If you’ve ever stood on a jetty in Terengganu at 7am and watched a fishing boat come in loaded with sotong, ketam and ikan kembung still flipping in the crates, you already understand why people here take their seafood so seriously.
Terengganu sits right on the South China Sea, and that geography does most of the heavy lifting. The state’s fishing villages — Merang, Penarik, Kuala Ibai, Batu Rakit, Marang — send boats out before sunrise every single day, and by lunchtime the same catch is sitting on your plate a few hundred metres from where it was landed. There’s no cold-chain logistics involved, no three-day freezer journey. It’s about as close to “farm to table” as seafood gets, except it’s “sea to table,” and usually within 12 hours.
This is the state that gave Malaysia Celup Tepung Terengganu — batter-fried squid, prawns, crab and fish, served hot off the wok with a sweet-spicy dipping sauce called colek. It’s cheap, it’s addictive, and locals eat it as a beach-evening ritual rather than a tourist photo op. But Terengganu’s seafood scene goes well beyond celup tepung. Order grilled fish (ikan bakar) rubbed with turmeric and chilli, butter prawns swimming in curry-leaf cream, whole steamed fish with lime and ginger, or a good old-fashioned chilli crab, and you’ll understand why food is one of the main reasons people extend their stay here.
Most of the seafood spots that actually matter to locals aren’t fine-dining restaurants. They’re family-run warungs, beachside stalls, and no-frills eateries that have been feeding the same kampung for twenty or thirty years. Many don’t have English menus. Some don’t have a phone number you can call in advance. What they do have is fresh fish, honest prices, and regulars who’ll drive past three other restaurants to get there.
So if you’re wondering where to eat seafood in Terengganu without wasting a meal on a tourist trap, this guide is built for you. This guide skips the seafood restaurants clustered purely around the big hotels and instead points you toward the best seafood restaurant Terengganu locals actually queue for — starting with three spots covering seafood restaurants in Setiu, especially around Merang and Penarik (the coastal stretch closest to Redang Jetty), before moving on to the best seafood in Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Nerus and Marang.
1. Restoran Ombak Pantai (Penarik Beach, Setiu)
⭐ Google Rating: 3.8/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 12 minutes by car (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, closed Tuesdays
📞 Phone: +60 14-837 0889
💰 Price range: RM8–25 per dish; set packages RM59–RM179 (feeds 2–10 people)
🚗 Parking: Open compound parking directly in front of the restaurant, generally easy except peak weekend evenings
🍽 Must Try: Set Madu 3 (a mix of battered prawns, squid and fish + free coconut shake)
❤️ Why Visit: Beachfront celup tepung with sea views and sunset timing
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok
Ombak Pantai is one of the biggest and best-known celup tepung restaurants on Penarik beach, and it shows the moment you pull up — there’s proper covered seating, a beachfront wakaf section for those who want their toes in the sand, and a menu built around shareable “set” combos rather than à la carte ordering, which makes it genuinely easy for a family or group of friends to walk in without planning.
If it’s your first time trying celup tepung, order the Set Madu 3. It comes with a mix of battered prawns, squid and fish, all fried fresh to order, plus a side of their house-made dipping sauce that balances sweet and spicy without drowning out the seafood itself. Pair it with a coconut shake — it’s the unofficial house drink up and down this stretch of coast.
Come before sunset if you can. The restaurant faces the open sea, and the light around 6:30–7pm turns the whole beach a shade of orange that makes the wait for your food feel shorter. Weekends get busy, especially with day-trippers coming back from Redang or Lang Tengah, so if you’re set on a beachfront table, aim to arrive by 5:30pm.
Ombak Pantai has grown a genuine online following over the past couple of years — it’s a regular feature on Terengganu food TikTok — but it hasn’t lost the plot on quality, which is part of why it holds a strong rating across thousands of reviews. If you’re staying at Katsetiu Villas, this is roughly a 12-minute drive, making it a natural stop for dinner after a day of snorkelling at Redang or wandering around the Setiu Wetlands.
If you’d rather enjoy your meal at the villa, they also offer delivery—simply place your order via website directly with them.
2. MCTS – Mr Celup Tepung Station (Penarik, Setiu)
⭐ Google Rating: 3.9/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 10–12 minutes by car (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, closed Wednesdays
📞 Phone: +60 13-595 3929
💰 Price range: RM8–45 per dish (priced by weight); set packages RM42.50–RM178 (feeds 2–10 people)
🚗 Parking: Sandy roadside compound; fills up quickly during peak afternoon hours
🍽 Must Try: Maggi Lobster + Ais Batu Campur (shaved ice dessert)
❤️ Why Visit: Viral, laid-back tikar-on-the-sand dining right on Penarik beach
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok
MCTS has become something of a social media landmark for Penarik beach, and it’s easy to see why once you’re sitting on a tikar mat a few metres from the waterline with a tray of freshly fried squid in front of you. It’s more informal than Ombak Pantai — you order at a counter, seafood is weighed and priced on the spot, then re-fried hot before it reaches your table.
Come here if you want the “authentic beach stall” version of celup tepung rather than the restaurant-style version. Order the sotong first — it’s consistently the most praised item — then work your way through prawns, fish or crab depending on what’s freshest that day. The coconut shake is a good counterbalance to all that fried batter.
Best time to visit is late afternoon, roughly 4–6pm, when the sea breeze picks up and the crowd is lighter than the golden-hour weekend rush. It’s closed on Wednesdays, so plan around that if you’re timing a Redang-to-Setiu food stop.
Being right on the same stretch of Penarik beach as several other well-loved local eateries, MCTS is only around 10 to 12 minutes from Katsetiu Villas, so it works well as a casual lunch stop before heading out on a boat, or an easy dinner after a beach day.
If you’d rather enjoy your meal at the villa, they also offer delivery—simply place your order via WhatsApp directly with them.
3. Warung Pok Nong Celup Tepung (Kg Telipot, Kuala Nerus)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.3/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 30–35 minutes by car (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM, closed Tuesdays
📞 Phone: +60 10-559 5341 | +60 13-351 7262
💰 Price range: RM10–25 per dish (priced by weight)
🚗 Parking: Open roadside/sandy parking; fills up fast after 3pm
🍽 Must Try: Sotong Celup Tepung + Sata + ABJ (Ais Batu Jagung)
❤️ Why Visit: The most iconic ICT institution on this entire coastline, running for over 30 years
Ask almost anyone from Kuala Terengganu where to get the best celup tepung and Warung Pok Nong comes up within the first minute. It’s been operating for more than two decades out of Mengabang Telipot, on the coastal road between Kuala Terengganu and Merang, and it built its reputation the old-fashioned way — word of mouth, long queues, and seafood that doesn’t cut corners.
The signature order here is “sotong gunting” — oversized squid, battered and fried, then snipped into pieces with scissors right at your table so you can dig in immediately. It’s a small piece of theatre that’s part of the appeal, but the real draw is how fresh and springy the squid actually is.
Come before 2:30pm if you want to beat the queue — this warung genuinely draws crowds, particularly on Fridays and during school holidays, and it closes relatively early at 8pm. It’s a little further from Katsetiu Villas than the Penarik options — closer to 30–35 minutes by car — but it sits directly along the road connecting Merang Jetty to Kuala Terengganu, so it’s an easy and worthwhile detour if you’re heading into town or picking someone up from the airport.
4. Firdausy Seafood Corner (Tok Jembal, Kuala Nerus)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.2/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 40–45 minutes by car (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM, closed Mondays
📞 Phone: +60 11-2984 5587
💰 Price range: RM3–15 per dish
🚗 Parking: Spacious compound parking, noticeably easier than central Kuala Terengganu spots
🍽 Must Try: Bayam celup tepung (battered spinach), sotong and udang celup tepung
❤️ Why Visit: A full sit-down restaurant feel with a rare vegetable-based celup tepung option, very close to the airport
Firdausy sits close to Sultan Mahmud Airport, which makes it a genuinely handy first or last stop if you’re flying in or out of Terengganu. Unlike some of the more informal beach stalls further up the coast, this one has a proper dining hall with tables, making it a comfortable option if you’re travelling with kids or elderly family members.
The standout here is bayam celup tepung — battered and deep-fried spinach — which isn’t something you’ll find at most other seafood spots on this list. It’s a good way to break up an otherwise all-seafood meal. Order it alongside their sotong and udang celup tepung, both of which come out crisp and hot.
If it’s your first visit, order a mixed platter that includes the bayam so you get a sense of what makes this place different from the beach-stall version of celup tepung further north.
5. Sri Aman Seafood Restaurant (Kuala Terengganu)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.1/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 45–50 minutes by car (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM, daily
📞 Phone: +60 11-2544 0195
💰 Price range: RM6–40 per dish; set menus available for groups, fresh seafood (priced by weight)
🚗 Parking: Dedicated parking area; the restaurant also has an event hall for larger bookings
🍽 Must Try: Siakap 3 rasa, ketam telur masin (salted egg crab)
❤️ Why Visit: A long-standing local institution that also handles catering and events
Sri Aman has been around long enough that it doubles as an events and catering venue, which tells you something about how much locals trust the kitchen. The set-menu format makes it an easy choice if you’re dining as a group and don’t want the hassle of everyone ordering separately.
The ketam telur masin (salted egg crab) is the dish most worth planning your visit around — rich, slightly savoury-sweet, and best shared. Udang butter is the other consistent crowd-pleaser. Since it only opens from 3pm, treat this as a dinner destination rather than a lunch stop.
6. BB Seafood Garden (Gong Badak, Kuala Terengganu)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.3/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 34–40 minutes by car (Kuala Terengganu, near Gong Badak / Sultan Mahmud Airport) (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM daily; Fridays 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM only
📞 Phone: +60 17-577 9394
💰 Price range: RM9–55 per dish; package deals from RM108–278 for groups (feeds 2–10 people)
🚗 Parking: Ample and convenient parking options around the shop lot area, with extra spaces available directly in front after office hours
🍽 Must Try: Tomyam + Ketam Telur Masin (salted egg crab) + Siakap Stim Limau
❤️ Why Visit: A spacious, air-conditioned local favourite with generous package deals — rare comfort among Terengganu’s more roadside seafood spots
BB Seafood Garden built its reputation on package deals that make ordering painless — walk in, pick a set for your group size, and let the kitchen handle the rest. The restaurant is spacious and air-conditioned, a rarity among Terengganu’s more roadside seafood spots, and reviewers consistently point to the salted egg crab as the dish worth building a visit around.
Don’t skip the ikan stim limau (steamed fish in lime) or the white tomyam if you’re after something lighter — both get called out repeatedly in reviews for well-balanced, not-too-heavy flavour. Portions run generous, and the five-dish package deals are genuinely good value for a group of four or five.
It’s located near Gong Badak, on the same stretch as Sultan Mahmud Airport and UMT, making it a sensible stop if you’re flying in or out of Terengganu, or combining a seafood dinner with a visit to the university area.
7. Restoran C.B. Wee (Kampung Bukit Pauh, Kuala Dungun)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.3/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx 2 hours by car (Kuala Dungun area) (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM &, 5:30 PM–8:30 PM, closed Tuesdays
📞 Phone: +60 9-844 3515, +60 10-983 5680, +60 10 984 0680
💰 Price range: RM20–50 per dish (cash only)
🚗 Parking: Free on-site parking with ample space for cars and tour coaches.
🍽 Must Try: Steamed fish, butter prawns, salt & pepper squid, kam heong crab, homemade tofu.
❤️ Why Visit: One of Dungun’s best-known halal Chinese seafood restaurants, popular with both locals and guests staying at Tanjong Jara Resort.
Restoran C.B. Wee Seafood has been a local institution in Dungun for decades and is widely regarded as one of the best places in the district for halal Chinese-style seafood. Located just a few minutes from Tanjong Jara Resort, it’s a favourite alternative for resort guests looking for authentic local food at a fraction of resort prices. Despite its simple, open-air setting, the restaurant has built a loyal following through consistently fresh seafood, generous portions and friendly family-run service.
The menu focuses on classic Chinese seafood dishes rather than Terengganu’s famous celup tepung. Fresh fish prepared steamed Hong Kong-style, butter prawns, kam heong crab, salt and pepper squid and homemade tofu are among the restaurant’s most recommended dishes. Prices remain reasonable considering the quality, making it an excellent choice for families and groups travelling along the East Coast or exploring Dungun after visiting nearby attractions such as Tanjong Jara Beach and Pantai Teluk Bidara.
8. Restoran Ikan Bakar Pantai Timur (Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu)
⭐ Google Rating: 4/5
📍 Distance from Katsetiu Villas: Approx. 1 hour 10 minutes by car (Kuala Terengganu, Pantai Batu Burok area) (View on Google Maps)
🕒 Opening Hours: 3:30 PM – 12:00 AM, daily
📞 Phone: +60 19-997 4552
💰 Price range: RM6–40 per dish, fresh seafood (priced by weight)
🚗 Parking: Free street parking / ample space near the restaurant
🍽 Must Try: Celup tepung squid, ikan bakar (grilled fish), udang bakar kosong (plain grilled prawns)
❤️ Why Visit: A short stroll from Pantai Batu Burok beach, with pick-your-own live seafood grilled or battered to order
Restoran Ikan Bakar Pantai Timur sits a short stroll from Pantai Batu Burok, Kuala Terengganu’s main city beach, and runs on the classic east-coast format: pick your seafood live from the counter, then have it grilled or battered to order. It’s unpretentious — plastic tables, open-air seating, and a menu built around whatever’s freshest that day.
The celup tepung squid is the standout, with a batter reviewers describe as pleasantly sweet rather than the more savoury versions found up in Setiu. Grilled fish (ikan bakar) and plain grilled prawns (udang bakar kosong) round out a straightforward, no-frills seafood meal.
Because it’s right by the beach, it works well as an evening stop after a walk along Batu Burok — order, watch the grill work, and eat with a sea breeze rather than air-conditioning.
Why Stay Around Setiu For Seafood Hunting?
Once you’ve eaten your way through Penarik beach, it’s worth understanding why this particular stretch of coast — Setiu district, covering Merang, Penarik, Bari and Telaga Papan — has become the smarter base for food-focused travellers, rather than Kuala Terengganu itself.
For one, it’s close to Merang Jetty, which is the main departure point for boats to Redang Island and Lang Tengah, so you’re not adding an extra 40-minute drive onto either end of your island trip. It’s also significantly less crowded and touristy than Kuala Terengganu town — the seafood restaurants here still feel like they belong to the fishing villages they’re in, rather than being built around a tour-bus crowd.
Setiu is also home to genuine fishing villages that haven’t been reshaped for tourism, plus the Setiu Wetlands, one of the last untouched river-and-mangrove ecosystems on Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast — worth a half-day trip on its own if you’re into birdwatching, fireflies or river cruises.
Staying at a place like Katsetiu Villas puts you within a 10–20 minute radius of most of the seafood spots on this list, plus the Merang jetty for Redang, plus the wetlands, plus Pantai Penarik itself for a swim. It’s a genuinely practical base for combining a few different kinds of days: a snorkelling day at Redang, a slow wetlands-and-wildlife day at Setiu, a beach day at Penarik, and at least one full day dedicated purely to seafood hunting along this coast.
(If you’re planning a longer stay, our upcoming guides on the Best Hiking Spots in Terengganu, a full Day & Night Itineraries, and a dedicated Setiu Wetlands Guide go into more detail on how to structure a few days here.)
Once you’ve worked through the Penarik food scene closest to Redang Jetty, it’s worth driving the extra half hour or so into Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus. This is where a lot of the state’s bigger, more established Kuala Terengganu seafood restaurants operate — the kind of places with proper dining halls, printed menus and decades of local trade behind them. Here are the next seven worth seeking out.
Comparison Table: Best Seafood Restaurants in Terengganu
| Restaurant | Location | Google Rating | Price | Best For | Signature Dish | Distance from Katsetiu Villas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoran Ombak Pantai | Penarik, Setiu | 3.8 ★ | RM8–25 per dish; set packages RM59–RM179 (feeds 2–10 people) | Sunset celup tepung, groups | Set Madu 3 Celup Tepung | ~12 min |
| MCTS (Mr Celup Tepung Station) | Penarik, Setiu | 3.9 ★ | RM8–45 per dish (priced by weight); set packages RM42.50–RM178 (feeds 2–10 people) | Viral beach-sand dining | Maggi Lobster | ~10–12 min |
| Warung Pok Nong Celup Tepung | Kg Telipot, Kuala Nerus | 4.3 ★ | RM10–25 per dish (priced by weight) | Iconic ICT institution, 30+ years | Sotong Celup Tepung | ~30–35 min |
| Firdausy Seafood Corner | Tok Jembal, Kuala Nerus | 4.2 ★ | RM3–15 per dish | Families, near airport | Bayam Celup Tepung | ~40–45 min |
| Sri Aman Seafood Restaurant | Kuala Terengganu town | 4.1 ★ | RM6–40 per dish; set menus available for groups, fresh seafood (priced by weight) | Group dinners & events | Siakap 3 Rasa | ~45–50 min |
| BB Seafood Garden | Gong Badak, Kuala Terengganu | 4.3 ★ | RM9–55 per dish; package deals from RM108–278 for groups (feeds 2–10 people) | Air-conditioned, group packages | Ketam Telur Masin | ~34–40 min |
| Restoran C.B. Wee | Kampung Bukit Pauh, Kuala Dungun | 4.3 ★ | RM20–50 per dish (cash only) | Halal Chinese seafood, near Tanjong Jara | Steamed Fish (HK-style) | ~2 hours |
| Restoran Ikan Bakar Pantai Timur | Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu | 4.0 ★ | RM6–40 per dish, fresh seafood (priced by weight) | Beachside, pick-your-own seafood | Celup Tepung Squid | ~1 hr 10 min |
Price legend: RM = budget-friendly (roughly RM5–25 per person), RM RM = mid-range (roughly RM20–40 per person), RM RM RM = higher-end/buffet (RM40+ per person). Prices are approximate and subject to change — confirm directly with the restaurant before visiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best seafood in Terengganu?
There isn’t one single “best” spot — it depends on what you’re after. For celup tepung specifically, Warung Pok Nong, MCTS and Ombak Pantai are the most consistently recommended by locals. For grilled fish and full seafood spreads, Restoran Ikan Bakar Pantai Timur and Sri Aman Seafood Restaurant in Kuala Terengganu are popular choices, while BB Seafood Garden and Restoran C.B. Wee (Dungun) are the picks for a proper sit-down Chinese-style seafood dinner.
Where can I eat Celup Tepung?
The Setiu/Penarik stretch (Ombak Pantai, MCTS) and Warung Pok Nong in Kuala Nerus are the best-known celup tepung destinations in the state. Firdausy Seafood Corner in Tok Jembal also does a good version, plus a rare battered spinach option, and Restoran Ikan Bakar Pantai Timur near Batu Burok beach is worth trying for its distinctly sweet batter.
What seafood is Terengganu famous for?
Celup tepung (battered, deep-fried squid, prawn, fish and crab), ikan bakar (grilled fish), butter prawns, chilli crab, and whole steamed fish are the dishes most associated with the state. Terengganu’s coastal location on the South China Sea means almost everything on the menu was caught that same morning.
Where to eat near Merang Jetty?
Warung Pok Nong, along the coastal road connecting Merang to Kuala Terengganu, is the most iconic option near the jetty. The Penarik cluster (Ombak Pantai, MCTS) is also only a short drive away and works well if you’re staying in the Setiu area before or after a Redang trip.
Where to eat after Redang Island?
Most boats back from Redang land at Merang Jetty in the late afternoon, which puts you perfectly close to the Penarik celup tepung spots — Ombak Pantai and MCTS are both around 10–15 minutes away and open into the evening, making them an easy dinner stop straight off the boat.
What is the best seafood restaurant near Setiu?
Ombak Pantai Restaurant and MCTS (Mr Celup Tepung Station) are both located directly on Pantai Penarik within Setiu district and are the top-rated, most locally recommended options in the immediate area.
Where to eat seafood near Tanjong Jara Resort or Dungun?
Restoran C.B. Wee in Kampung Bukit Pauh is the standout option in Dungun, just a few minutes from Tanjong Jara Resort. It’s a halal Chinese seafood restaurant known for steamed fish, butter prawns and kam heong crab — a good-value alternative to resort dining, though at roughly 2 hours from Katsetiu Villas it’s more of a day-trip or Dungun-specific stop than a casual dinner option.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to stick to Kuala Terengganu and assume you’ve covered the state’s seafood scene, but the truth is some of the best eating happens well outside the city — in the fishing villages of Setiu, Merang and Penarik, and further south in Marang, where restaurants don’t need to try hard to impress because the seafood itself is already doing the work.
If you’re planning a trip built around Redang Island, the Setiu Wetlands, or just a slower few days on the east coast, it’s worth basing yourself somewhere that puts you close to both. Katsetiu Villas sits right in that Setiu corridor — close enough to Merang Jetty for an early boat, close enough to Penarik for a proper celup tepung dinner, and close enough to Kuala Terengganu and Marang for the days you want to venture further out and hunt down the rest of this list. In short, if you’re searching for seafood near Katsetiu Villas, you’re really spoilt for choice within a 20-minute radius.
Disclaimer: Opening hours, prices, contact details and social media handles for small, family-run establishments can change without notice. Where information could not be independently verified, it has been marked “Not Available” rather than estimated. We recommend confirming details directly with each restaurant before visiting