The Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe which is famous for its seafood is situated next to the Tua Peh Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong, Penang. The temple itself has a long history, the name translate in English as “Great Grand Uncle Temple”. It is said that this temple is the original Tua Pek Kong Temple. The temple eventually spread its wing and worshippers from all over Malaysia and even Singapore come to worship this deity.

This hidden gem of seafood is located at the side of the temple. With a beautiful seaside view overlooking the North Channel, this café is a mere 10-minutes drive from Gurney Drive. The restaurant seat at the foot of a granite cliff and surrounded by huge boulders. Tables are located on the flat granite under the sun and stars just beside the seafront with old shady trees to shelter from the heat.

The locals and visitors come to Sea Pearl Lagoon café for two of their signature dishes – salt baked prawns and baked crabs. The owner relies solely on these two dishes to pull in the crowd. They use fresh seafood, ingredients and charcoal fire to create these two appetising dishes.

Car park is plentiful, located right in front the temple. Once you get down from the car, you could smell the fragrant aroma of baked seafood.
On settling down on the table the owner will name these two dishes without fail. Both the crabs and prawns are sold by weights.

The crabs are baked to charred perfection. There is nothing quite like the simple sweet taste and salty freshness. The crabs are served with the uniquely flavored chilli dip. Although the chili dip has the right balance of spiciness, the deliciousness of the crabs can stand alone. Likewise, the salt baked prawns have an intense smoky flavor. The shell is even tasty to bite and chew on for the salty charred taste which lingered on the palate. This is truly a dish to be savored using the fingers.

Going into the kitchen is a No-No for its patrons especially with a camera. Guess the owner wished to keep the secret close to his chest.

Light bites include the addictive deep-fried calamari. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, the calamari made delightful finger food which paired well with chilled beer. The other worthwhile dish is the stir-fried lala, prepared with chili and brown beans. The sauce is well balanced and not overpowering with spiciness.

Besides these two signature dishes, this place is also popular for their other local selections. The many stalls provide an array of choices – from satay to deep-fried spring chicken, fried oysters to grilled fish. The pungent and spicy condiment with chopped onions and lime juice complements the grilled fish grilled wrapped in banana leaves.

The restaurant is usually packed on most nights of the week, especially on public holidays. The sunset is gorgeous, so it is worth to go a bit earlier before the sun dip into the horizon. The restaurant is open in the morning from 11am until 10pm in the night.

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe

338 Mukim 18 Tanjung Tokong 10470 Penang

Tel: +604 8990375