Loong Kee Chinese Restaurant @ Gohtong Jaya in Genting Highlands [Malaysia]

Windmill Upon Hills is located at the mid-hill of Genting Highlands but for frequent travellers, the mid-hill they remember was a stretch of eateries nearer to the Genting SkyWay cable car station.

Out of the many eateries, the most famous had to be Loong Kee restaurant. Commanding a review score of 4.2 on Google Maps from over 2,400 reviewers; I had been wanting to check it out and finally got to doing so in my last visit to Genting Highlands. 

Taking three shops, you can bet that there were plenty of tables and chairs, although I had to admit that arriving at 5.00 pm would give us much higher hope of securing seatings. I did realize, however, that even Genting Highlands weren't as crowded this time. 

After a few deliberations, here's what we had; three of which were their signature dishes! Would have loved to order more but there's only so much tummy space, and I actually didn't research beforehand on what else would be a die die must eat! 

Lala Clams in Superior Broth - given the cool highlands climate, I would think a pot of hot soup will always be soothing and stomach warming for most! 

Come to think about it; I bet Dai Tao Lala Pot will make extremely good business at the highlands, especially with their charcoal pot. The above, as seen, was powered using a gas canister; not exactly a preferred fuel for food connoisseurs.

Tasty broth with an intense alcohol and complemented by chilli and ginger; every mouthful was shiok and especially tempting with the big lalas. Granted, the broth from Dai Tao Lala Pot was even more appetising but I am not complaining given that it is Genting Highlands.

Aside from lalas, there were even tiny crabs in the soup! 

A bit sad though as they could have grown much better. 

Loong Kee Signature Pork Belly - have you had those caramelized baby squids before? This would be the pork version and still as addictive with its crisp texture and caramelized taste! I would say this is unique! 

Stir-fried Eggplant - my friends loved them but not me; the texture was like soggy potato wedges and I don't even like potato wedges! Taste was more like hae bee (dried shrimps) and my verdict would have been better if the texture was crispier. 

Homemade Tofu with Cai Po - at RM 20.00, I would have thought this should be vegetarian with just preserved radish (cai po). Turned out the topping also included a generous amount of minced pork! 

The homemade tofu was smooth and overall, pretty good.

Eat it with white rice for a better dining experience! 

Wat Tan Hor - literally horfun that was a lot wetter than the ones we see in Singapore. A cantonese version, this had the essence of wok hei yet lacked the flavor to impress us. One word: bland. 

Hokkien Mee - as a frequent visitor to Malaysia, I am aware of the hokkien mee available in Malaysia and there were in fact two types; the black one (typical in most states except Penang) and the soupy one (common in Penang and more like our prawn mee soup in Singapore). 

Frankly, I had better Malaysian black style hokkien mee. The one at Loong Kee was acceptable with a nice saucy, slurpy texture that wasn't as sweet. Compared to Wat Tan Hor, the hokkien mee was better.

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Before and after! Some hits and misses but for the prices we paid for, for six dishes plus a pot of tea and that it's a popular restaurant; I would think it's value for money! 

Address

35, Jalan Jati 1, Gohtong Jaya, 

Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Lala Clams in Superior Broth (S) - RM 30.00

Loong Kee Signature Pork Belly (S) - 32.00

Stir-fried Eggplant (S) - RM 18.00

Homemade Tofu with Cai Po (S) - RM 20.00

Wat Tan Hor (S) - RM 15.80

Hokkien Mee (S) - RM 15.80

(Subject to Service Tax)

Orh Nee Milk Tea @ KOI Thé in KSL Mall in Johor [Malaysia]

Koi could be the name of a fish species for some but for many in Singapore, it immediately points towards a famous bubble tea brand from Taiwan. Today is different; I was at the Koi Thé branch in Johor Bahru (JB) for a reason. 

There's a permanent item on the menu that's only sold for a few months in Singapore every year! I am not a huge fan of milk tea but this specific seasonal beverage makes me crave for it so much; I can literally order a few times a week! 

The orh nee milk tea; not the orh nee fresh milk and not the red bean orh nee milk tea! And forget about the taro Q toppings as they are the tiny, little irritants that should have been removed from the menu. Sorry, I can such a purist sometimes. 

For a less sinful experience, go with my usual order; zero percent sugar, little little ice, no taro Q toppings, only yam paste and milk tea. Go for normal ice if you are bringing back to Singapore, which might take a few hours, depending on whether there is heavy traffic along the causeway. 

Now, some other bubble tea brands have yam paste milk tea too but so far, none has matched the standard and quality of Koi Thé orh nee milk tea! Some use yam powder, others prefer yam essence and the rare few have yam paste too smooth; it feels factory made. 

The one from Koi Thé was literally mashed in-store from steamed yam and while smooth; it had a rich texture with little yam pieces, providing satisfaction with every suck! 

Add in the delicious milk tea and you can imagine the blissfulness surrounding me whenever I take a sip! In a way, I should be thankful that orh nee milk tea is a seasonal item on the menu. Bad thing is that whenever I am in JB for a day trip, I will buy one to drink on the spot, and buy two more to bring home.

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Address

KSL City Mall & Hotel. LOT G-B6-A, 

Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, Taman Century, 

80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

360-degree Observation Tower @ Chin Swee Caves Temple [Genting Highlands, Malaysia]

Chin Swee Caves Temple is a popular attraction at Genting Highlands, especially for those who don't really gamble in the casinos, given the rumours that it's bad luck for punters. 

I am NOT a hardcore gambler and enjoy the temple for its peaceful setting perched on the side of the cool highlands. Totally well-loved by those living in the hot tropics of the lowlands. 

While I am no stranger to the temple, something caught my attention this time when I was taking photographs of the big buddha statue. What's that tower above Goh Tong Hall? Can I go up?

Woah, we can! There's the 360-degree Observation Tower!

Entry from the door as above! Those who took the elevators should be able to see the door but the eyes of most visitors would be captivated by the sight of the Big Buddha right ahead, and would likely miss the sign on the side door! 

Five flights of stairs later! 

See, we were totally alone! Amazing that most people didn't even know the existence of this place. Even for me, I was surprised that it took me so long as I would always just go to the taller 10,000 Buddhas Pagoda (next door) for a bird's eye view of the surrounding.

Right here at the 360-degree Observation Tower, we got a front-seat panorama of the parade square that played host to the two most recognizable figures of Buddhism; the big statues of Buddha and Guanyin.

Being 360-degree means a direct look of the 10,000 Buddhas Pagoda! Do note that it has set of operating hours, and closes at about 5pm. 

So don't venture there thinking you can catch the sunset from the top of the pagoda. Not to mention it's also quite tiring climbing up. I have been here with a few groups of friends in the past year, and I am the only one who has gone all the way up.

View of the mid-hill of Genting Highlands; you can spot Resort World Awana with its iconic tower, the Genting Premium Outlets and Windmill Upon Hills! 

From the front, where the Buddha statue was, the observation tower was only about two to three floor high. From the back, it was a lot higher! 

The last view from the 360-degree, with the archway that many departing from Resort World Genting would bypass. Some thought Chin Swee Caves Temple would be hard to go but it's connected to the cable car station. And there's always GRAB! 

I really don't understand why people would want to vandalize. If they really want to make a mark; they should scrawl down their personal particulars, and preferably with a video that is uploaded publicly to their social media. 

Chill and ommmm....

Come, time to go and climb the five flights of stairs down! 

Yes, it's not accessible for those on wheelchairs....

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Map

As above.

Website

https://www.chinswee.org/

Luck Bros Kopi @ Antara Signature Mall in Genting Highlands [Malaysia]

There was a recent hype on Antara Signature Mall, especially regarding Haidilao which would finally be opening a branch at Genting Highlands! 

Other that that, there's really nothing much in this small mall that requires a 15-20 minutes walk down from the top of the highlands; except for maybe Luck Bros Kopi! This would be my second patronage, after my first visit in November 2025.

Our verdict after that first visit was favourable; hence the reason for a second time! There was also a good view at the eatery, even though the cars traversing the road in front can be quite a disturbance. 

The simple breakfast for four persons! 

One of whom already had food earlier. 

Breakfast Set - most important item for breakfast for me would be the coffee and this Kopi Kaw Kaw (kaw means thick) hit the right note in every sip; richness without the insane sweetness and a perfect level of perkiness to start the day. 

Another irresistible Southeast Asian classic; the Butter Kaya Toast; which didn't excite us with its plain, utterly unappetizing look. I was thinking we can't expect that everything is good for an eatery with a variety of dishes. 

Fears were unfounded; the texture was crisp and there was a thick layer of butter in between the smears of kaya. I was satisfied with what I had ingested. The set also included soft boiled eggs and Alex would be a better assessor. His one word reply: good!  

Nasi Lemak Ayam Panggang - the signature dish of Luck Bros Kopi that was given a full-two-page highlights on the menu. One thing I did notice from my last view; the portion seemed a lot smaller.

The three types of chilli would capture your attention no doubt but there will be a favorite nonetheless. I am more impressed with the rice as it wasn't your conventional nasi lemak coconut rice; it's more similar to the rice from chicken rice and said to be cooked using bamboo! 

Deep fried berempah chicken was packed with the goodness of spices; well fried with juiciness. Just that the portion was really quite small. Guess inflation hits globally, not just in Singapore.

Cleared out the plate in no time! A friend ordered the egg on toast on curry which I didn't try, except for the curry, and it was too weak for my liking! 

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Address

Lot PG-01, Level Ground, 

AK Antara Signature Mall, 

Genting Highlands, Bentong,

Pahang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Breakfast Set - RM 16.90

Nasi Lemak Ayam Panggang - RM 24.90

(Subject to Service Charge and Tax)