A Little Farm on the Hill
[Pork-free] Our Sunday lunch at A Little Farm on the Hill is one of our favourite meals of the year.
Located in the forest hills of Janda Baik in Pahang, A Little Farm on the Hill started off as an organic farm in 2014 which supplies fresh produce to some of the best high-end restaurants in Klang Valley, including recently two-Michelin-starred Dewakan.
Few years later, A Little Farm on the Hill would offer communal farm-to-table lunches where one can enjoy the fresh produce of the farm amid the lush hills of Janda Baik.
A Little Farm on the Hill in Janda Baik
A Little Farm on the Hill is easily accessible from the city as it is less than an hour’s drive away from KL city centre.
The story of this farm began in 2014 when musician-filmmaker Pete Teo and his architect wife Lisa Ngan were offered an opportunity to acquire this six-acre land in Janda Baik. Learning from the Internet and books, the duo would learn farming as a hobby as it slowly blossomed into an organic farm today.
Today, the land yields about 30 crops at any time – consisting of both perennials and seasonal produce that go into restaurants in Klang Valley that value quality over quantity.
The cream of the crop
So what sets Pete and Lisa Teo’s farm above the rest?
The commercial farming industry today is largely made up of hydroponics farms where vegetables are grown in water. While cost-effective, these commercial vegetables may lack nutrients that can only come from the soil.
In contrast, all of the vegetables here are grown on healthy soil that was cultivated and nurtured throughout the years to provide the best microorganism and elements to nourish the plants.
Take a walk on the farm side
Pete would argue that these higher nutrients lead to a more delicious and tasty produce. And we agree.
After our lunch at the dining area, we joined Pete for a 45-minute tour of the farm where he explains the economics, data analytics, and the chemistry aspects of organic farming.
At the same time, he allowed us to sample some of the fresh leaves from the crop. It’s true – the coriander and daun kesum were the most floral and fragrant we’ve tasted, and the mix of fresh herbs in our lunch was a cornucopia of flavours!
Some less common produce cultivated here such as the chayote, which is featured prominently at Dewakan’s kitchen.
So yes – we do recommend taking Pete’s tour for a holistic appreciation of the farm.
The couple also smokes their own meat here – with steaks, lambs and ribs making the rotations based on what’s available.
Farmhouse dining
The weekend communal lunches here is a natural extension of the farming.
A Little Farm on the Hill offers two rooms for bookings – a dining room with a seating capacity of 16 for private lunches, and the farmhouse which can host 60 guests for a larger party.
Communal lunches are available on the weekends where the Farmhouse space is shared like a normal restaurant. This is where we made our booking.
Weekend communal lunches
Note that the Farmer’s Lunch Club (RM375 per pax) is only available on a reservation basis. No walk-ins are allowed as 80% of the greens served are grown on the farm and harvested fresh on the day.
The kitchen is helmed by executive chef Wei Jian (former sous chef at Dewakan), supported by chef Ken Goh, chef Jeremiah George, and Lisa herself.
It was a chilly Sunday when we arrived at the farm with soft showers making for a really comfortable al-fresco dining.
Baba Ghanoush and Creamy Hummus
We were greeted by a refreshing lemongrass cooler and spiced nuts upon arrival.
After a quick introduction by Pete, we were duly served our starters – Baba Ghanoush and Creamy Hummus.
Made with eggplant raised on the farm, the Baba Ghanoush was delightfully sweet with a hint of smokiness that went so well with the side of warm bread.
The Creamy Hummus was no slouch either, as it was beautifully earthy and nutty in the right way. In fact, we had to make sure we did not fill ourselves with these two before the main course.
Smoked beef ribs
Like a communal dining setting, all of the main dishes are served at once.
While the greens are the main focus here, the Six-Hour Smoked Beef Ribs and Roast Organic Chicken almost stole away the limelight by how exquisite they were!
Smoked for six hours in their own smokehouse, the Aussie beef ribs were fork-tender with melt-in-the-mouth fat.
The beef is aptly paired with the side of spicy salsa for that tangy hit.
Roast organic chicken with lemon honey mustard
We can’t believe that we are saying this but we prefer the Roast Chicken to the ribs (as stellar as it was!).
The bird looks deceptively simple, but it took the team four months of R&D to perfect the recipe of golden crispy skin and some of the most tender and juicy chicken to grace our buds.
As the birds are aged for a bit, the flavours are locked in the meat – and we just could enjoy the bird by itself. We didn’t really need the squeeze of lemon juice or honey mustard for this dish.
Pumpkin feta cheese, red peppers
A walk round the farm shows that pumpkins are ripe for harvest.
The pumpkin is showcased in this dish, with bursting sweetness aptly complemented by feta cheese and earthy tahini dressing.
We also enjoyed the Red Peppers – which are beautifully mellowed to a nice soft texture and balanced with salty anchovies and lemon basil dressing.
Green bean with pickled rose
The chefs’ playful side come to the fore again in the Green Bean with Pickled Rose.
The green beans retain their beautiful crispness but it is the hit of cincalok umami and pickled rose in the dish that gives it the surprise edge.
Twelve leaf and herbs salad, and jewelled basmati
The salad might be the most unassuming entry on the table, but it was wonderfully light to showcase the natural flavours of the fresh herbs and leaves from the farm.
Similarly, the jewelled basmati rice was a lovely accompaniment.
We ended our meal with a delectable orange cake, coffee and tea.
Summary
This was one of our favourite meals of the year.
The setting, the story, the food and the impeccable service by Pete and staff made for a truly memorable experience.
Do join the tour by Pete after lunch for a truly holistic experience.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
A Little Farm on the Hill
Address: Lot 161 Tanarimba, Persiaran Enderong, Kampung Janda Baik, 28750 Bentong, Pahang
Hours: 12.30pm-4pm Thur-Sun
Phone: 09-233 0194
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