If you’re thinking of spending a blissful short weekend getaway from Singapore to Desaru, why not stop at one of the many budget-friendly seafood restaurants in the seaside town of Desaru?
The seaside views at some of these restaurants are not bad either!
Plus, it is an only quick drive (under an hour) from Desaru to Singapore too!
And other than deliciously best seafood restaurant in Desaru, there are some other places you might want to check out in this list of best food in Desaru!
11 Best Desaru Food and Restaurant
1. Lotus Seafood Restaurant
This affordable Desaru seafood restaurant is part of and within the compound of Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa and faces the ocean in an open chalet-style structure.
Malay, Thai, Indonesian, Korean, Western and even Indian cuisine feature on the menu.
Notable dishes include:
- Garlic butter lobster
- Fish head curry
- Lamb bulgogi
- Kam Heong crab.
It is best to come here during the cooler evening to enjoy the lights of boats reflected in the water while listening to the live music performances!
Beer towers are available here!
2. Nelayan Seafood By The Coast
What to eat near Hard Rock Hotel Desaru?
Nelayan Seafood By The Coast is just 5 minute drive from the hotel.
It is one of the best seafood in Desaru offers a casual environment to enjoy seafood!
There is plenty of seating to go round (maximum capacity is 400 people)!
Also read:Â 11 Top Seafood Restaurants in Johor Bahru
Sit inside or outside to enjoy unhampered views of the Desaru coastline! You can even walk to the beach from the restaurant!
In case you want to have a birthday or wedding celebration, there are adjoining dining rooms with air-con available!
The in-house chef prepares local seafood dishes like:
- Salted egg yolk crab
- Steamed white clams with garlic
- King prawns with butter sauce
- Braised or chili abalone
- Seafood tom yam soup
3. Restaurant Nur Tahara Desaru
What to eat in Desaru? Arab, pakistan cuisine, anyone?
You can find this quaint Desaru restaurant at the same row of Amansari Hotel Desaru.
If you’re looking for Arabian food, this restaurant definitely fulfill your taste. Servings are pretty big and fresh!
Dishes worth trying include:
- Beef Keema
- Shawarma
- Lamb & chicken curry with Arab rice
Lamb with Arab rice is one of the best food in Desaru.
Enjoy the sit inside or outside of the shop!
4. Teratai Coffee House
Teratai Coffee House is the to-go breakfast spot for guests at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa. So, it might be a little busy in the morning.
But no worries as the restaurant is open throughout the day!
The buffet is the main highlight here. But customers can also order from the À la carte menu which includes Asian and International food.
You will find a relaxing atmosphere here! And a lovely view of the sea!
Note: There is no alcohol available for sale here.
5. Jade Garden Seafood Corner
If you like fresh giant lobsters (without a hefty price tag), this Desaru seafood restaurant is the place for you!
There is a lobster pond including other aquariums with other live seafood and you can choose your own lobster!
The restaurant serves other seafood dishes too:
- Lala with sambal
- Fried squid
- Salted egg yolk crab
- Chilli Crab
Also read:Â 7 Best Seafood Restaurants In Malacca
You will have some pretty good views of the sea from this restaurant as well!
Tip: Try to avoid peak times during the weekend if you want to worry less about parking. Those reasonably low prices can draw quite a crowd!
Location: 54 Jalan Kerisi, Kampung Sungai Rengit, 81620 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia
Contact: +607-826 5460
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 11:00am – 3:00pm & 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday to Sunday: 11:00am – 10:00pm
Closed On: Mondays
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6. Ayam Penyet Z&Z
This restaurant has a wide selection of Nasi Penyet with chicken, fish, prawn & squid in Malay-style cuisine.
The chicken is served with rice, fried tofu, tempeh and a small bowl of soup. The chicken is perfectly cooked – criso, tender, juicy juicy, tender and crisp.
Dishes to try:
- Ayam penyet
- Deep fried fish
7. The Elephant & The Butterfly
Quite pricey but that is not surprising since this beautiful and colorful restaurant is at a Hard Rock Hotel!
The restaurant boasts a Mexican menu. Food comes in decent portions. Try their burgers!
Sit by the hotel poolside in one of the bright and spacious couches and enjoy the view! Maybe, with one of their very special in-house cocktails in hand too!
They can even make one just for you if none of the ones on their menu suits your taste!
Wine enthusiasts will also find the wine selection at this establishment delightfully adequate!
Location: Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, Jalan Pantai 3, Desaru Coast, 81930 Bandar Penawar, Johor, Malaysia
Contact: +607-838 8888
Opening Hours: 11:00am to 10:30pm
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8. Super Lobster Restaurant
Another halal option, Super Lobster Restaurant is not your usual traditional Desaru Chinese restaurant!
One of their signature dishes is the herbal lobster which is well worth the price!
You can expect the restaurant to put out only the freshest seafood (like shrimp, lala, squid, crabs and of course lobsters!) dishes here. As they get their supply a few times a day!
This is a good alternative to the overly popular Jade Garden!
Other dishes to try:
- Crab with salted egg yolk
- Butter lobsters
- Assam seabass
- Tofu hotplate
Tip: Weekend crowds are crazy!
Location: 7, Jalan Jenahak, Kampung Sungai Rengit, 81600 Bandar Penawar, Johor, Malaysia
Contact: +607-824 6108
Opening Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
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9. Fruit Buffet At Desaru Fruit Farm
Depending on which fruits are in season, visitors to Desaru Fruit Farm can pick all the fruit they desire!
They have different tropical fruits at the farm – Guava, longan, jackfruit, dragon fruit, passion fruit, banana, pineapple, mangosteen, rambutan, etc.
And the staff will serve the fruit all cut up and ready to eat at the fruit buffet.
There are even some pickled fruit options!
The in-house cafe has some creative dishes that feature fruits!
It’s worth trying their:
- Passion fruit chicken
- Pineapple sweet and sour prawns
- Fresh papaya chicken soup
- Deep fried squid with dragon fruit
They have plenty more!
Location: 92, 82200 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia
Contact: +6012-772 1817
Opening Hours: 8:30am to 6:30pm
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10. Sengat Seafood Restaurant
If you happen to be anywhere between Desaru and Kota Tinggi in Johor, it might be worth stopping at this inconspicuous restaurant in a tiny fishing village called
Teluk Sengat.
Especially if you are planning to drop by the crocodile farm nearby.
Sengat Seafood restaurant is furnished very simply – think typical
kampung style (that means no air conditioning).
But the fresh seafood here makes it worth the drive!
Must-try dishes include:
- Nyonya steamed fish with Assam paste
- Sambal kangkung
- Chilli Crab
- Zhao Pai Mian (noodles)
- Claypot tofu
- Salted egg yolk crab
- Deep fried buns (dip in gravy)
Location: 58, Jalan Belanak, Teluk Sengat, 81900 Ayer Tawar, Johor, Malaysia
Contact: +6019-729 0303
Opening Hours: 11:30am to 9:30pm
11. Ostrich Farm Restaurant
Come to the
Desaru Ostrich Farm and meet some of the hundreds of ostriches here at Malaysia’s largest ostrich farm!
Understandably, you might not want to have a meal with ostrich meat after seeing a real life ostrich!
But this is one of the few places in Johor where you can try dishes made with ostrich meat!
So if you don’t mind, then the restaurant (more like a stall) at the farm has some ostrich meat delicacies you might want to try:
- Ostrich satay
- Bak kut teh
- Stir fry
- Omelette
