2024 Wellness Guide

Pangkor Laut’s overwater bungalow

Travel

A Private, Gastronomical Journey in Malaysia

The Chef’s Kitchen Experience at Pangkor Laut Resort teaches the secrets of Southeast Asian cooking.

By Alix Strauss

On a 300-acre island off the west coast of Malaysia, Pangkor Laut Resort offers the choice of an overwater bungalow, a hill villa overlooking the Strait of Malacca, or a butler-staffed estate residence with a private pool. And among the many activities is a private, half-day gastronomical journey dubbed Chef’s Kitchen Experience ($99/person). Guests meet the chef at 9 a.m. for a short boat ride to Pangkor Island to shop dried seafood stores and stalls selling street food, souvenirs, and coffee. They make stops to learn the trade from an authentic noodle maker and visit an anchovy facility to see how thousands are sorted and dried open air–style in a space the size of a football field. Then they catch lunch from a flat-bottomed sampan boat and recoup with the resort spa’s Signature Bath House Ritual, which combines Japanese, Chinese, and Malay bathing traditions.


They meet again with the chef to prepare a three-course meal while learning secrets of Southeast Asian cooking then dine on sea bass in coconut sauce, stir-fried chicken with chili and cashews, and prawn tempura. Says General Manager Derrick Gooch, “The experience really immerses guests in Pangkor’s local community. They witness the cooking process firsthand and get to see where the ingredients come from.” pangkorlautresort.com