The beautiful Tanjung Rhu Beach is filled with small boutique resorts, but many of them do not have a restaurant attached. If you’ve booked a beach hut in Tanjung Rhu and are afraid you’ll have to drive into town every time you want something to eat, fear not. Here are a few restaurants in Tanjung Rhu that you can try for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. All of them are within walking distance from Tanjung Rhu Beach so you can leave the stress of driving behind.
Breakfast
Roti Canai Power
Address: Jalan Tanjung Rhu
Operating Hours: Monday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday: 8am – noon
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: Closed
I don’t know what the hell is going on with this place and whether they even still operate. We were in Tanjung Rhu for five days and we never saw it open. We specifically tried going here on the days it was supposedly open but it was shuttered and no one was there. Perhaps the owners took off on an unannounced holiday since online sources still claim this place is operating.
Nonetheless, this simple little roti canai house is famous across the island. Ask any Langkawi resident where to go for breakfast and they will tell you about Roti Canai Power. The outside looks like the same dishevelled shack as everything else on Jalan Tanjung Rhu, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for their telltale yellow sign.
Nasi Lemak Breakfast on Jalan Tanjung Rhu
Address: Jalan Tanjung Rhu
Operating Hours: Every day during the mornings
If you truly want to eat like a local, head to this unnamed stall on Jalan Tanjung Rhu. The Google Maps pin calls it “Nasi Lemak Breakfast.” You will be the only foreigner and you’ll feel really clever picking up tasty nasi lemak for only RM1 a pack! It’s easy to miss this place, as this is just a table set up in front of someone’s home. This stall is located slightly north of Roti Canai Power with a steel cabinet on the left side of their driveway. There are other nasi lemak stalls along the road, but we tried them and this one tasted the best.
Aside from nasi lemak with different toppings, the stall has a small selection of pre-packaged kuih. It is only possible to try this stall if you are an early riser since the best stuff sells out early. By about 10am (when the above picture was taken) there are only slim pickings left. Inside the paper wrapping is a tight bundle of white rice with a chunk of meat on top and a bit of gravy poured over it. It looks like a small packet of food, but they’re filling and should provide more than enough energy for beaching and sunbathing.
Brunch & Lunch
The Kelapa Cafe
Address: Tanjung Rhu Village Villa & Cottages, 61, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, Kampung Padang Lalang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Operating Hours: Every day except Wednesday 9am – 6pm, Closed on Wednesday
The most charming cafe in the area, The Kelapa Cafe is a private sanctuary in a greenhouse-like venue. Coming here requires a bit of a hunt – it is located deep within the Tanjung Rhu Village Villa & Cottages, which is already buried down small dirt roads that branch off of Jalan Tanjung Rhu. The food is on the lighter side, with lots of fresh-baked bread and fruit if you fancy.
Din Cafe
Address: Red Coral Cottage, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Operating Hours: Every day except Friday 12pm – 8pm, closed on Friday
Another hidden gem just down the road from The Kelapa Cafe, Din Cafe is away from the bustle of Tanjung Rhu beach at the Red Coral Cottage resort. The cafe is built on the hill so guests can look out at the water at this southern end of Tanjung Rhu. The menu consists of simple food with very cheap prices, but the portions are enormous.
Snack
Zaomi Fresh Donut
Address: 112, Kampung Padang Lalang (at the roundabout), 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Operating Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Weekends 12pm – 6:30pm, Friday 9am – 5pm, Closed on Tuesdays
You won’t find a donut in all of Malaysia that are fresher than the ones at Zaomi Fresh Donut! It will be hard to stop at just eating one of these pillowy sugared halos. There’s so much turnover with locals buying up huge batches of donuts that they are constantly being fried up throughout the day. If you’re looking to get one of Zaomi’s special donuts with flavoured frosting, you’ll have to get here right at opening time as stock is incredibly limited and they do not replenish. Although there is a large variety of kuih also for sale, Zaomi Fresh Donut is not just for sweets. You can pick up a teh ais, savoury finger foods or even a mini-meal (like a small asam laksa) if you need a little something before dinnertime.
Dinner
Dawan Thai Kitchen
Address: 78, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday 3pm – 11pm, Closed on Sundays
Bringing authentic Thai and a glut of seafood options to Tanjung Rhu, Dawan Thai Kitchen is where you’ll get the chance to eat something unique. Dawan has “safe” Thai dishes like pad Thai and mango salad but also seafood prepared in a variety of ways. This humble restaurant is a favourite among the locals and tourists flock here because the food is simply delicious.
Scarborough Fish & Chips
Address: Lot 1388, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, Mukim Air Hangat, 07100 Langkawi, Kedah
Operating Hours: Daily, 10am – 10pm
You can’t say anything about Tanjung Rhu restaurants without mentioning Scarborough Fish & Chips. The restaurant’s setup on the beach and its long list of alcoholic beverages make it the golden choice. Some tourists will even travel across the island just to enjoy a beer on one of their loungers. Scarborough Fish & Chips is the most reliable restaurant on this list, as it is the only one that is open all day, every day. I’ve put this as a dinner place as this is the best place out of all of them to watch the sunset, but there are breakfast options on the menu. This would also be a great place for lunch, but the coveted patio tables are usually occupied.
