Warung DE Cenang (formally known as warung pak tam corner) — Restaurant in Langkawi Island

🐣 Warung De Chenang (a.k.a. Pak Tam Corner): A Cozy Pit Stop on Pantai Chenang

🐣 Tucked in between souvenir shops along the lively Pantai Chenang road, Warung De Chenang also known as Pak Tam Corner has its own charm. After wandering around under the hot sun and with hunger kicking in, we found ourselves here, lured in by the tempting smell of local food and the promise of a quick energy boost.

🐣 With our stomachs rumbling and legs tired from all the walking, we ordered a little feast: deep-fried calamari, kangkung belacan (stir-fried water spinach with shrimp paste) and telur bungkus (an omelette stuffed with minced meat). Oh, and of course, a round of cold drinks to cool down.

🐣 During peak meal hours, the place gets seriously packed. Some people even reserve tables in advance probably because the seating area is quite limited. You’ll find a mix of locals and international tourists here, all looking for a simple, tasty meal that won’t break the bank.

🐣 Speaking of prices, they’re super reasonable nothing fancy, but very wallet friendly. They also offer dishes in small, medium, or large portions, which is great whether you're dining solo or with a group.

🐣 The space is small and can get pretty hot during the day, so maybe try to come in the evening if you can. Service is okay nothing to rave about, but they get the job done. The food? Also just okay. Tasty enough to satisfy our cravings, but nothing mind blowing. Still, there's something nice about the laid-back vibe here.

🐣 So if you're wandering around Pantai Chenang and looking for a quick, no fuss local meal, Warung De Chenang might just...

Expect terrible service by a miserable staff and below average food.

Every staff member wears a frown. No one smiles. You are not welcomed and acknowledged as you enter. You will get ignored and annoyed because they’ll be standing around or sitting down doing nothing.

Consider yourself lucky if they come to your table to take your order. Even luckier if they answer a question or provide any common restaurant service like deliver your meal, get you a beverage or deliver the check.

During my first visit: -No one greeted me. Several staff just stared as I entered. -Waited a long time to order food. -Several tables were complaining about the lack of attention they were experiencing. -My food was below average. I ordered shrimp fried rice. The rice was greasy, flavorless, and there was only one small shrimp. -Waited unnecessarily long for my bill which was incorrect.

Second visit. I wanted to give them another chance. Here’s what happened: -No one greeted me. I stood by the entrance for several minutes while the staff watched me and said nothing. -When I took it upon myself to sit at an available table, it was swarming with ants. Thousands of them. I switched tables and that table was dirty, sticky, crooked, and layered in grease. -No one came to take my order but the staff was watching me doing absolutely nothing. -Customers at other tables were also waiting for service. No one serviced those tables as well. -Couldn’t take it anymore so I left. -Customers at the other tables left too.

Never been to such a horrible, miserable restaurant. Would have rated it a zero if it...

The hype around this restaurant is completely incomprehensible. We were tempted by the daily queues and very positive reviews. After having a lot of Thai, Singaporean dishes, and ramen, we finally wanted to try Malaysian cuisine. We joined the queue and were baffled by the extensive menu, which is exceptionally unclear (e.g., the same dish names for soups and noodles with no descriptions). The staff member was quite impatient—though she spoke English, she wasn’t particularly eager to recommend anything.

After about 10-15 minutes, our orders arrived. None of the three of us were satisfied with the meal quality. In my case, the "beef noodle soup" was essentially a stew with carrots and cauliflower—it tasted like an instant frozen soup. The second noodle dish looked nearly the same but thickened with something like starch. The tom yum soup had no resemblance to Thai versions; it tasted like diluted tomato soup, filled with inedible leaves and additives.

This was the first time during our trip that we didn’t finish our meals. There’s no point eating something tasteless just to fill up. The only positives were the relatively low prices (around $2.5–3 per meal) and the excellent fresh juices (e.g., watermelon with lychee).

Please have in mind there is no toilet in...