Address: 81110 Pulai, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
Tel: +60 7 5212121
Website: www.pulaisprings.com

Took leave from work. Woke up at 5.50am in the morning. Did not have breakfast. Lugged my golf bag. Hailed a cab to my friend’s place. Took friend’s car to Johor Bahru. Played golf at Pulai Springs Resort. Skipped lunch. Almost had heat stroke. Finally staggered into the resort Cafe at 3.30pm for a meal. Timeline of my day established.

The said Cafe was ostentiously named the Gleneagles. The place was adorned with wood panelings and solid wood furniture with the intend to create some form of Scottish themed ambience. “Jolly good effort I say…but bugger it and bring me your FOOD!!” as my inner thoughts screamed out in a pseudo Brit acccent.

In order of appearance from left to right, our motley group had the Nasi Lemak (RM13.50), the Fried Noodle Mamak Style (RM12.50), the Lar Mien with Chicken (RM12), the Grilled Veal Bratwurst (RM16.50) and the Crispy Chicken Wings Half Dozen (RM14).

The Nasi Lemak is essentially coconut milk flavoured rice (thus the term Lemak referring to the coconut milk and the Nasi referring to the rice). The usual suspects to go with Nasi Lemak are ikan bilis (or anchovies for you western educated dudes out there), nuts, egg, fried fish, chicken wing and the ever present piece of sliced cucumber. I guess the sliced cucumber is the cook’s concession to healthy living (nevermind that thousands of arteries everyday are being clogged by fried food and that the rice is drenched with fattening coconut milk… there is a piece of healthy green stuff there..). In Singapore, the Nasi Lemaks typically go for S$1-2 (around RM2-5). I guess someone has to pay for the Scottish themed fittings.

The Fried Noodle Mamak style had me thinking on who “Mamak” was and whether he was truly that stylish to warrant having the fried noodle named after him. I picture an Elvis Presley look-alike slaving away behind the stove and doing the trademark jiggle now and then …muttering to himself “…working like a hound dog…” Ok I kid. The “Mamak” refers to the Indian Muslims in the country (not really considered a polite term … don’t go shouting this around in Malaysia).

The Lar Mien was chinese style noodles. Slightly more healthy than the Nasi Lemak going by the shear amount of greenery present in the bowl.

I had the Grilled Veal Bratwurst. Or as the waiter there pronounced “Ber…st…” Yup. He had sneakily skipped the intricate portions of the word. What he brought me in the end might actually be “Ber..st”…seeing that it looked nothing like the fat German sausage that I envisioned.

The saviour of the day was the Fried Chicken. When in doubt, go for the Fried Chicken. Woe be the restaurant that cannot handle a decent Fried Chicken.

On the journey back to Singapore (made extra long by the jams present at both ends of the causeway), I was in my contemplative self. The definition of good food is so very subjective. The time of the day, how hungry someone is, the company, the ambience (Scottish…British…Prison..), the state of physical and mental health of the food partaker…I was not in much of a good mood these past few days…food was placed on a much lower priority…no longer an enjoyment, it was just a means to keep the body going. Thus, I say, savour every moment of good company and good food you have. Because the experience may turn out very much different the next time you visit the place.