Usually hotels and/or lodges that has an adjoining restaurant/coffee house doesn’t really have anything much to say about its food. Well that is my experience so far and not many have managed to cope up with the standards of its rooms or the experience of staying at its’ establishment. But this time, it seems that the nitez crew had quite a surprise when the food was delivered to our table. And the Zen Garden Resort Restaurant was the venue that presented the surprise.
At first we weren’t really expecting much from the restaurant. All we know was that we were too tired to feel hungry to begin with; not that we weren’t famished. Few hours on the road could cause one to be a little disoriented I assure you. With the cold breeze blowing softly into the dining area, a hot cup of Chinese tea would be more than welcome at that point. But when the food arrived to our table, it was a totally different story altogether.
To sum it up in one word; it was awesome. Some of the dish we had that night was chicken cooked in soy sauce; this one meal was slightly above average but definitely much better than what I have mostly in other hotel-restaurants. With an accompaniment of mixed vegetable dish It was almost perfect. I never thought a ‘mixed-vegetable’ dish was this good and the produce all coming from the valleys of Kundasang being the district known for its freshest supplies of vegetables. Now I’m not that fond of mixed-vegetable dishes but I have to say this one was exceptional.
But the highlight dish that night was none other than the Sweet & Sour Fish. I mean, up here in the high altitudes who would’ve thought this was the kind of dish that piqued my taste buds more than anything else that night. With the appropriate thickness and its delightfully savory sauce was more than enough to make me want to order more of it that night. And the fish was as fresh as you can get them, which is saying a lot being up here in Kundasang area.
All that time on the road, with your stomach making ‘protests’ against its master ; it was well worth it to have dinner here. A dining experience well remembered and definitely recommended.
Situated along the street where the waterfront area is located (The Beach, Port View Rst.) and opposite Le’ Meridien Hotel (a 5-Star hotel); a place exists within the silver heartbeat of K.K. City. A food haven if you will. A market unlike any other you might have encountered in your travels. If one would only take their time to get here, you’ll find out that this city has a lot more to offer.
When you enter the market, you will be greeted with multitudes of food aroma that simply scintillates your taste buds automatically. Upon droves of food stalls you could find a variety of delicacies.
Ranging from local pastries all freshly cooked, local fruits, hot soups of diverse flavors and of course; the main reason that people both foreign and domestic came here for: the seafoods. A multifarious assortments of fresh seafoods as you enjoy your meal while the sea breeze blowing wistfully by.
One part of the market here caters especially for grill and/or barbecue of the seafoods available. You could also find chicken wings and fried local pastries nearby this section. At this segment of the market all you need to do is browse among the many tables situated and choose one with the type of seafood you wish to satisfy your cravings.
Before you sit down, you should check out the ‘menu’ laid upon the hot burning grill. Pick which food you’d like to try out (all freshly cooked there) and they’ll serve them to you hot and seasoned to perfection. Since that there are so many there, you will find out your choices are almost limitless. Some of the stalls owners might even cater to your drinking needs, I.e you could ask for beer if you so wish.
Price range of having a seafood dining experience at the K.K. Seafood Nite Market are around MYR15-MYR25 a person. Seafoods like Tiger Prawns would cost between MYR20-MYR28 a piece while Squids would cost between MYR8-MYR20. And if you prefer to have ‘appetizers’ to go with your main dish, you could browse around and find freshly fried pastries there. If seafood aren’t to your liking, you could always sit at any of the food stalls within this market and enjoy local varieties of meals such fried noodles, rice and more.
Kota Kinabalu Seafood Nite Market is not only a dining spot, its’ a completely dissimilar dining experience altogether. With its awesome array of diverse foods, its a wonder why most people haven’t been frequenting this place more often; both foreign or domestic.
