When it comes to those extra special memories on our trip, there is one in particular that stands head and shoulders above the rest – that fantastic Private Dining Experience at Emerald Bay.

As experienced luxury travellers we’ve visited a number of extraordinary resorts and have had our fair share of amazing moments during our journeys including fantastic private dining in beautiful locations, catered by excellent chefs, but nothing quite like this one.

It’s hard to put into words the memories of that wonderful night without my emotions going into overdrive. It was a truly amazing experience on so many levels! It appeals to your every sentiment, pleases your every sense, simply divine! The first thing that strikes you is the setting. It’s absolutely stunning – a table for two immaculately set with a gorgeous sea-shell arrangement surrounding a vase full of red roses for a centre-piece, on a sandy beach under the stars with comforting sound of the waves, coming from the sea just a hundred yards away. A breathtaking view of the bay in front of you and no one in sight but your personal butler, magically appearing out of the darkness from time to time, bearing delicious treats. The food was phenomenal! A selection of seven incredible dishes! Everything was delicious, rich in flavour and cooked to perfection. The service was impeccable too – unobtrusive, efficient, attentive, coupled with a genuinely warm attitude. It’s a perfect example of how seriously YTL Hotels take their staff training and what an impressive level they take it to. I couldn’t fault Gregorio, who looked after us during that evening, in any way.

We arrived at the location, driven in one of the resort’s luxury SUVs, just after 7.00pm to witness the magical sunset, and as gorgeous as it was, it was only the prelude to the spectacular evening about to unfold. As we were sat at our table enjoying the view and the mesmerizing surroundings we were offered some drinks and the feast began. As a little teaser of what was in store we were first served a chef’s special – mini Shrimp Salad as an Amuse Bouche.

We could have easily had a whole plateful of that for the main course. But that was not to be, as it was followed by a much bigger portion of Classic Caesar Salad, quite frankly, one of the best interpretations of one I’ve ever had. And as it’s not your average dinner, you don’t have to make your usual choice between “soup or salad”, you are bound to have both, the Creamy Tom Yam Soup was served in a large coconut. It’s not a misprint, the delicious and fragrant local favourite was really served in an open coconut, with the coconut’s flesh still intact, and it tasted and looked extraordinary!

To freshen up our senses and to cleanse the palette, we were then offered some lime sorbet as a preparation for the main course, which was very refreshing and tasty in its own right. But then we were really holding our breath in anticipation as two magnificent plates of lobster arrived, one large lobster for each of us. Trust me, even if you are already quite full at this point, you’ll still find room for this special treat. It was just an honest fresh lobster, not deep-fried to taste better, no other tricks involved, just the real deal, with a taste “to die for”. It’s at moments like this, you get to appreciate the true flavour of good quality fresh sea-food. So, not only myself, but even our meat-orientated Paul truly loved it. Unfortunately we skipped the next dish (the second main course) in fear of overeating, that was meant to be a Grill Steak of Beef and that was, probably, our only regret for the evening, we should have found some room, and if we did, I have no doubt, it would have been fantastic as well.

As if hearing our prayers to spare our stomachs, the desert was refreshing and light. It was Tropical Fruit Salad served in a half a honey dew melon, each. Yum…

I really enjoyed writing this peace for you, as it well and truly was one of the best and most memorable experiences I’ve had. And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our talented chef Fazly Mustafa for his outstanding culinary achievements. I personally predict a great future for him. I was very surprised to discover, he is still very young, so his potential to achieve true greatness just shines through. And, of course, our highest compliments go to our butler for that evening – Gregorio V. Arnaiz for truly impeccable service. What an amazing memory that turned out to be. I can only hope I’ll get to relive it again during our next visit. I cannot envisage it being performed any better, but who knows, I couldn’t help but notice that service at Pangkor Laut, although already excellent, seems to improve further each time we visit.

Click HERE to read the next page of our feature on Pangkor Laut Resort

Photographs taken using a Sony SLT-A77VQ. Sony is an official partner of Luxurious Magazine®