TIRED of the kiasu crowd, the noise and the same extravagant Ramadan fare, INTAN MAIZURA heads for something less ostentatious.
An orchestra of sounds serenaded the ear. Frogs were croaking, crickets were calling and the distant hoots of owls completed the music. The night was pitch black save for the comforting flicker of flames from the pelita dotting the restaurant's vast compound. The old-fashioned lanterns overhead also added to the warmth.
I had arrived at the D'River Restaurant at the Riverstone Eco Resort, located amidst the verdant tropical greenery of Hutan Lipur Sg Tua, Selangor.
Tired of the same lavish hotel fares, I was looking for a buka puasa offering that harked back to things more traditional and less noisy. Returning to nature and to traditional kampung food seemed to be answer.
To begin with, the D'River Restaurant, whose claim to fame lies in its exquisite eel offerings (cooked in many different ways), is both a visual and culinary delight. Although there is no eel on the Ramadan menu, there are, however, 60 other tantalising tempters to get you in the mood for breaking fast.
And to enhance the culinary experience is the setting. The decor is charmingly rustic. There is wood everywhere - from the wooden beams and terrace flooring right to the ceiling, complementing the jungle setting.
Warm light emanating from overhead lanterns and the flickering pelita adds to the cosy glow. Rows and rows of paper umbrellas suspended from the high ceiling look like magical clouds.
The tranquil kampung ambience sans music makes for a less harried feel. There is no need to jostle for food, as is the norm when you visit any of the buffets in town where oftentimes, the Ramadan spirit of patience is severely tested as you battle with the kiasu crowd intent on piling their plates with enough to feed a small population.
There are three choices of dining space - you could opt to dine under the umbrellas while enjoying the view of the pond (be careful of the lively arowana fish though), at the terrace overlooking the forest, or even get down, like the Japanese, on low tables located on a platform setting.
Then there's the food, of course, which would not fail to induce a sense of nostalgia. It had been a long time since I last enjoyed the simple offerings of boiled tapioca eaten with coconut or salted fish, or even boiled bananas (pisang abu, pisang awak) with coconut. My late grandmother used to serve these for tea as her grandchildren ran around her kampung compound chasing chickens and ducks.
Of course, there are other less "basic" items too. Bubbly restaurant owner Hamidah Asararuddin recommends Daging Salai (smoked meat) marinated with herbs and spices and eaten with air asam, the traditional Javanese favourite, Pecel Lele (cat fish cooked with coconut milk, birds eye chilli and cekur, the aromatic rhizome) and a fleshy patin fish stewed in tempoyak.
The main selection is expansive, comprising items such as Sweet and Sour Bawal, Sambal Goreng Kampung, Terung Goreng Berlada, Jantung Pisang Masak Lemak Cili Api and so on.
Suffice to say that Patin Tempoyak, a Pahang speciality, was definitely the piece de resistance. The fish was really fresh and the sauce, a combination of tempoyak, coconut milk, lemon grass and tamarind was spot on.
There are other mini stalls on the terrace, which you might want to try if rice is not your thing.
There's roti canai, murtabak and various types of noodles. I'd recommend Laksa Penang, which is really flavourful.
The sweets counter is also quite interesting. Why not end your meal with some traditional teatime favourites such as Kuih Lapis, Pulut Panggang, Bingka Tepung, Sagu Gula Melaka and various kinds of bubur. Delicious ABC and cendol are also available.
D'River also provides patrons with the convenience of Terawih facilities.
Food is still served long after the buka time is over so you can linger and savour the serenity of the evening over, a cup of teh tarik and hot kuih muih. The management is more than happy to oblige.
The buffet is priced at RM35 (adults) and RM18 (children).
 D'RIVER RESTAURANT
 Riverstone Eco Resort, Hutan Lipur Sg Tua, Sg Tua, Batu Caves
 Tel: 03-9200-4181

(published: 8/10/2006)