Must Try Food in Kota Kinabalu

After my graduation trip to Kota Kinabalu, I have a list of must-try food if I have a chance to visit again. 

1. Seafood. 
They have really CHEAP seafood and how can you miss it? Look at my previous post about Sea Food Restaurant. Another restaurant is also good, but slightly more expensive - Gayang Seafood Restaurant. 

2. Tuaran Mee
It is a "made in Sabah" delicacy, a traditional handmade egg noodle from Tuaran Town. It is a noodle that represents Sabah. As I've tried Kolo Mee in Sarawak, I'm expecting for something similar. But it surprised me a little as it is fried egg noodles, served with char siew (dried roasted pork). 

At first we wanted to try Tuaran Mee Restaurant but it closes on Wednesday (The day we went). The restaurant that we went is called Lok Kyun Restaurant (乐群酒家). Open Tuesday - Sunday. It's quite nice. Something different. =)

Here's the address of Lok Kyun: Shop No. 4, Block 8, Jalan Keogh, Tuaran.

Tuaran Mee (RM6+)

3. Pastas at Little Italy. 

I like the ambience, as described in my previous post. Plenty of photos in there. 

4. Roti Kahwin 

Coconut spread/kaya with butter is known as Roti Kahwin. I saw a few food blogs about this and tempted to try. They have toasted/steamed bread, which you can choose from. A great breakfast choice, indeed. The restaurant that we went was Fook Yuen Restaurant, which is about few minutes drive from the city, located at Damai Plaza. Their Teh-C is good too! Price is affordable. =)

5. Tamparuli Mee

Tamparuli mee is quite similar to Tuaran Mee, but because they are made in different town, so they are named differently. My local friend recommended Tamparuli Mee to me, saying that they are better than Tuaran Mee. After I tried, both are quite similar, but Tamparuli Mee has more eggs and slightly cheaper (RM4.50). 

The restaurant we went was Restaurant Wun Chiap (云集酒家), located next to a chinese school, SJK(C) Chung Hwa Tamparuli. I want to go back for this. =)

I think I have not tried every single thing in Kota Kinabalu and the list shall go on longer as time goes by. Till then. =)

Kota Kinabalu: Desa Cattle Farm

Last Spot of the trip (DAY 5) : Desa Cattle Farm

Due to some technical error with one of our rented car, our trip in Kota Kinabalu was forced to end earlier. Our car got over-heated, situation was quite bad. So we had to turn off the air-cond and drove real slow down the hill from Kundasang to the airport. Another car did went to try coconut pudding but 5 of us with the spoilt car couldn't make it. HOW SAD. Hence this is the last spot of mine, of 5 of us -- Desa Dairy Farm.

Desa Dairy Farm is located at the foothill of Mountain Kinabalu, at the Mesilau Plateau, Kundasang. It is about 30 minutes drive from the Kinabalu Park and 10 minutes from Kundasang Town. It is one of the main attractions in Kundasang town, some even referred it as "New Zealand view in Sabah".

The sky was real dark when we reached Desa Cattle Farm. However, it did not affect much the beautiful-ness of the farm.

Spot the cows! They are enjoying their lunch, I suppose.

Zoom in to look at the cows, a bit clearer. 

A must-take-photo-spot-of-tourists. Huge rock that will be on your left after a minute drive from the entrance.

Kota Kinabalu: Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve

DAY 4 (PART 2): Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve

After we check in, we proceeded our trip to Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve. It is about 40 minutes drive from our hotel/lodge. However, if you want to enjoy hot spring, walk on canopy or search for waterfall, this is a great spot. =)

Entrance to the Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve.

A little description of this place at the entrance.

Opening hours are stated here! =)

And Admission Fees! It is all up to you to decide where you want to visit.

Kota Kinabalu: Kinabalu Park

Day 4 (Part 1) : Kinabalu Park

Kinabalu Park (Taman Kinabalu) is one of the first national park in Malaysia, and it is the first world heritage site in Malaysia designated by UNESCO in December 2000. This park is established in 1964, having more than 4500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 birds and around 100 mammal species. It is located on the west coast of Sabah, covers 754 square km surrounding Mount Kinabalu - highest mountain in Borneo. ~~ information from Wikipedia.

We did not plan to climb Mount Kinabalu or walk the trails in the park. So we just went for an hour of sightseeing. It is still nice as the temperature at the park is quite chilly. 

Kinabalu Park. Turn in when you see this. 

Enjoy the greens. =)

A tree near the cafe/exhibition center. 

Road trip must-take-photo, taken by a hyperactive passenger -- ME!!

Kota Kinabalu: Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach

DAY 3 (PART 3) - Sunset by Tanjung Aru Beach

After white water rafting and a visit to Rumah Terbalik, we went back to our apartment to clean up. Some of us wanted to watch sunset as that was our last evening in the city. So we quickly get changed and 5 of us rushed out. According to our research, Tanjung Aru Beach is the nearest and nice spot to watch sunset. We were contemplating whether to go to Sunset bar or just the beach. Due to time constraint, we decided to just enjoy our time at the beach. 

Tanjung Aru Beach is located at the end of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahamn, approximatel 6 km drive from the city. We took about 10-15 minutes that day to reach the beach due to heavy traffic. So, an advice for tourist, go earlier, traffic is unpredictable. 

First view of the beach after we parked our car. So beautiful. =)

The camera-woman, ME! Was busy taking photos of the beautiful sea and sun while a friend stalked me.

The beach! Sand is quite soft, though not pearl white. 

Kota Kinabalu: Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House)

DAY 3 (PART 2) - RUMAH TERBALIK (UPSIDE DOWN HOUSE OF BORNEO)

On our way back to the CBD from Kiulu, we passed by an unique place - Upside Down House of Borneo, in Tamparuli. It is known as Rumah Terbalik in Malay. What's so special about this place? Upside Down House of Borneo is the first of its kind in SEA (South East Asia) and also among the 5 upside-down structures in the world. It sounds really interesting, even just by its name. So we decided to drop by. 

You can see the unique structure right away if you happen to pass by the road. It isn't hard to find. Took us too little effort to search for it. *try to sound like a tourist with great sense of direction. Blekzz* Why I say so? You shall continue reading as many interesting pictures are coming up!

At the registration counter. Blogger need to do some "homework" by taking picture of the logo.

We got student price! It's really good to enjoy all the privilege as a student, while you can. Don't miss any chance as it can really save you plenty of bucks. $$$

Hyperactive blogger with the tickets! We got free complimentary chocolate drink because that's part of student promotion. HAPPY!

Kota Kinabalu: Kiulu River White Water Rafting

DAY 3 (Part 1) - Kiulu River White Water Rafting

As an adventurous tourist, you gonna do something different every time you travel. So I tried something new in KK! White water rafting! And it goes to my "FIRST" list. At first, I thought it would be a scary experience. River, Boat, Speed. Being someone who panic very easily, I was quite afraid the day before. Of course, I have to pretend strong in front of my friends. Personal image is very important. Haha!

So early in the morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast - Roti Bakar at Restaurant Fook Yuen, and headed to Kiulu. Kiulu is a small town in north western part of Kota Kinabalu, and being the second most beautiful village in Malaysia. (Didn't know that until I do my research >.<). Kiulu river is classified as Class I-II river, which means it is suitable for beginners. If you are an advanced paddlers, consider Padas River, a Class III-IV river.  

We were being separated into group of 5 and we had our safety equipment on! They had briefing for us before we start. Pretty informative and interesting. I learnt some survival skills! (Just saying) 

Kota Kinabalu: Upperstar Cafe & Bar

After dinner at Little Italy Restaurant, we went to meet up with another friend. Initially we wanted to try a cafe at Signal Hill but it was closing when we arrived. So we changed to Upperstar Cafe & Bar at Damai. I saw plenty of Upperstar Cafe & Bar branch around Kota Kinabalu (KK) city. Seems to be famous. 

We were full with dinner so we just ordered drinks. Their cocktails are of reasonable price, RM10+ to RM20+. So tempted to try. However, my experience ordering drinks in the cafe wasn't great. I ordered 4 times in order to get an AVAILABLE drink, others were out of stock. =.=

The environment in the cafe is good. Quite cozy and comfortable, a good place for friends to hang out and have a chat. 

They have lots of photos hanging on the wall. Look very old-school.

Kota Kinabalu: Dinner at Little Italy

Continue from Island Hoping post. 

We met up with our senior, who is working in Queen Elizabeth hospital, for dinner at an Italian Restaurant. I heard about this restaurant from lots of friends before I fly to Kota Kinabalu (KK). Friends told me they serve pretty good Italian food and hence I'm really looking forward to try it. 

How's my experience here? Look at the photos and read the caption. =D

The menu of the restaurant. They have a variety of food. Appetizers, Salads, Bread, Pizzas, different type of Pizzas, Desserts. Their menu is available on the website - Little Italy.

The restaurant was packed when we arrived. Luckily our senior helped us to make reservation the day before. So we got a table for 11. =) The environment is good and the waiter/waitress are all very cheerful. 

Kota Kinabalu: Island Hopping -Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik

DAY 2 (Part 1): Island Hopping 

We woke up really early the next morning to go for island hoping at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Hence, we parked our cars at Jesselton Point car park and went to get a nice deal for our island hopping. 

Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. Huge sign to tell you that you're at the port and here's where everyone depart to different islands. 

Different travel agencies available for you to choose! 

They will try to offer their best deals to you. We, as a group of smart tourists, found a nice deal after asking several agents. We got a deal of RM50 + per pax, personal boat (means we can choose our time to stay/leave each island), hopping 3 islands with safety equipments.  Sound good isn't it. 

Which 3 islands did we went? Sapi, Manukan and Mamutik Islands. =D

Kota Kinabalu: Sea Food Restaurant & Filipino Market

In the evening, we were lost while searching for "roti bakar" with Waze. We got so hungry then "accidentally" went into a famous and cheap seafood restaurant for dinner. That restaurant is called Sea Food Restaurant (大茄来海鲜餐厅) and they have a few branches in Kota Kinabalu. Seems to be a must-go dinner place for tourists. We ordered 3 kg of crabs, 1kg of prawns, with some vegetables, meat and toufu. Surprisingly, the bill is only RM190! =O 

Didn't manage to capture all our food as we finished them as soon as they arrived. Too hungry. So share with you the photos of crabs! *slurpssss*

TAAAA--- DAAAAAAA!!!!!

Kam Heong Crab

Butter Cream Crab

After having a satisfying dinner, we proceeded to Filipino Market to do some shopping. Filipino Market is located along the waterfront in Kota Kinabalu, opposite Le Meridien Hotel. There's a lot of things here - fresh fruits, vegetables, an area with hawker food, souvenir stalls and also dry marine products. Plenty to see and plenty to eat! 

Kota Kinabalu: Monsopiad Cultural Village

Continue from previous post. 

Travel is all about learning new culture, eating new food, meeting new people and experience new things in life. After we unpacked and took a quick bath, we drove to Monsopiad Cultural Village. 

Monsopiad Cultural Village is a living museum located about 1/2 hour from KK CBD. It is a showcase of Kadazan culture, the largest ethnic group in Sabah aka Borneo. Monsopiad is a fearsome Kadazan warrior nearly 200 years ago, who made head-hunting as his hobby. They have guided tour, cultural dance performance and rice wine tasting, all included in the entrance fee.

However, we reached Monsopiad Cultural Village too late and missed all the shows. We get to have a guided tour and rice wine tasting for RM15 as entrance fee. Much cheaper price as compared to normal entrance fee. Though lesser things to see with heavy rain in between, we had a great experience there, especially the story about the village.

So let the photos guide you through my experience in Monsopiad Cultural Village.

Registration counter - where we bought our entrance ticket and met our guide. Look at the feather pen. So cute! XD

Kota Kinabalu: Gaya Street Sunday Market & Lunch

Now, I'm going to introduce another lovely place in Malaysia. Foreigners call this place Borneo, locals call it Sabah. Not my first time exploring East Malaysia though. But this trip gave me a different kind of feelings. What happened? Keep reading. The whole trip will be summarize in several posts. So be patient. 

After Hong Kong trip, I rest at home for 2 weeks and continued with Kota Kinabalu (KK) trip with a bunch of friends. Kota Kinabalu trip was my graduation trip with my beloved pharmacy kids. 10 of us rented 2 Myvi and we started our journey on a Sunday morning. We booked our flight a year earlier and hence it is a little bit cheaper.

View of Sabah from our flight. Photo Credited to JieMin.

7 of us waited in KK airport for an hour. While waiting, we did some last-minute tourist "homework" at KFC. We decided to go Gaya Street Sunday Market as our first stop. So our journey begins once the other 3 kids and the cars arrived. 

Here's some descriptions about Gaya Street Sunday Market. Gaya Street is quite a happening street in KK Central Business District (CBD). They have Sunday Market every Sunday, from 6am-1pm. There's a lot of things to see, especially for foreigners. Things ranging from souvenirs, clothes, arts, craft to fruits, seafood, and pets are available in the Sunday Market. Gaya Street hence will be closed off every Sunday morning for people to open up their stalls and for people to shop. More information you can check here.