Category Archives: Food

The best Ngiu Chap (Beef Noodle) of Sabah

Your gastronomic journey in Sabah is incomplete without Ngiu Chap (or Ngau Chap). Ngiu Chap literally means “Mixed Beef”, which is a mix of beef and its organs such as stew meat, meat ball, tendon, liver, heart, tripe, intestine, tongue, spleen and omasum, usually served with noodles in thick beef broth.

Pic: Sabah LOL Cats. World is hell without Ngiu Chap.. Just kidding.

Though Ngiu Chap is the signature and favorite noodle soup of Sabahans, not all restaurants cook very good Ngiu Chap. Some of them even add excessive Ajinomoto (MSG) into the soup. After the meal, you will be so thirsty that you need to drink gallons of water. Below is a list of Best restaurants to enjoy Sabah Ngiu Chap in different styles, recommended by the locals and I have personally tried them all. As everyone has different taste, the following list is not in any order.

1. Traditional Style – Kedai Kopi Loi Hin (来兴茶室)

Location: Donggogon, Kota Kinabalu city

Kedai Kopi Loi Hin has been making one of the best Ngiu Chap in Sabah for over 40 years. This restaurant is one of the “100 Best Coffee Shops of Malaysia” recommended by Tourism Malaysia.
» Read more about Kedai Kopi Loi Hin…

2. Hainan Style – Kedai Cheng Wah (精华冰室)

Location: Lido Penampang, Kota Kinabalu city

Opened by a Hainanese in 1961, the Ngiu Chap of Kedai Cheng Wah is still one of our favorite after 50 years. This restaurant is run by Wong family, and eat out there is like enjoying a nice meal cooked by your mom.
» Read more about Kedai Cheng Wah…

3. West Malaysia Style – Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap (家乡牛什)

Location: Luyang Hilltop, Kota Kinabalu city

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap is the most popular Ngiu Chap of Sabah. Not only their Ngiu Chap tastes good, they also serve Ngiu Chap in variety of styles. This restaurant was featured by Axian (Jason Yeoh), in his famous food programme Taste with Jason (阿贤人情味).
» Read more about Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap…

4. Village Style – Mee Sup Pipin

Location: Donggogon, Kota Kinabalu city

Same as simple village life, we appreciate the simple and delicious Ngiu Chap of Mee Sup Pipin and they win the heart of city people too.
» Read more about Mee Sup Pipin…

5. Sabah Style – Nyuk Pau Zai (玉宝仔)

Location: Lintas Plaza, Kota Kinabalu city

When people talk about yummy Ngiu Chap, you will always hear the name “Menggatal Ngiu Chap”. Nyuk Pau started with one restaurant in Menggatal town (Kedai Kopi Nyuk Pau Baru) 25 years ago, and now it has 8 franchise in Sabah and one in West Malaysia.
» Read more about Nyuk Pau Zai…

Please let me know which Ngiu Chap you like the most. It’ll be great if you would share other Ngiu Chap that deserves a mention. I need your help to come up a “Top 10” list of best Sabah Ngiu Chap. Thank You.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Mee Sup Pipin: in Love with Sabah Noodle Soup

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In Sabah, if you cook really good food, no matter how far you “hide” your restaurant, food lovers will find you. Though soup noodle is very common in Kota Kinabalu city (KK), the only place that can make me drive over 10 KM for its soup noodle is Mee Sup Pipin.

Pic: Mee Sup Pipin 1

“Mee Sup” means Noodle Soup. Pipin is the name of the restaurant.

You would be surprised to see such a plain setup for this famous eat out spot. No fancy decor, just some tables and chairs under the zinc roof, a very village style environment. The place is clean and quiet, and their customers also look very laid-back and enjoy their food slowly, unlike the noisy and busy restaurants in the city.

Pic: the food menu and pricing (Note: USD1≈RM3). The Noodle Soup is RM5 (≈USD1.70) for regular size, RM6 (≈USD2) for extra serving.
*Price as of Nov 2012

Besides Noodle Soup, you can order other side dishes such as Tauhu (Stuffed Tofu), Sup Tulang (Bone Soup), Cucap (Mixed Pork & Ear) and Kaki Ayam (Chicken Feet). I wish to order ALL!

Pic: the friendly cook busy preparing food

Ok, enough with the introduction, let’s EAT!

Pork Noodle (Cucap)

Mee Sup Pipin makes many great dishes, the first item that I strongly recommend is their Pork Noodle (or Cucap Mee Hoon, ???? in Chinese).

Pork Noodle (Cucap) consists of rice noodle (also known as Mee Hoon) served with sliced pork meat, heart and (clean) intestines in hot pork soup.

The soup is clear, without thick layer of floating oil, and the meat is fresh too. My stomach told me that the serving was not oily.

Pic: close-up of Cucap Pork Noodle

You can see that the ingredients are simple. However, the meat and noodles are cooked with good timing to bring out their best taste. In other places, I often got noodle soup with overcooked or undercooked noodle.

Pic: fresh pork meat for making cucap

Ngiu Chap Noodle (Mixed Beef)

Another item that also appears in words of mouth about Mee Sup Pipin is Ngiu Chap (or Ngau Chap, ??/?? in Chinese). Ngiu Chap is different parts of cow cooked in beef soup. Tendon, tripe and tongue have little taste by nature, but they become a delicacy with interesting textures, after they absorb the delicious beef soup.

Pic: I always order Ngiu Chap Mee Hoon (Mixed Beef with Rice Noodle Soup).
Note the green Calamansi fruit at the edge of the bowl. When I’m half-done, I will squeeze a bit of sour Calamansi juice, to give the Ngiu Chap Noodle Soup a new taste.

Their Ngiu Chap is pleasing to eyes as well as tongue. Every item tastes different but complement well to one another. The meat is well-marinated, so it looks dark, tender but slightly salty though.

Pic: you may add aromatic fried pork fat chips into Ngiu Chap for thicker taste. I always do.

Stuffed Tofu

The best selling side order which goes well with your noodle soup is Tauhu (Stuffed Tofu, ??? in Chinese).

I’m not kidding you. They make hundreds of Tofu every day to feed the hungry customers.

You can tell from the photos above that it’s extremely smooth and soft.

Direction to Mee Sup Pipin

Mee Sup Pipin is in Kampung Inobong (Inobong Village) of Donggogon, about 10 KM away from KK. Below is the location map:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Pic: If you head to Tambunan on Penampang-Tambunan road, you see will this junction at your right, about 4 or 5 KM after Donggogon town. (Update (Mar 2014): the signage is no longer there)

Pic: Turn right to the junction, you will enter a narrow village road. Just take second left turn.

There are two Mee Sup Pipin next to each other. The first Mee Sup Pipin that you will see is open by the family of the owner. They only open from Monday to Friday, 7am to 3pm. Both restaurants are selling the similar dishes. Some says the taste is different but I haven’t tried theirs yet.

The one that I talk about is Mee Sup Pipin 1. They open every day, from 7am to 3pm (may open before 6am during weekend). Their phone no. is +60 16 8302088 (Contact Person: Christina @ Onong).

Goodness… I want to go to Mee Sup Pipin again after I write this. :-P~ *mouth watering*

Photos taken in Donggogon, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Spicy Beef Noodle (Sabah + Taiwan style) of Good Luck Restaurant

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Update (Sep 2013): This restaurant is closed and the owner has moved to Papar town doing other business.

Beef Noodle (Ngiu Chap or Ngau Chap) is a signature dish of Sabah, so I’m always on the quest looking for the best Ngiu Chap. Sometimes I’m surprised that good food is just nearby. For example, I found very special Ngiu Chap at Damai Plaza (Kota Kinabalu), which was not far from my office. Since then, I visited Kedai Kopi Good Luck Restaurant (Chinese Name: 澔運茶餐室) regularly.

Below are their contact and address:
Address: Block F, Ground Floor, No. 32, Damai Plaza, Phase IV, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 88-913168
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (close on every Friday)

The location map of Kedai Kopi Good Luck:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Pic: The spicy beef noodle with tendon (Chinese Name: 麻辣牛肉面) is my favorite.

The beef soup is delicious, and the handmade flat noodle is smooth and springy. Look at the big beef slices, tendon and meat balls, your every bite will be a mouthful of beef and noodle. You can choose 3 levels of hotness, i.e., little, mild and super hot. You can try their Stewed Beef Noodle (Chinese Name: 红烧牛肉面) if you don’t like spicy food.

Their beef noodle only consists of meat and tendon (no internal organs such as tripe, tongue and liver like other Ngiu Chap), so I’m not sure if it is considered as Ngiu Chap, technically. Well, who cares as it tastes so good.

Pic: the tender and chewy beef tendon

The meat is so well-marinated that it is soft, juicy and “creamy”. The restaurant is 8 years old. The lady boss, Ms Huang, is a Taiwanese married with a Malaysian, Andrew. Both of them love beef noodle, so they invent a Sabah version of Taiwan Beef Noodle, or you can call it a “hybrid” of Ngiu Chap (Sabahan mixed beef noodle).

Pic: close-up of Spicy Beef Noodle

Can you imagine the world without Ngiu Chap? 🙂

Pic: Kedai Kopi Good Luck Restaurant (澔運茶餐室)

Pic: food menu

Both Spicy and Stewed Beef Noodles cost the same, MYR8 (≈USD2.66) per serving, without tendon is MYR6 (≈USD2). If you are a big eater and want extra meat, add another MYR3 (≈USD1). Prices as of Nov 2012.

Besides Beef Noodles, their famous dish is Nyonya Asam Mix Fish Noodle Soup.

This restaurant may sound new to you, but trust me, Good Luck.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

HK Porridge in KK

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Good food doesn’t have to be oily and salty, and there’s also days you don’t feel like having heavy meal. Whether I’m hungry or lack of appetize, porridge always works for me, especially the Hong Kong Porridge of Pak Ka Lok (???). I have no problem eating there every day, really..

Pak Ka Lok Food Park (???????) is located at a quiet corner of a shopping mall. I don’t know why they pick that location, as if they want to hide their shop. The shop has less than 10 tables, so the seats are always full during lunch time. Anyway, I don’t mind to wait for my turn like the others.

I notice more than half of their customers are lady. Most locals take porridge as breakfast, but not lunch. Some guys say they would be hungry again after they pee a few times, haha. Well, you can always order extra meat.

The porridge of Pak Ka Lok is served in Guangdong or Cantonese style, they boil the rice with excessive water until it turns mashed. In other styles (less common in Sabah), they simply soak the rice in soup.

Pic: the busy kitchen

Pic: the food menu of Pak Ka Lok. You can click it to see the food items and their prices. Mixed pork porridge is their specialty, but you also can order Mixed Pork Soup Noodle. FYI, Kon Lo means dry noodle.

When my porridge comes, I’m delighted by the aroma of rice and meat.

Slices of fried Chinese bread stick (yau ja gwai), salty vege, scallion and shreded ginger in the porridge.

Pic: let me scoop out the meat to show you.

Each bowl of Mixed Pork Porridge costs RM5.50 (≈USD1.83). I asked for extra meat (ka-liao, or ?? in Chinese), so it is RM7.50 (≈USD2.50)*.
*as of Oct 2012

Mixed Pork means a mix of meat and internal organs such as liver, kidney, intestine and heart. Some westerners wonder why Chinese eats internal organs, usually the unwanted parts in western cuisines. People need to understand that famine is very common in Chinese history, due to natural disasters and civil wars. To survive the hunger, Chinese wastes no part of their livestock and this has become a food culture.

Pepper, soy sauce, chili sauce and sesame oil are available if you want additional flavor.

They also serve mixed pork in soup noodle, a must-try too.

Pic: Wisma Merdeka
Pak Ka Lok Food Park (???????) is in Wisma Merdeka, a shopping mall in city center of Kota Kinabalu. The shop address is: No. B-134, 1st Floor, Phase 2, Wisma Merdeka. They open from 8.30am to 3pm every day, and rest two days a month. To confirm if the shop is open, you may call them at +60 88-231121 before you go.

As I mentioned, this shop is at a “hidden” corner and many don’t know where it is. The easiest way is to ask people where is Tong’s Departmental Store (1st floor). When you reach the storefront of Tong’s, turn left and walk until the end and you will see Pak Ka Lok.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Yellow Dragon Fruit

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Dragon Fruit (or pitaya) is one of the favorite fruits of Malaysians and has been planted commercially in Sabah for some years. It is only recently I learn that, besides the two flavors, i.e. white and red flesh, our dragon fruit also has the “third”, and best, flavor.

Pic: the brightly red-skin dragon fruit is a familiar sight when I walked around fruit & vege shops

One day I saw some yellow fruits next to the red dragon fruit. They are small and ugly, but they cost twice more than the normal dragon fruit. Then someone told me that this was a yellow dragon fruit planted in Keningau district. They are only available in small quantity so people don’t see them often.

Pic: to have some fun, I put 3 types of dragon fruits side by side and photograph them for comparison. From left: Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit, Yellow Dragon Fruit and White-fleshed Dragon Fruit.

1. White-fleshed Dragon Fruit

Also known as Pitahaya blanca, its skin is red and the flesh is white color.

Note its shape is oval. It is priced at RM8 (≈USD2.70) per Kilogram (KG).

White-fleshed Dragon Fruit is the first introduced species. It was used to be the most common dragon fruit in fruit market. However, its taste is bland, with mild sweetness and sourness, if compared to the more popular Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit.

2. Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit

It’s also called Pitahaya roja, its skin is red too, as is the flesh. In photo below, you can see it has round shape.

Due to stronger sweetness and flavor, Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit has replaced White-fleshed Dragon Fruit in fruit market.

It’s sold for RM10 (≈USD3.30) per KG. You can find it almost all year round.

3. Yellow Dragon Fruit

The official name of this least-known species is Pitahaya amarilla. They are cultivated in Keningau in small amount. They are sold out fast before others know about such fruit. The sellers told me that the peak fruiting season of Yellow Dragon Fruit is between Oct and Dec. Yellow Dragon Fruit is also sold in other months, but in very limit quantity.

Yellow Dragon Fruit is the smallest among the 3, but the sweetest and most expensive, which is RM20 (≈USD6.70) per KG. You can find Yellow Dragon Fruit at fruit & vegetables shops of Foh Sang and Bornion in Kota Kinabalu, but it’s not always available.

However, the taste of Yellow Dragon Fruit is the BEST! Its sweetness is double of Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit, and it has no sour taste.

Pic: 3 kinds of dragon fruits on one plate, yummy..

Pic: “mixed” dragon fruit feast after the photography session LOL.

Interesting Facts about Dragon Fruit

Red dragon fruit juice is delicious and it can turn your poo into reddish color next day, it’s harmless so don’t be shocked.

Dragon fruit is not native to Malaysia. It originates from South and Central America. The vine of wild dragon fruit can crawl high up to the tree.

Dragon fruit is a member of cactus family.

The flower of Dragon fruit can be consumed as tea.

Pic: dragon fruit plantation in Balung, Tawau

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Fishing at Mantanani Island

Beef Noodle of Nyuk Pau Zai

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After serving over 25 years of excellent Ngiu Chap in Menggatal town, Nyuk Pau Beef Noodle (孟加达玉宝牛什 in Chinese) has become a brand name. Founded by Mr. Simon Saw in Menggatal (Kedai Kopi Nyuk Pau Baru), today Nyuk Pau has 8 franchise and one franchise in West Malaysia. Ngiu Chap (or Ngau Chap), which means Mixed Beef, consists of beef slices, stew, tripe, tendon and beef meat balls, usually served with noodles and beef soup.

As Nyuk Pau Zai Restaurant (玉宝仔牛什) of Lintas Plaza, which was opened by Brandon the son of the founder, was the nearest to my home, I decided to check it out.

Pic: Nyuk Pau Zai Restaurant in Lintas Plaza

Below is the location map:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

The restaurant has high ceiling with both sides open, so I don’t feel warm inside.

As usual in my food tasting, I took a seat and ordered a Ngiu Chap Mee (Mixed Beef with yellow noodle). I used a compact to snap photos, so I didn’t attract much attention. If I brought my big camera, everyone would stare at me, thinking that I was a reporter, haha.

Pic: food menu of Nyuk Pau Zai

The menu is simple as it has only 2 items, i.e. Beef Noodle with, or without tendon. Ngiu Chap with tendon costs MYR8 (≈USD2.66), without tendon is MYR7 (≈USD2.33). (prices as of Nov 2012)

I like the pictorial guide. If you have special preference, you can point to the photo(s) to tell the waitress which body parts you (don’t) want. Btw, you also can choose between rice (white) or egg (yellow) noodle.

Shortly my order arrived. The food presentation is good. Probably the soup is oily, the serving looks a bit heavy to me.

The beef is nice. Only the tendon is too soft. Overall, their Ngiu Chap lives up to its reputation, but I think there is room for improvement.

Pic: close up of Nyuk Pau Zai Ngiu Chap

They are also selling Fried Beef with Lihing (local Rice Wine). I came alone and I was full, so I didn’t try it. Please let me know how it tastes if you have eaten it.

The address of Nyuk Pau Zai is: Block J, Ground Floor, Lot 25-0, Lintas Plaza, Lorong Lintas Plaza, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

The restaurant opens from 7am to 9pm daily. The phone no. of Lintas Plaza branch is +60 16 8300975 (Contact Person: Brandon Saw).

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Where to Eat and Stay in Telupid town

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For those who want to travel around Telupid town, below are some info on the accommodation and eat out places in Telupid, the heart of Sabah. Telupid is in the central of Sabah and 200 KM away from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. You may Click Here to find out Things to do in Telupid.

Where to Stay

1. IPS (Institut Perhutanan Sabah)

This is my personal favorite. IPS is the rest house managed by Sabah Forestry Department. It is only 1KM away from Telupid town. Please see the location map below: View My Sabah Map in a larger map Pic: gate to IPS If you go to Telupid from Kota Kinabalu, you will see the gate above at your right, 1 KM before Telupid town. Pic: IPS is only 200 Meters away from Telupid District Forestry Office Pic: rest house A of IPS (Institut Perhutanan Sabah) There is a small canteen in this rest house, but only simple food such as fried noodle is sold. Rest house B is dormitory style (10 rooms, each with 4 single bed) The room here is clean and cheap. Most travel agents recommend their tourists to stay here. Pic: beautiful lake at IPS (no fishing & swimming) Many locals come here to walk and jog in the evening. Pic: standard room of IPS (Institut Perhutanan Sabah) In rest house A, they have 10 rooms (6 double bed rooms, 4 single bed rooms). The room rate is RM65 (USD20) per night per room. For dormitory room in Rest House B, it is RM60 (USD18) per night per room. Pic: attached bathroom of the room Their phone no. is +60 89-521879 and fax no. is +60 89-521748.

2. City Hotel Telupid (????)

According to a friend, City Hotel Telupid is also one of the best accommodation in Telupid and it is near to supermarket and restaurants. Below is the info and contact: Address: Block A, Lot 5 & 6, Pekan Baru Telupid, P. O. Box 154, 89300 Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia Tel & Fax: +60 89-521889 E-mail: cityhotel_telupid@hotmail.com Facilities & Services: Astro TV Channel, split unit air-conditioning, hot & cold shower, 24-hour reception & security services, free Wifi Location Map: View My Sabah Map in a larger map

3. Queen Alice Inn Telupid

I haven’t stayed in this Inn which is also in Telupid town. Just FYI: Address: Lot 2 & 3, Block E, 2nd floor, Bangunan SEDCO, P.O. Box 122, 89300 Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia Tel: +60 89-521557 / +60 13-8857972 E-mail: qai_telupid@live.com.my Fax: +60 89 521558 Room Rate: – Single (Queen size bed): RM59-69 (USD18-21) – Double (Queen & Single Size Bed): RM89-99 (USD27-30) Room Facilities: 5 TV Channels (TV1, TV2, TV3, RIA, HBO), air-cond, attached bathroom, hot water shower Location Map: View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Where to Eat

You won’t have any problem to find food in Telupid town. I’m surprised to see so many restaurants here. You can find Indian, Malay, Java and Chinese food easily. I just list a few that I have visited.

1. Restoran Tong Fang (????)

This Chinese restaurant is near the edge (last block) of Telupid town. Restoran Tong Fang looks like a typical “Kopitiam” (coffee shop) in Sabah. They have good variety of food and they taste good. Quite a pleasant surprise to find a decent restaurant in a remote town. Below are the food that I tried: Pic: sweet and sour chicken Pic: rice noodle with chicken and roasted pork slices Pic: roasted pork slices Pic: mixed pork (note: internal organs) Pic: rice noodle with mixed pork Location Map: View My Sabah Map in a larger map

2. 5-Talk Restorant (????)

5-Talk Restorant is on the same block as Restoran Tong Fang. This coffee shop doesn’t sell pork and their food is “friendly” to Seventh Day Adventist. They have some interesting dishes such as Cheese Fish, Apple Chicken/Fish and Chicken Claypot with coconut favor. I was only there having tea and didn’t try any of those.

3. Long-Long Restaurant (????)

Long-Long Restaurant is about 14.5 KM away from Telupid town and you can see its shoplot at the roadside. See location map below: View My Sabah Map in a larger map Besides normal Chinese food, Long-Long Restaurant also sells “exotic” (some calls it eerie) food such as wild boat, deer, squirrel, flying fox, snake, etc. I don’t really support eating wildlife but I’m so curious how they taste like, so I ordered snake soup (???), which cost RM10 (USD3). Pic: snake soup The snake soup is boiled with common Chinese herb ingredients such as Wolfberry and Jujube. The snake meat is like tasteless rough chicken meat and has many small bones. The soup is ok (like chicken herb soup) but I can’t taste anything like snake. I regret to order this, when they say this is python, which is a vulnerable species.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album if you want to see more nice pictures: Related Post Things to do in Telupid Photos taken in Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

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Travel guides to Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Category Archives: Food

The best Ngiu Chap (Beef Noodle) of Sabah

1. Traditional Style – Kedai Kopi Loi Hin (来兴茶室)

2. Hainan Style – Kedai Cheng Wah (精华冰室)

3. West Malaysia Style – Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap (家乡牛什)

4. Village Style – Mee Sup Pipin

5. Sabah Style – Nyuk Pau Zai (玉宝仔)

Mee Sup Pipin: in Love with Sabah Noodle Soup

Pork Noodle (Cucap)

Ngiu Chap Noodle (Mixed Beef)

Stuffed Tofu

Direction to Mee Sup Pipin

Spicy Beef Noodle (Sabah + Taiwan style) of Good Luck Restaurant

HK Porridge in KK

Yellow Dragon Fruit

1. White-fleshed Dragon Fruit

2. Red-fleshed Dragon Fruit

3. Yellow Dragon Fruit

Interesting Facts about Dragon Fruit

Fishing at Mantanani Island

Beef Noodle of Nyuk Pau Zai

Where to Eat and Stay in Telupid town

Where to Stay

1. IPS (Institut Perhutanan Sabah)

2. City Hotel Telupid (????)

3. Queen Alice Inn Telupid

Where to Eat

1. Restoran Tong Fang (????)

2. 5-Talk Restorant (????)

3. Long-Long Restaurant (????)

More Photos