you take a scoop. In the morning, they serve classic kopitiam breakfast, namely toast, half boiled eggs, and coffee. There's also Western breakfast for those who  want a heavier breakfast. Do not miss the coffee!

Just right next to the Thong Kee Coffee Shop, it's one of the famous chicken rice shop in Bentong, (2) Kwong Sen coffee shop. We skipped the chicken and went for the char siew (barbecue pork) and siew yok (roasted pork). The char siew is homemade with no colouring. It is chargrilled until the flavours are seeped inside. Meanwhile, the siew yok is roasted until the skin is crispy. It is one of my best decision made to ditch the chicken and go for the pork.

In between the heavy meals, we stopped by (3) Kow Po Ice-Cream. This place brings back a happy childhood reminiscent with its 1980s interior design. On the menu, they have all the classic ice-cream servings you can think of - banana boat, ice kacang with ice cream, cendol with ice cream or a simple sundae. The ice creams are homemade with love for decades.

If you manage to wake up early enough to beat the queue at (4) breakfast stall next to Restoran Ichiban Best, grab the fried bee hun and some kuehs while it is hot. Yam cakes and egg tarts are also signature dish to this stall. As we had to stand at the roadside to savour the food, no photo was taken. The queue is overwhelmingly long and it amazed us how the old folks keep up with the customers.

A little off from the Bentong town, on the way to Janda Baik, we recommend you to stop by the (5) Purple Cane Restaurant. The view will take your breathe away. To gain back your breath, they have a long list of healthy food infused with tea and made from organic ingredients. It is a perfect pit stop while on they way back to Kuala Lumpur as the route adjourns a little off the highway.

There are still many good places for food in Bentong such as Hooi Kee wanton mee, Choy Kee yong tau fu, and Dragon Phoenix Restaurant for dinner. Also, not to be missed (which we did, sadly) is the Wai Sek Kai (Jalan Chui Yin) which translates from Chinese as the Glutton Street. It is a street dedicated to all the street foods and definitely a haven for foodie. 

[Sarawak] Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary

• Ticket price: RM5 for adults; RM3 for senior citizens; RM2 for child below 18 years old

• Highlights: Orang Utan Feeding Time

• Location: Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

• Nearby bus stop: Bus route no.6

• Opening hour: Daily 8:00AM-10:00AM and 2:00PM-4:00PM

Located 1 hour drive from Kuching, the Semenggoh Wildlife Center is a sanctuary dedicated as a rehab for Orang Utans. The orang utans are domestic animals, meaning they are dependent on human for food and shelter. Due to that, they are becoming endangered when left in the jungle. Hence, the government build the Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary as a base to train the orang utans to be self-dependent.

The sanctuary is actually nothing more than a platform for feeding in the forest. The orang utans are encouraged to hunt for their own food and live on their own. However, for those who are not used to the independent living, they will come back to the sanctuary where all their basic necessities are provided for. Currently there are close to 30 orang utans that still comes back to the sanctuary.

During the visit, visitors are often reminded of falling branches. The orang utans build their nest on top of the tree from branches. When it gets too dry and poky, they will abandon their nest and build a new one. The abandoned fragile nest often fall onto visitors due to strong wind. And visitors are also discouraged from talking or taking photos with flash. This will trigger the bad-tempered orang utan.

Currently, the oldest orang utan here is 40 years old and the heaviest named Ritchie is about 30 years old.

If you are a nature lover, the orang utan sanctuary gives you an opportunity to experience the wild life of orang utan. Considering that the orang utans are endangered (with possibility of extinction), it is not a chance that you should be missing. Be sure to be there during the feeding time, daily 9am - 10am and 3pm - 4pm.