The Hungry Excavator: KK for 10 Days

Quick snapshot of some of my favourite foods from my short trip back home to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah before flying back to Melbourne. Wish I could go into detail to describe the taste, smell and texture of every food, but there's too many. So I'll just give you the name of the dishes (unless some of the dishes were particularly exceptional).

It's times like these where I wish I were a full-time Food Blogger and not a full-time Engineering Student with a part-time job. Drats.

Anyway, really excited about this post cause it really, really, hits home. Can't wait to go back in June/July to have more of the yummy food of KK. Cause let me tell you, there's really no other place like KK. And this is more true when it comes to its food. Ooooooh all the seafood goodness MMMM...

It's true when they say, "there's no other place like home".

Enjoy!

(i) Kedai Kopi Tong Fung

Stewed Fish Fins with "Dou Jiang" aka Bean Paste: BEST in town. Trust me

Fish Fins, Fish Lips, Fish Skin Vermicilli Soup: FAVOURITE fish noodle shop in town. 5 out of 5 times still just as consistent. Rare in KK

Fin of Red Grouper: What I love about this place is that the fish they use on the day depends on the catch. That day we had one of the most beautiful red grouper slices I've ever had in my life.

Have you ever been able to visibly SEE the fats of the fish at the fin? Let alone it being ORANGE, with PURPLE skin?!?!

(ii) Szechuan Dinner at Bundusan Road

"Gu Lao Rou" aka Sweet and Sour Pork

Tea Infused Duck

String Beans with Minced Pork

Stewed Fish Head

(iii) Kedai Kopi Melanian

"Sheng Rou Mian" aka Pork Noodle Soup: Definitely a delicacy in KK, BEST place in town to have it

(iv) Breakfast at Penampang

Fish Slice Bee Hoon

(v) Kedai Kopi Ka Hiong, Hilltop

Beef Slice, Beef Tendon, Beef Balls Noodle Soup

(vi) Equitoral Restaurant, Tanjung Aru Plaza

Signature Fried Rice

Signature Tofu

Salad Prawns: 100% Positive that it's the BEST in town. So big, succulent and crispy. PERFECT!

"Zha Yen Ti" aka Fried Pork Leg

"Shang Tang Yen Chai" aka Spinach in Broth with Century/Salted Eggs

Soft-Shelled Crabs

(vii) Supper at 24 Hr Mamak Restaurant, Taman Iramanis

Maggie Mee Goreng (Curry Flavour): ALWAYS have this when I go back!

(viii) Kedai Kopi Taman Cantek

Sweet and Sour Fish: Don't normally order this dish but the sauce was VERY good

Deep-Fried Butter Prawns

"Dong Feng Luo" aka Sea Snails

(ix) Supertanker Restaurant

Salad Prawns

"Dou Gen" aka Soy Bean slices: Been eating this dish at this restaurant for more than 10 yrs, definitely a MUST try!

"Yao Cai Ji" aka Baked Herbal Chicken

"Huo Tui Chao Fan" aka Ham Fried Rice: My whole family knows that the way I ALWAYS judge if a Chinese restaurant was good or not is by their wok-fried rice.

What I'm looking for is sharp, long grain rice rich in the wok-fire taste, glossy from just the right amount of oil and of course, generous with tasty egg. I'm an easy going person that is easy to please. Also, I appreciate a good plate of fried rice. This place meets all of that. Probably one of the very, very few places that does so anyway. Excellent.

"Zhen Xue Yu" aka Steamed Cod Fish: Forgot how good Cod Fish tasted like, haven't had them in a while. This was EXCELLENT. Perfect, tender, white meat, THICK silky skin with lots and LOTS of fish oil. THIS is why Cod is one of my favourite fishes!

Crab Crawls: A childhood favourite, yo

(x) Afternoon Tea at Lintas

Pan Mee

(xi) Kedai Kopi Beaufort

Beaufort Fried Noodles: Another delicacy that you can ONLY get in KK. Highly recommended to any visitor to KK!

Beaufort Fried Rice

(xii) Kedai Kopi Ka Pin, Inanam

A very enjoyable meal for me. Loved it because the food was not fancy and pretentious, but down right delicious. It's dishes like these that you never get sick of and wished you can eat them more often than you actually do

"Pai Gu Wang" aka Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs: AWESOME

Fried Spinach with Eggs

Sweet and Sour Prawns

Japanese Tofu with Pork Mince and Eggs

Salad Tofu

Fried Omelette with Char Siu

Curry Chicken

(xiii) Ocean Seafood Restaurant

If you grew up in KK like me, you'll definitely have had the privilege of eating awesome seafood your whole life. This restaurant has proved, yet again, to be my family's FAVOURITE place to go for seafood. The variety of seafood is vast and ever changing, but FRESH. More than that, they are cooked to perfect almost EVERY, SINGLE time.

Had the chance to try a bunch of seafood and dishes that I never had the chance to before in my 21 years of life, which makes this one of the most memorable I've had this trip. Such pure happiness

Fried Spinach with Fermented White Tofu

Clams with Ginger and Spring Onion: Classic

Steamed Stone Fish: First time having this fish and it was DELICIOUS. Tender yet chewy flesh. Despite being one of the ugliest fish I've ever seen. Please try deep sea fishes like these when you get the chance to visit KK.

Steamed Clams with Garlic: STUNNING!!!!! Loved it. So light and the flesh of the clam were so sweet. I'm seriously salivating, enjoyed every single bite

Butter Crabs: BEST in town. Sauce very thick, rich and tasty

Signature Pi Pa Tofu

(xiv) Drinks I always order when I'm in KK

Milo Kosong Kau Kau Ping: Iced Milo with no milk and sugar but extra milo powder. Much healthier and less sweet just the way I like em

Kit Chai Ping: Iced Calamansi Drink

Orange Juice: Sometimes I like drinking the less natural kind of OJ cause it's still sweet from the syrup and nice hehe

Home-cooked Meals:-

Fried Nian Gao

Chinese Vegetarian Dish with Red Tofu

Soy Sauce Chicken

Fried Lettuce with Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Steamed Groupers

"Hakka Kou Rou": Traditional Hakka dish which I've always LOVED for as long as I could remember

Boiled Aged Kampung Chicken: THIS is what I look forward to most on my 8 hr flight back each time. It's impossible to get good QUALITY chicken in Australia.

It's so big, and the fats is so yellow and fragrant. Also, the meat is slightly tough after being aged, perfect to chew and bite with. I love, love, love this so much.