Slightly more than an hour drive from Penang island- Alor Setar is the capital of Kedah State; benefiting from the geographical location, Alor Setar is also home to many authentic, delicious southern Thai delights and of course, northern Malaysian dishes as well. The place has undergone many new developments in recent years with many new cafes/ restaurants. Follow us on our recent day trip to Alor Setar.
1) Ban.Na.Kin
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 8:30 am to 4 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Contact Number: 016-460 0115
Nasi Kerabu/ Kao Yam (Rm 9)
Siam Laksa/ Kanomjeen Lemak (Rm 8)
Hatyai Fried Chicken/ Kaitod Sticky Rice (Rm 10)
Thai Toast with Kaya/ Kanompang Pandan (Rm 5)
Fried Fritters with Thai Kaya/ Patong Ko (Rm 4)
Geographically near to the southern Thai borders, Alor Setar is never short of Thai food... not even Thai cafes. Ban.Na.Kin is one of the popular Thai cafes in town that offers a Thai menu. Starting from breakfast, Ban.Na.Kin offers various Thai food options like Pork Porrdige, Kao Yam (Southern Thai Nasi Kerabu), Kaitod Sticky Rice (Hatyai Fried Chicken with Glutinous Rice), their signature Kanomjeen (Siam Laksa) for lunch etc. You can basically find a handful of southern Thai street food here. We recommend trying their Kao Yam- a special blend of condiments unique to Thai like meat floss, desiccated Coconut, Sprouts, torched Ginger flower etc. The concoction is savory backed by a herbaceous punch... often served with a dash of Shrimp Paste-Fish Sauce dressing. The signature Kanomjeen is worth trying as well. The broth is extremely creamy with a bold Coconut milk aroma, good on its own but even better with some pickled vegetables, Cucumber and Thai Basils. The place is air-conditioned and has a nice garden (if you like to take pretty photos), best time to visit is slightly before Noon.
2) Restaurant Chai Por Hu (SK Kim) 新菜脯鱼
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 8 am to 3 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
Contact Number: 017-480 9797
Steamed Grouper served with Crispy Preserved Radish/ Chai Por Hu (Rm 42)
Three-Taste Tofu (Rm 7/ small)
Salad Youtiao (Rm 9/ small)
Previously located at Sentosa (known as SK Kim), the brand is the mastermind to the well-known Alor Setar dish: Chai Por Hu (steamed fish served with crispy preserved Radish). It has moved to this existing location since 2020 and has been offering the same menu since then. The signature Chai Por Hu remains popular- diners have the option to choose over a few types of fish now. The crispy Chai Por is dangerously addictive... sweet and savory, works super well with the fish. Fans can now bring back the crispy Chai Por as they are vacuum packed in a convenient packaging... good to serve with either fish or as simple as steamed Tofu.
3) övern Cafe
Halal
Service Charge: Yes 6%
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 9 am to 8 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 04-730 2921
Cromboloni- Pistachio (Rm 13)
Cinnamon Roll- Sugar Glaze (Rm 9.50)
Croissant- Chocolate Rocher (Rm 13.90)
Hibiscus Lychee (Rm 13)/ Wild Limeade (Rm 13)/ Long Black (Rm 8)/ Chamomile Tea (Rm 9)
övern is one of the more happening cafes in Alor Setar... slightly out of the Alor Setar city centre, övern occupies a big space in a business building at Mergong. It has a chic, industrial vibe with an open kitchen near to the entrance. It is known to serve some freshly made pastries; the menu offers limited main options but has plenty of sweet treats/pastries on offer. We tried some of the pastries like Cinnamon Roll with Sugar Glaze, Rocher Croissant and Pistachio Cromboloni. The flavors were great but all of them were way too sweet to our liking... surpassing our sugar tolerance level. The same for the drinks, nice interior decor but the pastries were unfortunately too sweet for us.
4) Kilang Tebu Kaya Puff 蔗芭加椰饼
Pork-Free
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 11 am to 5 pm. Closed on Fridays.
Contact Number: 016-590 5828
Kaya Puff (Rm 8/ packet)
Peanut Puff (Rm 10/ packet)
Need to shop for local snacks to bring back to your hometown? Check out Kilang Tebu Kaya Puff. Established since 1989, the brand has been churning some freshly made Kaya Puffs. Unlike the Ipoh Kaya Puffs, Kilang Tebu's comes with a crispy, flaky crust... with less-sweetened Kaya. More like a snack in lieu of pastry treat, the Kaya packs lesser eggy flavor compared to those found in Ipoh. Their new product- Peanut Puff with peanut filling was introduced few months ago... it has a nice salty touch to it and remains popular since then. The place also carries some local snacks/souvenirs, you can even get your supplies of Tambun biscuits from Lao Zi Hao Confectionery in Sungai Petani (Kedah).
5) Restoran Rasa Hochiak 真美味海鲜煮炒
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 12 pm to 3 pm, 6 pm to 9 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 017-583 5595
Stir Fried Vermicelli Noodles with Seafood (Rm 48)
Steamed Grouper with Special Sauce (Rm 48/ by weight)
Hakka Crispy Nam Yu Pork/ Deep Fried Pork with Fermented Beancurd (Rm 24)
Stir Fried Emperor Vegetables with Egg (Rm 12)
Hidden in the residential neighborhood of Mergong, Rasa Hochiak is a safe bet when it comes to some solid local Chinese food. The chu-char restaurant offers dishes in a good but unusual way. The set up is really simple- like a family restaurant in any neighborhood. There is no printed menu but the signature dishes are written on the signboard; the proprietor is also good in recommending their signature dishes. This is also a good option for some inexpensive, delicious Seafood meal. We strongly recommend their Stir Fried Vermicelli Noodles with Seafood... which shares similarities as Putian Lor Mee. The Vermicelli Noodles are expertly cooked with soft (but not slouchy) texture, soaking up the umami flavor from the crustacean... complemented further by a touch of Pork Lard aroma. There is also an option to use Crab (not available on our visit) for this dish. Unlike the traditional Alor Setar Chai Por Hu, Rasa Hochiak's rendition is a little different- with Lime juice added... for a fresh, aromatic dimension. The serving portion is huge here considering the prices; definitely worth stopping by for the food.
6) 105°c Coffee Haus
Pork-Free
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 11 am to 11 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 017-235 1058
California Pistachio/ Chocolate Almond/ Madagascar Vanilla/ Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Rm 11 for single scoop/ Rm 23 for double scoop)
Long Black (Rm 11)
A decent place to take a respite from the sultry hot weather is 105°c Coffee Haus, a short walk from Aman Central Alor Setar and next to Phuket Thai Cuisine. The cafe is housed in a standalone bungalow with a big compound, there's an al-fresco area behind the building (suitable only in the evenings) and fully air-conditioned inside. The cafe offers a big menu, from Western dishes to the usual cafe fare... including Ice Cream. We did not want something substantial but some icy sweet treat to combat the heat... we had the Ice Cream in various flavors: Madagascar Vanilla, Chocolate Almond, California Pistachio and Salted Caramel. Most of us were fond of their Chocolate Almond (very chocolaty) and some of us thought the California Pistachio was good (it has a nutty, buttery-creamy texture). A good place to rest the feet or enjoy the afternoon with some cool drinks and sweet treat.
7) Phuket Thai Cuisine
Halal
Service Charge: Yes 10%
Government Tax: No
Business Hours: 12 pm to 11 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 012-532 8986
Padphet Seafood (Rm 25.90)
Kerabu Mango (Rm 15.90)
Khengsom- Fried Siakap (Rm 38.90)
Steamed Sotong with Lemon (Rm 25.90)
For an authentic Thai meal, make your way to Phuket Thai Cuisine located within walking distance from Aman Central Alor Setar. The exterior of the restaurant is painted in blue, making it highly visible from afar. The menu features a big variety of southern Thai delights, expect restaurant-standard pricing... but definitely cheaper than those Thai restaurants in Penang. Be prepared for a big crowd if you are visiting on weekends, the place is often packed to the brim on lunch/dinner hours. We recommend trying their Padphet Curry with amazing flavors. The Khengsom is good too, great in-depth of flavors but might be overly spicy for some. None of the dishes disappoint, definitely a worth visiting place if you yearn for some seriously good southern Thai delights.
Have Fun Exploring Alor Setar!
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