Malaysian Border Archives - I Come, I See, I Hunt and I Chiak

Last week, me and my colleague were so excited on our very first trip up north, to be more excited is that, we are going on for a road trip start off from KL –> Ipoh –> Penang (stay over a night) –> Hatyai for Songkran water festival which is their New Year. After Immigration, our first eating stop is this famous Water View Restaurant at Danok which is famous among locals.

I will be skipping our makan trip in Malaysia and head to our Thai Boarder, we start off our journey early in the morning 7am during the first day and eat all the way up north till Penang. Then we continue our journey again early next day to the boarder to avoid long queue in the immigration area as a lot of Malaysian are entering for the festival, as there is once my colleague stranded there for about 3 hours just to get the passport stamped.

As we drive into Thai and I come accross some great info from Star Online that one of the guy went over, he sure do cover up the details to those who are driving up as below:

Just a guide for those who want to drive into Thailand. [1]Original or photostat copy of vehicle registration in the driver’s name is required for our Malaysian border Police checking and for the Thai Customs officer at their immigration checkpoint to issue an “Import/Export” permit for the vehicle. Those driving company vehicles have to obtain a letter of authorisation by the company to allow the driver [you the visitor] to use the vehicle. I do not recommend visitors to use company car because if there is an accident or car stolen, the reporting and recovery procedure is very complicatng and long – very messy.

If you intend to drive a lot fill up full tank at Changlun cos petrol in Thailand is much more expensive – I think at least RM3/- per litre. Buy a one-week insurance cover for RM19/- at any of the tour agencies in Changlun, at the same time pay RM1/- for your Thailand imigrattion card to be filled up. Never give a ride to strangers and never carry some luggage for them – especially when departing from Thailand.

As all our makan itinerary been planned by Karen as Thai is like her second home with her assistant Jonathan. The first stop for the early lunch was this famous place Water View Restaurant which is highly recommended by Karen and her friends, that locate right at the boarder. The journey driving in is with the feeling of, we got kidnap into thai and ready to be sold to some strangers as the road is small and through a small village back alley.

It just took about 10-15 minutes to reach this restaurant from the boarder.

When we reached, we hopped off our car and faster head to the restaurant as we were very hungry and hot as when we were toast at the border and just cant wait to get a glass of coconut or cold beer and this place is huge. It is like another small village out from the town.

Of course, new place in another country, will usually start off with some photoshoot and camwhore at the main entrance of Water View Restaurant.

Yen Ling and me posing Kau kau while the rest went to water the plant~

I think this is where all the restaurant people staying in by building their own homes. Interesting!

A glimpse of the village restaurant, that build up upon the lake.

When we walk to our sitting place, I got so fascinate by the place love how the decorate the place in a traditional concept, kampung style decoration, by using dry coconut leaves to build as the roof, low table for us to sit in and pillow to support us when we are lazy, one thing great about this place is we have a fantastic view by overlooking the lake and hills. We feel so relax even though it is very hot and as if we are in sauna but with a glass of beer just chill us off.

This is the kitchen area, one thing unique about this place how they serve the dish will be a few pictures below.

This shows how big is the restaurant and what I have been and what I have been told, if you do come during dinner or the night session, it would be even nicer as the whole restaurant is light up beautifully but will miss the scenery. I guess, we cannot take one stone kill two birds.

Dinner time, this place is usually very packed!

our nice scenery that overlook the lake and hills.

camwhore session is not to be miss.

If you are thinking of giving birth, it might be a good place too with natural surrounding in kampung style.

I just love this picture so much, with Yen Ling is like so jealous over the two of them.

Our mini two local tour guide in Thailand with Karen and his friend Francis.

Jeng Jeng jengg… here comes the menu and time to order food to filled our stomach.

I flipped through the menu a lot of times back and forth, and I got lost. The entire menus are in Thai language. Totally lost! That is why we tag along our local tour guide.

I just miss these bottle mineral drinks, as I used to come to Thailand with my family when I was a kid.

Usually we see waiter and waitresses serve us the meal but one thing unique about this place is they transport the food by using a boat as the kitchen is not attach with the meal area, which is located at another side of it.

Tadaaaaa. . . . . arrival of the first batch of food.

and let me introduce you second batch of food at Water View Restaurant

Naming dish in this post will be a little difficult as menu and receipt are in Thai language.

‘Kerabu Seafood’ which is one of the dish that will not miss when in Thailand. Filled with, prawns, shrimp, chicken feet skin, clamps, mussel, with some lime, sour and spicy gravy.

Next would be ‘Fried Fish in Tomyam Sauce’. The fish is very fresh as the meat is very soft that soak in the spicy tomyam soup and by just a few bite and sip we were drench in sweat and our mouth is on fire.

‘Fried Oyster’

We love our ‘Seafood Tomyam Soup’ and with the colour we could really tell it is spicy, sour and its sweet with the seafood taste.

The best dish of all ‘Crab in spicy sauce’, unique in taste as we get to eat slab of fried egg, not that really spicy but very aromatic with the sauce and egg taste. The crab meat is solid too, that is why this is one of the best dish.

This is how we enjoy our meal with Kenji start to burp fire out of his mouth and Jonathan enjoying is every bite of crab or would more like ‘sapu’ing’ everything on the table.

During half journey of our meal, most of our lips had become sausage as its flaming spicy and in hot enviroment that makes us drench in sweat, Yen Ling, being very hungry and just eat what is available and Karen start to burp our fire too.

‘Singha Lager Beer’ is something we do not miss on our meal too cool us down in such a hot weather. Love the taste of it, not that strong in alcohol taste that makes it just nice to go along with spicy food.

After heavy meal, we need to water the environment, what capture our attention too was the toilet. Well docorated with enviroment friendly concept.

Mini waterfall is usefull during your relief moment.

Big spacious room for you release to the nature.

The mens loo, that you get a great few while watering the enviroment.

See, how nice it is when you go pangsai with sun light above giving you some vitamin and mini waterfall sound with birds chirping makes it more smooth sailing. 🙂

Right now we just cannot wait to hop into our car. What we neeed is airrrr-coooonnnnnn…

This is our first time and would not be our last time, we will definately return if there is a chance. Water View Restaurant

The total damage in this place was around 1700Bhat which is equaivalent to RM170, with 3 bottles of beer it is not cheap yet nor very expensive but we had a satisfying, burning spicy lunch, would rate this place one of the best thai food at Hatyai boarder . .

Remarks: the food here are quite spicy and at night its packed with people.-= Ka Ching =-

Food Rating 8/10, Quite good~ Recommended~ -Stamped-

–Warning– This is based on my individual taste. Try it at your own risk-

Location:

Water View Restaurant
Do not have a specific address as it is located in the rubber tapping plantation area.

From what I do remember is, directly after the boarder, you look at your right, there are a few road entries, (calculate only the first junction entry to third junction, any of it can be accessible) find a junction which is less than 50m to make a U-turn to axcess into the small road.

Drive till the end till you see a very small T-juntion then turn right, just drive all the way straight through this small alley about 10-15 minutes and you will arrive at this restaurant which is on your LEFT which is very obvious (a straight road with plantation then suddenly you will see cars parking around a area)

Water View Restaurant

Tel: Thai Number – 081-7487410 or 087-1295708 or 084-8563292

Map is through my estimation and memory in google. Hope it helps.

View Water View Restaurant in a larger map