Things To Do In Langkawi: Best Seafood Restaurant We Visited!
Hey, guys! We’ve been on a quest to find some of the best food in Langkawi. It’s a popular destination after visiting Penang, and there a plenty of guides to the best Langkawi hotels and resorts. But what about the more adventurous among us?
Recently, Jeremy wrote a blog post about some off-the-beaten-path food and beaches on the island. You can read it here. In this post, I’m going to tell you about even more things to do in Langkawi but this time around the small town of Kuah. If you’re not familiar with the town, it’s where the Dataran Lang eagle statue can be found. So you can visit a popular Langkawi landmark and have some amazing food at the same time!
The Best Seafood Dinner We Had in Langkawi
Seafood dinner is a big deal in Penang and elsewhere. It’s more than just a meal, it’s sort of an institution. Families come together over the weekend to laugh, talk and enjoy a delicious meal. Seafood is also considered as a sign of good luck and prosperity, so no extra pressure there chef!
We weren’t going out for a formal dinner on this occasion. But we were staying at the Goldsands Hotel Langkawi in Kuah, and just a short walk from the hotel was one delicious food gem. We’re talking about Weng Fung Seafood Restaurant in Kuah, Langkawi.
The lala (cockles) were so fresh they were almost sweet and buttery
We heard about this restaurant from some friends and couldn’t wait to try it out. Nestled in a small commercial area in Kuah, about 30 minutes away from the main tourist hubs of Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, this place is about as quaint and local as it gets. You can get here via Grab (the local rideshare) or taxi and there’s no issue getting a return trip as long as you aren’t staying too late.
There are only about 5 or 6 tables in this air-conditioned restaurant, and although we arrived pretty early for dinner, most of them were taken. We figured this was a good sign! The staff were very friendly and even made recommendations on dishes and portions. Do plan to arrive by 6pm or so for dinner. It got pretty crowded as we were leaving!
The dried chili mantis prawn was delicious and generous in serving
The highlights were the Teochew-style Pomfret and Golden Spicy Flower Crab. We wish there was a way to communicate flavour through the screen, because these two dishes completely blew us out of the water (pun!).
The pomfret was fresh and delicately cooked, softly buffeted by the tangy flavour of tomatoes and ginger, fragrant with sesame and boldly showcasing the very Teochew flavour of salted cabbage. It’s not something we thought would work, but the chef has expertly balanced these notes with the freshness of the fish. This is one confident chef who knows their stuff!
We were pleasantly suprised by the choice of flavours and how well the chef brought it all together
The crab was, without any hyperbole whatsoever, the best crab dish we have ever had. And we’ve had some pretty great ones! It was succulent and sweet, perfectly complemented by tangy, almost creamy sauce. Every crack, every slurp, every mouthful felt satisfying. If we could, we’d have hugged the chef.
Was it simply a really great catch that day? Were we delirious with hunger? Only another visit will lay these questions (and our taste buds) to rest. Don’t just take our word for it. Go ahead and give this place a try!
Please marry us, beautiful crab.
Bonus: Cellar Bank Langkawi Featuring Japanese Whisky Flight
If you enjoy a good Japanese whisky in the evening, this is a great place to check out. The Cellar Bank Langkawi is right next to Weng Fung and offer a flight of several delicious Japanese whiskys to sample. And you can get a bottle of your choice duty free afterwards! We got ourselves a bottle of Coffey Grain Nikka and have been enjoying it hic responsibly.
