From the freshest grilled seafood to the most authentic Malaysian and Thai dishes, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas, located in Malaysia’s southernmost state, is a destination to relish for its culinary prowess. Ong Chin Huat checks in and discovers a gourmand’s paradise.
Located just two hours drive from Singapore, in the southernmost state of Malaysia, the Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas is just a hop, skip and jump, or more precisely, a fly, drive, or ferry ride away for urbanites who wish to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city or an intermission from the daily stressors of modern living.
Completed in December 2019, the Anantara Desaru Coast is modelled after a traditional fishing village, albeit a luxurious one where low-rise buildings housing 111 rooms overlook the greenery, lagoon or the South China Sea while the 13 villas consisting of one and two-bedrooms and the five expansive residences comprised of three and four-bedrooms provide privacy and seclusion to those who wish to retreat from their busy lives and switch off for a couple of days.
Located on a track of white sandy beach which stretches 17 km, this Anantara is the first one in Malaysia, with other hotels spread throughout the globe. Headquartered in Thailand, the Anantara Group first started in 2001 with its first luxury resort in the seaside town of Hua Hin in Thailand.
Today it has a portfolio of over 49 hotels and resorts stretching from Asia and the Middle East to Europe and beyond.
My experience at the Anantara Desaru Coast began when we arrived just in time for lunch. After a swift check-in and quick change of outfit in my deluxe sea view room with views of the Lagoon Pool, gardens and ocean, I headed down to Tumeric, the all-day dining located on the ground level overlooking the lagoon pool beckoned with its comfy rattan chairs, warm wooden flooring and discreet lighting.
With an international menu, Tumeric specialises in Malaysian and Thai fare, and you couldn’t go anywhere better to experience these two much-coveted cuisines.
From Asian dishes such as chicken and beef satay and Som Tam (Thai green papaya salad with salted eggs, dried shrimp’s peanuts and long beans) as starters to Penang Style Fried Kway Teow, Ayam Kampong Masak Kerutup (Braised organic Kampong Chicken) and Kaeng Phed Ped Yang (Braised Duck in Red Curry) to the Western selection such as the Vitality Salad with honey glazed roasted potatoes, fragrant pear, Roquefort cheese and roasted walnuts and the mouth-watering Beef Burger with homemade Australia beef patty, the food at Tumeric is first class and certainly didn’t disappoint.
For those on a wellness journey, there is a special menu which is nutrient-dense yet calorie controlled to ensure that everything you consume is healthy and nutritious. The enticing dishes include Poached Salmon Salad, Oven Baked Chicken Supreme and a Thai Style Marinated Baked Barramundi.
A quick swim at the Infinity Pool facing the beach just before cocktails was the perfect way to freshen up before cocktails at the Observatory Bar, an elevated bar with a 360-degree view of the entire resort located just off the lobby.
With their signature cocktails such as The Golden Ocean made from Bombay Sapphire, lychee and lime juice – perfectly apt at the golden hour – or a classic cocktail such as an Old Fashion, order some small bites such as the Spicy Chicken Chorizo Sausages or Potato and Caviar to whet your appetite before dinner.
With Mojitos and Martinis taking pride of place on the drinks menu, teetotallers are not forgotten either, with a good selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and homemade coolers.
Dinner at Sea.Fire.Salt., Anantara’s signature seafood and grill restaurant located by the infinity pool and facing the sea, was a culinary affair I was looking forward to.
From their caviar collection – which offers the locally produced T’lur Caviar as well as Beluga Caviar and the Hybrid Amur Kaluga Caviar from China – to their Rock Oysters, Foie Gras and Wagyu cuts, it is no surprise that people have travelled all the way from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to indulge and satiate their seafood or meat cravings at Sea.Fire.Salt.
Under the skilled hands and watchful eyes of Chef Fahdrul, all the seafood served at this seaside restaurant has been cured in natural seawater, an ingenious way of seasoning the seafood without using sodium chloride while infusing the dishes with valuable trace minerals.
The Rock Oysters, served with homemade ponzu sprinkled with salmon roe and pickled ginger, was a refreshing start to our meal, while the Wagyu Tenderloin, which came with a Mesclun salad and truffle-fries, was melt-in-your-mouth quality.
However, the piece de resistance must be the house’s speciality. Named the Sea.Fire.Salt Platter, the most succulent selection of seafood such as prawns, scallops, seabass, calamari, soft shell crab and rock oyster, was served in a towering heap on a block of Himalayan salt brink, adding a nice savoury flavour to every morsel.
The Homemade Wagamama Dressing and Lemon Butter Sauce only enhanced what was an already unbelievably sumptuous dinner.
After such a delicious indulgence the night before, it was only fitting that I woke up at the crack of dawn to partake in the Sunrise Dong stick class. A low-impact but high-mobility exercise utilising just simple bamboo sticks, this enjoyable exercise limbers you up and stretches all your joints and ligaments.
Watching the morning sun rise above the horizon while the soundtrack of waves breaking on the shore was an added bonus.
After a hearty breakfast at Tumeric, which has a good selection of Western and Malaysian fare, it was off to the Anantara Spa, located in a separate building near the lobby.
Whether it is a Chakra-Balancing Therapy or a Remedial Golf Massage, this serene sanctuary of pampering will make you feel like a brand-new person. Opting for the Anantara Signature Massage, which combines Eastern and Western techniques, my tired muscles were deeply kneaded using essential oils. Boosting blood circulation and clearing energy blockages, it was the best 90 minutes I had ever spent!
The Spice Spoons cooking class should not be missed, especially if you are a gourmand. Under the tutelage and expert eye of the resort’s executive sous chefs, we learned to prepare a starter, main course and dessert with the reward at the end of a nice apron and wood chopping board and the invitation to eat whatever we prepared for lunch! We learnt the correct proportion of spices to use as well as the flavours each ingredient contributed to the finished dish.
Finally, on our last night, we were lucky that the epic Thai-Laysia Night took place as it’s only available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Lovers of Thai and Malaysia fare would find themselves in culinary heaven with the best of these two delectable cuisines on offer, from Malaysian barbecue classics such as satay and Thai Style Marinated Seabass Fillet in Banana Leaf to perennial Thai favourites such as Pad Thai Goong (wok-fried rice noodle with prawns), Neua Tun Yodpak (braised beef with five spice, baby kailan & tofu) and Som Tam (green papaya salad with salted eggs, dried shrimps, peanuts and yard long beans.)
Saving a little room for the vast selection of desserts on offer, such as the Blue Pea Flower Ka Niew Mamau, Pomelo Mango Pudding, Coconut Pandan Cake, Melon Panna Cotta, and Bubur Cha-cha is advisable because this dessert buffet is something not to be missed!
For further information on the Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas, please visit www.anantara.com/en/desaru-coast.
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