Malaysia road trip - Day 7 (Teluk Cempedak - Kuantan Art Street - Kuantan 188

Our second day in Kuantan started with brunch at Restoran Hoi Yin. We arrived at around 10.30am. It had been years since our last visit in 2013, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy and there were plenty of empty tables behind the shop. We chose to sit there as it was cooler and more comfortable.

While waiting for Jlo and his wife to arrive, we placed our orders first. I had the hor fun curry, and it tasted just as good as I remembered. The bowl came with fish cake, fish balls, tofu puffs, cockles and steamed chicken slices. The cockles were cooked perfectly, while the fish cakes and fish balls were tasty. I especially enjoyed the triangular fish cake, which costs an additional RM 1. Adding cockles also costs RM 1.

The staff were friendly and accommodating. I initially ordered bee hoon mee but later realised I would prefer kueh teow instead. Thankfully, I managed to change my order before it was prepared. The curry broth was light and not overly spicy, similar to the curry gravy commonly served with economy noodles. One difference from my previous visit was that there were no bean sprouts this time. For drinks, my partner ordered a less sweet teh ice. The sweetness level was just right, and the tea was smooth and refreshing. I had a less sweet iced barley drink, which was equally enjoyable with a well-balanced level of sweetness.

Jlo and his wife arrived a little later and it was their first time trying the curry noodles here. Unfortunately, they were not particularly impressed. They found the curry too light and lacking the richness and depth of flavour they were expecting. As for me, I still enjoyed it, perhaps because it was exactly the kind of mild, comforting curry that I remembered from my previous visit.

(Total bill - RM 48 for 4 bowls of curry noodles and drinks)

Restoran Hoi Yin

Barley ice and teh ice

Curry mee - RM 9.50

Curry hor fun (before) - RM 9.50

Curry hor fun (after)

Address:

Restoran Hoi Yin

31, Jalan Telok Cempedak,

25050 Kuantan,

Pahang

Tel: +6012 - 921 3732

Opening hours: 7am to 2pm

After brunch, we took a short 4-minute walk (about 280m) to Teluk Cempedak Beach, one of Kuantan's most popular seaside destinations. Known for its golden sand, swaying casuarina trees, and scenic coastline, it is a favourite spot for both locals and visitors. The beach was fairly lively during our visit, with families, couples, and groups of friends enjoying the sea breeze and relaxing by the shore.

There is a Family Mart nearby, and I was hoping to get one of their soft serve ice creams. Unfortunately, the only flavour available was matcha, which isn't really my favourite. Instead, we decided to chill at CHAGEE and ordered the Boya Jasmine Green Milk Tea. It was refreshing, fragrant, and not overly sweet, making it a pleasant drink to enjoy while taking a break by the beach.

After enjoying our drinks, we took a leisurely walk along the beachfront promenade, which eventually led us to the Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort. We spent some time exploring the resort grounds and enjoying the peaceful seaside atmosphere before heading off for a late lunch.

Da Hong Pao Milk Tea - RM 12.90 and Boya Jasmine Green Milk Tea - RM 11.90

Teluk Cempedak

Do you notice anything interesting in this photo?

Address:

CHAGEE Teluk Cempedak

No. 69，GF, Jalan Telok Sisek,

Teluk Cempedak,

25050 Kuantan,

Pahang

Tel: +6010 - 825 3176

Opening hours: 10am to 11.30pm

We stopped by Xiang Cu Mee Hun Kuih and ordered two bowls of the traditional dry mee hun kuih with egg, a bowl of tomato soup mee hun kuih, and a mixed soup with fish balls and dried squid meatballs. The traditional dry mee hun kuih was on promotion during our visit, priced at RM 9.90 instead of the usual RM 12.90, which made it an even better value.

The tomato soup mee hun kuih was the highlight of the meal. The broth was appetising and well-balanced, with a pleasant combination of sweet, sour, and savoury flavours. The noodles were cooked perfectly, with a good texture that absorbed the flavours of the soup well. The fish balls were equally enjoyable, with a firm and bouncy texture that paired nicely with the chili padi. The house chili sauce was decent, though not particularly memorable. The pork balls were also good, with a satisfying bite and no tendons, making them easy to enjoy.

(Total bill - RM 28)

Xiang Cu Mee Hun Kuih and iced water - RM 0.50 each

Chili sauce

Traditional dry mee hun kuih with egg - RM 9.90

Fish ball and dried squid meatball mixed soup - RM 5.50

Tomato soup mee hun kuih - RM 12.90

Address:
Xiang Cu Mee Hun Kuih
819, Jalan Mat Kilau 1,

Taman Lee Hwa,

25000 Kuantan,

Pahang

Tel: +6010 - 311 5203

Opening hours: 8am to 2.30pm. Closed on Wednesday

Our next stop was Menara Kuantan 188. The entrance fee for the combo package, which includes access to both the Observation Deck and Sky Deck, was RM 46 per person. While my partner and Jlo went to buy tickets for our evening visit, Ms. Yap and I headed over to Kula Cakes, which is located just opposite Menara Kuantan 188, to queue for their famous mango cheesecake.

Kula Cakes is one of Kuantan's most popular cafes and is especially well known for its mango cheesecake, which has become something of a must-try dessert among both locals and tourists. The cafe was bustling during our visit, with long queues forming for both takeaway and dine-in customers. Since we only wanted to try their signature dessert, we joined the takeaway queue and ordered a slice of mango cheesecake before finding a seat at the open-air cafe area. We then waited for my partner and Jlo to return with the tickets before enjoying the dessert together.

It was easy to see why the cake is so highly recommended. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy without being overly rich, while the fresh mangoes on top were sweet and juicy. Best of all, the dessert wasn't overly sweet, allowing the natural flavour of the mangoes to shine through. It made for a refreshing treat on a warm afternoon.

Kuantan 188

Kuantan Art Street

Kula Cakes

Open-air seating

Mango cheesecake - RM 10.90

Address:
Kula Cakes
96, Jalan Besar,

25000 Kuantan,

Pahang

Tel: +6017 - 971 1396

Opening hours: 10am to 6pm

Our next dessert stop was Sila Patisserie. We ordered the salty choco caramel cham, which features a buttery tart shell with caramelised hazelnut, salted caramel, and dark chocolate mousse, and the yuzu lemon tart, made with a buttery almond tart shell layered with yuzu lemon cream, biscuit cuillere, and praline crunchy flaky wafer.

The staff were friendly, although service was a bit slow. We only ordered two cakes along with iced water, which was complimentary. The tarts had a satisfying crunch, and the yuzu tart was especially refreshing with its sour-sweet balance that felt light and vibrant. The chocolate tart had a richer profile, slightly sweet but well balanced, with a crunchy base and a pleasant caramelised hazelnut layer beneath.

The staff recommended starting with the yuzu tart first, followed by the chocolate one, to better appreciate the contrast in flavours. Sadly, before I even managed to finish writing this blog post, it appears the cafe has permanently closed.

Sila Patisserie and complimentary iced water

Yuzu lemon tart - RM 19

Salty choco caramel cham - RM 19

Address:

Sila Patisserie

58, Tingkat Bawah,

Jalan Gambut,

25000 Kuantan,

Pahang

Permanently closed

After dessert, we returned to the hotel around 5pm and spent some time catching up on work before heading out again at 7pm for dinner at Southern Seafood Restaurant. We started with sugarcane drinks, which came in a bottle that could fill about two glasses each. It was light, refreshing, and not overly sweet, making it a nice drink to have with the meal. For the dishes, we ordered roasted duck, asam fish, butter squid, four heavenly kings vegetables, and specialty tofu, along with an additional plate of char kuey teow.

Overall, the meal was fairly average. The butter squid was crispy but lacked flavour, while the asam fish was not very strong or punchy in taste. The tofu leaned slightly salty, and the four heavenly kings vegetables were also quite mild and underwhelming. The roasted duck was decent, though the sauce was a bit salty and the skin had quite a lot of fat. The char kuey teow was good, but it had a slight burnt smoky taste.

(Total bill - RM 171)

Southern Seafood Restaurant

Garlic and green chili

Sugarcane drink - RM 5

Roasted duck (half portion) - RM 38

Specialty tofu - RM 15

Asam fish - RM 46

Butter squid - RM 30

Four heavenly kings vegetables - RM 15

Char kueh teow - RM 15

Rice - RM 2

Address:

Southern Seafood Restaurant

B3024, Lorong Galing 30,

Galing,

25300 Kuantan,

Pahang

Tel: +609 - 513 9597

Opening hours: 4pm to 11pm. Closed on Tuesday

After dinner, we headed to Kuantan 188 and waited for Jlo and his wife to arrive before going up the tower. To avoid the heavy traffic around the town centre, we parked some distance away and walked to the tower instead. As they were caught in traffic, we ended up waiting for about half an hour before they finally arrived.

Kuantan 188 is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, standing tall along the Kuantan River. The tower features a modern design and is known for its panoramic views of Kuantan city, the river, and the coastline, especially at night when the city lights come alive. We eventually went up at around 10pm and spent about 50 minutes exploring before coming back down. We took the west lift up to Level 3 (the Skywalk level), then explored the upper area before coming back down via the east lift. Surprisingly, there was no ticket inspection when we entered the tower. The tickets were only checked when we exited through the east lift on our way down.

At the Skywalk, part of the deck was closed off due to a private function. While it was understandable, it was still quite disappointing since we had paid for the full experience but could not access the entire viewing area. Thankfully, the event was just wrapping up, so we were still able to walk around the remaining open section and enjoy the night views of Kuantan. After finishing our visit, we made our way back and reached the hotel around 11.20pm before calling it a night.