Dining - A place where time stand still

A place where time stand still

TIME literally come to a stop when dining at the Tree Monkey in Teluk Bahang. The ambience is so tranquil and relaxed that one can simply leave all the stresses of the day behind and just enjoy the moment in the warm embrace of Mother Nature.

This open concept ‘gigantic treehouse’ restaurant is perched some 30 feet above sea level, evoking the feeling of being on top of the lush centuries old rain trees that provide a shady canopy.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Balinese aesthetics, the outlet is decked out with imported hardwood tables and chairs complemented by an attap-covered gazebo and lounge.

The rustic and laid back charm can be enjoyed throughout the day from 9am to 11pm. Feel a sense of total peacefulness as the rustling leaves above serenade while streaks of sunlight stream through the trees and the cool sea breeze gently caresses.

Do not be surprised to see Dusky Leaf monkeys, squirrels and even flying foxes roaming freely among the branches mere metres away on most evenings. Truly serenity at its best!

This is exactly the concept that owners Patt Khor and Wisakha Nomthangthum wanted to introduce to the world when they started Tree Monkey three years ago. The restaurant is all about providing a unique dining experience in the heart of nature.

And to complete this idyllic environment are authentic Thai cuisine and innovative beverages that a foreign diner aptly described on Trip Adviser as “never had before tasty treats.”

Emphasis is also placed on the Thai and Asian tapas, a wide variety of finger food that are ideal for sharing and for diners to sample many items at one shot. The tapas is also great as a starter and to go with a drink or two.

Among the Thai tapas selections are massaman samosa, sambal chicken, mussel salsa and Darling crab (stuffed with minced seafood) while the Asian tapas includes yum mamoung (Thai mango salad), satay, prawn tamarind and Son In Law egg (deep fried boiled egg topped with tamarind sauce).

Thai favourites consist of crispy kang kung, otak-otak (steamed curried seafood paste in banana leaf), namtok (beef salad with shallot, mint leaves, spring onion, grounded rice, dried chili powder and lime juice) and crispy herb snapper.

New creations are the sizzling dishes of Weeping Tiger (marinated beef with black pepper sauce), sweet & sour prawn (with onion, pineapple, capsicum and tomato sauce) and spice & herb seafood (with garlic, peppercorn, finger root and basil leaves).

There are also Western food such as fish and chips, calamari (golden fried squid and onion ring with tartar sauce), spaghetti pomodoro (with basil leaves and tomato sauce) and French fries.

Dessert comprise of Thai coconut ice cream, thub thim krob (water chestnut in coconut milk), fruit salad as well as mango and sticky rice.

For breakfast, diners can choose from light dishes including belacan fried rice, pineapple fried rice, phad Thai (fried noodle with prawns, egg, dried shrimp, shallots and bean sprout) and Thai laksa.

The dishes here are prepared with the freshest herbs and spices, with some of the ingredients grown in the adjacent Tropical Spice Garden. The menu also listed the benefits of the herbs used in the cooking so diners would know exactly what they are eating.

As for the invigorating concoctions, chill out with mocktails such as sabai tomyam (lemongrass, lime juice, chili and kaffir lime leaves), monkey juice (mango, banana, pineapple, orange and basil leaves) and virgin monkey (pineapple, lime juice, soda and basil).

The spice and herb cocktails like monkey mojito (white rum, lime juice, soda, lemongrass, chili and kaffir lime leaves), Malibu monkey (Malibu, pineapple juice, soda and basil) and tomyam martini are also must try.

For reservations, kindly contact 04-8813493/4 or log on to www.treemonkey.com.my

~News courtesy of The Star~

Botanic Gardens: Restored and blooming again

Restored and blooming again

The long-forgotten Sunken Garden in its former state has been restored and replaced with a beautiful tiered rock pool.

THE Penang Botanic Gardens’ long-forgotten Sunken Garden has been restored to its former glory.

In place of the thick undergrowth is now a beautiful tiered rock pool.

Work to clear, upgrade and beautify the area started last October and was completed in two months.

Located near the Formal Garden, the Sun-ken Garden is on lower ground — hence its name.

It was earlier reported that the Sunken Garden, conceived during the tenure of the Gardens’ first Malaysian curator Cheang Kok Choy, had been abandoned for some 40 years.

State Botanic Gardens department assistant director Salasiah Yusop said they were currently doing the landscaping and maintenance works.

“It’s done. The public can visit anytime.

“We’ve never closed the Sunken Garden but now when you visit, you can actually sit and relax there as the upgrading work has finished,” she said yesterday.

On the environmentally friendly bamboo appreciation centre that is being constructed at the nearby bambusetum, Salasiah said it would be ready by the end of this month.

Both the Sunken Garden and the nearby bamboo appreciation centre were awarded to local contractors and scheduled for completion last December.

“A termite problem and delay in the delivery of bamboos caused the completion date of the centre to drag on a little.

“The bamboos from Indonesia only arrived here last month,” she said.

The structure, perched on higher ground and overlooking the bambusetum, is built entirely out of bamboo and will also house a souvenir shop.

The cost of the projects is funded by the state government.

The bambusetum, featuring 36 bamboo species from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China, is part of the Tourism Ministry’s RM7mil Botanic Gardens expansion project which also comprised a new visitors’ pavilion, facade and eco-stream walkway.

On the Historic Economic Crop Garden, originally slated for completion in November last year, Salasiah said there has been a slight delay.

The new attraction located between the Penang Rifle Club and Quarry Garden was cleared in early October, and planted with a myriad of some 100 commodity crops like coffee, rubber, cocoa, oil palm and coconut.

The objective is for the younger generation to see first hand the crops that contributed to the nation’s development.

“We’ve planted the trees but they are not growing as well as we had hoped because there are granite rocks underground.

“The rocks will be removed soon to make sure that the trees flourish,” she said, adding that work to convert the department’s cen-tury-old office inside the Botanic Gardens into a herbarium-cum-museum was underway.

“The department moved into the pavilion on Jan 23 and upgrading work on our former premises is being done.

“I would like to thank our new consultant curator Stewart James Henchie and Penang Botanic Gardens controlling officer Mohamed Akbar Mustapha who have been such a big help since they came on board three months ago,” she said.

Henchie is the former president of the Kew Guild – an organisation for past and present staff of London’s Kew Gardens.

An official launching ceremony for the bambusetum, Sunken Garden, Historic Economic Crop Garden and herbarium-cum-museum will be held sometime this year.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Old-world Hainanese favourites

Old-world Hainanese favourites

RELISH the old-time ambience at the charming Yeng Keng Café Bar nestled in the heart of George Town, Penang.

Part of the acclaimed Yeng Keng Hotel, a boutique heritage establishment along Chulia Street, the outlet has been garnering rave reviews and a good following for authentic Hainanese-styled cuisine.

Executive chef Tan Jee Yong was born in Hainan, China, before emigrating to Malaya as a child with his father after the war years.

Upon finishing school, he took up work in a kitchen, learnt his trade from a Hainanese master chef, and has been a proponent of his native cuisine ever since.

“Real Hainanese cuisine can be hard to find nowadays, thus I hope my dishes can give guests an authentic taste. If they leave happy and keep returning, I’m proud,” said Tan, now in his late 60s.

Favourites here include the Ark Or (yam duck), which is a flavourful, stew infused with bean paste, ginger, yam and waterfowl, slowly boiled for over an hour.

The signature Spinach Lamb Roll has shoulder meat stuffed with cartoon character Popeye’s favourite vegetable and garlic, then slow-cooked for over two hours, resulting in succulent meat.

But his Choon Piah (spring rolls), packed with shredded crabmeat, mushroom, prawns, chicken, mengkuang and carrots, is the undoubted best seller.

Guests who try it usually order additional servings, Tan pointed out.

Also acclaimed are his Hainan Mee, Chicken Pie, Yeng Keng Chicken Chop, Macaroni Pie, and Hainanese Chicken Rice, which comes as whole chicken, to lock in meat juices.

Hotel manager Jacky Chung pointed out that Penang’s Hainanese cuisine invariably bears some English influences because the Hainan folk who came over to Penang usually ended up working in colonial kitchens.

Hence there are offerings like the delicious Crab Mornay which has chunky crabmeat, mushrooms, cream and cheese baked till golden brown in hollowed out crustacean shells.

The Bomb Alaska, another house specialty rarely found nowadays, is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the sweet tooth. The butter cake, ice cream and mixed fruits covered with beaten egg whites are quite a spectacle when flambéed with brandy tableside.

The café also offers Traditional Hainanese Course Dinners, priced at RM530++ onwards per table of 10. Guests can customise their dish choices from a preset menu.

Private events can also be hosted at the well-equipped function room upstairs, with capacity for 40 pax.

The pork-free café is open from 7am to midnight daily, and also serves breakfast. Last call for the kitchen is at 9.30pm. After meals, adjourn to the hotel’s spacious courtyard for a few rounds of drinks.

Yeng Keng Hotel, built circa 1850s, is among the oldest surviving buildings in the area, and was once a private residence that later became a gentleman’s club, and then a budget hotel.

Bought over in 2009, and extensively refurbished to its former glory by mid-2010, it is now a 20-room boutique establishment.

It has also garnered an impressive list of accolades, coming first in the small hotels category for Malaysia, in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2013.

For more details, visit www.yengkenghotel.com. Call 04-263 3177 for café reservations.

~News courtesy of The Star~