It was lunch hour and we decided to do a brief stop in Bentong, Pahang. When I looked for recommendations in Foursquare, this restaurant called Restoran Chidas Kari Kepala Ikan Bentong came highly recommended. Since the three of us love Fish Head Curry, we decided to head over to this place. It's not really that far a drive from the East Coast Highway and the town was not too big as well. If you follow the address, it should take you right to the doorstep of this restaurant.
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| The Restaurant Located Along Jalan Loke Yew, Bentong |
It's a very humble town and navigating around was rather easy. If you get lost, do look for Agro Bank as it is located just two doors away. Perhaps, that address may be a little more prominent compared to this restaurant. Parking is easy too as there is ample of parking right by the road shoulders. The restaurant has two seating sections, an open area and another air conditioned room. I am not sure if there would be different charges for those who patronise the air-conditioned room but since it was a rather hot afternoon, we decided to sit in there anyway. Service levels were good and the owner himself attended to us.
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| Fresh Soursop Juice @ RM 6.50 each |
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| Appalam @ RM 2.00 |
Appalam here is charged separately. Not sure why since we had gone for their Banana Leaf Rice Meals. Perhaps that is how it is over there. The owner informed us that there's some fresh Soursop fruits that had been sent and if we wanted some Soursop Juice. Since it has been a while since the all of us had had that, we decided to go for it. It was priced at RM 6.50 per tall glass but it was truly worth it. Real fruit had been added and it was so good. My rating for this drink would be 10/10.
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| Banana Leaf Rice Meal @ RM 5.00 per set |
I felt that their Banana Leaf Rice Meals were quite basic. The vegetables were just okay and nothing to shout about. Rightfully, they should have used the full leaves as well. This half leaf is only used for tiffin items i.e. breakfast etc and not for lunch. If I was to rate their vegetables, I would probably give it 7/10.
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| Chicken Varuval @ RM 6.00 |
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| Mutton @ RM 8.00 |
Their Chicken Varuval was awesome. It had so much masala that each and every piece had been deeply marinated and each bite was heavenly. My rating for this shall be 9/10. Their Mutton Gravy was also good. Decent cut sizes and the gravy was thick and rich in spices. My rating for this shall again be 9/10.
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| Fish Head Curry @ RM 45.00 |
This Fish Head Curry was not the pre-cooked stuff. It was actually made to order and that being the case, you would need to wait for a while. When it was served, it was served piping hot and with burners beneath. The aroma was absolutely fantastic and it tasted so good. The curry was prepared according to the South Indian style and not the Indian Muslim way. What can I say about this Fish Head Curry, it was truly one of the best that I had tasted. Truly way better than the ones that we get in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, this preparation is hard to find in Kuala Lumpur since most of the Fish Head Curry places are dominated by the Indian Muslims. In short, it was heavenly and my rating for this shall be 10/10.
If you happen to be in Bentong or if you are making a trip to the East Coast, I would recommend doing a stopover in Bentong for lunch. Restoran Chidas Kari Kepala Ikan Bentong has one of the best Fish Head Curries that you have got to try. The curries were so authentic and delicious. Very reasonable prices as well. A highly recommended restaurant.
Address: No. 47, Jalan Loke Yew, 28700 Bentong, Pahang.
Business Hours: 0600 - 2100 Daily
