We spent our time in Langkawi scouring the island for the best places for food. We found a couple but the one that really stood out was Nasi Dagang Pak Malau.
If you have been walking around in Kuah or in Pantai Cenang, you will definitely have missed this treasure because it is a bit hard to get to. You would require a vehicle to get here. Trust me, the drive is totally worth it!
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Location of Nasi Dagang Pak Malau
Address: Jalan Makam Mahsuri, Kampung Mawar, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
As I mentioned before, Nasi Dagang Pak Malau is located towards the center of the island. It took us about 15 minutes to reach from our residence (Ombak villa). It is 10 km away from Pantai Cenang and Kuah. The roads are great and despite the distance you can make it there in no time at all.
Timings of Nasi Dagang Pak Malau
The place is closed on all Tuesdays so make a note of that. On other days of the week it is open between 8am – 2 pm. Most locals head here for either breakfast or lunch. Irrespective of the time of the day you head here, the menu remains the same. The food is delicious!
Nasi Dagang Pak Malau
We chanced about the name of this restaurant when we struck up a conversation with the receptionist at our hotel in Kuah. She mentioned that everyone just loves the food and if we are in the area we should give it a try. Needless to say, we somehow could not make our way to the iconic spot until we shifted residence to the otherside of the island.
We visited Nasi Dagang Pak Malau on one of those rainy days that are inevitable if you spend August in Langkawi. The sky opened with its full fury and dropped buckets of water in our heads as we made our way to grab a bite to eat. With hyperactive toddlers in the car, we seriously wonder whether heading out was the right thing to do.
When we arrived, the place was brimming with people. We even found it hard to find a parking spot. The rain did not help either! The restaurant has two separate seating areas. One is a large open hall with a lot of tables organized. The other section has small wooden huts where you can sit on the ground and enjoy the view. We obviously chose the huts!
The Food At Nasi Dagang Pak Malau
Food at Nasi Dagang Pak Malau with a view.
While the view of the paddy fields, the mountains and the general atmosphere at the restaurant are great, it is the food that draws people in. The way I have heard about it, the restaurant started off as a small stop that served really good food. As time went on, it expanded. Today, it has a lot of seating areas and amenities but the food quality has not changed.
The menu is rather simple. Rice and one variety of curry. When we visited the options were beef curry or fish curry. We tried both of them and they were equally delicious. I can’t really choose and say which was better. Aside from the meat being soft and succulent, the curry was a soulful mixture of spices.
You can also catch a cup of hot teh (tea) or Kopi (coffee) here. They had colorful mini cupcakes that our kids absolutely loved. They even demanded some as a parcel for the night!
The price of the food is not expensive either. We paid around 40 MYR for our meal and it was worth every bit of it.
Nasi Dagang Pak Malau Review
If I had to rate the food here, I would say that it was the single best meal that I have had in Langkawi. If you go there expecting something ultra fancy with a long list of items you are bound to be disappointed. The menu is simple and what is served is delicious. It is however Malay food and if that isn’t what you are looking for then you should skip it.
We on the other hand were disappointed that the place closed up after the afternoon session because we would have come back for round two at dinner time!
