There is other food to try in Cameron Highlands besides an Asian-style hot pot meal!
And there’s a surprising variety of different cuisine up here too. Like Indian, Japanese, Western, Thai, Malay, and Chinese.
Bring your appetite to any of these locations. Just keep your expectations low as Cameron Highlands is not known for food!
1. Sister Chee’s Food Stall
This is a small family-run coffee shop in a corner lot in Brinchang town. There is limited seating here and it’s hard to spot the stall from the road since they don’t have a large signboard.
The food is decent (average for Ipoh standards), and you can get noodle dishes like wanton mee, char kuay teow, and curry noodles.
They do have some common kopitiam drinks as well (the coffee is not bad), but not many options for non-caffeinated drinks (that are not from cans too). We wish they had some leong sui but they do not.
Pricing was fair here. In fact, this was one of the cheapest eateries we’ve tried in Cameron Highlands.
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 7:30am to 3pm
- Contact: +6012-5987330
- Remark: Not halal
2. Cameron Organic Produce Steamboat Restaurant
Cameron Organic Produce Steamboat Restaurant utilizes traditional charcoal steamboat stoves and organic vegetables fresh from their garden!
You can order a steamboat set with seafood that’s just right for 2 people. Choose either the chicken or vegetable soup base – supposedly MSG-free.
Take note that this restaurant in Brinchang fills up quick during dinner time!
- Address: 10, Bandar Baru, 39100 Brinchang, Pahang
- Opening Hours: 12pm to 10pm
- Contact: +605-491 4807
- Remark: Not halal
3. The Smokehouse Hotel & Restaurant
The Smokehouse is a Cameron Highlands resort that has a British-colonial theme throughout. That includes a quaint café at the front.
Patrons can sit in the lovely garden at the terrace or inside the hotel with its English-style decor. We do highly recommend taking a walk around the whole garden. It is well kept even if it is small.
Depending on what time you get here, they have English-style or European breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner sets!
Overall, the food is pricey and when we were here, we felt that we were paying mostly for the environment.
The scones and tea are not bad but admittedly, you can get scones elsewhere for a lot cheaper.
We have had dinner here before too, and were not impressed with the quality and taste of the food since the ingredients don’t meet the price point.
That said, The Smokehouse is still one of the prettiest places to have a meal.
Note: If you see a lot of customers, you better move on to the next location to avoid long waiting times.
- Location: Google Maps
- Hotel: Check price on Booking.com or Agoda
4. Pizzarella & Misokimchi At Tanah Rata
This is a relatively new restaurant with an unusually wide menu.
At Misokimchi, you can get classic Korean and Japanese dishes like bibimbap, bulgogi, bento boxes, tempura ramen, army pot, and a curious blend of kimchi and miso soup that is ideal for a cold night.
Different spiciness levels and vegetarian options are available too! We like their pizza and mushroom soup.
We will come back for the attentive service, delicious food, reasonable prices, and a comfortable environment! If you do plan to come here, choose a seat outside since it has better ventilation. You will be able to avoid the cooking smells from the kitchen this way.
This eatery is doing very well and now has another branch at Centrum Mall at Brinchang which we have not tried yet.
Remark: Halal-certified. Vegetarian options may include egg – do double-check with the staff.
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 12pm to 9:30pm
- Contact: +605-485 1249
5. Yong Teng Café
Yong Teng Café is a humble stall run by an elderly deaf couple. Write down your orders from their menu. Be patient as the food is worth it and inexpensive too.
Their pancakes make them a must-try spot for breakfast! The pancakes are more like crepes, and you can have them with berries, fruit, and ice cream of your choice.
They’re not the most amazing pancakes we’ve ever had but pleasant enough if you just want something to snack on in between meals.
Aside from pancakes, they have western, Chinese, and Malay dishes too. All affordable and tasty.
- Location: Stall #4, Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 7am to 4pm
6. Restoran Tasty
Chee cheong fun is the main thing that they serve at Restoran Tasty. We’ve tried their pumpkin and their shrimp chee cheong fun.
Both are alright but not better than what we’ve had in Ipoh.
The owner and his assistant are both well-mannered. We will say that their coffee here is very good and worth ordering.
A big group might feel a little cramped in this small restaurant, but it’s cozy for smaller groups. Unfortunately, there are flies but this is a common problem in Cameron Highlands.
7. He Ping Xiao Shi
There are a lot of appetizing local options on the menu of He Ping Xiao Shi. We tried their pork porridge and nasi lemak.
And while the porridge was fine and did not use MSG, the nasi lemak was wonderful. It is quite spicy though.
Their drinks are not bad – we had both coffee and barley gingko.
Seating is spacious with tables that can fit bigger groups. We do feel that service could be more attentive here (they forgot one of our orders even though the restaurant was not full) but this is our only complaint.
8. The Lord’s Café
Tea houses at the tea plantations can be pricey. So, if you’re looking for somewhere to have breakfast or tea that doesn’t put a hole in your wallet:
This cute hidden café above the Marrybrown outlet in Tanah Rata serves some of the best scones at reasonable prices.
But for these prices, you can’t expect fresh clotted cream, fancy tea or homemade jam so do set your expectations accordingly.
Their apple pies, banana crepes, and banana chocolate cakes are good too. We really like their mango milkshake. It’s thick and creamy.
And for other places that serve scones, check out our article on scones in Cameron Highlands for more options.
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 10am to 5pm (Closed on Sundays)
- Contact: +6019-572 2883
- Remark: No WiFi; 30 cents to refill your cup of tea with hot water; Very busy on weekends; No outdoor seating
9. BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre
After you’re done admiring the tea plantation up close, you can make your way up to the BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre to try their tea and have cakes on the side!
We don’t like their scones. They are not tasty and don’t have a nice texture to them. But their nasi lemak is delicious.
It’s hard to beat the astounding views you can get from the center too! Which is why this place is usually filled to the brim with visitors every weekend and public holiday!
The new seating area (Tristan’s Terrace) is beautiful and airy and we recommend sitting over here instead if you get the chance!
Read more about our experience dining at BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre.
- Opening Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +605-496 2096
10. Cactus View Restaurant
Cactus View Restaurant will do the trick if you just want a casual steamboat lunch or dinner to share with friends and family in a rustic outdoor setting outdoors that is sheltered from the rain.
The dual charcoal steamboat and barbeque set is reasonably priced, and they do not go overboard with seasoning! We really enjoyed having dinner at this restaurant with our family.
PS: They no longer open for lunch
Besides the steamboat, you can get some delish ala carte dishes on the side like steamed fish or dry bak kut teh as well.
Bookings are necessary during weekends and public holidays. It gets very crowded at dinner hours. We recommend choosing a backup from our list of steamboat restaurants in Cameron Highlands.
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 12:30pm to 2:30pm; 5pm to 9:30pm
- Contact: +6012-261 8599
- Remark: Not halal; Alcohol and pork are served here; Reservations are required
11. Singh Chapati Urban Restaurant
If you can catch them at a time when the simple family-run restaurant is not full of people, you’re in for a great dining experience!
They may have a small menu, but the fantastic and flavorful food keeps bringing customers back! Everything is cooked fresh, so some waiting time is inevitable.
We really liked their mutton curry. Do let them know your spice tolerance before they head to the kitchen with your order. The curry was much spicier than we anticipated even though we asked for normal spiciness.
Wash down your meal with comforting masala tea or their homemade hot almond milk!
Favorites:
- Vegetable biryani
- Masala chicken or mutton
- Paneer
- Capati
- Butter chicken
- Mutton biryani
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 1:30pm to 4:30pm and again from 6:30pm to 9:30pm
- Contact: +6017-578 6454
12. Restaurant Chef Kim
Bolognese spaghetti was the best thing we ate at Restaurant Chef Kim. It’s neither too sweet, salty nor sour.
In comparison, the signature turmeric chicken (forgot the exact name) that Chef Kim recommended, was too sweet for us.
There are quite a lot of other dishes available on the menu. Some are Asian fusion. As for drinks, this is limited, and does not include coffee. Our lemon tea was fine.
What’s most impressive is how Chef Kim runs the whole restaurant by himself. And his serving time is very fast too.
We don’t recommend this place for large groups or anyone specifically looking for indoor seating as seats are very limited and close to the road.
You will also need to close one eye when it comes to the overall cleanliness of the shop.
13. Delicious & Happiness Kitchen
From first impressions, you may just take this for an ordinary restaurant, but Delicious & Happiness Kitchen certainly knows how to run a business efficiently!
Notwithstanding that they are often full-on weekends, their wonderful Chinese dishes still come out fast and hot in generous portions.
Pricing is considerably low, and their staff is friendly and helpful! Moreover, their dining space is clean.
Specialty dishes:
- Mantis prawn
- Butter chicken or squid (sotong)
- Assam fish
- Steamed salted chicken
- Stir-fried salted egg vegetables
- Salted egg tofu
- Bitter gourd omelet
- Marmite chicken
- Sweet and sour pork
- Address: No.16, Bawah Jalan Angsana 1, Brinchang point Cameron Highlands, 39100 Brinchang, Pahang
- Opening Hours: 12pm to 2:45pm and again from 6pm to 9:30pm
- Contact: +6011-5914 9110
- Remark: Not Halal
14. MR. AISU Ice Cream Café
Mr. AISU Ice Cream Café serves homemade soft-serve ice cream that isn’t too sweet! Order a waffle to go with your ice cream. Maybe even try their in-house pumpkin dough waffle if you’re curious!
You can taste the flavors at the counter before making your order. We’ve tried their passionfruit and mango ice cream before and found it a tad too sweet for our liking.
Flavors of ice cream:
- Almond
- Dark chocolate
- Belgium chocolate
- Mango
- Pistachio
- Cheesecake
- Green tea
- Teh tarik
- Durian (seasonal)
- Lemon
- Tiramisu
- Ipoh coffee
- Strawberry
The seating for customers is to the side of the building. It’s spacious and faces the street. This is one place you can visit after your dinner too as they close late at 10pm. And on a cold day, it’s nice to sit by their heater!
- Location: Google Maps
- Opening Hours: 2pm to 5pm and again from 6:30pm to 10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
- Contact: +6011-2624 5616
15. Jim Thompson Tea Room At Cameron Highlands Resort
This elegant tearoom takes its name after Jim Thompson who was a key figure in the Thai silk industry.
Ala carte lunch and a classic English tea set are on the menu. The tea set costs around RM150 for two to share (4 small eaters could share this, we think). The premium prices tend to keep the crowds away so you can really savor your time here!
We adore their homemade scones with genuine clotted cream! The sandwiches and other treats on the top level are not bad either.
But it’s the classy environment that makes having high tea here an exceptional experience. Sometimes there’s a pianist playing too!
Opening Hours: 12pm to 6pm (3pm to 6pm for English Afternoon Tea)
Getting Around Cameron Highlands
Understandably, deciding on where to eat can be a headache after a long day of exploring. Finding places and subsequently somewhere to park, only adds to the confusion and unnecessary stress.
Instead, you can leave it to a private tour service (like RayTheTour) to handle transport for you from morning to evening! Including the transport to Cameron Highlands from Ipoh too.
And with an experienced guide to lead you, you can just relax and truly enjoy your holiday!
Book a Ipoh Cameron Highlands tour with RayTheTour by sending them a message on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
You may not find amazing food up in Cameron Highlands, but the cooler climate makes dining outdoors and hot food an enjoyable experience.
If you’ve got a big group, Misokimchi might be a great option since they cover a lot of different cuisines. For budget friendly, options, we recommend going for Chinese food in Brinchang – of these, He Ping Xiao Shi has the largest menu.
Try a warm steamboat, homemade ice-cream, a British-style cream tea set, or spicy Indian, Thai or Korean cuisine!
Cafes
Cameron Highlands has several modern cafes, and some can be an alternative venue for brunch or even lunch. For instance, Hidden Lab at Tanah Rata, which has great coffee but also sandwiches served with salad.
