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
mSTAR
Jumaat September 18, 2009
Rizal dan menu unik minuman akar kayu
Oleh Shahrullizan Rusli
JIKA kebanyakan restoran mempunyai menu utama seperti Tom Yam dan Ikan Bakar, sebuah restoran milik seorang anak muda di sini menyajikan menu sampingan istimewa, minuman daripada ramuan akar kayu penambah tenaga.
Restoran D'Pantai menyediakan minuman daripada akar kayu popular seperti Tongkat Ali dan Tengkuk Biawak. Tetapi minuman daripada resipi rahsia ini, sebagai penambah tenaga, tidak pahit seperti yang biasa dirasai jika meminum air campuran akar kayu asli.
Restoran itu terletak di Batu 6, Jalan Pantai berhampiran Jabatan Veterinar Negeri Sembilan dan mula dibuka Jun tahun lepas.
Pemiliknya, Mohd Rizal Abdul Karim, 31, berkata beliau cuma meneruskan usaha bapa saudaranya yang pernah membuka gerai minuman akar kayu berhampiran kawasan itu tidak lama dahulu.
"Gerai Pak Lang dahulu agak popular tetapi selepas ditutup, saya rasa rugi jika tidak diteruskan menu unik ini. Saya akhirnya mengambil keputusan untuk berhenti kerja sebagai juruteknik di sebuah kilang pada tahun 2007 untuk membuka restoran ini," katanya kepada Bernama.
Rizal belajar daripada Pak Lang cara untuk memilih akar kayu sebelum mencampurkannya dengan herba atau akar kayu lain supaya mudah dinikmati pelanggan.
RASA PAYAU
"Bukan semua orang boleh minum air Tongkat Ali. Ada orang yang minum sekali sahaja tetapi lepas itu sudah serik untuk mencuba semula kerana rasa payau. Di sini, campuran Tongkat Ali kami mengandungi akar kayu lain dan sedikit madu supaya pelanggan kali pertama akan datang untuk kali kedua," katanya.
Penulis sendiri pernah mencuba minuman Tongkat Ali asli di Langkawi enam tahun lepas tetapi tidak sanggup mencubanya sekali lagi sehinggalah dibawa ke D'Pantai barubaru ini.
Kini sudah tiga kali penulis mengunjungi restoran itu dan tidak pernah lupa untuk memesan satu teko air minuman campuran akar kayu atau Tongkat Ali yang berharga RM5.
Kesan air akar kayu D'Pantai memang ajaib, badan penulis yang sering sakitsakit kini terasa luar biasa dan badan sentiasa berpeluh.
Jika tidak suka kepada Tongkat Ali, pengunjung boleh memesan air Sarsi tetapi bukanlah minuman ringan Sarsi biasa, sebaliknya air yang direbus bersama akar kayu Sarsaparilla dan rasanya sangat enak serta manis.
LANGKAH KESELAMATAN
Menurut Rizal, restoran itu menghidangkan akar kayu seperti Tongkat Ali, Sarsi, Tengkuk Biawak, Teja, Tongkat Ali Hitam, Kacip Fatimah dan Medang.
Bekalan akar kayu ini didapatkannya daripada Orang Asli yang mengutip tumbuhan semula jadi itu di kawasan hutan berhampiran.
"Kita masak akar-akar kayu ini dalam periuk tanah liat selama lebih kurang dua jam. Kalau dalam periuk aluminium, khasiatnya akan hilang," katanya.
Beliau berkata langkah keselamatan sentiasa diambil misalnya, air akar kayu yang mahu dihidangkan biasanya ditapis untuk membuang serbuk-serbuk kayu yang mungkin terampai.
Bagi pengunjung yang jauh, D'Pantai turut menyediakan campuran akar kayu untuk dibawa balik dengan harga yang berpatutan.
LAMAN DAGANG
Rizal menjual akar kayunya menerusi laman web seperti ebay dan mendapat sambutan yang sangat menggalakkan daripada pembeli di Afrika dan Korea Selatan.
D'Pantai turut menawarkan pelbagai kemudahan seperti internet jalur lebar secara percuma malah pengunjung yang tidak membawa komputer bimbit boleh menyewa daripada restoran dengan bayaran RM2.50 sahaja.
Restoran dibuka setiap hari dan kedudukannya juga sangat strategik berhampiran taman permainan kanak-kanak, mini zoo dan pusat menunggang kuda. Pengunjung yang ingin mengenali Restoran D'Pantai boleh membuka laman webnya di alamat gisb2006.blogspot.com. BERNAMA
