Kuantan may be home to many beaches such as Teluk Chempedak and Pantai Balok. But let’s not forget about their food either, specifically local food from curry noodles to ikan bakar and of course, keropok lekor. Below are the 8 local food to try for your next trip to Kuantan.
1) Ikan Bakar @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai
If you love ikan bakar (grilled fish), here’s a popular spot located at Jalan Tanjung Lumpur. Try their signature ikan bakar petai, where you can choose the fish of your choices such as aji-aji (amberjack), jenahak (snapper) or siakap (barramundi). The cook will then marinate the fish with herbs and spices before wrapping it with a banana leaf and grill it to smoky perfection. Coupled with sweet-and-spicy topping and petai (stink beans) that don’t taste overpowering but savoury and appetising enough, don’t forget to pair your ikan bakar with side servings of black sauce and homemade sour chilli paste. Alternatively, you can request to grill prawns or squid in bakar petai style.
Address: Jalan Tanjung Lumpur, Perkampungan Tanjung Lumpur, 26060 Kuantan, Pahang.
2) Beggar Chicken @ Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant
This famous Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant at Taman Mariana serves a few crowd-favourite dishes, namely Thai-style steam fish and butter mantis prawns. Then, there’s their beggar chicken, which is a must-try dish on the menu that goes well with white rice. The chicken is served in a wrapped foil and inside, you will get fork-tender chicken meat and distinct herbal gravy.
Address: Lot 7695 & 7696, Jalan Kubang Buaya, Taman Mariana, 25300 Kuantan, Pahang.
3) Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak @ Akob Patin House
To date, Akob Patin House has three outlets available in Kuantan. One of their signature dishes is ikan patin masak tempoyak (catfish cooked in fermented durian gravy). Certainly not for everyone but adventurous foodies should give this a try. Akob Patin House uses its family recipe to make gulai tempoyak using only tempoyak and cili api to preserve its authenticity. They also cooked their fish in different styles, namely gulai lemak cili padi and gulai asam pedas.
Address:
(Akob Patin House 1) A2, Lorong Haji Abdul Rahman 1, 25000 Kuantan, Pahang
(Akob Patin House 2) 36, Jalan Kuantan Sungai Lembing, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang
(Akob Patin House 3) 24,150 End Lot, Contraction Town, Jalan Putra Square 6, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang
4) Curry Noddles @ Restoran Hoi Yin
Nothing fancy, just a good old bowl of curry noodles. That’s the beauty of simplicity — a result that many locals love to frequent the kopitiam at Restoran Hoi Yin to satisfy their cravings for curry noodles. You can choose your preferred noodles (yellow mee, kuey teow, vermicelli or mixed), where a bowl comes with an aromatic and mildly spicy curry broth and assorted add-ons like fish cakes, tofu puffs and cockles. A friendly reminder, though: their curry noodles tend to sell out fast by 11 am so it’s best to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Address: 31, Jalan Telok Cempedak, 25050 Kuantan, Pahang.
5) Mee Calong @ Pak Mat Corner
Ever heard or tasted mee calong before? It’s a unique noodle dish from Kuantan that has added tofu and fish balls served with fish broth. Pak Mat Corner is among the famous stalls that has been serving mee calong for over 20 years. It’s a crowd favourite among many locals and visitors who drop by for a bowl. Pak Mat Corner also offers other dishes like mee goreng, mee rebus and nasi lemak bungkus.
Address: Kampung Masjid, 26100 Kuantan, Pahang.
6) Nasi Kukus @ Dapur Mama
There are a few places that sell nasi kukus (steamed rice) in Kuantan. But if you are looking for a recommendation, Dapur Mama is one of them worth stopping by. Their famous nasi kukus comes with ayam berempah (spiced fried chicken) — a simple but heavenly combo. The soft and fluffy steamed rice certainly goes well with crispy, yet tender and well-spiced fried chicken. For a complete meal, try their Special Combo which consists of nasi kukus ayam berempah with curry gravy, pajeri nenas (pineapple relish), and half salted egg and a beverage.
Address: 36, Jalan IM 6/7, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang.
7) Satay @ Terminal Sate Zul
Nearly 50 years and still counting, where locals and visitors alike would usually go to Terminal Sate Zul to satisfy their satay cravings. The secret of their success? Well-seasoned meat that is soft and tender to the bite and above all, flavourful enough. Not to forget its peanut sauce that complements well with the satay. And speaking of satay, they have various choices from chicken to daging batang pinang (beef tenderloin), mutton and even duck.
Address: A-2600, Lorong Alor Akar, Kampung Alor Akar, 25250 Kuantan, Pahang.
8) Keropok Lekor @ Keropok Lekor Ghani Black
Looking for a good local snack in Kuantan? Try keropok lekor, which is a traditional cracker snack made with ground fish and sago flour. You can find places that sell this appetising snack, namely the one from Keropok Lekor Ghani Black. Here, they make the keropok lekor from scratch before deep-frying them. You can also choose to buy fresh keropok lekor and fry them back home.
Address: Peramu, Kampung Peramu Hulu, 26060 Kuantan, Pahang.
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