Cameron Highlands Apples

You would be forgiven if you thought "Oh no, she got conned again with another dodgy apple from Cameron Highlands" (see Conned - Hybrid Guava-Apple It Is Not). Forgiven, but wrong.  

My first thought when I walked into a farm and saw these plants was "What are these? Eggplants??" I wasn't alone in thinking that. A woman very authoritatively told her husband and kids that those were definitely eggplants. However, I wasn't as hundred percent sure as she was. And hubby was certain those were not eggplants. So I went and asked one of the farmhands. He said those were apples. Apples?? Yes, Cameron Highlands' very own apples. Are they sour or sweet? Sweet. They taste like honeydew. Ohhh.....


The farmhand said all the riped ones had been plucked. Being someone who loved to try new things, I didn't want to go home without getting some. After badgering him, he said if I saw any that was yellow with red stripes, I could pluck those. But I'd have to keep them in room temperature for about two days for them to completely ripen, otherwise they won't taste good.

 Nope, not ripe for plucking

Ready to be plucked, and should ripen in two days

We only managed to find six apples that could be plucked. I guess there must have been a lot of tourists that visited during the May 1st holiday, as this is not the peak season. 


Today, three of the apples ripened and they exuded a rich honeydew smell. After chilling them in the fridge for a few hours, we sank our teeth into them. And......they were wonderful. Very juicy, juicier than regular honeydew, and sweet, those apples taste exactly like honeydew. The skin was a little funny, though. Felt like plastic. I couldn't peel them with a peeler, but after I had cut them, I could peel it off by pulling at the edge and dragging it off in one neat tug. Another hybrid??!! But the farmhand did NOT say it's a hybrid apple-honeydew......

The apples were very juicy and sweet

"Riped" pak choy for picking

Didn't pick any cherry tomatoes as those that were riped were too tiny while the decent sized ones were not ready for picking

The sunflowers were not for sale and signs were posted prominently forbidding picking of the flowers

Bigger than my head -- I took a photo standing next to it to compare who has a bigger head and the sunflower won hands down

Jasmine Cafe @ Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands

Located along the main road at Tanah Rata, Jasmine Cafe was touted as the best Western food in Cameron Highlands. It has been around since the early 1990s and supposedly opens till late as the outlet has a liquor license and was supposed to be a place to hangout at night (Cameron Highlands does not have a nightlife).


Imagine our surprise when it started rolling down its shutters at five minutes to nine (8.55pm) when we were there. Not that we had planned to hang out there, but still, we wondered if 9pm is considered late hours by Cameron's standard. Here, in KL, if you close at midnight, it's considered early.


Anyway, we had already finished our dinner and were already out of the premises, so we have no complaints with their extremely early closing hours.

Their smoked duck was touted as one of their specialties, so we ordered that.


While the meat was tender and juicy, the high sodium level put me off completely. I thought I had eaten a teaspoon of salt instead of duck. Hubby, who has a higher tolerance for salty food, was asked to help finished it. Even he could not finish the duck, that was how salty it was. 


When we paid the bill, we gave our feedback to the proprietor, and he seemed surprised that we found it too salty. I suppose his sodium-tolerance is even higher than hubby's.

The beef fillet was alright, done medium-rare, the way we liked it. But it could have been better if they had used a less chewy and fibrous part of the cow.


The only saving grace is the tomato soup which we both ordered a bowl each. 


Overall, we were disappointed in Jasmine Cafe. The proprietor, who is also the chef, is supposed to have learned the art of cooking in Europe. Yet, what we had was subpar quality.


Related topics:
Where to eat at Cameron Highlands
The Best Scones in Cameron Highlands
Charcoal Steamboat @ Restaurant Kwan Kee

Charcoal Steamboat @ Restaurant Kwan Kee

Steamboat, or Chinese hot pot, is a meal eaten in China in winter months, and is a tradition carried over to Malaysia when our ancestors migrated here. It is also claimed, but not verified, that the steamboat actually originated from the Mongolians. 


Today, in KL, the traditional coal-heated steamboat has been replaced by gas or electric cookers. That said, in Cameron Highlands, it is still available in some restaurants in Brinchang. One of them is Restaurant Kwan Kee.

The steam rising from the hot pot - we chose the herbal soup base

The long funnel attached to the steamboat acts as a chimney for the fire, without which the fire would be crackling up and above the pot. It looks much more interesting than the gas or electric steamboats we see in KL. 


But there is a reason why people switched from the traditional charcoal steamboat --- there is no control over the fire. You can't turn the fire up or down as you like. The soup dries really fast and the proprietor has to keep asking their staff to add soup to our pot.

The raw ingredients waiting to be cooked by hubby

Hubby did the cooking whenever we have steamboats or barbecues outside. I believe in letting the poor man have a chance at playing the cook. Yes, I don't let him cook at home. My kitchen looks like both a tornado and tsunami has invaded it if I let him cook. And I have no desire to clean up the tornado and tsunami aftermaths. No thank you, sirree.


Related topics:
Where to eat at Cameron Highlands
Jasmine Cafe @ Tanah Rata
The Best Scones in Cameron Highlands

The Best Scones in Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is known for three things --- strawberries, tea and scones. But not all scones are made equal. There are scones and then there are scones.


And when it comes to the topic of scones, I believe I am quite an expert on the subject. Besides having lived in the UK for some time, and making regular day trips to the Isle of Wight, Brighton or Devon just to have their world-famous scones with cream and jam, I also had two housemates who made scones for tea all the time: one from Canada who made the American version and one very English girl who made the English cream scones. So, I know the difference between a real English scone and an American one.


Having tried the scones at various places like Cameron Valley Bharat Cafe, Bala's Chalet, Smokehouse, The Lord's Cafe (formerly known as T-Cafe) and Cameronian Inn, I must say the best English scones award in Malaysia, if there is one, should go to.....Cameronian Inn.


Located behind the Agro Bank and Maybank at Tanah Rata, Cameronian Inn is a nondescript but charming little backpackers' lodge. The scones are made by the proprietor's wife, and they are the soft & fluffy types that English scones are famous for. The other scones at those places I mentioned above are soft, but crispy on the outside and crumbly on the inside, more like the American scones that are sometimes called biscuits.

They have a smaller version of the scones, which is good for diabetics who shouldn't be eating scones

On the first day we arrived at Cameron, I was gluttony and ordered a banana and honey pancake plus two regular-sized scones for tea. Their pancake was not as good as their scones, the dough was a little 'heavy'. 


On our second day, we had scones for dessert after our lunch, and had scones again for tea at four-ish in the afternoon. On our last day, we decided that we should not have any more scones, as the refined carbo plus the cream and jam might have spiked up hubby's blood glucose too much for comfort. 


As I type this, I'm playing with the idea of baking my own scones again, but hubby was not keen. He said my scones didn't taste half as good as the not-so-good ones let alone Cameronian Inn's. I know, I'm not talented in the kitchen, what a bummer!


Related topics:
Where To Eat At Cameron Highlands
Charcoal Steamboat @ Restaurant Kwan Kee
Jasmine Cafe @ Tanah Rata

Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands

NB: This is the 4th installment of my Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

Part 1: Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

Part 2: Hotel Cassa dela Rosa

Part 3: Time Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands

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The thing I love most about the British, besides their wry humour, is their tea and scones. The best scones I've ever had was in the Isle of Wight. The cream, the strawberries, and the lightness of the scones were just yummy. 

I've missed that, and the nearest "duplicate" I could find is in Cameron Highlands. When the British left Malaya, as Malaysia was called then, they left behind their tea and scones legacy. Whenever I'm in Cameron Highlands, I never fail to pop in at T-Cafe, above MarryBrown at Tanah Rata for my cream scones every afternoon. 

This time round, I decided to check out another place, Cameronian Inn, which I came across while surfing around for new things to do or see in Cameron Highlands. It was touted as having the best scone in the highlands. 

Unfortunately, we went there 3 times, and all 3 times, they didn't have scones. So, T-Cafe it is. We've tried scones at Bala Chalet and Smokehouse before, and they aren't worth their price. Both places charge RM12.50 per person for a set which comes with 2 scones, cream, strawberry jam, and tea. 

T-Cafe, on the other hand, charges only RM2.50 for one scone with cream, butter and strawberry jam. Tea is RM2.50. 

Incidentally, we saw a notice at T-Cafe announcing their soon to change name. T-Cafe will be known as The Lord's Cafe.

Ok, enough of my obsession with cream scones. Let's proceed to solid meals. One of the restaurants that serve decent Chinese food is You Hoo Restaurant at Brinchang. It's located at the former pasar malam site. We ordered their specialty, Indonesian Fish Curry, Spicy-fried Asparagus Beans and Steamed Eggs Three Kings. The total meal came to RM36 for two.

Indonesian Fish Curry

Spicy-fried Asparagus Beans

Steamed Eggs Three Kings

One other reasonably priced restaurant, recommended by a local cafe proprietor, is Yeong Wah Restaurant in Brinchang. It is behind the Star Regency Hotel. According to this local lady, Brinchang is notorious for over-priced food, and one should ask the price of a dish before placing an order. However, she added, this Yeong Wah is honest and would not rip off their customers. 

We ordered Drunken Prawns, Special Fried Noodles and Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce, all of which came to RM35.60 for two.

Drunken Prawns

Special Fried Noodles

Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce

On the day we return to KL, we stopped at Man Fatt Restaurant for Bak Kut Teh Mee. Man Fatt is located at the foothill of Cameron Highlands, just opposite the Simpang Pulai police station. If you were coming down  from Cameron Highlands, at the foothill, there's a traffic lights cross junction. Turn right, and the shop is on your left. 

Bak Kut Teh Mee

Related topics:

The Best Scones in Cameron Highlands

Charcoal Steamboat @ Restaurant Kwan Kee

Jasmine Cafe @ Tanah Rata