Rosedale Bistro @ Cameron Highlands (Part 1)

A bit of a backlog, for the Christmas of 2010 I was invited by SS' family for a trip up Cameron Highlands. I always thought I was good dealing with cold temperatures. I guess not anymore. It was freaking cold! Jacket, jeans, and socks couldn't insulate me enough from Cameron's sub-15 degrees weather. Well its good to know that such climates can still be enjoyed in Malaysia considering the amount of deforestation and pollution occurring everywhere. I guess the recent cold spell over Malaysia must have also played a part. As I post this, its a cold and rainy Sunday morning, a weather spell that seems likely to continue into the Chinese New Year. Winter New Year anyone? ;)

Anyway back to the highlands, Rosedale Bistro is an establishment in Tanah Rata that we visited twice in our 3 day stay. Word has it this place has been operational for over a couple of decades. Besides serving dishes, they also have a small bar serving beers. Not a bad stopover for a group of friends just looking to chill and have a drink.

Tanah Rata and the other towns along the way have developed so much over the years, lending to terrible traffic standstills. A word of warning; never access Cameron Highlands through Simpang Pulai as a 1 hour journey can easily turn into a 3 hour nightmare as traffic clogs up the 4 or 5 towns on the way up, especially during public holidays and weekends. A safer bet would be the road up from Tapah.

Rosedale Bistro offers a clean and warm ambiance with nice decorations and wall fixtures. Christmas spirit gave its extra touch this time of year. The upper level of the establishment also has a small balcony, offering dinners some of that cold fresh air.



Our first visit to Rosedale was the day we arrived and on a cold and rainy night, the best cure is a hot and boiling pot of steamboat. Rosedale's steamboat may not be as great as major establishments in the Klang Valley, but on a cold night, hot soup never tasted so good ;)



Soups are a choice of Chinese Herbal Soup, Chicken Soup, Tom Yam or a combination of them.

Ingredients offered were reasonable enough but nothing to shout about. Prices are RM18 per head or RM17 per head for 3 or more dinners. An option would be to order a smaller pot to share and order other dishes to compliment it. Waiting times might be an issue though. As it was Christmas, they seemed to be understaffed and this poor waiter guy had to handle 6 or more tables by himself, including taking orders, serving dishes, and cleaning up.

Our second visit during lunchtime was a breeze though. More dishes on that in Part 2 :)

Rosedale Bistro

42-A, Jalan Besar

Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands

Pahang

Tel: 05-4913159