A Visit to Andak’s Place – a place with Character.

2009/11/30 at 8:11 pm · Filed under Food & Drinks and tagged: Janda Baik, Rainforest

(Click on the link of FOJB YouTube for the Video)

If you are cruising or drive through Janda Baik i.e. along from Simpang Tiga towards the signboard “ILMU (Umno Training Center)” you might be able to easily spot a catchy cozy eating place with a maroon and yellow signage called “Andak’s Place” . It is situated not far from Simpang Tiga at the left hand side of the road. There is an ample premix parking space in front of this cozy local bamboo, ‘Rumbia’ tatch roof with selective  greeny rainforest species and plants premises.

Well, obviously we would never leave this opportunity to pop over. It was a Sunday afternoon with mild temperature and sunny spells -  and it would be nice to sample some local dishes. There are about 10 patrons when we got in and a welcome greetings.

Entering the premises, we observe that there’re about three different sections for you to freely choose from: the side-walk, the main and the area or seating near the gentle fountain. The cooling water sounds produced by this gentle fountain could probably serve as a therapy to many within this premises. At the backyard laid a lovely green close turfing carpet grass with chest height wooden plank hoardings, giving an airy breeze cross natural ventilation little patio-like design .

The rainforest species were planted serving part of the interior soul, act as a oxygen lung within the cafe in the heart of Malaysian rainforest. The interior decor were designed utilising mainly local materials resources where bamboo being constructed as ceiling layers and onto partial wall panelling stands with a solid timber structure, not to mentioned supported with dimm lighting that bring up the contrast in this very simple cozy humble place with river stone split level stair at the main entrance. While walking besides green grassy spacy turfing to wash our hands , we encountered a wooden shelf cabinet containing a vast varieties choices of books, magazines and journals for the patrons to have a browse and spend their time reading on here over a local coffee /tea and delicacies.

Well, FOJB team have a privileged to have Mr. Azuwar along – a frequent visitors to Janda Baik who had been traveled extensively globally along with his love and passion for food. So, he will be acting as our food analyst. We decided to sample Andak’s Place traditionally prepared local ‘cuisines like green’sambal’with onions(chili paste), Beef Rendang, spicy fried chicken, ‘Ulam’ fresh vegetables, salted eggs,  served with white rice and local ice tea.So, how’s the taste like? For the past years, me myself do not hold good reputation in food tasting. But in seeing Azuwar absorption in tasting the food;not to mentioned with  a mouthful additional plate of main dish ordered by him ;and 3 set of drinks (even though he had just taken late breakfast an hour before), I must say that it would be something positive from this gentleman who’re really has passion and love and appreciation on food. I don’t need to ask him though after seeing the reaction chemistry along his food sampling process.

As if you taken it from me (from the person who will even tell you that instant noodle taste nice and that’s explain why i  never got a chance of being a food taster/analyst);  the hot green sambal were real craze and i personally found all them yummy. Okay, okay, i know…its not the instant noodle kind of yummy…what i wanted to say here is  , this is real yummy. Well, like i said, you dont have to take it from me, just come and taste it yourself tho.

Whats sparkling to FOJB here at the same time – is the sound of gushing water from this gentle fountain, the breeze of Janda Baik itself, a flowy tune of  local traddtional music played in Andak’s Place. It’s all  seems to be marriage well – the clean cozy premises, the gentle fountain, the breeze, the food, the light local traditional music, the friendly local environment…what can we say, it’s merely a place with it’s own character.The place got character.

We feel honored to finally got an opportunity meeting with the owner, Mr.Andak (or locally know here as just ‘Andak’). Lean build, glassy, late 40s – he’s a warm chap with wealth of experience and knowledge whilst he has been done a lot of traveling to great number of  places during his young age.

Without realizing it, we had been spending almost nearly 3.5 hours here. Well, if you are here in Janda Baik, time seems unclocking. Mmm…time is not constant anyway.

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