La Casa, Kuantan

La Casa, Jalan Teluk Sisek, Kuantan

La Casa is a delightful little restaurant near Teluk Chempedak beach in Kuantan. It serves up a delicious helping of Mediterranean Cuisine, led by head chef, Thomas from Germany, and his local wife. Popular with the expat population, many locals also enjoy a night out here.

Half house-half restaurant, La Casa sits just a few hundred yards from Teluk Chempedak beach and is open from around 6:30pm onwards six days a week (Mondays off). They can be found on facebook at La Casa Kuantan.

We have enjoyed a number of fine meals at La Casa and recommend it to everyone.

A couple of pages of the La Casa menu

Has to be, in my opinion, the best garlic bread we have tasted in Kuantan. Found at La Casa. Go try it now!

Chicken Kiev at La Casa Kuantan

La Casa's chicken kiev. My personal favourite which I used to eat in England, La Casa is the only place I know of in Kuantan which can cook me up this delight!

La Casa Restaurant, Kuantan

La Casa is one of my very favourite restaurants in Kuantan.

La Casa is a roadside house, half of which has been renovated into a restaurant

La Casa is located on Jalan Teluk Sisek, just before the turn to Teruntum Zoo, and sits directly opposite the golf course. It is just a minute's drive from Teluk Chempedak beach.

Run by friendly Europeans, La Casa is a big hit for expats in the area, as well as locals who love Western food. We have enjoyed several visits to La Casa and come away very satisfied each time.

Here is a selection of some of the food we have ordered and loved from our visits:

I love the little decorational items around La Casa too, which add to its ambience and charm:

The 3 Princesses sitting on a bench outside La Casa

Candle on the table

Ok, guarantee is not spelled correctly, but it's a humourous sign nonetheless!

Got it?!

Lila Wadi, Kuantan

(March 2015 update: Lila Wadi is now located on Jalan Teluk Sisek right beside the Annexe Rest Station)

With directions over, let's get down to the dining experience!

Lila Wadi tables layout

Lila Wadi menus. Open the picture for a better look

Waiting for our food at Lila Wadi

Lila Wadi is a partially open-air restaurant, so things can get out of hand if strong winds and a storm brews up. On one occasion we had to hold on to our food and drinks before they flew away!

The music playing made us feel like we were stuck in a 1920's Charlie Chaplain black and white movie! It was just terrible. And it went on for a while. We had to laugh when the music finally changed and it sounded like a piece from a James Bond movie! Whatever happened to having nice, relaxing music, something like Richard Clayderman? It would make the dining experience so much smoother and more pleasant.

However, that said, the food is great. Sharmayne loves the fish though I was disappointed that the chicken presented to us was largely made up of fat and bone. But overall, we had a lovely meal and enjoyed the dishes we ordered.

Smoothies

The delightful Ikan Tiga Rasa

Tom Yam Soup

Vege dish

Tempura (prawns in a batter)

Customers enjoying their meal at Lila Wadi

Lila Wadi is also well-known for its Mango Cheesecake, which we ordered along with the Dark Toblerone Cheesecake. They were both delightful.

The meal which included 4 plates of rice (4 ppl) with side dishes and dessert came to a total of RM100.30. Admittedly on our second visit to Lila Wadi, we all drank water, which saved money on drinks. However, the price was very reasonable for the meal including desserts. One of the best-priced restaurants we have been to.

Lila Wadi: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Crocodile Rock, Kuantan

Crocodile Rock is a restaurant located in Kuantan on Jalan Teluk Sisek, a stone's throw from Taman Gelora and Teluk Chempedak beach.

It is not clearly visible from the main road but has a signboard which points you to the entrance to the left when coming from Kuantan town.

Crocodile Rock is a restaurant we had wanted to visit for quite some time but just never got around to it. We took some friends along with us and by the time we left around 8pm, it was quickly filling up. 

There is a nice cosy atmosphere in the restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

Fidelia and Leah in the foyer

There is also a small garden to wander around in, and a spiral staircase that leads up to the roof. I'm not sure if we were meant to go up there, but I took the children up anyway!

Watching the children wander around the garden

Lauren and Sharmayne on the roof of Crocodile Rock!

Here are the menus:

And here is a selection of food we ordered between us:

Fidelia approved of the food!

The children enjoying themselves in the green glow by a tree outside Crocodile Rock

Now, the price for 4 adults and 3 children came to over RM200. However, the food was of an excellent quality, the staff were friendly and the restaurant very comfortable.

Shahzan Inn, Kuantan - Our stay, September 2012

The Shahzan Inn is a 3-star hotel in the heart of Kuantan town. Located right beside the town football field on Jalan Mahkota, it provides panoramic views of Kuantan ranging from Bukit Ubi to the town centre, Pahang State Mosque, Jalan Teluk Sisek, the Riverfront, Taman Gelora beach and Tanjung Lumpur.

The Shahzan Inn has had a new lick of paint recently and looks great at first sight.

The lobby is no less impressive. It's spacious, has comfortable seating areas, a small fish pond, Tourism Malaysia brochures and a lovely winding staircase which spirals up from the entrance to the next two floors. A chandelier hangs down from the top of the staircase.

First impressions count, which is why I can't be overly critical of the rooms. We were given a room on the 10th floor and we enjoyed wonderful sweeping views of Kuantan. We even watched a couple of football matches on the pitches below.

As far as the room was concerned, it was average at best, but overall satisfactory for a 3-star hotel. Importantly, the bed was comfortable and we had a good sleep despite the air-conditioning being a little loud.

We opened the cupboard door to find the fridge missing, and we had to laugh at the outrageous prices on the list of very mediocre items for sale as souvenirs from the room!

The bathroom was okay, the wooden mirror frame in need of a replacement, and no plug for the sink. The shower did have nice magnetic closing doors which kept the cubicle warm while showering.

The swimming pool is nice but small. Unfortunately for us it was raining in the afternoon, so we didn't use it. I did take Lauren down there for a look around though.

Breakfast in the Coffee House was very good. A variety of tasty food was on offer, and the tables and chairs were beautifully laid out too.

It seems that Shahzan Inn has created a great first impression hotel with a luxurious lobby and Coffee House, but possesses rather average and neglected guest rooms.