Malaysia road trip - Day 9 (Desaru)

We took things easy on the final morning of our stay at Four Points by Sheraton Desaru. I spent a couple of hours working from the hotel before we headed out for brunch and checked out. One thing we really liked about staying here was the convenience of having plenty of eateries just opposite the hotel. It was easy to grab a meal without having to drive anywhere, and the spacious room made the stay even more comfortable.

We decided on Harbourfront Seafood, which was just a five-minute walk (350m) from the hotel. There weren't many diners around when we arrived, and our food was served in no time. We ordered Hokkien mee hoon, Singapore fried bee hoon, Chinese tea, and a can of Sarsi. Although the vermicelli was slightly firm, it was still flavourful, and the sliced fish balls were surprisingly good. Between the two dishes, I preferred my Hokkien mee hoon. It was definitely the better choice compared to my partner’s Singapore fried bee hoon.

Overall, it was a simple and satisfying brunch and a nice way to wrap up our stay at Four Points by Sheraton Desaru before checking in to The Westin Desaru Coast Resort for the next part of our holiday.

(Total bill - RM 20.60)

Harbourfront Seafood

Chinese tea - RM 0.50 and Sarsi - RM 3

Chili padi

Sambal

Singapore fried bee hoon - RM 8

Hokkien mee hoon - RM 8

Address:

Harbourfront Seafood

47, Jalan Kempas 1,

Taman Desaru Utama,

81930 Bandar Penawar,

Johor Darul Ta'zim

Tel: +6010 - 407 6883

Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm

We checked out of the hotel before 1pm and made our way to The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, just a 13-minute drive (8.9km) from Four Points by Sheraton Desaru. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt calm and welcoming. We were greeted warmly and even offered a welcome drink during check-in, which was a nice touch after the short drive. We were also pleasantly surprised to be able to check in early, despite the standard check-in time being 4pm.

After settling in, we headed to Kedidi for a late lunch and tea break. I ordered the cheese and ham toasties, which came with turkey ham, cheddar cheese, fries, and a choice of white or wholemeal bread. I chose wholemeal bread, along with a fresh coconut. My partner went for the grilled seabass, which came with a choice of three sauces. He selected the tamarind asam sauce, nyonya-style sauce, and sambal belacan. There were also several other sauces available, including signature anchovies green sambal, signature sambal tempoyak, sambal chili, sambal kicap, chimichurri, Malacca Portuguese sauce, and percik sauce.

While waiting for our food, complimentary crackers were served. Unfortunately, they were slightly bitter and lacked crispiness, so we only had a few bites. Once our mains arrived, the seabass was fresh with a strong natural flavour, and it paired really well with the nyonya-style sauce. My toasties were enjoyable too, with lightly crisped ham and crispy fries. The coconut drink, however, was a little disappointing as it tasted slightly sour, as if it wasn’t the freshest.

The total bill came to RM 96.15 after the Marriott Bonvoy 30% discount and RM 50 voucher were applied.

The Westin Desaru Coast Resort

Kedidi

Fresh coconut - RM 22 and complimentary iced water

Complimentary crackers

Cheese and ham toasties - RM 58

Grilled seabass with tamarind asam sauce, nyonya style sauce and sambal belacan - RM 150

Sauce for the grilled seabass

In the evening, we took a stroll to the beach in hopes of catching the sunset. Unfortunately, the view was blocked by clouds when we arrived around 6.45pm. We stopped by the Beach Bar and ordered a fresh orange juice priced at RM 25. After the 30% Marriott Bonvoy discount, the bill came to RM 17.50. The juice was freshly made with a light, pleasant sourness. Since the Beach Bar closes at 7pm and the beach is officially closed by then, my partner took the opportunity for a quick dip before we left. Fortunately, the lifeguard kindly allowed him to swim for about five minutes before asking everyone to leave the water.

Later, we headed to Seasonal Tastes for dinner. I ordered the grilled chicken supreme half, which came with chicken breast, sauteed quinoa, corn salsa, and mushroom sauce. We also shared the prawn mango salad, made with young mango, grilled prawns, chili, onion, fish sauce, lime, garlic, beans, and peanuts, along with the Malaysian Nasi Lemak, served with chicken rendang, prawn sambal, fried squid, peanuts, anchovies, boiled egg, and cucumber. To end the meal, we had the chocolate lava cake, accompanied by vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. Marriott Bonvoy members enjoy a 35% dining discount. After the discount, our bill exceeded RM 100, allowing us to redeem a RM 50 voucher. The final bill came to RM 57.25.

My grilled chicken was tender and paired well with the sauteed quinoa, although the half portion was surprisingly small and the dish itself was rather salty. My partner’s nasi lemak was more disappointing. The anchovies were much darker than expected and appeared overdone rather than lightly crisp. When we pointed this out, the waitress brought a fresh serving and explained that it had just been fried in the kitchen. However, the replacement looked almost identical and tasted cold and not particularly fresh. We even asked her to try it herself, and she agreed. Although she offered another replacement, we decided not to pursue the matter further.

The chicken rendang also did not taste particularly fresh. The prawn mango salad was appetising with its tangy flavours, but the prawns lacked freshness. Dessert turned out to be the highlight of the meal. The chocolate lava cake had a slightly crisp exterior with a gooey center, while the vanilla ice cream was firm, creamy, and smooth. The strawberries, however, were noticeably sour. Overall, the food fell short of expectations, but the staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely tried to resolve the issues we encountered. We returned to our room around 9.50pm, spent the rest of the evening relaxing, and turned in for the night.