Hi Folks! It’s been awhile since we’ve reviewed a new foodie place. To be honest, we’ve been really picky on the places we cover. And lately there haven’t been many places that warrant our review. (Trust us, we get a lot of invitations from new restaurants, but upon checking some of them out, we had to abide by that age old piece of wisdom ‘If you have nothing good to say, better to remain silent.’)

Fortunately, we’ve recently been introduced to a place that’s 1 hour drive from KL and worthy of review. There’s this little piece of paradise called ‘Ma-Ni Thai Restaurant’ in Tanjung Malim. From what we’ve been told, apparently it’s been there for years, but their patrons keep it hush-hush to maintain peace and quiet. Regulars include Harley Davidson bikers, VIPs, and those who really appreciate awesome Thai cuisine.

The Ma-Ni enclave is a labour of love of Mah Hussain, a renowned architect turned restauranteur and semi-homestay owner. He bought the land some time ago and converted it into the restaurant with some villas for those who want to escape the city. His love for the environment is evident when he built the restaurant and villas around the existing trees to minimize damage to the environment. A few mountain streams run through the establishment with crystal clear waters forming into a pond and sounds of the jungle like birds and crickets are aplenty. The place has a certain Bali feel to it with even a traditional bullock cart that greets visitors who want to enter the villa area. Actually you feel relaxed the moment you step into the area.

(Above: The entrance to Ma-Ni is a bit secluded. So look out for this temple)

(Above: The actual entrance gate)

(Above: Entrance to the Ma-Ni Restaurant)

(Above: Bob Marley welcomes you to Ma-Ni!)

(Above: Nice small tabletops for small groups)

(Above: Plenty of space for large groups or families)

(Above: There’s even a private room for those who want private functions)

(Above: Have a nice meal with the sounds of mountain streams flowing beneath you)

(Above: Walk this way to the Ma-Ni villas)

(Above: A traditional bullock cart greets you on the way to the villas)

(Above: Take the wooden steps to the villas)

(Above: Tada! Welcome to the Yellow Villa! Among one of 4 villas)

(Above: Yup, it’s all yellow decor inside. Wonderful use of space! Looks small from the outside, but big on the inside)

(Above: For some odd reason, we love this rustic chair.)

(Above: The Chair.)

Now let’s talk about the delicious food.

Ma-Ni serves Thai cuisine; some are traditional while some are fusion. We have to admit that it’s one of the best we’ve ever tasted. They really know how to blend various flavours together and simply make them pop in your mouth. It’s really difficult to put into words, but it’s almost like a fine dining experience. The type of food that you only eat a little, but it’s enough to satisfy your taste buds that you don’t need to order much.

Check out what we had below for lunch:

(Above: Our courtesy flat-lay pic)

(Above: Gaeng Khiaw Wan Gai – Chicken green curry)

(Above: Neua Tod – Fried beef fingers with crushed garlic)

(Above: Yum Phak Kud – Spicy and sour paku pakis with salted egg salad)

For dinner we tried the following dishes. Was definitely not disappointed.

(Above: Soft shell crab! Honestly we forgot the dish’s name. But just superb!)

(Above: Otak-otak. A definite must have!)

 

(Above: Yum Phla Mek – Baby squids, salted eggs in lime, raw palm sugar and coconut milk sauce)

For those who are curious on the entire menu, fret not. The menu is below too. Just click to enlarge.

 

To summarize, this is a really great place to dine and have a quick recharge getaway. Those interested you can find them here:

Ma-Ni Thai Cuisine
No. 26, Bt 3/4 Jalan Changkat Asa, Hulu Bernam, 35900 Selangor.

https://www.facebook.com/mani.thai.cuisine/