The borneonitez.com crew went to check out Shenanigan’s last Friday. We heard that there’s an international female DJ from Venezuela was performing since last Wednesday so we thought might as well check it out. According to our sources DJ Meg has been performing from Japan and all the way to Puerto Rico.

We went in roughly after 11 p.m to find the place quite packed with the normal patrons from regulars and new comers alike. The band, Passionistas were performing their last show for that night after being there for 3 months. It seemed quite a night to reminisce and nostalgic for those that have been close with them which includes the regulars and some of our friends too.

We had to wait for quite sometime as we found out that DJ Meg would only be behind the DJ console around 1 a.m. much to our dismay. But for what its worth, the waiting was definitely more than just wasting time around lounging in the pub. DJ Meg presented an awesome array of music which was simply sparked the crowd which have been waiting eagerly since 10 p.m.

DJ Meg started her sequence of music with her mixed version of The Uninvited from Alanis Morissette. It was enthralling to say the least when it comes to describing her repertoire of sounds that is simply causative of having the crowd fill up the dance floor and even moving around the pub was an effort in itself.

It was majestic to say the least. From the atmosphere, people and her music. A crescendo and collision of sights and sounds which was amazing and impressively done by DJ Meg. I can’t stop movin’ and groovin’ and everyone else around me were far from leaning on a wall or glued to their seats. It was a night that none would simply forget.

The event was organized by Amir Yussof of Freestyle Avenue. Check out more details on DJ Meg’s performance here.

Where the catwalk got its claws, all you fashion know-it-alls,
With your underground malls in the world of Harajuku,
Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes,
Wild hair color and cell phones,
Your accessories are dead on.

- Harajuku Girls by Gwen Stefani.

Being a guy who grew up through the 80’s, I honestly thought the world was going to be that way for years to come. Enter the 90’s, and suddenly everything changed: fashion, music, trends, lifestyle, hygiene. Everything. The colourful era of the 80’s - wild hair-dos, glam make-ups, outrageous oufits, leathers - disappeared, just like all the other eras before it.

Well, maybe not entirely.

Harajuku Night…

Wednesday night last week was Harajuku Night at Hyatt Hotel’s Shenanigan’s Fun Pub. Just in case any of you had a blank stare upon reading the word ‘Harajuku’, it’s actually a name of an area around Tokyo’s Harajuku Station in Tokyo, Japan. The area is famous for its extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, and it’s regarded internationally as one of Japan’s defining pop culture identity. It’s like being in the 80’s, but better, wilder and with the world’s craziest fashion nation at the forefront. Shenanigan’s Fun Pub - Shani’s or Shan’s to the locals - brought a little bit of Japan to KK for one night last week during Ladies’ Nite (which is probably the main reason why my friends and I went there to check it out).

… at Shenanigan’s

Shenanigan’s Fun Pub is, without a doubt, one of the most popular night spots in KK. It set the standards for bars, pubs and clubs in KK since the early 90’s and it endures to this very night. It is KK’s longest running pub-slash-club, and famous for its nightly live band performances. It had changed very little over the past decade, yet the legendary club still attract loyal followers through its entrance almost every night, especially during Ladies Nite.

We were more than eager to see what will come out when you bring in Japan’s latest and most extreme teen fashion onto the floor of KK’s most classic and veteran of all clubs.

Welcome to Shenanigan’s, D-sama

It was raining that evening, but we were determined to see this Harajuku Night. At around 9:00PM, as the four of us made our way into the age-defying club, entering Shan’s was like seeing long-time friends and families; a live band performance was there as usual (a Filipino import called Passionista) playing a mix of old time hits and latest chart toppers, with the DJ spinning dance tunes in-between each play. Business as usual.
Earlier on, we counted only four ladies dressed in Harajuku stylee, one of which was a friend of ours. Then we caught sight of a group of wildly-dressed youngsters.
They were dressed in attires fit for a Japanese rock show or somewhat. Despite our (abysmally) limited lore in Japanese fashion, we were able to identify influences of punk, goth and Victorian maids which was, coincidentally, the same style as what one of our Harajuku lady friend was wearing. Regardless, their style of dress was striking.

“Harajuku Girls … You Got The Wicked Style!”

The events unravel as the night played on, and soon our group of four became six, then nine (three of which were dressed-up for the event). Those group of wildly-dressed youngsters that I mentioned just now were actually models from Fairuz Modeling Studios, and they got some wicked outfits in their line-up. It soon became apparent that Shan’s had planned a Harajuku fashion show for its visitors. Shan’s and the Harajuku models treated the audience with a barrage of Japanese attire, all colourful and wild.
They also invited those from the audience that don Harajuku-style wear to come up to the stage to show their stuff. Towards the end of the night, the host would give away prizes to those mentioned previously for being outrageous and wild in their J-Style fashion.

Old and New, J to KK

Shan’s is one of KK’s old time favourite night spot. So when they brought in an event as wild, young and extreme as the Harajuku culture, one would expect a night totally different from any other regular clubbing night. But that was not the case for Shenanigan’s Harajuku Night. Shan’s management was adamant in maintaining the club’s long-time image; despite the fact that they were having a Japanese-influenced event, they didn’t put on Japanese-pop (or J-pop) music when the models went on stage. The DJ played the hottest dance tunes and remixes, yet none of those tunes were Japanese clubbing music. Instead, all the music that were played that night was characteristically Shan’s - live band performance, playing a mix of old time hits and latest chart toppers, with the DJ spinning dance tunes in-between each play. Business as usual.

Good Night Tokyo, Good Night KK

We walked out of Shan’s with a few things: First, two of our friends in Harajuku outfits walked away with a prize each (one won Most Funky Hair, while our Victorian-Maid lady friend won the Most Funky Make-Up). Second, Shan’s is still the same old Shan’s. Third, KK is slow to pick-up new trends. That aside, my first local experience of Harajuku was less than stellar, but it’s good to know that KK isn’t rotting slowly in the fashion race. The future night of KK (and perhaps the whole of Borneo) lies in the hands of our trend-embracing youngsters, whether the world likes it or not.

Final Note: The Victorian Maid outfit our lady friend wore is called a Loli dress. It’s a rad-looking dress, more so if you’re a cute lass. Being a maid is not a pre-requisite. And check out LifeInBorneo.com on their post on Shenanigan’s Harajuku Night.

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.

Anyone who has ever been to Blue Note for the past couple of years or so will know that the place hasn’t change much. The stage went through a lot of re-designs over the years (depending on the event in promotion) but the looks and the crowd have always been a familiar sight and sound: cozy, wood-brown, pub-ish, live-band and typical Sabahan patrons. That’s pretty much it, until my friends and I went there last April to check it out - after they had a complete makeover.

Facelift
Blue Note is the long-loved night spot of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa. Over the years it has garnered its own loyal following - both local and from abroad - and the recent facelift has only increased the number of night owls coming in every weekend.

When we went there for the first time after the record-setting makeover (it took them four days to reconstruct and refurnish EVERYTHING), the first thing we noticed was the presence of a lady attendant by the entrance. Dressed in white top and white skirt, she smiled at us and coyly told us that we must pay for the cover charge before we are allowed to enter the club. They usually would only impose cover charges during special events, like on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. But this was just a regular weekend. So we knew immediately that something was up.

A brighter shade of Blue Note
As we made our way inside, we were treated to a completely new Blue Note.

Click to Zoom

The walls were painted bright white, while the seatings, couches and tables were of similarly white and bright colours which in turn gave the interior of the club a more spacious feel to it. Candles of artistic arrangement adorned the club’s walls and pillars casting a warm, intimate glow upon the surrounding.

Clear white and cozy candles are central to Blue Note’s fresh new look. Additionally, the dance floor features a stylish and petite new bar complementing the hi-tech visual stage. They even flew in DJs from some of best nightspots in KL to spin the latest tunes (which I believe, at the time of this writing, is the club’s latest crowd magnet).

They made a new section in Blue Note, where a small section of the club was walled behind crystal-clear glass panels, floor to ceiling. We didn’t went in there to check it out of course, since we were reluctant to leave the ‘hot’ dance floor (and also probably because we could see what was going on inside). But we figured that patrons prefering a more intimate and private corner to socialize could do so behind those see-through barriers. Only the addition of a curtain (which they didn’t install) could’ve made it more intimate and more private.

The clean, white looks of the walls and furnishing gave the club a new, stylish feel totally different from the club’s former appearence. The glass-walled private-section was a welcomed addition, as the former Blue Note lacked such an offering. The techie-looking stage is the club’s focal point, pulling in the masses with a line-up of today’s most buzz-worthy DJs, every Fridays and Saturdays.

White is the new blue
We went to Blue Note with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, but left Blue Note that night with amazement and a sense of awe. Blue Note has set a new standard to what clubs in KK should be like. The night will never be the same.

Situated near the Seafood-Market and also happens to close to one of the oldest cinemas in Kota Kinabalu City. The night market and the Fillipino handicraft market are also close by. Seafood and other variety of food stalls. It’s more like a culmination of seafood restaurants, restaurants and food stalls all under one roof (a.k.a ‘Sri Selera’) And its only right outside of the hotel. Taxi service is just right outside the hotel and a shopping mall (Center Point) is only 3-5 minutes away, just be careful crossing the high way though.

This area is a hot spot for tourists wanting to find places to visit in the city at night and the City Hall and the police have made sure it’s safe for everyone frequenting the area.

The hotel rooms has a price range of MYR 75.00 [USD 23] – MYR 95.00 [USD 30]. I checked in the Standard-Double for RM 85.00. Inside you see your basics. T.V. (not cable/satellite), dressing, one chair. Air conditioning took awhile though; maybe they haven’t replaced/cleaned the filters. If you stayed on the 2nd floor onwards and the room is not facing the seafood restaurants’ area; you’d probably won’t see anything. This is due to the fact that there is a wide roofing installed for the comfort and to shelter to visitors going to the ‘Sri Selera’ open air food stalls.

The room might feel a bit cramped. The bed being a bit too close to the dresser. Nothing seems out of the ordinary as the furnishing goes except, the bed was positioned where both edges are sticking to the edges of two walls. Not much of a hassle except if you wanted to go to the bathroom, walking around almost the entirety of the bed just to get there. Blankets are a bit rough, though clean as they are. Despite being close to the restaurants and it having cultural dances and/or shows at night, it’s not that noisy to catch some sleep if you want to doze off early. Maybe the roofing helps to somehow filter the noise?
In the bathroom I find myself staring at one of the biggest-odd-looking sinks I’ve ever laid my eyes on. At least it was spotless-clean and it didn’t stink of anything resembling a recently deceased roach and/or rodent.

It’s a good place to stay if there are no available rooms among the other hotels/budget stays available and there are quite a few around the area. As for ‘bang for your buck’ it’s essentially quite worth it and if you like staying near a big mall, open air food stalls and night markets and a cinema; there really isn’t much to complain. Just simply being around these places would make you want to stay here.

As is any motels, despite having no internet connectivity and/or other services that sets it apart from the rest. Simply being surrounded with cool places to visit, its 3 out of 5 from us at borneonitez…
Ever been here before people? Do share with us…

Pros

• Safe environment for tourists that enjoys the various night spots located within vicinity.
• Clean and adequetely spaced rooms.
• Located near by cinemas and food outlets.
• Within minutes of walking distance to major city malls and night markets.
• Taxi stand just right outside the motel.

Cons

• There are other budget stays and/or motels close by, unless they are unavailable this place is your next best option.
• Some rooms might have noise levels higher than the rest if you need to doze off early, choose one on a higher floor.
• No Wi-Fi, Mini-bar or IDD calls from telephone in the rooms.