Malaysia road trip - Day 4 (Club Med Cherating)
On our third day at Club Med Cherating, the mornings were already starting to feel familiar. I woke up at 8am and made my way down to Mutiara Restaurant for breakfast at around 8.30am. My partner chose to sleep in and skipped the buffet, so I started the morning on my own. Fortunately, I didn't dine alone for long, as Jlo and his wife joined me shortly afterwards.
The breakfast spread was quite similar to yesterday's, although there were a few different items. There was a generous selection of pastries, which pastry lovers would definitely appreciate. At the live egg station, I requested a fried egg, which was prepared promptly by the staff. While the service was efficient and friendly, the egg did not have the crisp edges I personally prefer. On a more positive note, the hash browns were good. They were nicely browned and pleasantly crispy, making them one of the highlights of the meal.
The fried vermicelli was decent but a little bland, while the fish porridge was fairly average. Overall, it was a simple and consistent breakfast. There wasn't much that differed from the previous days, but the crispy hash browns and good company made for a pleasant start to the morning.
Mutiara Restaurant opening hours:
1. Breakfast - 7.15am to 9.45am
2. Lunch - 12pm to 2pm
3. Dinner - 6.45pm to 9pm
Mutiara Restaurant
Bread and pastries station
Bread and pastries station
Fruits station
Fruits station
Fruits and nuts station
Can fruits station
Puddings and yogurts
Salad station
Cheese station
Bagels
Condiments for fish & ginger porridge
Fried vermicelli
Stir-fried egg with onion
Corns
Chinese crullers and spring rolls
Braised tofu with peanuts
Steamed buns
Hash browns
French toast
Pancakes
Natto
Soba and tamagoyaki
Stir-fried lotus root with carrots
Baked teriyaki fish
Muffins
Baked beans
Chicken sausage
Bacon
Fried egg
Stir-fried bitter gourd with egg
Condiments for nasi lemak
Mutton curry
Fresh juice
Japanese barley tea
My breakfast
Watermelon juice
My breakfast
My breakfast
Mid-morning snacks at the main bar
After breakfast, we hung out at the main bar until 10.45am, waiting for our cooking class to begin in the theater. My partner, who had skipped breakfast earlier, went to Enak Restaurant for a late morning meal before joining us. The cooking class took place in a non-air-conditioned theater, which gave the whole experience a more rustic, hands-on feel. All the ingredients had already been prepared for us, and the chef was there to guide us through making fish fillet cooked in pepes.
“Pepes” is a traditional Indonesian culinary method where food is seasoned, wrapped in banana leaves, and then steamed or grilled. The banana leaf acts like a natural parcel, locking in moisture and aroma so the dish comes out tender, fragrant, and full of flavour. Since everything was pre-prepared, our main task was to gently pound the ingredients using a mortar and pestle until it formed a smooth, well-blended paste, allowing the spices to fully combine before wrapping it in banana leaves for cooking. The chef then took the parcels back to the kitchen, and after about 15 minutes, we got to taste the freshly cooked dish.
The fish was fresh and soft, and the spices were decent, giving a mild savoury and slightly spicy flavour with a hint of banana leaf aroma. It was pleasant and enjoyable, but more in a simple, home-style way rather than something particularly memorable or outstanding. After the cooking class, my partner and Jlo went for a swim, while I stayed back at the main bar area to wait for lunch.
Cooking class
Cooking class
Cooking instruction
Ingredients for fish fillet cooked in pepes
Ready to pound the ingredients in a mortar and pestle
Fish fillet
Coat the fish evenly on both sides with the seasoned mixture
Fold the edges of the banana leaf to create a parcel
Fish fillet cooked in pepes
Aqua gym
Snacks at the main bar
Snacks at the main bar
Lunch was a satisfying mix of different flavors and textures. The highlight was a grilled beef steak that was tender and cooked perfectly, without any blood. It came with smooth, tasty mashed potatoes and a chimichurri sauce that added a slightly salty, zesty kick. The beef itself had a light peppery flavor but could have used a bit more salt. The brinjal with cheese was especially good and paired nicely with the fragrant ghee rice.
There was also stir-fried lamb with superior sauce, which was tender and full of flavor. The Kerala-style duck curry was equally tender, though it leaned slightly towards the salty side. The ginger soy deep-fried fish had a mild fishy taste that wasn’t overpowering, while the sambal sotong was soft and carried a pleasant spicy kick. The Hakka noodles with minced chicken, however, were noticeably saltier than the other dishes. Overall, it was a varied meal with some standout dishes and a few that were a bit heavier on seasoning.
Desserts
Kolak - banana, pumpkin and coconut milk
Desserts
Waffles
Salad section
Salad section
Condiments
Salmon poke bowl
Beetroot, feta cheese & walnut cannelloni
Spinach mushroom tortilla roll
Fruits section
Fruits section
Honey and cheese station
Bread section
Hakka noodle with minced chicken
Stir-fried lamb with superior sauce
Tofu with egg
Ginger soy deep fried fish
Pok choi with mushroom
Chicken dim sum
Vegetarian dim sum
Sandwich
Condiments
Ghee rice
Kerala style duck curry
Paneer greenpeas
Fish finger
Burger station
Condiments
Okonomiyaki - Japanese seafood pancake
Ayam masak lemak
Stir-fried vegetable
Sotong sambal
Pizza
Spaghetti station
Tempe tempura served with kimchi fried rice
Potatoes
Eggplant parmesan
Fries
Grilled beef steak served with chimichurri sauce
My lunch
Fruits and desserts
After lunch, we took Jlo’s drone out for a spin and spent some time outdoors in the open area. It’s surprising how tired we still felt even on holiday, with our energy dropping in the afternoon for the second day in a row. So we headed back to the room for a proper rest. We dozed off from around 3.30pm to 5.20pm before getting ready for a game of pickleball. I guess that’s just how holidays go, with good food, sun, and activity slowly catching up with you and making a short recharge part of the routine.
Later in the evening, we had dinner at Enak Restaurant around 7pm. Since Mutiara Restaurant’s buffet opened at 6:45pm, we decided to check out the food there as well. The plan was to start with dinner at Enak and then head over to Mutiara for another round of food. This trip really feels like it’s all about eating well, relaxing, and getting plenty of rest in between.
Turtle Rock (mocktail) - orange juice, guava juice, peach syrup
Salad station
Desserts
Desserts
Shaved ice station
Roasted vegetables with chickpeas harissa
Foie grass terrine with fruits confit and toasted brioche
Fruits station
Salad section
Duck spring roll
Spicy mala gong gong
Stir-fried beef with ginger
Beef Wellington
Butter chicken
Aloo Gobhi (cauliflower potato curry)
Soba
Tuna tataki
Vegetables pesto pasta
Corns
Malaysian nasi kukus - steamed rice with spiced chicken
Dinner at Enak Restaurant was a bit of a mixed experience. Only three tables were occupied, and the space was dim, open-air, and without air conditioning, which made it quite warm and humid. We were sweating while eating, and there were quite a lot of mosquitoes, which affected the overall comfort of the meal.
The dinner was a set menu with a selection of starter, main course, and dessert. I started with a glass of white wine, which was smooth and not too sweet. We ordered creamy mushroom soup and a seafood platter for the starter. The mushroom soup was a bit watery, and the seafood lacked seasoning. For the main course, we had Australian beef tenderloin and grilled chicken with rendang sauce. Both were a bit underwhelming, with the rendang not being spicy or flavourful enough. The beef was also tough and not well seasoned, although the sauce itself was decent.
Dessert was better. The tart was good, not too sweet, with a nice nutty flavour, and the ice cream was creamy and smooth, though it had already started to melt slightly when served. The panna cotta was light and not too sweet, while the meringue on top was quite sweet, which helped balance the overall taste.
Starter
1. Creamy mushroom soup - a warm bowl of soup with tender bites of mushroom pieces
2. Seafood platter - warm butter garlic seafood: prawn, scallop, mussel, squid served with tomato cherry confit
3. Popiah basah - stewed jicama spring roll
4. Dukkha coated tuna - slightly seared tuna layered, nuts and spices, served with wasabi mayonnaise
Main course
1. Baked cauliflower - baked marinated cauliflower served with quinoa and torch ginger flower salsa
2. Australian beef tenderloin - served with fondant potato and black pepper sauce
3. Grilled sea bass fillet - served with tom yam risotto and vegetables
4. Grilled chicken with rendang sauce - roasted chicken, rendang sauce and nasi ulam
Dessert
1. Pandan panna cotta - local screw pine leaves infused dessert
2. Butter salted caramel tart - served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
3. Homemade gelato - selection of 2 flavours gelato and 1 sorbet served with cookies crumble, chocolate vermicelli or chocolate sauce
4. Fresh local fruits
Bread
White wine
Creamy mushroom soup
Seafood platter - prawn, scallop, mussel, squid served with tomato cherry confit
Australian beef tenderloin served with fondant potato and black pepper sauce
Grilled chicken with rendang sauce
Butter salted caramel tart served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Pandan panna cotta
After that, we headed to Mutiara Restaurant for another round at around 8.15pm. The food there was much better. The beef Wellington stood out as especially good, and the spiced chicken was also tasty. The salmon had crispy skin and was decent overall, and the vegetables were flavourful and well prepared. My partner also really liked the salmon, saying it paired well with the vegetables. For dessert, the creme brulee was very sweet, but the chocolate mousse cake was quite enjoyable, with a slightly tangy, chocolatey flavour that made it more interesting.
Beef Wellington
Duck spring roll
Salmon dish
Malaysian nasi kukus - steamed rice with spiced chicken
ABC shaved ice
Dessert
Later in the evening, we headed to the main pool area for the “Moon and the Sea” show, which started at 9pm. Seats were already set up around the pool, creating a nice open-air theatre in the evening sky. It was still warm and a little humid, which made it a bit uncomfortable at times.
The show featured acrobatic performances with music, lighting, and water effects that made the whole atmosphere feel dramatic and immersive. The performers moved between aerial stunts and water routines, blending strength and coordination against the poolside backdrop. It lasted until around 9.40pm and ended with a strong finale. While watching the show, we also sat with drinks from the bar, with my partner trying a few options before eventually settling on a mocktail called Turtle Rock, made with orange juice, guava juice, and peach syrup.
After the show, we headed back to our room. My partner freshened up before going back down to meet his friend for a final drink of the night, while I stayed in to get some work done before winding down for the day.
Moon and the sea show
Moon and the sea show
Turtle Rock (mocktail) - orange juice, guava juice, peach syrup
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