Sun Cafe @ Pantai Cenang, Langkawi

Time really flies. It had been seven years since I visited Langkawi but the evergreen island still proves to be a highly enjoyable destination, great for a short and relaxing vacation. Carefree driving along the beaches, forests, villages and paddy fields sure is a welcomed change from the stressful and hair-pulling traffic in the city. And fortunately, most Langkawi sceneries are still relatively unspoilt without any high rise developments. Well except for Kuah town and Pantai Cenang where big malls and hotels are slowly but surely enroaching from every corner.
I don’t recall Pantai Cenang being such a busy place too. It used to be pretty chill and only dotted by motels and a few resorts. Now, it is so commercialized and filled to the brim with boutique hotels, bars, restaurants, spas, massage centers, cafe, souvenir shops as well as the spanking new Cenang Mall. You won’t have to go to Kuah town for fast food anymore, you can find Starbucks, Old Town Kopitiam, KFC, McDonalds and many others here.

With so many restaurants to choose from at a tourist spot, deciding where to eat could be a challenge if you did not do enough homework prior to coming. So here I am telling you as it is – which are the good ones and which are the traps to avoid. This is of course all based on my experience and opinion.
My number 1 recommendation? Sun Cafe which is located minutes away from Pantai Cenang. They serve mainly Western dishes and is only open for lunch and dinner. Their price is slightly above average (understandable since they are somewhat classier than the regular establishments) but we have no complaints because our dinner here was the best meal we had in Langkawi.

Open concept with a casual and warm atmosphere. Service is excellent as well, it feels genuinely friendly and they really care about your dining experience.

Surf & Turf @ RM65 – wonderfully cooked tenderloin, medium rare just as requested. Very delicious and flavorful albeit the sauce was a tad on the salty side. There is a bed of pasta underneath the dish which was surprisingly quite delightful too.

Grilled Fillet of Barracuda @ RM36 – marinated in lemon and honey, served on spinach with a bowl potato au gratin. This dish is value for money considering the portion size, you will definitely be stuffed after finishing the rich and creamy potatoes. Anyway the fish was great, fresh and beautifully done with crispy skin and flaky meat.

Pina Colada (RM14) and orange juice (RM6)

So why exactly did I take a photo of the toilet? Because many previous customers have mentioned that Suncafe’s unique toilet is worth checking out before leaving the restaurant. And you always know I go the extra mile to verify claims like these. So here it is – what is special about it is just that it is completely open at one side and decorated with water feature. Not so impressive if compared to Starhill’s if you ask me.
If you are looking for souvenirs and decorations in Langkawi here’s a tip for you. Skydeep Souvenirs Shop nextdoor has some interesting stuff that is not only affodable and purchase-worthy (no ugly and boring key chains or fridge magnets here), the quality is better too compared to the rest we seen.

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