Places to Eat on Perhentian Islands
Being popular tourist destinations, both Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil have a wide variety of local and Western fare on offer. From native Malay dishes, fresh barbequed seafood to hamburgers, pizza and pasta, they seem to serve it all. However, in our opinion, it is best to stick to the local meals as the more international food options are subpar in comparison to the scrumptious Malaysian cuisine on offer.
Prices of local dishes are also more affordable than meals requiring imported ingredients but because most ingredients are imported one can generally expect to pay around 3 times as much as on the mainland.
Alcohol is served in only a few establishments (mainly on the popular Long Beach) but friendly beer-selling hawkers work the shoreline selling icy cans of Tiger for MYR 10. Fortunately, the majority of restaurants and cafes are very accommodating of you bringing the cans in and drinking them on site provided you order a meal off their menu.
Perhentian Kecil
On Perhentian Kecil the delicious smells of fresh seafood being barbequed fills the air in the evenings and famished travellers on Long Beach or Coral Beach will find the tasty offerings of fresh fish, prawn, crab, squid and even lobster hard to pass up. A freshly barbequed fish steak of your choice, slathered in a tangy sauce can be tucked into with generous side portions of baked potato and salad for around MYR 15.
On Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil one can find numerous rustic, beach shacks that serve tasty, native cuisine at affordable prices. One can sample local snacks, sandwiches, barbecued corn, fruit juices and roti canai (delicious savoury or sweet Indian inspired flatbread) in a very scenic setting. Especially enjoyable for travellers on a budget and for those who are more concerned with satisfying hunger pangs than the bells and whistles commonly associated with beach-view eateries across the world.
A short way back on the same beach lies Panorama Chalets and Restaurant which offers decent Wi-Fi as well as nightly screenings of movies for its guests. Serving up tasty dishes of Asian and international fare, Panorama Restaurant is well-known for its sandwiches, pizzas, curries and friendly staff members.
Coral Bay is also an excellent eating spot with Amelia Café and yellow Station Café being our personal favourites. Amelia Café is a popular restaurant with beautiful views and excellent value for money. Serving up generous portions of seafood barbeque, fried rice and curries; this spot checks all the boxes. Do not leave without indulging in a banana lassi or the banana cake!
Yellow Station Café is also a must visit when on Coral Bay. With the tables and chairs directly on the beach sand and the wind gently blowing through your hair, you’ll relish the feeling of being on holiday. Meal options are buffet style or a la carte with the evenings bringing in the popular option of a seaside, seafood barbeque.
Perhentian Besar
On the bigger, quieter island of Perhentian Besar detached restaurants are largely non-existent meaning that the restaurants and eateries are all connected to the resorts or hotels.
It would be a pity to miss at least one meal at Watercolours Restaurant at Paradise Resort on Main Beach. This popular restaurant is jam-packed nightly with hungry people feasting on perfectly prepared and surprisingly affordable seafood. Friendly and attentive staff make this spot all the more memorable and the refreshing, fruit smoothies go down well after a long day in the sun, salt and sand.
Another excellent spot to grab some grub on Perhentian Besar is at Mama’s Restaurant on the north end of the island. Scrumptious breakfasts of pancakes, French toast and local dishes are on offer as well as excellent lunch and dinner meals of seafood, roti canai, banana fritters and teh tariq (hot Asian tea). Service with a smile, competitive prices and a variety of options this restaurant is a must-try for those visiting Besar. An added bonus is that one can also grab meals-to-go and eat directly on the beach.
