The restaurant serves a range of fish but we were intrigued by their Hainan Steamed Red Fish (RM 33) upon their crew's mention. She mentioned it is a combination of sour and spicy, which triggered our interest. No doubt the fish was fresh, the promised tasted was there, and it was served along with lady fingers. At one instance, the taste is akin of to "kiam hu kut gulai", a popular Nyonya dish.
It's always fun to have a quick getaway from the bustling city center and get closer to nature; if you agree with this statement, then make sure Kulim Forest Restaurant on your to-visit-list. Deep in the heart of Kulim, Kulim Forest Restaurant is tucked away behind the residential of Kampung Padang Tembak; once you have turned into the residential area (full of one-storey terrace houses), follow the signage and you will find yourself at a place surrounded by serene neighborhood with a man-made pool in the middle. Every corner offers a good photo opportunity, the atmosphere is most relaxed and the surrounding is picturesque. There is no written menu at Kulim Forest Restaurant but the server will recommend the freshest catch of the day. Fresh water produce is commonly served here, with a range of familiar Chinese dishes... reasonable price points if you must know.
Here's the location.
In search of good freshwater produce has always been our favorite thing to do, especially on long weekends. In our recent quest to Kulim, Kedah (border town of Penang and Kedah State), we visited Restaurant Kolam Ikan; one of the famous Chinese restaurants near to Kulim Hi-Tech Park. Kolam Ikan is known to churn out freshwater produce (namely Tilapia, Catfish, Patin etc), the owner owns fish farms (in Kedah) and therefore, able to source some of the freshest catch in town. The restaurant was previously situated right next to the fish pond but it was inaccessible right now. They were forced to move out and now, operating in their own residence. They do not have a very elaborate menu but just a few types of signature dishes they are best at. However, we thought the choices here are too "safe" and lacked of excitement. We thought Big Tree fared slightly better over Kolam Ikan. Kolam Ikan is tucked within a housing area in the vicinity and it's within a short distance drive from Kulim Hi-Tech Park.
Gourmands need not travel far to get good fresh water produce... Kulim, one of the closest towns to Penang in Kedah has quite a handful of good options. A short 15-minute drive away from Kulim High-Tech Park or 30-minute drive away from Penang bridge will land you at Big Tree Garden Restaurant (香树下河鲜), a seemingly curious restaurant tucked within a residential area of Kulim, Kedah. It takes some effort to reach here (once near Jalan Perdagangan, follow the lead of the road signages) but the reward is worth it. The place occupies a big piece of land and has multiple fish ponds farming fresh water produce. At the side of those ponds, it has a restaurant dedicated entirely to serve all these goodies. There are 6 types of fresh river fishes available here- Patin, Cat fish, Tilapia, Tamarind fish etc. Apart from the fresh water fishes, some of their signature dishes such as Stir Fried Porridge are not to be missed either...
