Call me whatever you want, but I love eating the local food everywhere I travel. I feel that the fastest and cheapest way to experience the local culture is through eating the local food.

I recently went on a 3 days 2 nights Kuala Terengganu and Kapas Island weekend getaway. If you happen to stay in Hotel Seri Malaysia Kuala Terengganu, there is nothing much to eat at the hotel breakfast. 

Fret not, just head down to Chinatown which is just 5 minutes away. You will find plenty of cheap and good food there. 

Let me introduce you to 3 restaurants in Kuala Terengganu Chinatown that I have personally tried and highly recommend. 

Kuala Terengganu Chinatown Restaurant: Town City Food Court

This is technically not a restaurant, it is actually a small food court. There are 6-7 stalls selling different food which you can order and eat at the same table. 

You have to get the bak kut teh, get both the soup and dry version. This is not the peppery Hokkien bak kut teh found in Singapore, this is the herbal Teochew bak kut teh. 

The other 2 dishes I highly recommend are the char kway teow and sambal stingray. This char kway teow is not the sweet type found in Singapore, this is more like Penang-style char kway teow. As for the sambal stingray, there is only one word for it – shiok. 

Town City Food Court

Address: 231 Jalan Kampung Cina, 20100 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

Kuala Terengganu Chinatown Restaurant: Mei Fong Curry Noodles

I did a little research before coming and Mei Fong Curry Noodles is one of the “must-try” places in Kuala Terengganu Chinatown. 

This is the curry noodles that Mei Fong Curry Noodles is famous for. I like that the curry broth is very thick and fragrant but it is a little too salty for my taste. 

When you are at Mei Fong Curry Noodles, don’t just order the curry noodles. Make sure you order this prawn noodles from the next stall. The red color is not from chilli oil, it is from boiling prawns and prawn skin for long hours. The broth is extremely robust in flavour, it is 100 times better than any prawn noodles I have ever eaten in Singapore. 

Mei Fong Curry Noodles

Address: 178 Jalan Kampung Cina, Kampung Banggul, 20100 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

Telephone: +60 12-334 1931

Opening Hours: Daily 6.30am – 4pm

Kuala Terengganu Chinatown Restaurant: Chay Kee Kopitiam

A warmhearted tourist auntie highly recommended Chay Kee Kopitiam for their handmade fishballs.

Besides being famous for their handmade fishballs, Chay Kee Kopitiam is also a regular coffeeshop where you can find your regular kopi, teh and traditional toasted bread. 

The fishballs are made with fresh pacific saury meat, a popular fish in Kuala Terengganu. You know that these fishballs are indeed handmade from the irregular shapes. The fishballs are deliciously tender and soft. Paired with vermicelli in a clear and fragrant broth, it is just as the tourist auntie said – a “must-try”. 

Chay Kee Kopitiam 

Address: 195 Jalan Kampung Cina, 20100 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia”