Restaurants in Kota Kinabalu
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A
Kohinoor
There are several excellent restaurants along the Waterfront Esplanade, including this Indian place offering comfortable indoor seating and a breezy outdoor patio. Take advantage of their authentic tandoori oven and don’t forget to grab a side of pillowy garlic naan.
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Restoran Sempelang
Eating outside is a Kota Kinabalu tradition and Restoran Sempelang is a great place to do it - right smack in the middle of the colourful Kompleks Sinsuran. There's a lot to like about this bustling Malay eatery: giant fresh fruit juices, English menu, good seafood barbeque (from 18:00 nightly), a canopy to keep off the rain, and friendly staff. As with other restaurants in the complex, your meal will be accompanied by the ubiquitous pro-wrestling videos.
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Grace Point
Take bus 15 out near Tanjung Aru for some local grub at this Kota Kinabalu (KK) mainstay. The development is actually quite chic compared to the smoke-swathed food courts in the city centre – KKers joke that the public bathrooms here are Borneo’s nicest (and it’s true!). Go for the Sabahan food stall (located in the far right corner when facing the row of counters) and try hinava.
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C
Little Italy
Dear homesick holidaymaker; this is your place. Create your own carbo-lode with a variety of saucey tributes to the Bootland. All things considered, it’s a rather pricey endeavour, but it’s definitely worth stopping by if you’re in desperate need of a rice respite.
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D
Centre Point Basement Food Court
Your ringgit will go a long way at this popular and varied basement food-court in the Centre Point mall. There are Malay, Chinese and Indian options, as well as drink and dessert specialists.
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E
Wisma Merdeka Food Court
Not as large as the one in Centre Point mall, this simple food court is still a good option for a cheap meal up at the northern end of town.
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F
Nishiki
Operated by a Japanese expat, this authentic Japanese restaurant takes full advantage of the city's excellent fish markets. When we were there, the master served up some thick slices of tender yellowjack tuna that were as good as any we've had in Japan. The atmosphere is pleasantly traditional, right down to the sushi counter. There are good-value set meals, sushi sets, and plenty of à la carte choices. You won't find authentic Japanese food for this price anywhere else outside of Japan.
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D Junction
Located just beyond the city centre, this small complex has a clutch of high-end franchised eating options including Royal Chino restaurant (serving delicious dim sum on weekends), Indian Spice Garden (specialising in North Indian favourites) and Umai (a Japanese affair overflowing with spicy sushi rolls and saucy karaoke). There’s a sociable bar on the ground level with plenty of Tiger on tap, and a surprisingly excellent shrimp wonton soup.
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Kah Hiong Ngui Chap
Head to Kah Hiong if you’re craving the ultimate local experience. Tucked away in Kota Kinabalu’s suburban sprawl, this bustling restaurant specialises in ngui chap (beef soup) served with a special chilli sauce. Everyone knows about this spot – it’s a local institution and has been featured on the local TV channel as one of the spots in town for a bite.
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G
Jesselton Point Hawker Centre
This is a great spot to eat and drink while enjoying one of KK's famous sunsets. There's a variety of Chinese and Malay stalls here with shared outdoor seating and a couple of proper sit-down air-con restaurants, including Benito's which does a great lunch set including a good Aussie steak on weekdays.
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H
Port View Seafood Village
This cavernous Chinese seafood specialist feels like an aquarium where you can eat the displays – we’ve never seen such an extravagant array of live fish. Even if you don’t eat here, it’s worth walking into the foyer to check out the veritable cascade of turquoise tanks.
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I
Kedai Kopi Fatt Kee
The woks are always sizzlin’ at this popular Chinese place next to Ang’s Hotel. Long lines are guaranteed, but it’s always worth the wait. Their sayur manis cooked in belacan (shrimp paste) is a classic, and the salt-and-pepper prawns are great.
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Tanjung Aru Seafood Restaurant
It’s more about the sunset than the seafood here, but diners never complain (until they see the bill!). While locals prefer scruffy seafood markets around Sinsuran, this spot is a perennial expat fave. There’s a cultural show on the weekends starting at 7pm.
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J
Shikai
Fancy lanterns dangle above jet-black furniture and swishing Lazy Susans. Lunch specials start at RM9 per dish, although weekend dim sum is the biggest draw. Vegetarians will find plenty of excellent tofu options scattered throughout the pan-Asian menu.
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K
Kedai Kopi Fook Yuen
Cheap and quick, a snack of sweet kaya is the perfect energy booster after a morning of sightseeing. And this isn’t your standard Singaporean coconut-egg-jam, Sabahans have developed their own version of this tasty confection. Wi-fi available.
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First Beach Café
This restaurant boasts the best sunsets in Kota Kinabalu and it’s hard to argue: it’s right on the beach at Tanjung Aru and you can literally step down from your table onto the sand. This is a good spot for light nibbles and beer in the evening.
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L
Bella Italia
In an attempt to muscle-ini their way into the competition, Bella Italia, in the Jesselton Hotel, has started a special 50% discount deal for pasta dinners between 5pm and 7pm.
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M
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Free wi-fi and proper coffee is the draw at this popular chain. In addition to this branch, there's another in the Waterfront Esplanade complex off of Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens.
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Snack
This hole-in-the-wall joint offers a tempting line-up of real espresso, fresh fruit juice, simple sandwiches - perfect for a break while exploring this part of KK.
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O
Viet Café
This clean and bright Vietnamese place serves decent pho (noodles in soup), good fresh fruit juices, and tasty fried spring rolls.
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