KUANTAN - DAY 02 - PART 05 - MID MORNING WALK

Program jalan-jalan di pagi hari kedua saya di Kuantan bermula dengan a short morning walk di sekitar kawasan hotel dan di Kuantan Esplanade dekat hotel. Kemudian bersama Grab Car driver, En. Badrul, yang bersetuju bawa saya jalan-jalan, kami ke Jeti Pasar Nelayan Balok, Pantai Gelora dan Jeti Nelayan Tanjung Api. Dia juga bersetuju untuk bawa saya jalan-jalan pada keesokkan harinya for my program jalan-jalan hari ketiga saya di Kuantan. In fact, he said he will also help find interesting places for me to visit. Baik sungguh En. Badrul ni. 

Program jalan-jalan saya pagi itu selesai lebih kurang pukul 10:30 pagi. Saya pun minta En. Badrul untuk hantar saya semula ke hotel penginapan saya, Mega View Hotel.

Lepas freshen up dan rehat sekejap, saya pun keluar semula. In view Menara Teruntum yang sudah siap 98% dari Mega View Hotel.

Sampai nak maksima saya zoom-in.. hehehe.

Pekerja-pekerja di Menara Teruntum.

Saya start di Jalan Besar which is just a few meters from the hotel.

Sebaris bangunan kedai lama dengan tahun dibina pada 1939, 1940 dan 1941.

What an amazing restoration and preservation work done to the facade and overall building. Ukiran bermotif tumbuh-tumbuhan pada the triangular facade look so beautiful.

Jalan Besar ini adalah sebahagian dari laluan Kuantan Heritage Walk.

Di baris kedai-kedai bangunan heritage ini saya came upon a cafe called Kuantan Pickers & Kedai Kopi. Which made me teringat one of my favourite TV show 'American Pickers' - it's about 2 guys pengumpul barang antik Mike and Frank yang jelajah seluruh Amerika mencari pelbagai barang untuk dijual semula, untuk pelanggan, atau untuk koleksi peribadi mereka. Nampaknya cafe ini juga penuh dengan barangan 'pickers'. Let's check it out.

Daulat Tuanku. 

Nampak interesting. I mean, I've seen this kind of cafes before where they display antiques and memorabilia. Saya memang minat sangat dengan barangan begini and had always wanted to have a closer look and perhaps take photos too. Selalunya saya batalkan je niat tu sebab very likely the owners tak bagi. Tapi kali ni saya beranikan diri... hehe.

Firstly, ada motor lama warna merah di depannya. I have no idea what's the make and model but it sure look vintagy and retro. Motor BSA agaknya.

Cafe in berkonsep santai. Boleh lepak sembang with friends to unwind and relax. Plus I was told they had very sumptuous homemade desserts. And if you had not noticed, cafe ini sarat dengan barangan lama which delighted me beyond words.. hehe. So saya pun bertanya la pada salah seorang staff di cafe ni if I can enjoy the amazing selection of antiques and perhaps take photos of them. She said boleh je. I had to do all I can to stop myself from squealing like a little girl.. hahahaha 😄. Like, I was like a kid in a candy store. Been a long time since I last feel that much excitement about anything... hehe. 

And as you can see, ramai patrons di cafe. It must be one of the best hangout places here in Kuantan.

And there are a lot of wonderful pickers items! 

Di dinding ada t'shirts dan jaket, posters dan rak-rak penuh dengan mainan vintage, perkakas rumah tradisional dan tin-tin vintage. 

Di sudut ini rak-raknya penuh dengan figurines action figures dari Star Wars movies seperti Jar Jar Binks dan Padmé Amidala. Figurines kartun Jepun seperti Ultraman dan Transformer pun ada juga. 

Di rak ini, di bahagian atas ada tin-tin vintage Campbell Soup, Baby Honey, KFC Hour dan Ovaltine. 

Prep area. 

Piring hitam pun ada juga di sini. 

Ada figurine Rango the chameleon, C-3PO, Sebulba dan Watto.

A witch and construction workers.

Tanjak pun ada.

Kipas meja cap National dari tahun 1970an. I remembered we had this same fan when I was small. And this one still in working condition. Amazing.

Koleksi piring hitam. Dan siapa tak kenal mereka ni kan 😊. Who can forget the beautiful soulful songs, the voices and of course the hair 😊. Terus saya masuk Spotify and searched 'Alleycats'. Ooo.. nostalgic sungguh. And then suddenly I feel so old already.. hahahaha. So what's your favourite Alleycats' song?

Once dulu saya suka dengar Radio Klasik Nasional precisely because of singer like S. Effendy. 

Talipon oren tu la model talipon rumah kami yang pertama. 

I just love vintage suitcases. 

Radio lama dan pemain piring hitam (turntable).

Ehh... character dari filem P.Ramlee pun ada figurines ke? Hebat! Tak tau pun. But, like, seriously? Siap ada character description sekali! 😄   

Banyak lagi barangan vintage di rak-rak ini.

Tin-tin rokok vintage.

Tak pernah pulak dengar rokok cap Torchlight dan Homeward Bound.

Ada banyak old Marlboro signages. 

ROTTW (Rhythm of the Third World) ialah sebuah majalah muzik Malaysia yang menyokong senario muzik indie di Malaysia. Yang ada di cafe ini ialah naskah Jun 1996.

Kanan: Di depan cafe ini ada mini library where patrons can sit and read while sipping Vietnamese coffee. 
Kiri: Papan iklan vintage rokok cap Vrginia Gold dengan caption 'Paling Baik'. 

Di rak ini pula ada beberapa tin minyak vintage seperti Castrol dan Shell. 

Permainan Space Patrol dan keretapi ini I think tinggi nilainya especially for serious collectors of vintage toys. 

Puhh.. puas saya belek dan ambil gambar di cafe ini. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. And of course many many thanks to the owner and the staff too. 

So tak ada ke review pasal makanan di cafe ni? Sorry, tak de sebab saya tak makan atau minum di situ sebab masih kenyang dan later dah nak lunch time. Anyway, kalau nak tahu, baca je reviews di internet about their food. Semua good and thumbs up. Delicious and tasty. Suffice to say next time saya ada di Kuantan, saya akan makan di sini, insyaAllah.

Saya pun teruskan meronda di Jalan Besar, Kuantan ini. Ini Soon Woh Co. 

Tu dia.. sarat dengan macam-macam household items. 

Ada ke lagi orang yang guna alat pemanggang/charcoal stove tu? Masa saya kecik mak selalu guna stove ini untuk bakar ikan. 

I wish I could go in and belek satu persatu barang yang ada di kedai ini sebab to me like sudah rare kedai macam ni. But seriously though that will take forever...hehe.. that are just so many items. Moreover tak kannya owner nak benarkan.. hehe.

Anyway, pelik ke saya nak check out kedai macam ni? Ala... sama la macam orang yang suka belek segala macam barang di Daiso dan Komonoya tu.. hehe. At least I won't be going in dengan niat tak beli apa-apa or cuma beli satu dua barang je tapi ended up beli sebakul barang.. hehehe. 

Ok, jom sambung jalan lagi.

Ini pula kedai Lim Furniture & Trading - Menjual Basikal. Patut la ada basikal tergantung di depan kedai.

And that's Mickey Mouse's head.. hehehe. 

Then I came upon Kafe Seni TJANTẽK (TJANTẽK Cafe & Art Bistro). Kafe dalam bangunan pre-war shophouse ini adalah satu-satunya kafe seni di sini. Seperti Kuantan Pickers & Kedai Kopi tadi, kafe ini juga ada banyak memorabilia of collectors items. Ia juga ada Art Gallery. And of course sebelum saya start ambil gambar saya sudah minta kebenaran dulu. 

Di depan kafe ini ada sebuah Basikal Posmen merah vintage. Although the leather bag looks quite new. I wonder posmen dulu guna wooden tray di belakang tu untuk apa. For the mails I reckon. I'd assume the mails would have been securely carried at the front of the bicycle. Oh well, what do I know kan.. hehe. 

Sebelum saya got mesmerized by the undoubtedly amazing collections, I was admiring the pre-war walls with all its holes and stains, the finely restored wooden stairs and the wonderful wooden ceiling beams, which I believe are not faux beams. I gather I would have quite a conversation with the owners just talking about the restorations done to this building or this particular unit of the pre-war shophouses. 

Ada square and round tables with comfortable chairs, rust steel counter, huge ceiling fan dan bubbles lamps or serene lamps. And more importantly I think it is fire safety compliant. I know, jarang la ada orang bila cerita pasal cafe yang mention pasal fire safety compliant kan.. hehehe. Saya agak je pun sebab I can see the furniture were arranged to create an aisle straight from front to the mid back of the cafe with no obstructions. 

An eclectic collection. Ada piala-piala lama, botol kaca Evian, Coca Cola glasses, Godzilla, Ultraman, wooden human mannequin, Gundam toys, blended coffee, bear bricks toy, vintage clock and telephone, Japanese Kokeshi Girl toy and Turkish evil eye. Macam-macam ada.

Juga ada koleksi botol Coca Cola. 

Di kafe ini juga ada turntable. Pengunjung boleh bawa vinyl mereka sendiri dan mainkan dengan turntable ini atau boleh saja pilih dari selection piring hitam yang ada di kafe ini.

There was a brief period during my young adult life when all I would listen to was Billie Holiday. Seperti Saloma, I feel that bila Billie Holiday nyanyi bukan dia yang follow musik tapi musik yang follow dia. Macam mana ek nak terangkan... kena listen sendiri lah.. hehehe. 

Where all the magic happens. Here's where the sweet savories and aromatic robust coffee comes from. 

Atas gerobok ini ada coffee maker/coffee distiller. 

Dalam gerobok tu pula ada lebih banyak lagi koleksi botol-botol Coca Cola. Yang versi كوكاكولا dan 可口可乐 pun ada juga.

Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld limited-edition bottle design for Coca Cola Light pun ada juga.

Sparkling French press coffee makers.  

Croissant and cakes.

I actually love sipping tea from this big soup bowl cup masa di kafe. I wonder why did I not buy one dan minum di rumah.. hehe.

If I'm here with friends, I'd definitely cop single sofa seat tu.. hehehehe.

Di meja ini ada among others traditional French lemonades by La Mortuacienne and Bertolli olive oil. 

Kedengaran ambient music. Tak sure genre apa, it was like new age or world music. Macam music by Enya but somewhat less commercial. I think la. My knowledge about music is so limited.. hehe. Anyway, it was nice. It kinda relaxes your mind and feel like you are transported to a place of calm and peace. Kalau di sini waktu malam may be lagi feel.

Ada botol-botol kaca natural mineral water Hildon, S.Pellegrino sparkling water dan Acqua Minerale San Benedetto.

Ada volumes of Home Journal. 

Ada sos cili Linghams. I suka cili sos tu! Hehehehe...

Saya juga explore bahagian belakang kafe ini.

Rupanya ada lagi ruang-ruang rahsia, secluded corners that patrons can sit and have their meals. I especially love this nook sebab it is open air dan ada a small court yard. Love how the natural light floods in. 

More bottles of S.Pellegrino sparkling water.

Further in ada lagi ruang makan yang besar. Sememangnya shoplots zaman pre-war dibina panjang ke dalam. Di Melaka saya pernah visit a boutique hotel yang panjangnya sampai 100 meter. Siap ada mini muzium dalam hotel tu. 

Love those wooden beams. 

Another open air taman mini. 

The kitchen, where the delicious dishes are prepared.

Penonjolan hasil seni dalam kafe ini, saya rasa sets it apart from the other hipster/trendy cafes. But to know this one must immerse oneself in its ambiance. Soak it in and relax. Take a load off. 

Ending my short tour, I thanked the staff, Cik Fara, and told her how appreciative I was being able to enjoy this wonderful cafe. 

Cik Fara herself is an artist. And this is one of her wonderful artworks. 

So again, sorry ya sebab tak ada review pasal the cafe's food sebab saya di situ to enjoy and admire the collections, the art. From what I read in the internet, overall the feedback from its patrons about the food had been positive.   

Baik, sambung lagi cerita mid morning walk saya. I was pleasantly surprised di dinding hujung blok bangunan pre-war shoplots ini ada lukisan besar Mat Kilau. 

Mural abstrak berjudul 'Mat Kilau Membelah Belantara'. Ayah beliau adalah Tok Gajah. Mat Kilau dikatakan meninggal dunia pada usia 123 tahun. 

Di dinding ini juga ada lukisan gajah dengan latarbelakang Gunung Tahan. 

Beberapa lagi mural yang ada di lorong ini.

Ada satu lagi mural pahlawan Melayu. Let's have a closer look.

Ini lukisan Pahlawan Pahang Tok Gajah. 

Mural abstrak 'Kembara Tok Gajah'.

Menara Teruntum.

Menara Teruntum di Laman Teruntum.

Then saya masuk ke Jalan Mahkota yang juga merupakan laluan Kuantan Heritage Walk. Ada bangunan yang dibina pada tahun 1926 di jalan ini.

Beautifully restored pre-war buildings.

Tak lama saya di Jalan Mahkota tu sebab hari dah panas sungguh dan perut pun dah lapar. So saya pun cari la kedai makan. Earlier ada saya passed by restoran R&R ni, so ke situ lah saya.

Banyak sungguh masakannya. Semua nampak sedap. Pening nak pilih yang mana satu.. hehehe. 

Akhirnya saya settled with these selection je.. hehehe. Tak larat nak makan berat-berat sebab penat berjalan tadi. Walau pun cuma berlaukkan telur dadar, kacang buncis dan kerabu perut tapi sedap sungguh dan sangat menyelerakan. 

Lepas makan masa bayar sembang kejap dengan Kak ni. I told her her food sedap sangat. Terus dia kata bukan dia yang masak tapi husband dia. She manages the restaurant. Such a lovely lady. She is someone you can have a conversation with on just about anything and you'll be thoroughly entertained. And she speaks English fluently too. I told her I'll come again to her restaurant. She said to bring my wife along. I said I will. I just adore her to bits 😄. 

Lepas makan I decided to walk a bit more. Dah mula panas terik dah masa ni, around 12:30 noon. Saya tanya pekedai ni apa yang dia jemur. Dia kata those are prawn crackers. 

Kedai jual bidai.

More heritage buildings.

Wonderfully restored.

A hardware store.

Then I came upon this restaurant 'burgerak!'. What an interesting name. This is burgerak! Kuantan - Street Food With A Twist. Let's go in shall we.

Sama seperti at the 2 earlier cafes, saya minta izin dulu untuk explore dan ambil gambar. The owner so graciously allowed me to. In fact, since I told him I was there for the deco and art pieces, he suggested that I explore the back section of the cafe as well. How nice of him lah. 

Di dinding kafe ini ada banyak modern art with important messages. 

burgerak! Kuantan.

Ada poster Orkes Pitahati. 

Dalam banyak-banyak art dalam kafe ini, foto hitam putih ini yang paling saya suka. Macam nostalgik je, perhaps for the owners. May be it was a shot of their humble beginnings. 

Let's take a look at the rest.

Seterusnya saya ke bahagian belakang kafe ini. 

More photos and art.

I wonder jugak apakah maksud kata-kata ini. So I checked.
Dalam loghat Terengganu 'jabir/supik/plastik ghok ghak' maknanya plastic bag.

Juga dalam loghat Terengganu 'nakuk paik' pula membawa maksud penakut yang amat. 

Jamaican psychedelic agaknya.. hehe.

Then one of the staff said there is another drawing di belakang/store area. 

American rapper, Ice Cube.

Before leaving I thanked the owner for allowing me to explore his restaurant without me ordering anything from his menu.  

Ok selesai dah explore burgerak! Kuantan. Jom balik ke hotel. Nak solat dan nap kejap. Came upon Akar Kopi. 

Desiran ombak pantai di Pahang. Amboiii... gitu sekali iklan McD ni.. hehehe... ombak sundae.. hehe. 

Bersambung...

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