The easiest and most sociable way to eat in Cherating is at your guesthouse. Most backpacker places serve communal dinners at a fixed hour — a shared table of Malaysian dishes where you'll meet the other guests without any effort. For variety, a handful of casual restaurants and warungs along the village road cover all the east coast staples: grilled fish, nasi goreng, roti canai. Everything is cheap and unhurried.