Kota Kinabalu (Borneo), Malaysia

Friday, Jan 19, 2024 | 3 minute read | Updated at Friday, Jan 19, 2024

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Tantalizing Tuna: Kota Kinabalu’s Catch of the Day!

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🌴✨Exploring the Tropical Culinary Delights of Kota Kinabalu, Borneo!✨🌴

1. Laksa 🍜🐉: A must-try dish in KK, this Peranakan noodle soup is a symphony of flavors. Rich coconut milk broth, tender rice noodles, and an explosion of spices - including lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric 🍛🥔🌺. Topped with fragrant shrimp paste (belacan), prawns, fish cakes, and boiled eggs, it’s a delightful dance of textures that will tantalize your taste buds! 😋🤤

2. Sotong Kung Tau Yu 🐙🍣: Translating to ‘cuttlefish and prawn omelette’, this dish is a delicious fusion of Chinese and Malay cuisine. Succulent cuttlefish, plump prawns, and aromatic egg omelette are stir-fried together with soy sauce, garlic, and green onions 🥘🧄🌿. It’s served with rice and a side of fresh vegetable pickles to balance the rich flavors. 🥦🌿

3. Kadazan-Dusun Kuih 🍵🤩: Get ready to indulge in a myriad of traditional Kadazan-Dusun sweets! From the glutinous rice cake Nasi Puteh 🍛🎁, to the colorful Layur Laba-laba (layered cassava and sago leaves) 🌿📦, there’s something for every sweet tooth. Don’t forget to try the coconut milk-based Rotte Kumbuk (fermented glutinous rice wrapped in young bamboo shoots) 🥥🏝️!

4. Seafood Tom Yum 🦐🍛: With its stunning coastal location, Kota Kinabalu offers some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste. A spicy and tangy Thai classic, Seafood Tom Yum is a great way to sample the local catch. Packed with prawns, squid, mussels, fish, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and chili peppers 🌶️, it’s an explosion of flavors that will leave you craving more! 🤤💦

5. Roti John 🥪🍛: This Malay-style sandwich is a beloved late-night snack in Kota Kinabalu. A fluffy fried egg, juicy sausage, and succulent onions are stuffed into soft, freshly-made flatbread 🌮. Topped with a savory gravy made from tomato sauce, chili peppers, and soy sauce 🍛🌶️, it’s the perfect late-night bite!

6. Nasi Lemak Kampung 🍚🥫: Considered the national dish of Malaysia, Nasi Lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves 🌿🥛. Traditionally served with fried anchovies (ikan bilis), peanuts, boiled egg, cucumber, and spicy sambal sauce 🌶️🥒, this dish is a taste of Malaysia in every bite!

7. Sabah-style Char Koay Kak 🍛📦: A savory rice cake stir-fried with shrimp paste (belacan), green beans, and topped with crispy anchovies and pickled vegetables 🌿🐟. The dish is served with a side of sambal belacan for an extra kick of spice!

8. Durian Cendol 🍧🥭: No trip to Kota Kinabalu would be complete without trying the exotic durian ice kacang, or cendol! This sweet treat is made with green rice flour jelly, red beans, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk ☔️🌴. The star of the show, however, is the creamy and fragrant durian flesh that’s generously added on top 🥭🤩. Be warned, this dessert can be an acquired taste!

9. Pisang Goreng 🍌🧀: Crispy, golden-brown fried bananas dusted with sugar and served with a scoop of ice cream on the side 🥛🤤. The perfect sweet treat to enjoy while strolling along the waterfront!

10. Sago Pomelo Salad 🍶🍜: This refreshing salad is a light, yet flavorful dish made with shredded pomelo (grapefruit-like fruit), sago pearls, peanuts, and a tangy dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, chili peppers, and palm sugar 🍶🌶️. It’s the perfect way to beat the tropical heat in Kota Kinabalu! 💦🌞