Showing posts with label Kedah. Show all posts

[FOOD] 20130804 Scarborough Fish & Chips @ Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi


Scarborough Fish & Chips is a restaurant cum house located along the scenic coast of Tanjung Rhu towards Tanjung Rhu Resort. The owner, Dhillon whom originated from Penang decided to settle down in Langkawi after returning to Malaysia from abroad. He converted this lovely blue house along the beach of Tanjung Rhu into a restaurant serving traditional English style fish and chips.

Remotely located at the north of Langkawi island, this small little house has an unobstructed view of the Andaman sea (please ignore Lafarge's cement plant on your left) and a "private" beach. The menu is simple and limited, mainly serving fish and chips where you can choose a variety of fishes with choice of batter-fried or pan-fried. Fish choices from the cheap dory to the expensive cod or halibut to cater for all. The price is reasonable given the quality and the ambience you get which will totally make your lunch or dinner, enjoyable.

You can also order their appetizers like garden salads or fried seafood and of course not forgetting some chilled beer or juices to go along with your fish and chips. You also have a complimentary beach view of the Tanjung Rhu coupled with the nice sea breeze.

This cozy little eatery is well received by the locals and foreigners who settle in Langkawi as you will see many patrons are actually foreigners who are residing in Langkawi. The atmosphere here is the best especially during the night where you can hang around with your friends with a cold beer on hand.

Lot 1388, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi
Telephone: +604 959 4667 / 012-352 2236
Opening Hours: 10:00am until 09:00pm (Daily)

TO GO


Scarborough Fish & Chips is remotely located along Jalan Tanjung Rhu at the north of Langkawi, which is very quiet and far away from tourist hot spots. It's recommended to rent your own transportation if you wish to visit this lovely restaurant as it will be hard to catch a cab here.

You need to travel north towards Tanjung Rhu Resort or Four Season Resort along some village roads. You will notice the Lafarge cement plant at your left when you travel from places like Kuah or Pantai Cenang. Try to locate a blue house with a road sign along the Tanjung Rhu beach after the cement plant.



SPECIALITY



After close to 30 minutes drive from Kuah town to Tanjung Rhu, you can stop by Scarborough Fish & Chip after enjoying the sunset at the Tanjung Rhu beach. The roadside banner is noticeable from both direction of the road next to the restaurant. 


The restaurant is basically a residential house where the outdoor and the beach are converted into a dining area with marble stone tables and stools (Sorry no picture of the exterior due to sudden rain!). Condiments like salt and pepper with vinegar to be accompanied with your meal.


I ordered some green for a start. The house salad served with lettuce, onion, cucumber, tomator and bell pepper with drizzle of balsamic vinegar and served with some caramelized onions. The vegetables are freshly prepared, giving you a refreshing start.


Another appetizer which is the tempura prawn platter with eight pieces of deep fried prawn. The prawns were fresh and dipped in the English style batter before deep frying.


The pan fried dory is served with nice thick and soft chips instead of french fries. The dory fillet is fresh with firm flesh, in contrast to some lower quality fish served by some other restaurants. No fancy decoration is required for such a fulfilling meal, just simple and nice. 


The batter-fried dory fillet which is also an alternative option which is also served with cut fries and tartar sauce. The batter gives a crispy crust to the fish fillet but I preferred the pan-fried version which has a better flavour in comparison to the batter-fried which has a better texture.


Don't forget a chilled beer to complete your meal of fish and chips.


The ambience is very relaxing especially during the night with the chit chat and laughter from the patrons while enjoying the sea breeze and the sound of the lapping waves.

SUMMARY


Scarborough Fish & Chips is one relaxing place to enjoy your meal while having a nice open air scenery with good quality food. The food served is simple and nice without fancy preparation but yet satisfying. The ambience is the main draw of the restaurant which make you feel very homey. Price is reasonable with dory fillets starting below RM20 until RM50+ for more expensive fishes like halibut. This is a place that I will chill out during the night for my next visit.

Taste
 ☆☆☆☆☆
 fresh food served sincerely
Value
 ☆☆☆☆
value for money especially with the ambience provided.
Service
 ☆☆☆☆
friendly
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆
tend to be sandy and beware of mosquitoes.
Opening Hours
10:00am until 09:00pm
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Yes
Website
Scarborough Fish & Chips FB

GPS: 6.438078, 99.801650
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[PLACE] 20130803 Panorama Langkawi @ Burau Bay, Langkawi


Panorama Langkawi is one of the must visit especially for first time visitors. At 700 meters above sea level, Panorama Langkawi was the brainchild of Tun Dr Mahathir (former Prime Minister of Malaysia) during his helicopter flight across Mount Machinchang (tallest peak of Langkawi) in 1999.

Completed in 2003, the Panorama Langkawi is a full fledged tourist attraction with an oriental village located at the bottom of Mount Machinchang, a world's longest curve suspension bridge, a longest mono-cable car system, along with other tourist attractions to make your visiting experience a whole.

The highlight would definitely be the SkyCab and SkyBridge where the former would elevate you to 708 meters above sea level to the second highest peak of Mount Machinchang overseeing the whole Langkawi island via it's 360° platform deck. Visitors can also access to the SkyBridge via the Top Station which is suspended on a single pylon, 100 meters above ground. Definitely not for the faint hearted and acrophobic person.

However, visitors must be aware of the OPERATIONAL HOURS to avoid disappointment which can be traced at their official website.

Oriental Village, Burau Bay, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Telephone: +604 - 959 4225
Opening Hours: Check the schedule above.

TO GO


Panorama Langkawi is located remotely at the west side of the island, nearby Berjaya Langkawi Resort. The entrance to the SkyCab cable car is located within the Oriental Village, which is a themed recreational park with various attractions, although maintenance is not up` to par. 

I would recommend to rent a car to get to the Oriental Village instead of hiring a cab due to the location and flexibility, the cost of hiring a cab (depending on your origin) can cost almost of the cost of renting a car in Langkawi.



ATTRACTION


The Oriental Village is basically just a side attraction to make the whole experience a whole. The main attraction of Panorama Langkawi would be the cable car ride up to the second highest peak of Mount Matchinchang, where the observatory deck and the SkyBridge is located.


The SkyCab is usually packed with long queue especially during the peak season. Adult ticket price is RM35 (it was RM30 during my visit) currently but MyKad holders will be entitled for a discount, in other words, there will be a Malaysian and non-Malaysian price.


The cable car, or the gondola is relatively small which can fit 6 person maximum.


The journey up takes about 15 minutes with total distance of about 2.2km, ascending about 680 meters. There's a middle station in between where you need to disembark and continue with another cable line towards the top station due to geographical reason. Along the way up, you get to enjoy the sea view and forest view of the million years old rain forest and also the limestone mountains.


You will also be able to see the SkyBridge from the cable car when on the way up to the top station. Unfortunately for me, the SkyBridge was closed during my visit due to safety reasons and repair work was long delayed due to funding issue. Recent check shows that the SkyBridge was reopened in Feb 2015, after the long delay.


It was a cloudy day due to the rainy season during my visit, making the whole scenery to be Genting alike with the thick mist. Once you reach the top station, you will be able to see a few booth selling post cards and souvenirs for tourists. The path way will lead you up to a junction where there are two observatory deck at both sides of the walkway.


You get to view the SkyBridge from the above where it makes you wonder the engineering marvel to actually construct it with a suspension bridge supported by a single pylon, built in-situ using helicopter as crane, assembling the parts piece by piece.


It was still misty and I'm running out of time. We are suppose to be able to get the magnificent view of the Andaman Sea, overseeing the Thai border. This is also a very good sunset spot for those who wished to take a breathtaking sunset sea cliff shot.


The corridor interconnecting both decks. The sky started to clear off during the noon just before I decided to leave the deck.


Switched to my ultra wide angle lens to capture a wider view of the scenery, with an ugly telecommunication tower obstructing the overall view.


Although not fantastic, the colours of the sea started to pop out after the mist has cleared.


The west side of the island with the blend of the sky and the beautiful turquoise blue colour of the Andaman sea.


The top station with a steep drop down. Time to pack up and move to my next destination, i.e. the Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls, which is just next to Panorama Langkawi.

SUMMARY


The main attraction of Panorama Langkawi will definitely be its breathtaking sea view at 700 meters above sea level. The SkyBridge is also an experience that you cannot miss if you are here but definitely not for the faint hearted. It was unfortunate that it was closed during my visit. All other attractions like the Oriental Village is just add on to what nature can offer. Would recommend for anyone who is first timer in Langkawi and nature lover. 

Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆
beautiful seascape and nature with fresh air
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
need more upkeep
Entrance Fee
Cable Car - RM35 Adult return ticket
Oriental Village - Free
Other attractions - refer website
Opening Hours
Please refer to official website for scheduled maintenance
Wifi
Limited
Parking
Yes
Website
http://www.panoramalangkawi.com/

GPS: 6.371064, 99.671546
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[FOOD] 20130803 The Loaf Bakery and Bistro Perdana Quay @ Telaga Harbour, Langkawi


The Loaf is a Japanese fusion bakery and bistro that also serves Western style ala carte menu for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Using traditional Japanese baking methods coupled with the best ingredients, the bakery sets to serve the best products to its customers.

The bakery is linked to our former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir, with the first outlet opened in Telaga Harbour, Langkawi in 2006. You will often see Tun's name appear in the menu such as Tun's Breakfast.

Over the years, this premium bakery has expanded outside Langkawi with a few outlets opened at key hotspots in Klang Valley such as Pavillion, Bangsar Village II, Empire Subang, Sogo KL, Avanue K, Nu Sentral, KLIA 2, Sunway Pyramid, Mitsui Outlet Park, the Mines, Cheras Central Mall, DPulze Cyberjaya and Great Eastern Mall. They also have another outlet in Langkawi which is located at the new Cenang Mall.

The Loaf serves various kind of bread and pastries, including cookies and jams. They also have their own specialty dessert known as the Uhuhu that looks more like a cup cake with different topping selections.

C9 Perdana Quay Telaga Harbour Park Pantai Kok, Langkawi 07000 Kedah
Telephone: +604 959 4866
Opening Hours: 10:00am until 10:00pm

TO GO


The Perdana Quay is located at the Telaga Harbour which is towards the west side of the island, with a good view of sea and yacht. However, the location is kinda remote and it's recommended to rent a car as grabbing a cab may not be easy.


SPECIALITY



It was my second day in Langkawi and I'm on my way to Panorama Langkawi hence decided to drop by The Loaf Bakery and Bistro at Perdana Quay for breakfast since it's along the way, otherwise I would hardly drop by due to the distance away from main attraction areas.


The first outlet is located at this serene and quiet Telaga Harbour, overlooking the nice view of yacht docks. The Perdana Quay is rather quiet in my opinion with little crowd, it will be tough for the outlets here to sustain and constant upkeep and maintenance is required to keep the flow of tourist coming in. The whole place was rather quiet with majority of the commercial activity located at the sea-fronting side.


You can choose to dine outside with a cuppa while overlooking the beautiful scenery, but I prefer to avoid the scorching hot sun. I would be nice to sit outside at night with the cold night sea breeze and some music. Hmm..


The bakery was quiet in the morning with only a few patrons, probably also due to Ramadhan month during my visit where all the Muslims are fasting. The interior is cozy with a warm and homey feel.



They have various pastries and breads to offer and most of them do look very appetizing. They do provide some samplers for you to try. Prices are towards the higher side but still affordable, probably will just buy less.


This is one very special looking bread that looks like a pizza but actually known as the Coco Choco.


More bread for your selection.


I ordered the Square Egg on Toast (RM13) for a start with the description quoted from their menu "Thick toast with square sunny side-up egg, chicken sausages, hash brown and fresh grill tomato" that comes with a choice of coffee or tea. Well, to be honest, there's nothing to shout about this plate with everything looks and taste mediocre with oily hash brown and blunt toast.


The coffee that comes along with the toast. Very thick black coffee towards the acidic side.


Don't quite remember what this is called but if not mistaken it is the Scrambled Egg with Beef Stripes. The look might not be appetizing but fortunately the taste is ok, although nothing spectacular.


Hot Chocolate was also acceptable but I do hope for a richer taste of chocolate.


I also ordered a croissant for comparison purpose as I just had one of the best croissant the day before at La Chocolatine at Pantai Tengah. As expected, the croissant is the typical crispy pastry, which I don't fancy and I still prefer the one back in La Chocolatine.


Last but not least is of course their signature Uhuhu dessert and I ordered the Chocolate Almond (RM3+) to wrap up my breakfast. It taste more like a moose dessert than a cup cake,

SUMMARY


I never been to The Loaf at KL and only tried in Langkawi since it is the origin. Overall, the environment is cozy but the food were disappointing even though the breads are still up to standard. I would recommend to just dine in during tea break for their pastries and bread and forget about the ala carte menu. Price is also towards the high side and not to value for such quality.

Taste
 ☆☆☆
 mediocre
Value
 ☆☆☆
 high side
Service
 ☆☆☆☆☆
 Very attentive and friendly staff
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
08:00am until 10:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Yes
Website
http://www.theloaf.com.my/

GPS: 6.368551, 99.682553
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[FOOD] 20130802 La Chocolatine @ Pantai Tengah, Langkawi


Had my first breakfast in Langkawi at La Chocolatine after my night flight back in 2013. It is a small French pastry shop owned by a French, who is also the pastry chef, serving some very nice pastries and desserts.

Although the price seemed to be on the higher end but it is totally justified by the quality of the pastries and desserts served, with some French desserts that are rarely seen in normal pastries. They do serve breakfast sets with sandwiches and omelette if you fancy a western breakfast.

La Chocolatine is located at Pantai Tengah, right after the junction between Jalan Pantai Tengah and Jalan Teluk Baru.

03 Jalan Teluk Baru, Pantai Tengah, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Telephone: +604 - 9558891
Opening Hours: 09:00am until 09:00pm

TO GO


La Chocolatine is located at Pantai Tengah, which is towards the South end of popular tourist spot of Pantai Cenang. If you are staying nearby Pantai Cenang or Pantai Tengah then travelling by foot is most recommended as you can also enjoy the beach front.

Any other locations would require you to either rent a car or bike or to take a cab.

SPECIALITY



La Chocolatine is a cozy little pastry shop with a striking orange sign board located just after the end of Jalan Pantai Tengah with a beach fronting (although some distance away).


It has a very simple yet homey interior with some trace of French culture. The service was friendly and prompt and I noticed some locals are working on the pastries in the kitchen.


Breakfast set menu are available but I don't quite get the reason of serving two beverages but only one bread, of course with the price tag of RM20 and above (that was in 2013!).


I opt for the ala carte menu instead to have more flexibility. They serve Nespresso coffee along with tea or hot chocolate to accompany your pastry. Although I would like to comment on my Cappuccino was just mediocre. Better just to focus on their pastries and desserts and to skip beverages.

Croissant - RM4

Their croissant was a killer. I'm not a fan of croissant but this particular croissant totally changed my perspective of croissant because I used to think that croissant is dry and oily with layers of pastries. The croissant made by La Chocolatine was different, it was soft and fluffy with rich butter flavour.


The inner texture of the croissant reassembles more like a bread (but not bread!) instead of the normal croissant that I used to have.


I also ordered this bread (sorry I don't remember the name!) which is also very good. I really like the texture of the pastries, not forgetting the flavour.


Desserts are also their signature and I believe the girls will definitely scream in front of the patisserie counter with arrays of sinful desserts for the sweet tooth. Common French desserts such as enclair, tarts, macaroons and many other fancy French-named desserts. However, do expect a higher price tag for such premium quality desserts with at least RM10 each.

I skipped desserts as it was too early in the morning for a sweet dip. Probably will try it next time when I'm in Langkawi again. 


SUMMARY


Very nice and authentic pastries that totally revamped my perspective of pastries. It gave me an insight on how well a pastry can taste like, if properly done. It was kinda rare to find a French pastry in a place like Langkawi but perhaps the peaceful and slow pace of Langkawi attracted many foreigners to reside here.

Taste
 ☆☆☆☆☆
 Very nice pastries
Value
 ☆☆☆☆
Price is on the higher end
Service
 ☆☆☆☆
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
09:00am until 09:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Yes
Website
Nil

GPS: 6.282507, 99.730884
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