What to Eat in Langkawi

Langkawi cuisine price range:

• RM5 - RM100

How you can get there:

• Car, motorbike and bicycle rentals are available around the city. Be sure to check them out if you wish to have more freedom navigating around the island
• You can also opt for a taxi to get you around
• Ride-sharing apps such as Grab and Uber are also useful to flag a ride around the city

What to look out for:

Hungry and curious? Are you looking to sate your rumbling tummy while simultaneously eager to try out some local cuisine? Then look no further because Langkawi is the perfect place to satisfy both. This beautiful island is not only blessed by nature’s abundance, but it is also full of skilled chefs and cuisine experts who are all here to make your wildest culinary dream comes true. So ready that stomach because it is in for an adventure of flavourful delight!

If you are confused as to where and how you should start, we have arranged for you a selection of several recommended local cuisine. Pick your choice and start your culinary journey:

Orkid Ria is one of the most popular seafood restaurants on the island! (Image Credit: Flickr//Jeremy)

The beautiful sea and coast of Langkawi have amazed both tourists and locals with its turquoise water and breathtaking view. As an island surrounded by the azure sea, it is no wonder that Langkawi offers some of the most unique and delicious seafood menus for you seafood lovers out there. Be sure to go out and try out the many local recipes customised for your delight and pleasure.

Drop by “Wonderland Food Store” and try out its mouth-watering crab and fish that will leave you wanting more. Do also try out its spicy food variety and challenge yourself into finishing them all. Or, if you are in the vicinity of Pantai Cenang, be sure to drop by the locally acclaimed “Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant”. If you love shrimp, you will love the restaurant’s succulent and beautifully arranged lobster meat on your plate. Of course, if you are also looking for some Asian main dish, the two restaurants also offer a whole assortment of main course menu for you to choose from. So, be sure to try out the two local legends for yourself and determine if the taste is truly worth the buzz.   

Langkawi stays true to its reputation as a food haven with its collection of restaurants and different main courses, both Western and Asian style. No matter which one you choose, you are guaranteed a genuine taste with a local twist on your favourite food. So get ready for a pleasant surprise as you pick your choice of the main course for the day.

The Fat Frog boasts a beautiful garden view to accompany your meal.  (Image Credit: The Fat Frog)

If you are craving some savoury Western cuisine, you should try out “The Fat Frog”. Do note that the restaurant operates in different time and multiple shifts in a single day so make sure to check out operating schedule for the exact time. Each shift typically lasts for 3 to 4 hours before it closes for a break. Aside from Monday, the restaurant remains open from Tuesday to Sunday - typically from 8:30 - 11:30 A.M., 12:00 - 4:00 P.M. and 6:30 - 9:30 P.M. Do you also know that the restaurant is similarly known and famous for its beautiful garden view? Dine in and pamper yourself with a panoramic scenery by the courtyard as you feast upon the evening sunset.

Restoran Siti Fatimah provides a huge selection of local seafood dishes. (Image Credit: Restoran Siti Fatimah)

For some good old Asian food, try out one of the local favourite, “Restoran Siti Fatimah”. This homemade Malaysian food restaurant serves you with a buffet style “mix rice” where you include a little bit of everything onto your plate and rice. Once you are done, you will be surprised at just how rich the whole mixed flavour can actually be. You might be munching on some curry but find that there is a tinge of rendang flavour on your rice. Then, be pleasantly surprised at how each flavour complements each other in a wondrous culinary delight.    

It’s delicious, it’s easy and it’s affordable! Asia will not be Asia without some good street food. Indeed, this holds true in Langkawi as well. As you make your way around the streets and corners of Langkawi, do spare some time for the island’s tasty street food as well. You will not regret it!

Delicious doughnuts from Donut Terhangat 

As you cruise through Kedah, you will get to chance upon a street store called “Donuts Terhangat” and see a boiling pot of oil by the roadside. It might seem like somebody is cooking dinner by the road but it is actually a local delicacy in the making. Stop by, roll your window down and smell the fragrant scent of cooked buns tickling your nose. You will also notice that the buns are sold for as cheap as RM1 (approximately US$0.24) each. You might also realise that the buns are actually doughnuts! Depending on your palate, you can go for the plain sugar doughnut, chocolate doughnut or the 10x bite-sized doughnuts. Be careful though, they are hot - and addictive!

Be sure to also check out the many night markets sprawled across the city. Bustling, affordable and full of tantalising flavour, you will experience a whole different side of Langkawi in the blanket of the night. If you are looking for a recommendation on the night market, try and visit the Ayer Hangat Friday Night Market in the northern part of the island, not too far away from Tanjung Rhu. Be it drinks, bite-sized cakes or delicious samosa, the night market has it all. After the Ayer Hangat Friday Night Market, you can also go on a night market adventure by visiting different ones that open during different days of the week. The Ulu Melaka Night Market opens every Monday, the Temonyong Night Market opens every Thursday and the Padang Matsirat Night Market is available on Sundays. Night market hopping will definitely be a fun addition to your travel itinerary in Langkawi.  

All filled up for the night but your dessert tummy is still rumbling for more? Of course, it is only fair to give that rumbling a taste of Langkawi’s speciality as well. The island is teeming with amazing cafes and dessert place for you to explore and try out. Whether you are looking for some small bites after a meal or a hip place to gather around, you will find that there are a lot more you are meant to explore when it comes to Langkawi.

Delicious french crepes from My French Factory! (Image Credit: travelmalaysia.me)

When it comes to desserts, a crepe is a must-have when you are in Langkawi. Indeed, a chic dessert place called “My French Factory” serves some of the most amazing taste when it comes to crepes. Whether you are ordering some ice cream topping on top of your crepe or simply just butter and crepe, you are in for a delightful surprise. If you fancy some other choice, the cafe also offers other menus that you can choose from. To satisfy that sweet craving and scoop some of that sugary delight as you satisfy your dessert tummy and enjoy the evening with some saccharine delicacies. As a bonus, the interior of the cafe itself is simply beautiful so be sure to start snapping your camera as well.

Of course, if you are looking for a cafe that is unlike any other and still retain that hipster feel to it, you have to give “Arts Cafe Langkawi” a chance. From grilled chicken to patties, this cafe has it all. Even better, the savoury and succulent meal will be accompanied by the beautiful interior of the contemporary cafe, making all your pictures even more beautiful. It is unsurprising that the cafe has earned itself a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. With such a stellar reputation, you are sure to be in for a treat at the hip and beautiful “Arts Cafe Langkawi”.

Langkawi is definitely a place of great wonders. It is also a place of cultural diversity and culinary delight. Be sure to try out the many eateries and restaurants spread across the island as you enjoy your holiday there. You will definitely come to love both the view and the delicacy of Langkawi.