gifts of the sea

The sweeping crescent of the Datai Cove in Langkawi is one of the world’s most beautiful beaches; gentle waves lapping against perfectly soft sand. At The Andaman, A Luxury Collection Resort, those fine grains of sand extend inside to form the floor of its signature seafood restaurant, Jala, blurring the line between shore and store. It’s a connection that extends to the kitchen’s ethos – making full use of Langkawi’s bounty by sourcing as locally as possible, including catch direct from local fisherman, while educating them on the importance of sustainability.

As such, the menu at Jala varies each day. Only the freshest seafood is presented, together with ingredients gathered from the island’s lush rainforest. A chalk board lists the specials of the day. There are staples – like pillows of fresh bread and the signature Jalaksa with its rich seafood consommé and unexpected tinge of green curry – but most of the menu is fluid. Ever-attentive chefs are always at hand to provide recommendations, which could result in a tangy kerabu topped with prawn or a perfectly grilled squid dusted with curry powder. Or a massive ichthyological specimen – an Orange-spotted grouper in our case – steamed, grilled or cooked to any desired order, with a litany of sauces from green curry to the house jala sauce to add more punch to flavour.

One might think the seafood theme stops at dessert; but one would be wrong. The Black Rainforest cake takes the form of a toadstool mushroom growing out of a forest floor of chocolate powder, but most impressive is the signature Strawberry Reef – a hurricane of flavours (including candied seaweed) that pays tribute to the corals slowly regrowing mere steps away from where your dinner is ending.

The Andaman, A Luxury Collection