Eating well at Westin Langkawi: Anjung Damai, The Float, buffet breakfast & SuperFoodsRx™

I have been most fortunate that the resorts that I stayed in during my birthday break are holistic and wellness oriented.

At both (The Andaman & Westin Langkawi) I was pampered with wholesome yet delicious food that are prepared in a wide-ranging variety; so much so that I couldn’t possibly have gotten bored even if I’ve stayed for a week.

For this article I will be focusing on the SuperFoodsRx™ option which is available at Westin hotels worldwide.
The menu differs from hotel to hotel, though they share similar traits.

For the uninitiated SuperFoodsRx™ is the name of the movement started by Steven Pratt, MD, the best-selling author of SuperFoodsRx™ and SuperFoodsRxHealthStyle.
It encourages intake of “whole foods,”; meaning ingredients that are unprocessed or minimally processed in such a way that none of their nutritional characteristics have been intentionally modified.

In other words, these ingredients are naturally breed or grown.

1 Tide - lunch food review westin langkawi -005

So, what are the SuperFoods?

The SuperFoods are the unique standout foods that, when consumed individually or together, have the power to deliver significant health benefits over the lifetime of an individual.

At Westin hotels around the world, the team understands that their guests wishes to maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling & hence their menu include nutrient-rich and delicious SuperFoodsRx™ dishes.

The dishes with SuperFoods incorporated are indicated with a SuperFoodsRx™ icon.
When you order a SuperFoodsRx™ dish, it means that the dish is prepared using one or MORE of the Superfoods as listed below:

Now, there are many Superfoods; but here’s the top 24:
Apple, avocado, blueberries, broccoli, beans, cinnamon, dark choice, EV Olive oil, honey, garlic, kiwi, oats, onions, pomegranate, orange, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, wild salmon, yogurt.

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I checked-in into Westin Langkawi one fine afternoon and began my stay with a platter of protein rich Arabian meats.
From this meal I also discover that the made in-house coconut ice cream here rocks, and henceforth ordered it at every opportunity during my stay.

coconut ice cream westin langkawi - menu-002

Lunch at Breeze:

Starters:
Set Lunch: RM119 10% service charge.

Hummus – Chickpea dip blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice & seasoning
OR
Mutabel – eggplant dip with garlic, olive oil,  lemon juice & seasoning
OR
Tabouleh – chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes, mint, olive oil & seasoning

**These are for sampling so actual size may vary.

2 WESTIN - surroundings

Our main to share: Arabic Mix Grill : Shish taouk, shish kebab, lamb kofta, yogurt mint sauce.
These were excellent; cooked to perfection with just the right amount of spice which makes them delicious, flavourful, juicy and tender.
Being well-fed upon arrival certainly made our stay looked like it was off to a great start! 

Arabic middle eastern food - BREEZE Westin Langkawi

Our host enjoyed an Asian dish which looks scrumptious as well.

arabic middle eastern food - BREEZE Westin Langkawi-003

We skipped the dessert which was assorted nuts and puff pastry and settled for a affogato instead.

Our lunch venue, Breeze is an open dining area with a bar. It is just the opposite end from the lobby entrance and offers amazing views of the Andaman Sea and beyond. Guests can enjoy live music in the evening, fanned by natural seabreeze.

1 WESTIN - partial ocean view room

night entertainment at breeze westin langkawi

WESTIN langkawi - welcome, lobby, elixir renewal

Our lunch the next day was at Tide, a stand alone, open restaurant away from the main resort which overlooks the beach.
Other than Seasonal Tastes Restaurant which is entirely air-conditioned and indoors, the rest of the dining outlets leverage on Langkawi’s sunshine, beach views and natural breeze.

Tide offers sweeping views of the beach. The atmosphere is casual in the afternoons yet romantic at night.
Wines, cocktails plus a dining menu with choices of Asian and Western flavours plus SuperFoodsRx™ dishes keep guests’ palates, no matter how varied, satisfied.

WESTIN langkawi - review-001

Naturally I zoomed in on the dishes with the SuperFoodsRx™ icons. 🙂

To begin we had a SuperfoodsRX Garden Bowl which consisted of assorted mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, assorted nuts (pistachios, walnuts, cashews), balsamic vinaigrette with fresh herbs for RM48.
I requested for the dressing to be served separately as I’m particular of the amount of dressing I partake with my greens.
I met the Chef in charge here and discovered that he has a penchat for Thai flavours so I decided to add a 
Tom Yum Khung (RM30) as our second appetiser.

For mains I selected the SuperfoodsRX: Wild Salmon & King Prawn with asparagus, farmed mushroom risotto & cauliflower cream sauce (RM88) for myself and it turned out to be a fabulous choice as the salmon was cooked to the right degree and portion was huge!
Another 2 mains were the carbs loaded Asian favourites 
Spicy fried rice (shrimp, vegetables, crispy-fried chicken drumstick, vegetable crackers, pickles, side salad & fried egg served with samba belacan) (RM53) and a pesto based Prawn Linguine (RM60).
Overall I had no complaints for lunch.

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Tide - lunch food review westin langkawi

Tide - lunch food review westin langkawi

Eating well isn’t just for adults.
If anything, good eating habits should be cultivated from young.
At Westin, the young ones eat well too with their healthy kids menu!

The kitchen team has worked with SuperChefs™, a group of doctors, dentists, dieticians and chefs dedicated to educating kids on the importance – and the fun – of eating smart.
From cooking and enjoying nutritious foods to staying active, SuperChefs helps kids discover the upside of healthy living. Each of these special SuperChefs offerings is as delicious as it’s nutritious, making kids and parents happy.

As you can see from the menu below, there are SuperFoodsRx options for kids too!
Traveling with a fussy little one? Or does your young ones have specific allergies? No worries as the kitchen team is ready to assist.

Kids eat well at westin langkawi - menu

The back of the menu even provides an educational distraction for kids while they are having their meals.
It is a small thing, this piece of printed paper, but it is precisely these little thoughtful gestures that matters isn’t it?

Kids eat well at westin langkawi - menu-001

The resort is popular with families for a good reason, though it is just as favored for honeymooners and all other categories of travellers.

Tide - lunch food review westin langkawi -001

Tide was also where the dinners at the Anjung Damai are prepared.

romantic dining at Anjung damai westin langkawi

Dinner on my first evening was in Anjung Damai; essentially a little pagoda with white linen-ed table, candle lights and a personal music station in the form of an iPod with speaker.

It is private yet in the open, cooling and definitely romantic.

We had a personal waiter and a set menu. Since the appetisers, desserts and soups are similar, we decided to shake things up a bit and requested for a change in main.

Instead of cod, one of the mains was substituted for beef, which the Chef did medium-rare as requested but unfortunately didn’t inquire on our preferred sauce first.
It came doused in black pepper, and we had to take care to wipe the sauce away before eating it as I have a mild reaction to black pepper.

romantic dining at Anjung damai westin langkawi-003

The cod was fine while the desserts were good, I liked both creme brule which was prepared in 2 different method. Having 2 desserts in one course isn’t something I will complain about. 🙂

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The trio of butter that came with our pre-dinner basket of bread was worth a mention here, especially so the lemon butter. The tang with the richness of the butter fat was heavenly.

The appetiser platter was heavily influenced by the sharp flavours of our northern neighbour Thailand.
I enjoyed the salmon done ceviche style while the middle mound of papaya mango mix is refreshing. The last one, so full of potential with scallops and a big prawn was unfortunately overly sour. It must have done overtime in its marinade.
The soup was rather forgettable.

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Anjung Damai is one of the 3 venues available for such private dining experiences at the Westin Langkawi. Another is Spa by Night (post here) which is part of the Heavenly Spa, and for RM390+ you can enjoy a set meal here in absolute isolation.

Last but least, The Float caters to bookings from 1 – 6 tables nightly. You have chefs preparing your meal right before your eyes and the Andaman sea and beyond changing landscape as your view.

As the sun sets at the beginning of your meal, expect dramatic streaks of colours at the skies. Peaceful darkness sets in slowly as the sun retires for the day, while the ongoing change in both skies and sea continues as you tuck into your appetisers.
This is unparalleled and unique each evening.
Soak all that in and count your blessings in life. 🙂

The Float juts out over the Andaman sea and is truly a dining-over-the sea experience. A long wooden walkway leads to this jetty, covered only by a thatched roof and ventilated by natural breeze.

westin langkawi - The Float

sunrise from the room - westin langkawi

For those who would like to experience the private dinings as mentioned above, you can refer to the menu and prices here.
http://assets.westinlangkawi.com/lps/assets/u/SpecialVenueDining_e-brochure.pdf
Since each venue only offer 1 seating per night (except for The Float which can accommodate up to 6 tables), advance reservations are absolutely crucial.

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I woke up ravenous the next day, anticipating the hearty breakfast spread that most hotels would offer.
We were one of the earliest at the buffet, and I immediately zoomed in on all the healthy options, especially those labeled SuperFoodsRx™ .

Overall the buffet spread was so-so, and what stood out for me was the yogurts that are made in-house, the juices, the fruits, the salad bar and the assorted Middle Eastern appetisers.

I do enjoy savoury hot food, but the ones available that morning wasn’t to my preference. To each their own.

2 WESTIN - breakfast buffet

2 WESTIN - breakfast buffet1

2 WESTIN - breakfast buffet2

2 WESTIN - breakfast buffet3

Oh, there’s cocktails for breakfast, if you swing that way. 🙂

bellinis are made in-house

The highlight of the morning was a chat with Executive Chef Hans. I always appreciate it when a chef makes the effort to meet and explain about the concept and food served at his establishments.
Chef Hans hails from Germany and was from St Regis before settling down in Langkawi. He’s been here at Westin for 6 months, and is expected to make necessary improvements to the menu for every restaurant here.

Westin langkawi - Chef Hans - interview

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Westin langkawi - breakfast buffet-001

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Westin langkawi - breakfast buffet

Westin langkawi - Chef Hans - interview-001

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I requested to try their in-room dining breakfast the next day, for after pursuing the room service menu I realized that EVERYTHING on the menu sounds fabulous.

Yes, you guessed it. I saw the SuperFoodsRx Breakfast!

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Too healthy?
Don’t worry, the menu covers other dining options as well, from congee to waffles and roti canai.

1 breakfast room service westin langkawi

I had the whole SuperFoodsRx menu delivered to my room, enjoyed the ocean view and a relaxing morning tucking into the exact type of food I enjoy.
Needless to say, it was a satisfying breakfast, and it kept me well satiated til lunch time.

Langkawi WESTIN - SuperFoodsRx

the westin langkawi superfoodsrx breakfast

Every dish is wholesome, made use of premium ingredients and was certainly not lacking in flavour. They are served in manageable portions as well so you won’t overeat.

breakfast Superfoodsrx eat well at westin langkawi - menu

Again I must emphasize that KIDS are well taken care of here!
Shun the fried nuggets please, and indulge them with a dish of baked chicken with cornflakes instead.

Superfoodsrx eat well at westin langkawi - menu-001

Late night hungers can likewise be satiated with smart orders like the below.
My choice would be to go low carb with a protein rich egg white omelette.
I’m truly amazed with Westin as not many hotels offer healthier alternatives on their menu.

Superfoodsrx eat well at westin langkawi - menu-002

As you lounge about on your Heavenly bed, hydrate yourself with some juices. I know Langkawi is an island of cheap beers, but a dosage of 1-2 juices or smoothies as below would do you good! 🙂
I would highly recommend the kale one.

Superfoodsrx eat well at westin langkawi - menu-003

While we are on the topic of in-room dining and SuperfoodsRx, here’s the Lunch menu for your perusal.
Just in case you didn’t want to leave your Heavenly bed, we understand that you need the rest.

Superfoodsrx eat well at westin langkawi - menu

While many F & B proudly proclaim their dishes to be healthy, their interpretation of “healthy” sometimes misses the mark.

To most just having greens and fruits in their dishes constitutes being healthy. If you are well-informed enough you will realize that if the preparation of the dish contains too much salt, grease or served drenched in high calories dressings, it is NOT healthy.
Likewise for the word “wholemeal”.

A proper wholemeal loaf with 80% grains and a wholemeal with just sprinkling of grains for appearance isn’t quite the same thing don’t you agree?
Thus one has to select wisely. Always read the labels. When you order food at restaurants, don’t be shy to request the staff to check on the ingredients for you.
After all, it is advisable to err on the side of caution if you have allergies or if you are on a strict regime.
I for one, isn’t on a very strict diet but I will still check in advance so I know what goes into my food.

And frankly, if there is a wholesome alternative for my meal, I would take it.

In conclusion, I ate well, rested well and had a productive time at the Westin Langkawi.

Ever since I began actively advocating a healthier lifestyle I have met many like-minded individuals. We actively discuss many aspects of staying fit and well, and one of the most popular topics was how to stay on track while on vacations. Some had lamented that vacations meant sacrificing their diets and workout regime.

I’m thankful to be able to share my wellness experience here, and hope those who read this would make Westin Langkawi their choice of vacation for future trips. For families travelling with young ones, they do not have to pack their portable cooker and ingredients along just so they could prepare the food for their little ones in the room, for the well trained team at Westin Langkawi would be able to assist for specific diets.

The Westin Langkawi Resort and Spa
Jalan Pantai Dato Syed Omar
Langkawi 7000
Kedah, Malaysia
+6 04 960 8888
www.westinlangkawi.com

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Sean EDKL

    ooo, that would be my kind of brekkie … i’d wake up early for a poached egg burger and a spinach omelette 🙂

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