The Best Sabah’s Ultimate Food Guide!

Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Food, Food in Sabah, Local Food in Sabah, Local Food, Ngiu Chap, Fish Noodle

Local delights are one of the things to savor when we travel around other cities and country. Do you know what the locals love to eat at Sabah? Here comes a list of recommended local food that you need to try once you step down on the Land below the Wind! Try them all to complete your visit with a satisfied tummy too! (The restaurants are listed in no particular order. Some of the establishments below are not halal)

1. Kedai Kopi New Mui Vui

Located at Luyang here, this coffee shop in Sabah would be one of the places that you need to visit. Serves delicious dumplings (Guo Tie), you can at least finish up to 10 pieces at one shot! These dumplings can be pan-fried or boiled and is dipped in vinegar and raw garlic! They too serve good grilled fish (ikan bakar) that you can see most patrons here will order it too!

2. Kedai Kopi Seng Hing

Kedai Kopi Seng Hing, Sabah, Tuaran Mee, Kota Kinabalu

This coffee shop in Sabah is crowded even when it is just 7.30am in the morning. Why? Many would tell you the same answer; they are there for Tuaran Mee! Made from egg noodles, this Tuaran mee is actually fried with ingredients. Fragrant and springy noodles, the portion is good too. Besides, their Tom Yum is slightly different but much recommended too! Made with coconut milk (Santan), it is sourish, spicy and aromatic!

3. Fook Yuen

Fook Yuen, Sabah, Roti Kahwin, Kota Kinabalu

Having 4 branches in Sabah, they are quite known among for tea and pastries! While you might have heard of Milo Dinosaur, ‘Ying Yong’ or ‘Cham’, but have you heard of Roti Kahwin before? Very popular here, they are actually bread that is eaten with ‘Kaya’ and Butter! Eaten steamed or toasted, both are equally good! A cup of Teh Tarik too is good and smooth to the throat too!

4. New WK Restaurant

New WK Restaurant, Sabah, Chinese cuisine, Dim sum, Kota Kinabalu

A Chinese restaurant in Sabah that serves Dim Sum breakfast and also Chinese cuisine for dinner, it is surely the choice to get there for good dim sum. Known for using fresh prawns for their ‘Har Kaw’ and ‘Siew Mai’, you cannot miss this place! So many choices to choose to delight your appetite from Chee cheong fun, Fried dumplings, Taro puffs and the famous ‘Liu Sha Bao’ (Flowy Custard Bun)!

5. Suang Tain Seafood Restaurant

Suang Tain Seafood Restaurant, Sabah, Chinese cuisine, Seafood, Kota Kinabalu

Seafood is just a must have when you visit Sabah! Yes. It got to be at Suang Tain! They are established since year 1983. A lot of fresh seafood that is placed at the aquarium so that it keeps them alive and fresh! A wide and huge seafood restaurant in Sabah, they can cater for private functions and tours too as they can fit more than 100 pax in there! Recently they have launched a new menu of Porridge steamboat selections. It allows patrons to choose the type of steamboat they prefer and cooked them up in that porridge broth!

6. Kedai Kopi Wan Wan

Kedai Kopi Wan Wan, Sabah, Fish Noodle, Fish, Kota Kinabalu

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!

7. Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap, Sabah, Beef Tripe, Beef Noodles, Kota Kinabalu

Beef lovers, this is surely the place to be. Ngiu Chap, or known as Mixed Beef Noodles are served here. A bowl of noodles consist of beef tripe, beef balls, beef stew and radish. The soup broth here is slightly darker in color and taste rich! Choices of a few types of noodles from Yellow mee to ‘Keuy Teow, it is worth every spoonful of broth and bet you’ll sip them all up!

8. Sinsuran Sang Nyuk Mien

Sinsuran Sang Nyuk Mien, Sabah, Pork Noodles, Kota Kinabalu

What is Sang Nyuk Mien? Well, it is actually Pork Noodles in Hakka Style! Pork slices here are simply the thinnest here and it is simply the best too! Have it dry or soupy, you can eat them with the dark sauce that is mixed upon served. They do have another pork noodle of Pork Ligament noodles (Zhu Jin noodles), that is one of the best served in Sabah. Soup taste extra flavorful as they use charcoal fire to cook it. Warm and soupy, come taste it yourself!

9. Kedai Kopi Jia Siang

Kedai Kopi Jia Siang, Sabah, Pork Noodles, Kota Kinabalu

Pork noodles again? Bet you’ll never be bored of it! One of the best pork noodles here in KK, they are famous for their pork balls instead! Soup or dry noodles, it is just equally delicious. There are quite a few pork balls that you can get here, including that is stuffed inside. Slippery pork meat and good pork balls, how could you miss this out?