Fresh

Special thanks to Thistle Port Dickson Resort for extending this food review invitation.

Located at Level 1 of Thistle Port Dickson Resort is Fresh, the all-day dining restaurant of the hotel. The eatery serves a range of local and Western dishes to appeal to its cosmopolitan clientele.

Fresh's à la carte menu features several Minangkabau delicacies that reflect the unique cuisine of Negeri Sembilan. These dishes are specially curated by F&B Manager Azlin and Chef Helmy.

Nasi Kukus Wak-Wak Berlada Bersama Terung Pipit is one such dish. Wak-wak, also known as white-breasted waterhen, is commonly found in local marshes. The bird is marinated with flavorful spices like turmeric, and then braised to golden perfection.

The poultry dish is served with steamed rice, terung pipit (turkey berries), jantung pisang (banana blossoms) and steamed fish. During the MAH Negeri Sembilan Food Festival earlier this year, Thistle's recipe received special endorsement from the state's Menteri Besar.

Should you prefer red meat, Nasi Kukus Salai Bersama Cendawan Kukur is the recommended choice. The buffalo meat is marinated, smoked and cut into thin slices. The meat is then cooked with santan (coconut milk), cendawan kukur (splitgill mushrooms) and a special blend of spices.

Nine shoots rendang and steamed rice are served on the side. The former is a savory blend of nine ingredients such as pucuk ubi (cassava shoots) and pucuk paku (fiddleheads).

Bubur Kampiun is a popular dessert from Minangkabau cookbooks. The dessert is primarily made of rice flour, coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar). Also present are kolak pisang (banana compote), buah candil (glutinous rice nuggets) and pulut hitam (black glutinous rice).

Bubur Kampiun has a gentle sweetness but not overpowering. I like how the texture of each ingredient contributes to the overall enjoyment of this chilled dessert. If you enjoy Bubur Kampiun, it is occasionally made available in the Dim Sum Semi-Buffet Lunch.

Besides Minangkabau cuisine, Fresh's menu also covers mainstream dishes such as noodles, burgers, pizzas and pastas. In addition, the restaurant serves Cita Rasa Gerai Buffet Dinner every Friday and Saturday.

Name: Fresh
Address: Thistle Port Dickson Resort, KM16, Jalan Pantai, Teluk Kemang, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
Contact: 06-648-2907
Business hours: 6:30am-11:00pm
Website: https://www.thistle.com.my/portdickson/restaurants/fresh
Coordinates: 2.43015 N, 101.85867 E
Directions: Thistle is approximately 16 kilometers south of Port Dickson town center. Turn right as soon as you see the resort's signboard and follow the winding road to the hotel lobby. Fresh is located at Level 1. The resort provides complimentary parking.