September 18, 2009 10:29 AM
Restaurant With Tree Root Drink In Its Menu
By Shahrullizan Rusli
SEREMBAN, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- While most restaurants offer ubiquitous fares like Tom Yam and Ikan Bakar in their menu, a young restaurateur has added a much sought after side offering, tree root concoctions to boost your vitality.
The D'Pantai restaurant serves drinks made from potent roots like Tongkat Ali and Tengkuk Biawak.
But the drinks made from secret recipe provide a more subtle boost in vitality without the bitterness that one feels after drinking the root extracts in the pure form.
The restaurant is located at Batu 6, Jalan Pantai near the Negeri Sembilan Veterinary Services Department. It opened for business June last year.
The owner, Mohd Rizal Abdul Karim, 31, noted that he was only continuing his uncle's business who had a tree root drink stall somewhere nearby.
"Pak Lang's stall was quite popular and after it was closed I felt what a waste if this unique offering is discontinued. In 2007, I decided to stop work as a technician at a factory and start this restaurant," he told Bernama.
Rizal learned from Pak Lang the ways to choose the roots before they are mixed with herbs and other tree roots.
ITS TASTES BITTER
"Not all can consume the Tongkat Ali drink in its pure form. Some after trying it for the first time would swear that they won't ever try again due to its bitterness. Here, the Tongkat Ali mixture contains other roots and some honey to make sure the customers keep coming back," he said.
The writer after trying the original Tongkat Ali drink in Langkawi some six years back dare not try it again until a visit to D'Pantai recently.
Since then, the writer has been to the restaurant thrice and each time ordered a cup of the tree root concoction or Tongkat Ali that costs RM5.
The effects from the drink offered by D'Pantai is potent and can be seen from the profuse sweating and the body ache that the writer used to suffer from is all gone.
Those not keen of the Tongkat Ali can opt for the Sarsi, but not the carbonated drink that they are used to. It is a concoction of tree roots and Sarsaparilla that tastes sweet and great.
PRECAUTIONS
According to Rizal, the restaurant offers tree roots like Tongkat Ali, Sarsi, Tengkuk Biawak, Teja, Tongkat Ali Hitam, Kacip Fatimah and Medang.
The roots are supplied by the Orang Asli who collect them from the nearby jungles, he said.
"We boil the roots in pots made from clay for about two hours. If it is cooked in aluminum pots, the vital elements are lost," he said.
He noted that, safety precautions are taken for example the boiled root extract is filtered to get rid of suspended particles.
For customers who come from far, D'Pantai also provides tree root mixture that they can take back at a competitive price.
INTERNET MARKETING
Rizal sells his root concoctions through web sites like ebay and has received encouraging response from buyers in Africa and South Korea.
Rizal's restaurant has lots to offer including free broadband internet where customers can connect their lap tops to the cyber world seamlessly and those without lap tops can rent one for RM2.50 only.
The restaurant which is open daily is located strategically near a children's playground, mini zoo and an equestrian centre.
Those keen to know of what Restoran D'Pantai has to offer can go to its web site at gisb2006.blogspot.com.
-- BERNAMA
