Lahad Datu
This unassuming spot gets Hainanese chicken rice just right. The chicken, simmered in broth, is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the broth zings with ginger and…
Must-see restaurants in Sabah
Semporna
This reliable stalwart caters to night owls and insomniacs, with fried noodle dishes, seafood rice and all manner of variations on the roti canai…
Kota Kinabalu
The woks are always flamin' and sizzlin' at this popular Cantonese joint below Ang's Hotel. Look out for sweet-and-sour shrimp, jungle fern and oyster…
Lahad Datu
Besides a full buffet of curries and other Indian-Malay dishes, this unassuming joint makes the flakiest, melt-in-your-mouth roti canai in town.
Mt Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park
This pleasant cafe serves a huge range of dishes, including noodles, rice, fresh fruit juices, seafood standards and an 'American breakfast'.
Lahad Datu
A respectable spot for a substantial meal of Chinese-style seafood dishes. Around the corner from the Danum Valley Field Centre.
Kota Kinabalu
Festooned with ship's rigging and lifebuoys, this place looks like the owners decided to run a few miles with a nautical theme. Maritime theme aside, the…
Mt Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park
The cheaper and more popular of the two options in the park is this canteen-style spot directly below the park visitors centre. It offers basic but decent…
Kota Kinabalu
Nagisa exudes class and refinement but the service and food quality are inconsistent. There's a wealth of sushi dishes, from California temaki (crab stick…
English Tea House & Restaurant
Sandakan
More English than a Graham Greene novel, this beautiful stucco-pillared villa, with its manicured croquet lawn, bay views and wicker chairs parked under a…
Kota Kinabalu
This silk-festooned waterfront restaurant looks promising, but its northern Indian cuisine is hit-and-miss. The naan bread is pillowy-soft, vegetarian…
Kota Kinabalu
Santan has waterside seating and features an extensive menu of Southeast Asian dishes ranging from beef rendang to chilli crab. There is also a good range…
Sandakan
Regarded by many as the best of the gaggle of casual eateries that line the waterfront, the Harbour Bistro menu lists plenty of Asian options using beef,…
Sepilok
Friendly Mama Wati's is set up in a ramshackle contrivance beside the road just outside the SORC entrance. There's usually a gaggle of guides and drivers…
Sandakan
Located in what looks like a multi-storey car park, this is the best spot in town for cheap eats and food stalls. Upstairs you'll find strictly halal food…
Kota Kinabalu
Follow your nose to one of KK's best and most enthusiastic durian purveyors. As well as the domesticated 'king' variety, look for the small, rare,…
Sabah
This is the best kedai kopi in Tuaran. It excels at char mien/mee goreng, the local, mouthwatering take on Chinese fried noodles, overflowing with…
Sabah
Friendly little kopitiam that most definitely is not halal. Come here for pork belly, barbecued pork and pork broth, plus a crunchy dose of vitamins in…
Sabah
If you prefer a Muslim kedai kopi (coffee shop), you could try this place, which serves roti, curries and nasi campur, with a rapt local audience watching…
Kota Kinabalu
Large variety of imported and local fruits and other fruit products. Fresh fruit juices, peeled fruit portions, yogurt smoothies and fruity milkshakes are…
Kota Kinabalu
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…
Kota Kinabalu
This behemoth of a mall is home to a number of international fast-food chains. You'll also find sushi-train restaurants, ice-cream vendors and egg-tart…
Sabah
In the evenings this space comes alive with locals chowing down on barbecued chicken wings, roti canai and other halal foodstuffs.
Sepilok
Beside the entrance to SORC is this oasis of a cafe with hot and cold drinks, ice creams, sandwiches and hot meals.
Lahad Datu
Malaysia's franchised patisserie is located in Fajar Centre (it has free wi-fi, too). Good cakes.
Kota Kinabalu
Stock up on picnic items and hiking snacks at the centrally located Milimewa Superstore.
