Eating in Palau

Fast food places

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There are plenty of options available because Palau is following the USA in its love of fast food. While there are no international chain restaurants like McDonalds or KFC, Koror has local equivalent on a much smaller scale. There are also a couple of places for coffee, donuts, sandwiches and so forth.My favourite luncheon spot is Coconut Hut on the main road in the same building as the Rock Island Cafe. This is a friendly little place with several computers for internet connection and a range of great sandwiches amongst other offerings. I became a regular here and settled on turkey with salad and cheese most days ($2.75). They have burgers, hot dogs, muffins, home-made cakes ($0.75) and m...Read More

There are plenty of options available because Palau is following the USA in its love of fast food. While there are no international chain restaurants like McDonalds or KFC, Koror has local equivalent on a much smaller scale. There are also a couple of places for coffee, donuts, sandwiches and so forth.

My favourite luncheon spot is Coconut Hut on the main road in the same building as the Rock Island Cafe. This is a friendly little place with several computers for internet connection and a range of great sandwiches amongst other offerings. I became a regular here and settled on turkey with salad and cheese most days ($2.75). They have burgers, hot dogs, muffins, home-made cakes ($0.75) and much more. You can even get a light meal here. Students from the nearby college and high school often visit for lunch so I found that going after 1.00pm was my preferred option.

The second place that I can personally recommend is Bem Ermii. This is a burger and fries place situated in a caravan in the carpark of the public library. The locals swear by the burgers but I preferred the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Not great for the cholesterol level but extremely tasty. This place opens mid-morning and my local contacts say that its busiest time is 2.00am but I am not in a position to confirm this. As far as I know, it operates for about 18 hours every day of the week.

Abai Coffee House is pretty much what its name says. This civilised place is on the main street opposite the Palasia Hotel. It is pretty much the only place in Palau to get a good cup of coffee. I was amazed to find that they had a coffee menu choice as wide as Starbucks. I’m not a great coffee drinker but I was completely baffled by choice. Around me I heard people asking for brews that I had never heard of. There are a few ‘goodies’ in the form of cakes, muffins and cockies but these are clearly secondary to the coffee. It was a real surprise.

Coffee and Donut House is not on the main street so many visitors do not find it. It sells reasonable coffee and a variety of donuts. While I enjoy donuts I can’t say that these were the greatest that I have ever had. Perhaps my taste in donuts has been shaped by companies such as Dunkin Donuts and Creamy Donuts. There are a few seats here but most locals seem to take-out bags full to eat at home.

There are several other choices such as F&J’s fast food, Burger House, and a milk shake place all in the main street. If you must have fast food when visiting this Pacific paradise, you will probably find that each will suffice.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 5, 2009

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Small Waterside Restaurants

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As Koror is on several small islands, it is no surprise to find a number of small waterfront restaurants taking advantage of the sea and the view.My favourite of these is probably Jive Seaside Restaurant and Bar (Tel: 488 5483). This has a lovely location and the little restaurant has taken full advantage of this by building out over the water and then having lights which shine down to illuminate the clear water and cause reflections. The result at night is very pretty. The food here is a true mixture of many cuisines – Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Western and more. The sashimi is very good and so too are the fish dishes all made with the local catch. There is only seating for around 30 pe...Read More

As Koror is on several small islands, it is no surprise to find a number of small waterfront restaurants taking advantage of the sea and the view.

My favourite of these is probably Jive Seaside Restaurant and Bar (Tel: 488 5483). This has a lovely location and the little restaurant has taken full advantage of this by building out over the water and then having lights which shine down to illuminate the clear water and cause reflections. The result at night is very pretty. The food here is a true mixture of many cuisines – Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Western and more. The sashimi is very good and so too are the fish dishes all made with the local catch. There is only seating for around 30 people and the best seats are those close to the water. Drinks are $2.00-3.00 so a meal with a drink will only be in the $9.00-12.00 range.

In many ways, Rip Tide Bar and Grill is downmarket from here but it is nicely located over the water adjacent to the town public beach. Some food is available during the day but this is more a place for a leisurely drink. The steak nights, however, will be of interest to some. These are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6-10pm. I have never made it during these times but it is said they are popular.

Bar-ra-cu-da (Tel: 488 5416) is a small open air Mediterranean restaurant on the water at the Fish ‘n Fins dive centre. It is primarily aimed at diver’s who are taking lessons or tours with the company but it is open to everyone. The two highlights here are the fresh local fish and the spectacular views out to the nearby Rock Islands. The restaurant has a range of vegetarian food and fresh breads and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6am to 11pm.

The Bottom Time Bar and Grill (Tel: 488 4383) at Sam’s Tours serves a similar purpose. This is one of the biggest dive and tour operators on the island so many people pass through here and a percentage are caught by the restaurant. This is also the spot where visiting yachts tie up so there is usually some activity. It is a pretty basic affair but the visitors don’t seem to mind. Casual dining, draft beer, sunset views and recollections from the day combine to make this a happy spot for everyone.

The Drop-Off Bar and Grill (Tel: 488-7505) is a purpose built-casual open-air bar and restaurant at the Neco Marine headquarters. Because it is on the main road and there is good parking available, this seems to get more locals than the other spots. I have been here for lunch a couple of times and the food is fairly basis but the staff is pleasant and the view is great. You overlook one of the narrow waterways between the islands and there is usually some boating activity to watch. If not you can sit and enjoy the view of the nearby rock island with its sheer sides and lush green top.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 5, 2009

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Chinese Restaurants

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In common with most places throughout Asia and the Pacific, there are several Chinese restaurants in Koror. They tend to be fairly similar, generally reasonably priced with fairly ordinary food.The Chinese Restaurant (Tel: 488 5451) (yes, that is really its name) is on the main road about half a kilometre east of the centre. It is a straightforward restaurant with little decor and a standard menu. You can get a one-dish meal here together with rice and a soft drink for about $9.00. I have been here and had grilled fish (good but a little dry), sweat and sour pork (about what I expected) and chicken with cashew nuts (came with a thickened sauce that didn’t add much to it). This is another r...Read More

In common with most places throughout Asia and the Pacific, there are several Chinese restaurants in Koror. They tend to be fairly similar, generally reasonably priced with fairly ordinary food.

The Chinese Restaurant (Tel: 488 5451) (yes, that is really its name) is on the main road about half a kilometre east of the centre. It is a straightforward restaurant with little decor and a standard menu. You can get a one-dish meal here together with rice and a soft drink for about $9.00. I have been here and had grilled fish (good but a little dry), sweat and sour pork (about what I expected) and chicken with cashew nuts (came with a thickened sauce that didn’t add much to it). This is another restaurant where the economics escapes me. I have been there twice when I was the only customer, yet for about half the time I was there they were stocking up on water, drinks, rice and various other ingredients as though they were continually busy.

More up-market is the Little Beijing restaurant situated right on the beach on the island of Malakal. I was initially put off by this place because it advertises in all of the hotels, offers free pick-up for visitors and generally sounded like a tourist trap. Then I went there one day and was pleasantly surprised. It is more expensive than the smaller places in town but the ambience was great and the meal very enjoyable.

Probably one of my favourites in this category is the Emaimelei Restaurant (Tel: 488-5905) on Lebuu Street. This is in the centre of town but it is one street removed from the main street so many tourists don’t find it. That doesn’t matter because the locals flock here to enjoy the food, the large portions and the very reasonable price. It is not strictly a Chinese restaurant although there are the usual Chinese favourites but it also has other Asian favourites and Western food as well. The main restaurant is right next to the Kymangai Bakery which is under the same ownership. The restaurant opens 7am-9pm Monday to Sunday but only 8am-3pm on Sunday. It has become so popular that they have opened another branch almost next door with more restricted hours.

There are still further options including the strangely named 7-Eat restaurant (Tel: 488-5813). This is situated in what looks like an old warehouse and there is little ambiance but the food is good with seafood a speciality. It is situated right by the bridge to Malakal, 2 kilometres west of town.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 5, 2009

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Korean Restaurants

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The number of Korean restaurants is a direct result of the popularity of Palau with Korean tourists. Many come on organised tours which only last three or four days and there is considerable reluctance to eat anything other than Korean food. The result is that there are almost as many Korean restaurants in Koror as there are Japanese restaurants.They come in all shapes and sizes. The newest that I am aware of is Kim’s Restaurant (Tel: 488 2266) which is on the road to T Dock, just a kilometre from the town centre. The restaurant is in a building only completed in 2008 and is probably over-optimistic in size. The ground floor has room for a couple of hundred diners and there are plans for f...Read More

The number of Korean restaurants is a direct result of the popularity of Palau with Korean tourists. Many come on organised tours which only last three or four days and there is considerable reluctance to eat anything other than Korean food. The result is that there are almost as many Korean restaurants in Koror as there are Japanese restaurants.

They come in all shapes and sizes. The newest that I am aware of is Kim’s Restaurant (Tel: 488 2266) which is on the road to T Dock, just a kilometre from the town centre. The restaurant is in a building only completed in 2008 and is probably over-optimistic in size. The ground floor has room for a couple of hundred diners and there are plans for further rooms on the next floor up. There is a friendly atmosphere here but the decor is not particularly inspiring. I have eaten here twice and each meal was good and ample in size and the cost is reasonable. I must say, however, that it is a bit disconcerting eating in a place like this when there are only three or four customers. Perhaps I have just struck it on off nights.

The Island Yakiniku Restaurant has been around for a while and is justifiably popular. One night I ordered Bagogi here and it was excellent. It had plenty of kim chi and the meat was delicious. The restaurant is nearly opposite the Etpison Museum on the main road about a kilometre east of the centre of town. It is well worth a visit.

One of the most popular Korean restaurants is the Arirang (Tel: 488 1054) on the second floor of the VIP Guest House right in the centre of town. The restaurant features, breakfast, a lunch buffet and Korean and international food including a barbeque for dinner. It opens Monday to Saturday from 6.30am to 2.00pm and daily from 5.00-10.00pm.

Another place you can’t miss is King’s Palace Restaurant (Tel: 488 1866) on the main road in the centre of town. This has expanded in size during the past year so it is obviously doing something right. The signage looks a bit amateurish but the food certainly is not. If you go here, try the beef, chicken or pork with rice, salad and kim chi for $8.00. Without the salad and kin chi it is only $6.00. They offer an intriguing kim chi burger for $4.50 and a regular burger for $4.00. It opens 9am-2pm and 5-10pm.

Then there is Yoo Restaurant (Tel: 488-4090). I don’t want to put this place down but three of us went there one evening, the waitress told us they had no menu, so we said we would have bogogi. At the last minute we asked the price and were told it would be $25.00 each. That must have been some bogogi. We didn’t stop to find out.
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Japanese Restaurants

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The number of Japanese restaurants in Koror is quite surprising but then Japan did occupy this country for 20 years or so. I don’t lay claim to being an expert on Japanese food or these restaurants but I have had some great meals at some of them. Which is the best? I can’t give a definite opinion. It depends, I guess on what you are looking for.The Fuji seafood restaurant (Tel: 488 2774) on the main street in the centre of town, as the name suggests, specialises in seafood. One evening my wife and I had a great grilled fish meal together with steamed rice and soup. The service was friendly and the ambience is OK. We saw several other things on the menu that looked interesting so we plan to...Read More

The number of Japanese restaurants in Koror is quite surprising but then Japan did occupy this country for 20 years or so. I don’t lay claim to being an expert on Japanese food or these restaurants but I have had some great meals at some of them. Which is the best? I can’t give a definite opinion. It depends, I guess on what you are looking for.

The Fuji seafood restaurant (Tel: 488 2774) on the main street in the centre of town, as the name suggests, specialises in seafood. One evening my wife and I had a great grilled fish meal together with steamed rice and soup. The service was friendly and the ambience is OK. We saw several other things on the menu that looked interesting so we plan to go back one day. Someone at the next table had some Tempura which looked great. Most dishes are in the $7.00-10.00 range.

Perhaps the most enjoyable Japanese meal I have had in Koror was at the Red Rooster Cafe (see hotel restaurants) but the second best was at the Furusato restaurant (Tel: 488 2689) on the main road next to the Bank of Hawaii. Here for $7.00 I had a great plate of sashimi, which was artfully presented on a wooden platter, with rice and crab soup. The Furusao is not strictly a Japanese restaurant. It certainly has excellent Japanese food but the extensive menu includes Asian and Western favourites and from my experience the majority of customers are locals. I guess that is hardly surprising when the food is good, servings large, service swift and price reasonable.

If you are looking for steak, the Teppen Dragon (Tel; 488 1139) is the place to head. This is about 1.5 kilometres east of the city centre near the top of the hill. This place comes with quite a reputation amongst the locals but I am yet to be totally convinced.

I am convinced, however, that Mog Mog (Tel: 488 4454) which is 3 kilometres west of the city has good food and excellent ambience but that servings are small and the price is high for what you get. This place is very popular with visiting Japanese groups, helped no doubt by the fact that after 9.30 it turns into a karaoke place with all the latest gadgets. It is often set up with the instruments of a band on a small stage but I have never seen a group playing here.

Another place with real Japanese ambience is Sakura in the main street next to the Bank of Guam. This only opens for dinner. I have only eaten there once so can’t comment too much about the food I had the fish in a lemon sauce ($9.00). It was nothing special but it was interesting that I was the only non-Japanese person there so I assume that the food meets Japanese tastes. Beer is $4.00 and soft drinks and juices $3.00.
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Hotel Restaurants

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When middle-class Palauans go out for a ‘big night’ it often means going to one of the major hotel restaurants.Top of the heap is probably the smallish Meduu Ribtal seafood restaurant at the Palau Pacific Resort. I have never eaten here but the menu looks good and the decor is fine. When I go to the Palau Pacific I can’t go past the open-air Coconut Terrace which looks out across the pool to the beach and Pacific Ocean. The food is pretty standard international fare and I don’t think it is outstanding but the service is pleasant and it is hard to beat the location. The Palau Pacific Resort in in Koror but not on the main island. There is a causeway connecting it to the rest of the city but...Read More

When middle-class Palauans go out for a ‘big night’ it often means going to one of the major hotel restaurants.

Top of the heap is probably the smallish Meduu Ribtal seafood restaurant at the Palau Pacific Resort. I have never eaten here but the menu looks good and the decor is fine. When I go to the Palau Pacific I can’t go past the open-air Coconut Terrace which looks out across the pool to the beach and Pacific Ocean. The food is pretty standard international fare and I don’t think it is outstanding but the service is pleasant and it is hard to beat the location. The Palau Pacific Resort in in Koror but not on the main island. There is a causeway connecting it to the rest of the city but you need to take a taxi from the central area because it is too far to walk.

The Waves restaurant at the Palau Royal Resort is popular. This is a Japanese run hotel so there is some emphasis on Japanese food but as well there is a wide range of Asian and Western dishes at prices that are high but won’t really break the bank. One of my favourites here is the sautéed beef ribs with black pepper sauce ($15.00) but I have never heard anyone say that any dish is ‘bad’. I can also highly recommend the cream brulee ($6.00). The Royal Resort is on Malakal island about three kilometres from the centre of the city. If you are a guest the hotel has a shuttle but there is no public transportation. You walk or take a taxi.

The Red Rooster Cafe at the West Plaza by the Sea Hotel is one of my favourites. The set-price Japanese meals are a great bargain from $7.00. They come complete with soup and rice and are plenty for most people. I enjoy the grilled fish ($8.00) and the teriyaki prawns ($15.00) are outstanding. When I was last here they also produced a Chinese menu to go with the standard one. The choice is quite overwhelming including many of the popular Western favourites. The restaurant is named after the local beer so a large glass of amber always goes down well here. The hotel is only one kilometre from the centre of town so it is possible to walk here.

At the Palasia there are two choices. The up-market restaurant is the Desomel. Dishes are from $15 with some of the favourites up to $26. I can recommend the grilled snapper with orange sauce at $16 and for Asian food, the sautéed steak with onion and ginger is excellent. Steak is around $22. More reasonable prices are found in the coffee shop, known as Weltz bar. There is wireless broadband here so during the day you will see tourists and others staring at computers while they make a coffee last a very long time. Eltz has a happy hour with 35% off drinks from 4-7pm. Palasia is on the main street in the centre of town.

My wife and I went one evening to the Dockside restaurant at the Landmark Marina Hotel because we had read about its Brazilian bar-B-Q on Friday and Saturday nights. On arrival we discovered that they only operate this when 15 or more guests request it and as there were only 4 people in the restaurant it sure wasn’t going to happen that night. Despite this disappointment we had a very enjoyable meal from the a-la-carte menu and we decided we would go back. Things happen and we never did but I still plan to one day. The hotel is about one kilometre from the centre of town on the water near the aquarium.
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