NOTE: we always share our meals. That makes a big difference in the cost of our meals and the expansion of our waistlines. We don’t have the kitchen split the meals because Audre doesn’t eat as much as Dimitri. We just ask for an extra plate and Audre takes as much as she wants to eat, leaving enough for Dimitri.
ALE and DM discussed adding ratings to our restaurant reviews and compromised on the following ratings:
HR: Highly recommended
R++: Recommended almost as much as HR
R: Recommended
NR: Not recommended
A: Awful
We had some very good meals in Malaysia but generally speaking, the food just wasn't exciting for us. Having said that, the seafood was plentiful, generally cooked properly, and not expensive. The extensive selection of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malay, and Indian restaurants to choose from was a treat for us too.
Many restaurants in Malaysia do not serve any alcohol. We wondered at the difference between the US and Malaysia where there was a thriving restaurant scene that didn't need to depend on the revenue from alcohol to survive.
This list is not divided by type of cuisine, although the type is identified in italics after the name. The only distinction is in our rating before the name.
HR: Wan Thai Restaurant, Thai, 80-82 Langkawi Mall Dundung Langkawi, 07000 Kuah, 04-966 1214. We went twice and each time we were impressed with the food, the service, the nice space, and the low prices. For US $18, we had one small Tom Yan soup, one small chicken stir fry with basil and garlic, a small stir fry with shrimp paste, as well as one dessert. The outdoor seating was good for us.
HR: Yong Leong Chinese Seafood Restaurant, Lot 36, Persiaran Mutiara 2, Pusat Dagangan Kelana Mas, Langkawi. This was our kind of restaurant-- we had a very good shellfish meal at a basic but very good restaurant. It was recommended by Aidi the naturalist at the Four Seasons. We ordered 2 giant tiger prawns cooked in 2 different ways. One was in egg custard and it was really great—like the Chinese egg custard we have had for breakfast. The other was a kind of nonya recipe and also very good. The prawns were sliced down the middle making them easy to eat. With that, we had the signature homemade tofu dish which was great, and stir-fried veggies as well as rice and tea. The wok cooking in the kitchen was fun to watch—the flames of the gas were major! The woman who owns and runs the place was very helpful and we enjoyed our meal very much. We spent RM 201, US $43.05, and left very happy.
R: The Datai, Thai, Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Pulau Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia T +60 4 9500 500, reservationsdatailangkawi@dataihotels.com, www.thedatai.com. Getting into the hotel at the security gate took forever, even after we showed the man the e-mail with our restaurant reservation. We had to do that 2 more times with 2 different people. We wanted a reservation at the famous Gulai House Malay restaurant but we were told that the first available reservation would be 8:30 pm which is too late. We had a 6:30 pm reservation for the Thai Pavilion restaurant and were able to sit and order by 7. Our server, Nur Sakinah, was okay but not a natural and not comfortable in his job. We started with a dried shrimp/peanut in betel leaf which was innovative (for us) and very good. The sauce was very, very tasty. For our main we had the quail and the mushroom stir fry. Both were large portions and came with our choice of sticky rice. The tastes were delicious. Dimitri liked the sticky rice; for Audre, it was too sticky! We had a taro dumpling dessert served hot and a Thai tea also served hot. We were very happy with the meal but the 1 ½ hour round trip was too long for a repeat visit to try Gulai House. We spent RM 282.70 which we thought was fine for a hotel restaurant.
R: D'Bendang Nasi Campoq, Nasi Compoq for lunch, Kampung Padang Lalang, 07000 Langkawi, +60 12-530 1103. This local restaurant in the village of Ayer Hangat was recommended by Rita in Housekeeping at the Four Seasons. We had a chicken soup for RM 7, US$1.51 and it was good!
R: Kak Yan Nasi Campur, Nasi Compoq, Jalan Ulu Melaka, Kampung Padang Gaong, 07000 Langkawi. The selection was amazing in its variety and it was huge. For RM 22 we had 2 buffet lunches (US $4.73). We tried the Baronang or rabbit fish and neither the texture nor the taste of the preparation was a hit with us.
R: Kuah Town Seafood, Chinese Seafood, No. 33 BDR Baru Baron, Kuah, Langkawi. We had a good crab with sides of good vegetables in an air-conditioned room. It wasn’t too cold. We ordered one mud crab for the two of us. It was 500 grams and cost MR 12 per gram. Of the many sauces we could have had, we ordered the sweet and sour because the dour woman owner said it would be the most like Singapore Chile Crab. Dimitri liked it. Audre thought it was too sweet. The tofu clay pot was very good, although a little bland—maybe Cantonese style. The stir-fried cabbage was good too and was also bland. They didn’t have desserts. The 30-minute drive there and back was tedious. We spent MR 105, US $22.47, and were happy enough.
R: Four Seasons Adult Pool Menu, varied selections, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi. We had the Quesadilla with shrimp and it was very good. We spent RM 104, US $22.36.
R: Four Seasons Kelapa Grill, a grill restaurant, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi. We went for a good lunch and then another day for a good dinner. It was a lovely setting in the evening, with the torches lit, even when it started to pour torrential rain. We had a very attentive server, Shafie, and we enjoyed our meal. We had the Signature Dish: mixed seafood platter and it was good. The prawns were large, but not tiger prawns, and they were a little dry. The green lobster was very good and split down the middle so it was easy for the two of us to eat. There was also squid and a snapper that was mushy but the skin was crisp and good. For our sides (which were included), we ordered the patatas bravas and the grilled veggies. For dessert, we ordered the coconut à la mange/mango and the coconut sorbet. The sorbet did not taste enough like coconut. The composed coconut dessert was original and good. We spent RM 508, US $108.83, and were happy.
R: Ikan-Ikan, fish restaurant, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi. We had two very good meals at Ikan-Ikan. On our second visit, we sat outside and had a lovely view. Both meals were delicious with very good service. Each dinner cost around RM 430, US $92 which was about right for a hotel restaurant.
R: Paradise Seafood, Chinese Seafood, No 188 Pusat Dagangan Kelana Mas Kuah, 07000 Langkawi. The owner in a toque was welcoming and helpful. The look of the restaurant was good although it was not on any of our lists. We chose it over the one that Samanda, the Four Seasons Guest Experience director had recommended--Sin Sze--because Sin Sze was dead and looked awful. At Paradise, there were other tables seated and it was a nicer space. We ordered the La La clams in ginger which were very good. We never remembered having mantis shrimp so we had them in a salt and pepper preparation. They were expensive, VERY difficult to eat, and tough. We must remember never to have them again. The bean curd was good, but not great like at Yong Leong. We also ordered the eggplant which was good and rice. With tea, the meal cost RM 154, US $33, and was good enough.
R: Tanjung Rhu food village by the beach in Ayer Hangat. We had several good lunches and they were inexpensive.
R: Langkawi Apam Balik in Ayer Hangat for a pancake RM .70, US 15 cents. It was hot, crunchy, and delicious and we went back numerous times.
R-with a stipulation: The Planter's Restaurant, The Danna Hotel, Telanga Harbour Park, Pantai Kok, 07000 Langkawi. The huge buffet was underwhelming. At the seafood buffet, there were good bamboo clams. The shrimp was regular-sized. The mussels didn’t look interesting. They didn’t have the correct implements to eat the crab. The grill had a good fish and a tough lamb. The mee rebus was very good with noodles of a size we like. Otherwise, the buffet inside was varied but not interesting. Dimitri liked the braised meat stew in a soya sauce. The gado gado was very good; none of the other salads were interesting. The Western dishes did not look appealing, nor did the Indian. The Malay dishes included a shrimp dish that was okay and an okra dish that was okay. The Chinese dishes didn’t appeal, except for Dimitri’s meat dish. The "Bengali bread" accompanying the mutton stew was just brioche bread. The fruit selection was ordinary and none of the desserts, not even the chocolate ones were particularly good. The milk tea that was served was just milk tea. The green tea was okay. Chef Barta from Italy was engaging. Otherwise, we were abandoned in the outdoor seating area. We spent RM 360 for two buffets, US $76.
R-with a stipulation: Warung Jalak Lankeng (known as Din Cafe), Malay, Ayer Hangat, 07000 Langkawi. Dimitri liked this simple restaurant overlooking the Andaman Sea. Audre thought that the menu was almost incomprehensible. On our first visit, we had one Tom Yang known to the world as Tom Yum with shrimp. We spent RM 12, US $2.58 and Dimitri was happy.
R-with a stipulation: Pia's The Padi, fusion Malay (formerly known as Jimmy's The Padi Cuisine), Lot 618, Kampung Pandang Gaong, Ulu Melaka, 07000 Langkawi, 012-493 3713. The setting in the campo was nice and there were a few other tables. Jimmy was a good host. We started with pakora and a salty lassi. Then we had the lamb with mushroom and the lady fingers with roti canai. The pakora was very good with lots of curry leaves in it. It was crunchy with a little spiciness. The lamb was okay and the lady fingers were better. For dessert, we had one truly awful rice pudding and one good mango kulfi. We also had a good masala tea. It was an okay dinner and cost RM 184.80 US $39.50.
NR: Dawan Thai Seafood Kitchen, Jalan Tanjung Rhu in the village of Ayer Hangat. It was right by the road on the way to our hotel; it was noisy with traffic. We ordered a steamed fish (sea bass was the one they had) in lime, a mango salad and a mee goreng with Thai tea served hot that they would make without milk or sugar. The whole fish looked good but was soft, and mushy. It must have been old. The mee goreng wasn’t particularly tasty. The mango salad was good. All in all, it was okay but not recommendable. We spent RM 60, US $12.90.
A: India Palace, Indian, 2 Jalan Pantai Chenang, Kampung Lubok Buaya, 07000 Langkawi, 011-4878 7575. We should not have stayed. The Chenang area was awful—not for us. It looked like the worst of a tourist-beach-night life area. It reminded us of the Patong area in Phuket many years ago. There was no one in the restaurant when we arrived although people did come later. We were told that they had no fish, shellfish, or lamb. Only chicken and meat. We ordered too much and it wasn’t good. First, we ordered a plain lassi that was sweet and a lime with mint that was good. The first of the food was the samosa—which we didn’t eat. Then came the Kashmiri naan, the Kashmiri rice, the dhall thadka, the bendi masala, and the clay pot chicken curry. Edible but just barely. We spent RM 148, US $31.67, and would discourage people from going.
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