La Bonne Vie!: Touring Langkawi Gastronomically

It is dangerous to visit Langkawi! If you are thinking that the hazard involves Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapping tourists, you are way off track. The danger that I am referring to has dire consequences on one’s weight! Malaysia is home to an endless choice of good food, but we usually think of Ipoh or Penang where tasty meals are concerned. Prior to my recent visit to Langkawi, I was unaware that good food also abounds in the Jewel of Kedah.

1. Scarborough Fish & Chips Restaurant

As our accommodation was at Tanjung Rhu, naturally our first dinner in Langkawi was in the vicinity. Tanjung Rhu, by the way, is a much quieter part of the island but has one of the most gorgeous shorelines of Langkawi. At Scarborough Fish & Chips Restaurant, we enjoyed an al fresco dinner at the beach, being fanned by the cooling sea breeze and watching the sun dip down for its slumber. The food offered there include battered fish, pan-fried fish, calamari, prawns, chicken and lamb. I ordered a deep fried snow fish (RM30) while Derrick opted for a chicken cordon bleu (RM26). The batter of my snow fish was crisp and very nicely-done; the chunks of fish were thick and fresh. Upon trying Derrick’s chicken cordon bleu, I agreed that it was yummy.

A very simple eatery by the beach, but it's so popular

Watching the sunset with your loved one whilst having your food...bliss!

Derrick's chicken cordon bleu

My fish and chips

We shared these prawn fritters, which disappeared in no time

Calamari rings were also a delight

Address : Lot 1388 Jalan Tanjung Rhu | Mukin Air Hangat, Langkawi 07000, Malaysia

Opening Times : 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

2. Pia’s The Padi

This restaurant is ranked #8 out of 308 Langkawi restaurants by TripAdvisor. Despite the location being rather difficult to locate (it involves driving off the beaten track and right into the middle of a paddy field), we knew we had to give this place a try.

On our 2nd evening in Langkawi, Derrick and I arrived at the restaurant at 9 p.m., only to find that it was closed. We were disappointed and were getting ready to leave when Jimmy, the owner and chef, walked out. He had just closed up for the day but being the hospitable host that he is, immediately welcomed us in and was happy to cook for us. A truly gracious host!

The restaurant is a simple building built in the midst of gorgeous paddy fields and the decor is minimalistic yet elegant. I can well imagine what a lovely experience it would be to dine there whilst enjoying the sunset.

We chose to have the set meals, which came with an appetiser (spring rolls and samosas), a main course with rice, vegetables, dessert and free flow of drinks. It didn’t come cheap (RM165 for 2 persons) but the taste was exceptional!

Everything was beautifully prepared. I am a huge fan of beef rendang so of course I chose that for my mains. One bite of the tender beef in Jimmy's special rendang gravy, I was hooked! It is definitely the best beef rendang that I had ever tasted. Although Derrick had the chicken butter masala for his mains and he generally does not favour beef rendang, he kept on nicking mine. Jimmy’s mango kulfi (an Indian dessert) is also top notch!

Throughout dinner, Jimmy kept popping out to check on us. He was pleased to find that we were enjoying our food. When his wife and daughters came later to find out why he was not home yet, they too were so warm and friendly. We really delighted in our dinner that night, not only because the food was so exceptional, but also because we felt like we were dining in the house of friends.

Hungry face, but so lucky to have the entire restaurant to ourselves

While Jimmy worked his magic in his kitchen, we enjoyed the free flow of iced lime juice.

Spring rolls and samosas to whet our appetites

Lovingly prepared dishes to go with rice

Jimmy's oh-so-delicious beef rendang

Jimmy's mango kulfi for dessert

Address : Jalan Ulu Melaka, Langkawi 07000, Malaysia

Opening Times : 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (for lunch)

6 p.m. onwards, but can close early (for

dinner

3. The Breakfast Club

We stumbled upon this old shophouse turned into quaint eatery in the middle of a fishing village. Owned and run by an Englishman, it had a quirky tagline to promote itself : “Slow wifi, Cold coffee, Lousy service, Give us a go!”. It got our curiosity piqued. The menu listed bacon and it definitely got the oink oink-deprived Derrick interested.

Its bacon sandwich was nothing fanciful but it kept Derrick happy. I was brought a little closer to Scotland when I tucked into my Lorne sausage and French toast. For the uninitiated, the Lorne sausage or flat sausage is a traditional Scottish food, though lesser known than haggis.

Breakfast here was fairly reasonably priced and came up to about RM25 for the 2 of us. Most importantly, Derrick got his oink oink fix.

Eager rabbit caught in the act of entering The Breakfast Club

A kampung house turned into eatery

My French Toast with Lorne sausage

Derrick's oink oink fix

Address : 52, Kuala Teriang, Langkawi

Opening Times : 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Tue to Sat)

4. fatCupid

Hoping to have some Chinese food for our 3rd dinner on the island, we drove past bustling Pantai Cenang to head to Fat Mum at Pantai Tengah. This was a friend’s recommendation for some tasty yet reasonably priced Chinese food. Unfortunately, it was closed (this was a Friday evening) so we turned to the nearby fatCupid Restaurant. What’s with all these “Fat” eateries in Langkawi? Perhaps they think fat equals scrumptious food?

Anyhow, we thought we couldn’t go far wrong as fatCupid is ranked #104 out of 308 Langkawi restaurants in TripAdvisor. I remember reading some fairly glowing reviews of it. Perhaps our expectations were too high; we just found the food average and nothing to shout about. The restaurant is nicely decorated, simple Scandinavian decor. Derrick ordered chicken "pongteh" with rice...it was average. So was my chicken kapitan with rice. The food's not bad, it's just average and not as exquisite as claimed by other reviewers. I did enjoy my Lemongrass Mojito (a cocktail of lemongrass, white rum, mint, lime and brown sugar) though.

Simple Scandinavian decor at fatCupid

My Lemongrass Mojito, which made me a little intoxicated later.

My chicken kapitan with rice

Derrick's chicken pongteh with rice

Address : La Pari-Pari, 2273, Jalan Teluk Baru | Kampung Tasek Anak, Pantai Tengah, Langkawi 07000, Malaysia

Opening Times : 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

5. MY French Factory

We were briefly transported to Paris for lunch on our 4th day in Langkawi. This creperie is ranked #1 by TripAdvisor and having a penchant for crepes, I was not going to leave Langkawi without trying this one out. And it was such a rewarding eating experience at this authentic French creperie owned and run by a young French couple. The sweet lady boss chatted with us amicably as she made our crepes and I got to practise a little of my rusty French with her. Derrick, who had also learnt French during his university days, could understand us but did not dare to join in. Fortunately, the lady boss did not laugh at my broken French.

It was Derrick’s first crepe experience and he was impressed. Now he asks me where to find crepes in Ipoh. I tell him we probably can find one or two, but will definitely not match those made at MY French Factory, Langkawi.

We started off with a savoury crepe each. And then shared a sweet one for dessert. Derrick chose to have one with chicken slices, cheese and egg (RM18) while I picked a crepe with mushrooms, sour cream and cheese (also RM18). These savoury crepes are made from organic buckwheat flour and are also known as galettes. The sweet crepe that we chose was topped with roasted almonds and caramel. It came looking like a bit of a mess but was exceptionally lovely. I seriously considered getting more to take away.

Tres bien!

Friendly French owner hard at work

The look and the smell...I'm salivating!

French version of roti canai

My crepe with mushrooms, sour cream and cheese

The heavenly crepe with caramel and almond flakes that we shared and I couldn't get enough of it

Derrick's crepe with chicken slices, cheese and egg

Address : Jalan Pantai Cenang | Ground floor of the Langgura BARON Resort, Langkawi 07000, Malaysia

Opening Times : 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Closed on Fridays)

6. Mangoes Bar & Grill

Ranked #3 by TripAdvisor, this converted “kampung” house tucked away in the small village of Kuala Teriang was the venue of our 4th dinner on the island. Locating the place is not an easy task but ask any local and you'll be directed to this restaurant, which is the pride and joy of a German and Australian couple. It was such a lovely experience dining in this homely restaurant surrounded by lush greenery with a direct view of the Andaman sea.

Derrick’s roast lamb (RM40) was very well done (he especially loved the mashed potatoes). My chicken cordon bleu (RM35) was also one of the best that I'd ever tasted. Fortunately, we still had room to spare so we shared a rum mango crepe (RM17), which was delicious.

The entrance to Mangoes

Derrick's roast lamb

Do I hear baa-baa?

Who can resist this rum mango crepe? I can't!

My chicken cordon bleu...looks dry but tastes delicious

Address : Jalan Kuala Teriang, Kuala Teriang, Langkawi 07000, Malaysia

Opening Times : 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Wed to Sat), 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sun)

7. Breakfast Bar

On our last morning in Langkawi before our early afternoon flight, we drove to Pantai Cenang for breakfast. We were attracted to this tropical beach-like hut establishment and decided to try it out. Owned by a Malay artist, you get to have simple, average-taste choices like American breakfast (minus the bacon, of course), omelettes, toasties and pancakes. As most of everything is priced between RM4 to RM9, this breakfast spot will definitely not leave a dent in your pocket.