Fish noodles that we all known are usually cooked with sweet carnation milk across the peninsular Malaysia, but they are quite different on the East side; just like the ones at Sabah! Different type of broth, fish meat noodles, fish skin, texture of fish meat and cooking style, they are worth your time to explore! Let’s take a good look at how these fish noodles are a must try at Kota Kinabalu today!
(The restaurants are listed in no particular order. Some of the establishments below are not halal.)
1. Jong Fa Pai
This restaurant at Kota Kinabalu uses fresh fish and prawn meat to make the best bowl of noodles to let their patrons try, this is indeed a must try. The broth will sure to make you crave for more. They only have 1 type of soup broth that guaranteed suitable for the young and the old too. It tastes sweet, sour and milky when you drink on it, so appetizing! To ensure their fish is made from quality and fresh fishes, they will select only the fresh ones and it is deep fried and eaten with the noodle together. Texture wise it is still juicy and fresh, that keeps you biting on more. Besides, they have another recommended dish of Prawn balls too! It is handmade daily without the use of any machines!
2. Mdm Ing Fish
A famous place for fish head noodles here in Kota Kinabalu; be prepared for some overwhelming taste that keeps you slurping the soup for more! One of the most famous one would be their ‘Yu Chap’ soup with dry noodles or Kuew teow, it is served with salted vegetables and assorted fish ingredients in it too! Springy noodles and they ensure that their fish paste is freshly made every day! Extensive menu of food served there, their fish meats are indeed sweet and juicy.
3. Restaurant Kuo Man
Usually packed during the peak hours, this restaurant had been going on for more than 30 over years in Kota Kinabalu here. Known for their handmade noodles, their fish ball and fish slices here is the star too! Made freshly every day, this is one of the best things that you can get from their restaurant here! The broth here is served clear but pack with flavors from the fish meat and vegetables. Fish pastes here are bouncier, juicy and fresh too. Besides, they serve delicious ‘Ngiu Chap’ (Beef Innards). They are tender, soft and delicious too!
4. Tong Fung Restaurant
Specialized in fish head noodles, this Tong Fung restaurant is located at Metro Town. The reason patrons are still visiting them is because of the portion of the food and the everlasting good taste! They are known for a signature noodle that is completely made from fish meat! It is called fish mee by the locals here. Besides, they serve their fish here in thicker slices so you can taste on the texture of fresh fish! It is just too refreshingly good bowl of fish mee noodle!
5. Kedai Kopi Wan Wan
Serves famous Kou Lau Mee that is purely made from fish meat, without even using flour; their main dish that everyone would crave for is their Yu Chap. It is made fish mee, fish skin, fish slice and fish head. While their broth you can get it in 3 types of different broth from Normal soup, Tomyam, Sweet & Spicy. What is unique about sweet and spicy broth is that it is so appetizing that it helps to enhance the flavors to your taste buds too. Besides, some famous artists do patronize this place before too!
6. Kedai Kopi Houng Kee
Another shop at Kota Kinabalu specialize on fish noodles, they are famous for ‘Yu Chap’ too! Many would say their visit here is for their Kon Lo Mee (Dry noodles) with a bowl of warm and hearty mixed fish soup. Uses Garoupa fish to make their fish mee, paste and all sorts, especially fish lips is the best here! Moreover, you can choose on the ingredients and have them into your soup! Their chili is another reason their patrons love to visit them too. Spicy and appetizing, dip the fish onto the chili and try them today!
7. Kedai Kopi 10
A coffee shop that sells buns during the day, they are freshly baked from the oven and so many variety. Not joking, upon putting it up to the tray, they are quickly sold out as patrons are flocking the corner to get their favourite buns too! Well, apart from that, they serve one of the best ‘Ham Choy’ (Pickled Salted Vegetable Soup) with fish. Pair them up with bean curd; the soup is light, refreshing and salty sourish taste which is appetizing and easy to be eaten with the noodles.
8. Consfood Café
Well, all this while they used to serve delectable western food and pastries like croissant, coffee, breakfast, spaghetti and more. However recently, they started with the fish mee hoon and fish head mee hoon too! It was so overwhelming that it is a must try dish here. Pieces of fish are deep fried till golden crispy and flesh is still juicy. Soup base is made from tomato and carnation milk and you’ll never notice that you’ll just finish up the whole bowl of noodles and the soup too!
9. Fatt Kee Seafood Restaurant
Previously known as Jin Jin Seafood Restaurant, they are still operating under the same owner. Known for delicious mixed fish noodles here, there are actually quite some choices of fish noodle here. They have several types of fish noodles here with a few type of soup base to choose from like tomyam, original taste or with milk! For their signature, it is the tomyam that is mixed with fresh fish (Grouper or Seven Star Fish); thickly sliced fish meat, fish cakes, and smooth fish skin – all recommended here and you should give them a try too!
10. K.K See You Seafood Restaurant
Specialized in seafood noodles, they do have good fish noodles too! They are an outdoor restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, so be prepared for some sweat when the weather is humid! Serves fresh fish noodles with Ham Choy soup, Kon Lou Mee, and is known for their Deep fried fish cakes too! If you’re there, remember to try their braised fish belly too! Cooked in dark sauce with spring onion and ginger, remember to try it too!
