Twenty years may go by but Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir right in the heart of Johor Bahru is still filled with hot spots for food and activities.
One of the many things that remained after two decades is Kampung Carabao’s restaurant, not to be confused with another new restaurant that uses a similar name in singular. It has its own lush greenery made up of bamboo and palm trees, and serene flowing water surrounding the restaurant making Kampung Carabao look like a Thai oasis in the middle of many concrete buildings.
I parked my car in the space across the street, and the humid sunny weekend was perfect for some refreshing Thai cuisine. Greeted by the gentle sounds of the wind chimes, I was immediately in a Zen of my own as I settled on my seat before getting surprised that they have over 200 dishes on their menu!
I started off with a sumptuous plate of Pad Thai before scooping up some of their signature Pineapple Fried Rice to pair with some side dishes and taking sips of the spicy and zesty Tom Yam soup with chicken bits.
I was then offered a huge amount of fresh seafood from prawns to cuttlefish, however, it’s such a pity that I did not bring my histamine for my allergy but the joy on the faces of people having a go at the Lala Carabao style, Prawn Salad, Claypot Crab Vermicelli and so on confirmed the fact how lovely it must have been off having those seafood glory into your mouth. One of them that caught my eyes is Thai Prawn Cake shaped like onion rings but thick as doughnuts or maybe bagel even!
My personal favourite had to be the fragrant, fleshy Pandan Chicken that I did not realise I have been bingeing on while chatting the afternoon away, sipping on my fresh coconut water and creamy, bittersweet Thai Green Tea.
A friend suggested having Carabao Belacan Chicken Fried Rice as she could only eat so much but would like to experience the menu at its fullest since it has everything essential on one plate!
There are more to try like the Fried Fish Serai style and buttermilk Thai food dishes that I would want to try, but all the 200 dishes could only be experienced in several visits.
Kampung Carabao Authentic Thai restaurant is located at 16, Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, Johor Bahru, Johor and is open Monday to Sunday from 12 pm to 3 pm and evening from 6 pm to 12 am.
Reservations could be made by a phone call at +607 3359 333 or mobile phone number at +6012 3056933. Alternatively, you can email them at kampungcarabaothai@gmail.com.
