D’Grill Seafood Restaurant: Beachside Dining

The ambiance in Malaysia’s Langkawi island is laid-back, lazy, relaxed, humid, and friendly. Afternoons are mostly quiet, with people either napping, reading, or relaxing by the beach or pool, waiting for the weather to cool down later in the evening.

Masood and I would lunch after one in the afternoon, just when majority of the crowd has finished theirs. The restaurants are mostly empty by then, the staff less frantic.

We chose D’Grill Seafood Restaurant randomly while driving back to the resort after a memorable experience with the Sky Cable and Sky Bridge.

The restaurant is located in Pantai Cenang. It is part of Sandy Beach Resort, although I would use the term resort very loosely here as the place is really a motel. D’Grill has indoor dining but then you’re by the sea! It would be quite unfortunate not to take advantage of the alfresco dining area which looks out on Cenang beach.

We found ourselves a table under the shade of a coconut tree. A staff is standing behind a counter and appeared busy. We seated ourselves. Orders were taken. We were told that the grill opened in the evening so he can offer us fried fish instead. We agreed.

There were about ten of us here, most of them in swimwear. The breeze was warm but comfortable. The soft sand of the beach tickled my toes, and the sound of the gentle waves from the ocean just few feet from where I sat lulled me into a state of peace and tranquility.

In front of me, about 30 or so feet away, were several small cottages facing the beach. A woman sat on a chair reading a book. Nearby, a young couple held hands and admired the sun reflecting off the ocean like a million diamonds.

Behind me are two Indian gentlemen, speaking Hindi fluently, discussing photography and business. A Malaysian staff was trying to impress them by singing a famous Bollywood song.

We ordered:

1. Fresh Lime Juice
2. Mixed Fruit Juice
3. Fried Sea Bass with Spicy Sauce
4. D’Grill Fried Rice

I highly recommend the fresh lime juice! I had two glasses of these.

The fried fish in a spicy sauce was good, but I’ve tasted better fish at another nearby restaurant.

This is such a tiny serving for MYR 18! The fried rice and egg were fine, but I was unable to identify what that deep-fried seafood was. The chicken satay was very chewy and, quite frankly, the most bland I’ve ever tasted in Malaysia.

D’Grill Restaurant has an amazing location: al fresco dining at the beach. You have this great view of the ocean. They do not provide parking facilities so you’ll have to take your chances at finding one along the main road. The service is painfully slow, but there’s free WiFi to keep you busy. I can only comment on the food we’d tried but yes, the serving is small.