Seafood galore @ Welcome Seafood Restaurant [Asia City], Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)

A few months ago, we travelled to Kota Kinabalu for the weekend to attend my cousin's wedding, and on the night after the wedding, my cousin held a dinner for family members at Welcome Seafood Restaurant. This place was massive! The restaurant looked like it occupied the whole ground floor of the building, with a halal section for the Muslims (which has blue tables and chairs) and a non-halal dining area with red tables and chairs for everyone else. Clearly this is a very popular eating establishment, as every single table were taken on that Sunday night, and the red-capped staff were kept very busy. Our group filled up three tables, and I must say that I was quite impressed with how efficiently the place was run, considering its capacity. The dining area was kept fairly clean, and there were sinks equipped with hand soaps stationed at regular intervals for customers' use. The seafood was good - there are water tanks filled with live seafood for you to pick and then you choose how the seafood is cooked. The seafood was fresh and preparation was good. There are also non-seafood items on the menu, and the chicken dish my cousin ordered was pretty good. I cannot comment on the price as I didn't order or pay, but gathering from the reviews online, Welcome Seafood Restaurant is reasonably priced for the quality of seafood and the location of the restaurant. The original restaurant is located in Bundusan, about 10km from the KK city centre, and it is apparently cheaper and less crowded there with better seafood. I wonder if we will have the opportunity to try it out. Anyway, this larger branch is good for big, informal gatherings of seafood lovers, like my extended family.

The large non-halal dining area - looking in one direction:

And the other view of the non-halal area:

Refreshing young coconut juice:

Scallops, in a sweet and savoury sauce:

Sambal kangkung - my all-time favourite leafy greens, and something I always order if I see it on the menu:

I believe this is the Kam Heong Crab, meaning Golden Fragrant Crab, a signature Malaysian-style of stir-frying that incorporates Malay, Chinese and Indian ingredients to impart a 'fragrance' to the crabs. Personally I think fresh seafood does not need spices or heavy sauce which can overpower the subtle flavours of seafood, but this is an often-requested style of cooking seafood in Malaysia:

Steamed Sea Snails - not bad, but not remarkable either:

Fried Calamari - favourite with our boy:

Steamed Prawns:

Welcome Seafood Restaurant
Ground Floor, G-15 - G-18
Kompleks Asia City Phase 2a
Jalan Jalan Asia City,
88300 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel: +60 88 447 866

Fine Japanese food @ Sakagura Japanese Restaurant, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)

Last month we were in East Malaysia for a weekend trip to attend a cousin's wedding. That weekend went by in the blink of an eye, and then we were back in Hong Kong. The kids got a chance to spend time with their grandparents and great-grandmother, as well as all their aunties and uncles and cousins, yet I'm already wondering when the kids will have such opportunity again to spend time with their extended relatives. During that weekend, my siblings and I (minus two sisters and their families who couldn't make it to the wedding) also took the chance to celebrate our mum's birthday. I think it was already a treat for my mum to see three of her five children (and respective grandkids) who all live in different cities, and to make it more special, we took her out to eat her favourite cuisine: Japanese! My brother's friend who is resident of Kota Kinabalu recommended Sakagura in the Oceanus Waterfront Mall, which is conveniently located opposite the apartment we were staying at. That friend said that the restaurant is very popular, so reservations were highly recommended, and she helped us make the booking. Sakagura was small, but the atmosphere was jovial and lively. There was a central kitchen space where the sushi chef worked, and those seating around the bar can watch him make sushi and cut sashimi. The main dining room also contained booths for small groups, and there were at least two rooms partitioned off for larger groups like ours. The menu was quite extensive, offering a wide range of Japanese dishes from sushi to teppanyaki to sukiyaki to donburi (rice bowl) dishes. Restaurants that serve such a wide range of food is unusual in Japan itself, where food establishments are highly specialised - sushi-ya serving only sushi and sashimi, udon-ya offering only udon dishes, and so on. The Japanese people pride themselves in providing only the best quality, hence the highly specialised establishments. I am happy to report that Sakagura's quality was excellent, paired with great service by the friendly staff. Sakagura's pricing is considered expensive by local standards, but it is clearly reflected by the restaurant's high standards. Everyone was happy with the food!

The lively atmosphere of the main dining area:

We had this space all to ourselves:

Kids shared a big bowl of Oyakodon:

Hubby got the Unaju, a type of unadon featuring freshwater eel. The set included miso soup, salad, chawanmushi, some pickles and a teapot full of dashi to add to the rice bowl for a bit of variation in eating the dish:

I ordered the Salmon Don - fresh salmon sashimi with a smattering of ikura (salmon roe) over sushi rice was just what I wanted:

The birthday girl got the Premium Sushi Set. We could tell she wanted that, but she said she would get one of the cheaper dishes. My sister and I had to convince her to just get it! She loved it:

My younger sister ordered the Sukiyaki Set, a hotpot dish with thin slices of fatty beef. She got her very own cook top with a hotpot full of ingredients...

... as well as rice, miso soup, raw egg, salad, a braised fish dish and grated yam:

Hubby was still hungry after eating his Unaju, so he ordered this appetiser to share - a Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and Kani (crab flesh). Good choice, the sweet omelette complemented the sweet juicy crab meat:

Hubby also ordered the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake). The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is slightly different to the more prevalent Osaka-style, in that there are noodles too:

Our group ordered three Green Tea Shaved Ice Desserts - so refreshing, with a heap of sweet anko (adzuki beans) and some chewy shiratama dango (rice dumplings):

And my brother got the Mango Shaved Ice Dessert:

I heartily recommend Sakagura for good Japanese food in downtown Kota Kinabalu area!

Sakagura Japanese Restaurant
Shop G-23 & G-25
Ground Floor, Oceanus Waterfront Mall
Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen
88000, Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
+60 88-273 604

Beach picnic @ Pulau Manukan, Sabah (Malaysia)

One of the things we were told to do in Kota Kinabalu was to visit one (or more) of the islands off the coast of KK. This group of five islands make up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Malaysia's first marine park. Given that we were travelling with a 5-year-old and an infant, visiting more than one island was not feasible, so we selected Pulau Manukan solely on the fact that it featured the most developed tourist facilities out of the five islands. I would have loved to explore the more remote and undeveloped islands, but travelling with kids often doesn't allow me the luxury to choose the more adventurous options (travelling with kids is still better than not travelling!). We arrived at the ferry terminal in downtown KK, and after enquiring at a few counters for ferry times and ticket costs, we settled on one company whose schedule and pricing suited us. Then we donned our lifejackets and off we went on a speedboat for a 15-20 minute ride that was speedy, bumpy and splashy at times. It was a good thing I had my 6-month old baby safely strapped onto me via a carrier, and we were amazed that she napped through the ride!

In the speedboat watching the coastline of Kota Kinabalu disappear:

Arriving at the pier in Manukan Island:

We plonked ourselves, bags, snorkel equipment and food down at the first vacant table we saw, which happened to be one of the first ones to the right of the above pier. And here we stayed for the next few hours enjoying the sand, beach and water:

A candid shot taken by my younger sister shortly after hubby came back from snorkelling the reefs further out. This was baby's first time at the beach:

Though Manukan is fairly well-equipped with facilities, I read from other travellers online that food options on the island are quite limited, and this was confirmed by our taxi driver who drove us to the ferry terminal. We asked him to bring us to his recommended eating places to buy some takeaway food for our lunch on the island, and we enjoyed the food shortly after arriving at Manukan while the food was still warm.

Fried 'Tuaran mee' (noodles from a town called Tuaran in Sabah), with pork:

Hubby requested horfun - stir-fried flat rice noodles with egg sauce that was packed separately in a plastic bag:

We bought two types of dumplings, one with seafood, and another with preserved egg and prawns. Both were good, but we liked the preserved egg one better ('we' being my sister and I who love preserved egg):

Tofu stuffed with pork ball. This one was suggested by our taxi driver. Nice homemade tofu with the heartiness of pork:

Chicken bun:

And a sweet pandan bun:

It was a beautiful day trip out to Pulau Manukan. It was a shame to see the effects of the tourism industry on the coral reefs, some of the ones closer to the shore were bleached, but my sister said the ones further out looked healthier. I heard there are some amazing dive sites around this area, and I would love to check them out in future!

Roti kahwin, Nonya kueh and Musang King durian @ Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

A few months ago, we spent a few days in Kota Kinabalu on the eastern part of Malaysia, together with my younger sister and her husband. We rented a nice apartment in Alam Damai, and had a pretty laidback schedule as we had an infant in our travelling party. On our first day in KK, we explored the nearby Damai area for food and then took a taxi into the main part of town to check out the various specialty markets at the Filipino Market (aka Handicraft Market).

Fook Yuen shopfront:

After our second breakfast in Damai Plaza, we walked the short distance over to Kedai Kopi Fook Yuen (translates to "Fook Yuen Coffee Shop") for some roti kahwin ("marriage bread"), as we had been told by some KK residents that Fook Yuen makes the best roti kahwin in town. So just what is roti kahwin? Two slices of bread sandwiching the combination of butter and kaya (a delicious coconut spread that I grew up eating). Basically kaya toast with butter. Honestly, I think roti kahwin is lost on me. For one, I don't like butter, and much prefer eating kaya by itself on bread. Secondly, unlike most Asians, I love crusty breads (think European-style breads), and Fook Yuen's bread was pillowy soft. I do like the kaya made in-house, and I bought one small bottle to enjoy back in Hong Kong. Service at Fook Yuen is a bit spotty at best. The staff at the counter seem to speak and understand English, yet on both occasions that I visited, my order got jumbled up. Fook Yuen also sells hot and cold drinks, a range of cakes and breads, and warm pre-prepared food from the bain marie near the front of the shop. It's open from 6:30am to 2am, so I can see why Fook Yuen is a popular choice with the locals. If I had to choose, I would say I prefer the kaya toast in Singapore (because we could order soft-boiled eggs with them!)

Two untoasted roti kahwin and one toasted. I actually requested one to be made with toasted wholemeal bread, and one white to be toasted, but received all three white bread and only one toasted:

A pandan kueh (cake) from Fook Yuen, which appeared to be made from glutinous rice flour:

Kedai Kopi Fook Yuen
Block A, Damai Plaza Phase 4
Jalan Damai, Luyang
88300 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel. +60 88 232 794

Opposite Fook Yuen was a shop with tables set up filled with a variety of Nonya kueh. My sister and I were drawn there like bees to honey, and we bought a few kuehs to try later. They were all good, and I wished we went back again for more!

Tables filled with kueh goodies:

Pretty colours:

A fried pandan kueh I'd never before encountered. It was a little greasy, and not to my taste:

This kueh was like Kueh Talam, except it was green and yellow, not the usual green and white. Perhaps the yellow was from yellow split peas? Whatever it was, delicious!

Kueh Talam, upside down. Actually, I'm not sure if this is Kueh Salat (aka Kueh Seri Muka) or Kueh Talam, and it was too long ago for me to remember if the white part was glutinous rice or just a coconut pudding that took on the crumpled pattern of the plastic it was in. Also delicious:

Pandan kueh - second one of this type encountered on this trip to KK. I don't think I've seen it before. I guess it's like an unbaked kueh bakar pandan. Another delicious one:

We took the short taxi ride into town, to check out Pasar Kraftangan (Handicraft Market), or better known as the Filipino Market (so-named because many of the stalls are run by Filipino immigrants). There are other specialised markets along the same street, one part being the Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu (Central Market), and there are also hawker stalls at the Pasar Malam (night market) and Pasar Ikan Masin (salted fish market).

The hawkers were just beginning to set up their stalls when we arrived. By nightfall, the place would be heaving with buyers and vendors alike:

Inside the Handicraft Market, literally stuffed full of merchandise and souvenirs. Rows and rows of jewellery, scarves and various knick-knacks. It was pretty impossible to navigate with a baby stroller, and I got a little claustrophobic after a while:

We indulged in some expensive Musang King Durian (I think it was RM50 for this amount). It was good, but the one we bought from a street vendor in Penang (that converted hubby) was still so much better:

We also drank some delicious young coconut water. This one was called pandan coconut, which was more expensive than the normal coconut, but half the size. I asked the vendor why it was more expensive, and he said it was sweeter:

So we got the normal coconut water for research purposes. Sure enough, the pandan coconut was sweeter!

This was a productive foodie day in KK. We then headed back to our rental apartment, and enjoyed more food from the Damai Plaza for dinner.

Rabiah Curry House @ Damai Plaza, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia)

Back in May, we went to Kuala Lumpur to attend my cousin's wedding and spend some time with family. After a few days in KL, we flew over to East Malaysia for a mini-vacation in Kota Kinabalu. My sister and I and our hubbies were eager to eat what the locals ate, and we got a few recommendations from the owner of the apartment we rented in KK. One of them was in the nearby Damai Plaza, a mamak stall called Rabiah Curry House. I remember the first time hubby got hooked onto murtabak at a mamak stall; since then, if there's murtabak on the menu, he'll almost always order it. There's a range of food on the wall menu at Rabiah, like mee (noodles), Maggi and IndoMee (wet and dry instant noodles) with a variety of toppings, nasi (rice) dishes and soto (soup dishes), but the specialty is the roti (Indian bread) and murtabak (stuffed pancake). The setting was very casual, with a number of ready-made food in the bain-marie, and two menu boards on the wall: one with pictures of their popular dishes, and another more extensive list in Malay. There were bags of pappadums on the table as well as plates of boiled eggs - charged only if you take them. Not much English is spoken, and even with our basic Malay knowledge, we couldn't avoid some minor misunderstanding with the staff. Still, it was an experience for the Caucasian hubbies to eat in a very typical mamak stall.

In my experience photographing roti chefs, they are always happy to show off their skills in front of the camera, and the one at Rabiah was no exception.

The roti chef doing his thing:

Making a chicken murtabak. Notice the mise-en-place set up of ingredients - balls of dough under a plastic sheet on one side, and a bowl of oil on the other. Other ingredients such as the meat and vegetables were also pre-prepared, but not in view of the photo:

Roti and murtabak cooking on the hot plate:

Roti canai which came pre-torn and accompanied with a bowl of dal curry. There was an extra bowl of lamb curry too (which was the result of the aforementioned misunderstanding). I enjoyed dipping the freshly made roti canai into the curries:

Beef murtabak - crispy crust, tasty filling - though hubby didn't like the taste of the margarine that was added liberally into the filling:

Chicken murtabak. We all liked the beef one better:

Hubby was disappointed with the use of margarine in the murtabak, but everyone else thought it was fine. Rabiah Curry House is a good spot for roti!

Rabiah Curry House
Damai Plaza
4 Lorong Damai Point
88450 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia