Category Archives: Food

Ngiu Chap

Beef Noodles of Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap Restaurant (家鄉牛什)

33 Replies

Looking for excellent Ngiu Chap (mixed beef)? Your stomach will find its love at Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap. As the most famous brand of Sabah Ngiu Chap, Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap is so specialized in Ngiu Chap that you can enjoy Ngiu Chap in various way, and in traditional and new styles.

Look at their “user-friendly” pictorial menu below:

You can have Ngiu Chap served with Meehoon (thin rice noodle soup), Mee (fat yellow noodle soup), Konlou Mee (dry yellow noodle style), rice, soup-only, etc. If you like specific beef part, you can order a whole bowl for your full enjoyment. Just click the picture above for detail. To 1st-timer who is not used to organs, beef balls and stew meat would be your safe choices.
(Note: prices as of Nov 2012, USD1≈MYR3)


I ordered the standard Ngiu Chap rice noodle soup, which consists of stew meat, fresh meat, beef ball and tripe.


The Ngiu Chap of Kah Hiong is considered as West Malaysia style, as they add white radish, which enhances the meaty sweet taste of beef. I like it.


The beef is fresh and springy, very well-marinated as well.


Overall, the Ngiu Chap is really good. I’m only a bit disappointed that beef tendon is not in standard serving (you need to pay extra to have tendon, spleen, tongue and intestine).


For normal serving, Ngiu Chap noodle soup costs MYR8.00 (≈USD2.25), MYR8.50 (≈USD2.35) if KonLau style (dry noodle). (Prices as of Feb 2015)


Oh, BTW, another “secret weapon” of Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap is their super hot chili paste. Dip your beef into it (a bit only, you have been warned) for extra kick. Somehow strong chili goes very well with Ngiu Chap.


Their chili paste is made of very spicy small chili called “Cili Padi” (a.k.a. Bird’s eye chili or Thai chili). You can buy a bottle of their famous chili paste for MYR10 (≈USD3.33).

How to Get There

Hungry? Let’s go for a yummy Ngiu Chap today. Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap is in Luyang Hilltop, only 5 KM from Kota Kinabalu city.


Address: Block A Shop, No. 2-0-10 Kolam Centre Phase 2, Ground Floor, Jalan Lintas, Kolam Centre, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 88-254161
Opening Hours: 7am – 3pm daily


They rest one day every month, so you better call them before visit.

Below is the location map of Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap (main shop):

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Branches

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap also has two branches. Below are the location and contact info:

1. Donggongon

Address: Block B, Lot 14, Ground Floor, Kedai Plaza Grand Millennium, Jalan Pintas, Donggongon, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 88-731646

2. Brunei

Address: No. 21, Ground Floor, Block E, Complex Hj Daud, Jalan Gadong, BE2719, BSB, Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Tel: +673 244 3078

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Sabah Ice-Cream

5 Replies

The recent hot days make me think of a tasty ice-cream that is made in Sabah, the “Super Ice-Cream Potong” (translated as Cut Super Ice-Cream). Many Taiwan and Hong Kong tourists love it. They call it “Fruit Ice-Cream” (“????” or “????” in Chinese) and they always bring a few boxes of it back home, so their friends can get a taste of Sabah too.



As printed on their box, no doubt this fruits-flavored homemade ice cream is the product of Sabah manufactured by Taluwang (Facebook: Taluwang).


There are cartoons of Kadazan people and long-nosed monkey on the ice-cream wrappers, cute and truly Sabah!


The packing with Styrofoam box is also designed with tourists in mind. The styrofoam box can keep the ice-cream frozen for 3 hours, long enough for the tourists to carry it on flight until they reach hometown.


FYI, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) allows you to carry this box aboard. However, Air Asia does not, unless you buy this ice-cream from airport.


There are 12 ice-cream with different flavors in a box. The wrappers are so colorful. I can’t wait to try them all.


The box says there are 8 types of flavor, but mine only got 7. The sweet corn flavor is missing. Anyway, I’ll show you the 7 flavors one by one.


Ice-cream to be served shortly! Each one is about 4-inch long and in cube shape as if it is cut, that’s why they call it ice-cream “potong” (cut). Though this ice-cream can survive 3 hours in box, it tastes best when it is very cold and hard. For maximum satisfaction, you should ice it in the coldest compartment of refrigerator before you enjoy it.


Technically, they are popsicles as the main ingredients are fresh fruit juices and coconut milk (Santan), unlike the real ice-cream, which is mainly dairy-based.

Are you ready to get a taste of Sabah? Let’s start with tropical fruits…



Above: the mango flavor..



Above: the smooth taste of Durian, the king of fruit.



Above: Cempedak (jackfruit) flavor that smells like the fragrant fruit.



Above: the creamy Avocado flavor…

Besides fruit flavors, they also have dessert flavors…



Above: red bean popsicle is my personal favorite and I bet most think the same. Eating it is like having a nice bowl of red bean soup, a famous dessert.



Above: Cendol flavor for a taste of the traditional “green jelly” sweet dessert, popular in South-East Asia.


Above: I don’t like Yam flavor but my dad loves it.


You can see the red bean in the Red Bean and Cendol flavored ice-cream.


You see. Probably I’m a man, so I’m impatient. I just bite and chew the ice-cream LOL. I really don’t understand why girls like to lick and suck ice-cream. Such action creates wild imagination in my head, which I consider it as a sexual harassment. Haha, ok, I’m just kidding. Actually I enjoy seeing that.


One is never enough.. I ate three.. :-p


Super Ice-Cream Potong is common but surprisingly not every supermarket selling it. It’s not hard to find, but you need to look around. Most likely you can find it in our airports and shops that sell Sabah souvenir and products, like the “Souvenir Shopping Centre” (?????) in Warisan Square of Kota Kinabalu city center (see photo below):


The shop is facing the road and Le Meridien Hotel so it is easy to find. The contact is as below:
Great Fortune Marketing (????????)
Address: Lot B-G-16 & B-01-16, Ground & 1st Floor, Block B Warisan Square, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 88-447699
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm daily


View My Sabah Map in a larger map


If you buy 7 boxes, they can make special big pack that can keep your ice-cream cold for 10 hours, but you need to order 2 days in advance and the cost (7 boxes of ice-cream + special packing) is RM150 (≈USD45.50). The normal price of this ice-cream is about RM15 (≈USD4.55) per box, but they sell it for RM20 (≈USD6), probably the price is higher in city.

Related Post

More Sabah Ice Cream

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Ngiu Chap Beef Noodle of Kedai Cheng Wah Restaurant (精華冰室)

2 Replies

Opened by a Hainanese named Wong Whue Fong in 1961, Kedai Cheng Wah Restaurant (精華冰室) has been selling delicious Ngiu Chap (Mixed Beef, 牛什 or 牛杂 in Chinese) for over half a century. Your grandparents or parents may have tried it. If they keep up the current standard, I have no doubt Cheng Wah can open for another 100 years.


Kedai Cheng Wah Restaurant is run by Wong family. For those who look for the most traditional Sabah Ngiu Chap, they will be sent here by words of mouth.


Pic: the aromatic Ngiu Chap soup evidences that it’s good stuff.

In general, Ngiu Chap (or Ngau Chap) is beef broth consists of stew meat, tendon, omasum, tripe, intestine, tongue, heart, spleen, liver and other parts of cow / buffalo. Different restaurants have different formula and spices in making Ngiu Chap.


Once you try Ngiu Chap, you will never forget the taste and will constantly crave for it. If you don’t believe me, just ask your Sabah friends overseas which food they miss the most, and they will prove me right. Unfortunately, Sabah Ngiu Chap is unique, and you can’t find the same flavor outside Sabah, even in West Malaysia.


Normally, we enjoy Ngiu Chap as noodle soup. You can choose noodles such as rice vermicelli (米粉), yellow noodle (面) and Pho (河粉). I chose Pho this time, as shown in photo above.


You can’t overcook beef, or you will end up chewing Ngiu Chap that is as hard as shoe skin. The Ngiu Chap of Cheng Wah is tender but not too soft.


I also like their broth, which is neither bland nor salty. The soup tastes like a mix of beef and chicken soup (though no chicken meat is added), with mild smell of pepper.


Pic: the food menu of Kedai Cheng Wah Restaurant (prices as of Nov 2012)

Standard Ngiu Chap noodle costs only MYR5.50 (≈USD1.83). You can try other variety of Ngiu Chap such as soup-only, dry noodle style and meat-ball only. If you are big-eater, you can order extra noodle or meat (for additional price).

How to Get There

Kedai Cheng Wah Restaurant (精華冰室) is located in Lido Penampang, about 6 KM away from Kota Kinabalu city.


The full address of Cheng Wah is:
Ground Floor, Lot 8, Block A, Taman Che Mei (Lido Township), Jalan Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Below is the location map of Kedai Cheng Wah:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map


Opening Hours: 6:30am – 10pm daily
They rest two days a month (no fixed date). Before going, you may call them at +60 88-222831 to confirm if they are open.


I hope you will be sitting at one of the tables there for a great Ngiu Chap soon.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kuih Jala (Net Cake), fun to make & good to eat

2 Replies

Kuih Jala is a famous snack found in Malaysia. “Kuih” means Cake and “Jala” means Net in Malay language, so it is literally translated to “Net Cake” here. It is named after the pattern that looks like net. It is commonly called Biskut Sarang Semut (Ant’s nest biscuit).


However, the most interesting aspect of Kuih Jala is not how it tastes, but how it is made. It is really fun to watch the making of Kuih Jala.


The materials are simple, just mix rice powder with sugar and water until the mixture becomes dense and gluey. Put the mixture inside a coconut shell that is poked with many small holes underneath. Then move the shell container quickly over the hot cooking oil. The mixture will drip into the oil like thread. Move the shell in circular motion for a few seconds, until the mixture forms a plate-like layer on the oil.


When the sizzling stops and the kuih turns yellowish, use sticks to fold the kuih into triangle shape. If you are highly-skilled, you can roll it into tube shape.


Lastly, put the Kuih Jala in a basket to let the excessive oil drains off. You can eat it after it is cool down. It tastes sweet and crispy with rice aroma. Even kids love it! You may watch the 1-min video below to see how Kuih Jala is cooked:


Pic: Kuih Jala in packing. You can find this easily in market.

As making Kuih Jala is so fun, a few cultural villages such as Mari-Mari and Brunei Cultural Village have made this a tourist activity.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

BBQ Seafood in Kota Kinabalu

Leave a reply

I love BBQ food b’coz anything tastes good if you grill it. If you are a tourist who wants to have a seafood feast without burning a hole in your pocket, you will be very happy to know the seafood night market in Sinsuran, a very accessible spot in Kota Kinabalu (KK) city.


As a matter of fact, Sinsuran Night Market is well-known among the locals and it is always packed with people who look for budget seafood. This place is not advertised as widely as other decent (and expensive) seafood restaurants in city. Some tourists who care to research a bit online will find out this “hidden” place.


Sinsuran night market is very easy to find. For those who stay in city center, it’ll take them less than 10 minutes to walk there. Go to the Handicraft Market, or more commonly known as “Filipino Market” by the locals, in front of Le Meridien 5-star Hotel. The night market is just right behind the Filipino Market, as shown in the map below:


View My Sabah Map in a larger map


The Filipino Handicraft Market is a popular location for bargain local handicrafts and products such as beadwork, batik, wooden craft, traditional handmade baskets, key chains, dried seafood and even freshwater pearl. It’s hard for visitors not to smell the smoke with BBQ aroma at the back of Handicraft Market after 5:30pm. I believe that’s how most foreign tourists learn this place when they trace the smoke, and many decide to eat there after handicraft shopping.


There are many BBQ seafood stalls. You may tour around and look at variety of seafood on display. The seafood is half-cooked. You just point at the seafood you want, and they will grill it again and serve it hot to you in minutes.

FYI, the seafood night market is just next to KK fish market, one of the most important fish landing port of Sabah. That’s why fresh seafood is readily available for the hawkers.


Just take time to look around and you will be spoiled with choices. Besides fishes, they also sell BBQ squid, prawn, crab and lobster. They also come in different sizes with prices range from RM8 to RM20 (≈USD2.50-USD6) each. Usually the bigger one costs more. Anyway, the prices are for your reference only. Lobster can cost more than RM100 (≈USD33)! I think they charge higher price for tourists, so do bargain with them or check a few other stalls first, before you sit down.


The “must-try” seafood is Tiger Prawn. The Tiger Prawn is the most famous seafood of Sabah, as it is big and longer than your palm. Tell you, whenever Sabahans order prawns in Peninsular Malaysia, we always laugh at their size. Not only the prawn in Peninsular Malaysia is expensive and not so fresh, their small prawn is only “qualified” for making shrimp paste in Sabah LOL.


After you make your order, you can enjoy the grilled seafood under the canopy. It’s very simple setup, with only a few tables and chairs. You will see a small plastic kettle filled with water on the table. It’s for washing your hands so don’t drink it ok, haha. You will see most locals eating seafood with bare hands. You can ask for spoon and fork if you are not used to our dining style. You may order white rice to go with your seafood if you like to.


My BBQ seafood, yum yum.. :-p~


Occasionally I have my dinner at this night market too. Did you see the green stuff on my plate? It’s seaweed and I strongly recommend you to try it. For me, it tastes like tiny and juicy sour grape with a smell of seawater, after applying a bit of Calamansi Lime juice on it. It’s only RM1 or RM2 per plate.


The Sinsuran Night Market is more than seafood stalls. You can find almost any kind of common local food there, for example, fried noodle (Mee Goreng), soup noodle (Soto). The BBQ honey chicken wing is also the favorite of locals.


Ok, you come here all the way from other country and you want something exotic right? You may try the grilled chicken butt (actually it’s chicken tail but locals call it butt) and chicken liver. It’s a very subjective matter whether you like chicken butt, personally, I think it is quite oily but the meat is more “juicy”, sweet and tender.


You gastronomic adventure shouldn’t stop here b’coz there are more local food for you explore. A few steps away from the seafood stalls is colorful and rich variety of local breads, cakes and dessert for sale.


Well, there are too many to introduce. Just try whatever looks delicious to you. Most of them taste sweet.


For drink, you can try coconut juice (Air Kelapa) or other local fruit juice, for example, the Kit-Chai-Ping (Iced Calamansi Lime Juice or “???” in Chinese). At this point, you would agree with me that it’s not too much to call Sinsuran Night Market a little food paradise. The food there is so irresistible that it’s impossible you leave with an empty stomach.

Related post
BBQ Seafood in Sandakan (Sim-Sim)

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Nabalu, the mid-way stop to Kinabalu Park

4 Replies

Pekan Nabalu (“pekan” means town) is used to be a “toilet stop” for tourists heading to Kinabalu Park. Now this small town is flourishing and become a “must stop” for tourists.

Pekan Nabalu is only 12 KM before Kinabalu Park, so a lot of tourists stop here for toilet break or breakfast. Tourist buses love to stop here due to the ample and spacious parking space in Nabalu.


However, there are more reasons why tourists like to stop here but not other places.

Location of Nabalu:


View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Reason 1: View of Mt. Kinabalu

The 15-Meter watch tower of Nabalu is so prominent at the roadside that every motorist passing by will notice it. Nabalu town is one of the best spots to see Mt. Kinabalu and its adjacent landscape. Tour Guides also like to bring climbers here for a “preview” of the mountain before the climb.


Above: the view of Mt. Kinabalu from watch tower


At the edge of the town there is also a platform to see Mt. Kinabalu. It’s an ideal photography point to use Mt. Kinabalu as your backdrop, as there is nothing obstruct the view, no tall trees, no electricity wire, etc. The mountain also looks very close as if you can hug it.


However, Mt. Kinabalu is covered in mist most of the time, so you need to be lucky to get a clear view of it. You will have better chance if you get there before 8am or 9am and the weather is good.


Above: group selfie with Mt. Kinabalu


Above: The information board at the platform to show you what peaks you are looking at.


Above: a lovely morning view of Mt. Kinabalu from Nabalu

Reason 2: Local Handicraft & Food Markets

Another reason that draws the tourists is the handicraft and food markets in Nabalu. The price is cheaper than city, provided that you have good bargaining skill. Don’t be shy to ask for discount.


Above: a corner of the food market


You can find rich variety of local food and produces. Almost every type of fruits, vegetables and snacks are available in the food market of Nabalu.


Above: honey with bee nest for RM85 (≈USD26)!


Above: hill paddy in 5 colors, RM5 per pack (≈USD1.50). The seller says the 1st one (from left) has aroma of maize, and the 3rd one is Pandan favor.


Above: local peanut


Above: they even have wild durian if you come at right season

There is a building with tons of handicraft and souvenirs line up in its 50-Meter long verandah. Being bombarded by so many colorful and beautiful items, very few tourists can resist not buying anything.

The shops sell almost any item that you can name, e.g. T-shirt, bags, stationary, key-chain, refrig magnet, puff toy, batik cloth, hats, baskets, purses, handicraft, photo frames, bead work, postcards. The things pile up like factory outlet and you will be spoiled with choices. Remember, ask for discount.

Reason 3: The Toilet

The last reason, but not the least, is the toilet. Though it’s not a 5-star toilet, it’s reasonably clean. The air in Nabalu is cool and refreshing, so it’s nice to take a short walk and stretch your muscle, after sitting so long in the car.


Above: public toilet, RM0.30 per entry (≈USD0.10)

Photos taken in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Tampoi / Tampui fruit of Sabah

2 Replies

Early this month I was driving to Kinabalu Park, when I was near the junction to Kota Belud, about 42 KM before Ranau, I saw a roadside stall selling a fruit that I’ve never seen before. As I was in a hurry, I didn’t pull over and check it out.

However, my curiosity keeps on bugging me and I couldn’t stop thinking what it is. After nearly 10 KM, I made a U-turn to come back to that stall. The fruit looks like mini-orange with smooth skin. The stall is quite striking with this orange-color fruit hanging and displayed all over the place.

The owner, Ms Latifah told me that this fruit is called Tampui or Tampoi. It’s a familiar name to me coz my friends who live in villages of highland told me about it, but I never taste one.

Latifah says this fruits are pluck in her orchard not far away. The Tampoi tree takes about 3 years to fully grown and it normally flowers near year end. This is a seasonal fruit that is only available between Jan and Mar.

Fruiting Tampoi tree

If you like, you can sample the fruit before buying.

Latifah is busy taking Tampoi from her bamboo basket (called “wakid”) and string them into a clump of ten, each is only sold for RM2 (≈USD0.60).

Actually I am more interested in photographing the stall as it looks so visually pleasing with these orange fruit. Latifah gladly agreed. I bet she was thinking who the heck I am coz I shot so many photos. I also bought Tampoi from her to show my appreciation.

Tampoi also grows in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Ambon.

Of course, photo-taking is not enough. I got to try one. Tampoi has very thick skin but it’s effortless to peel it into half to reveal the white pulp inside.

Tampo is known as puak by Iban in Sarawak, its fruit is also used to make a fruit wine.

Tampoi looks like mangosteen. Its pulp is divided into a few slices, each with a seed in it. However, unlike mangosteen, the pulp of Tampui is dry and slight harder. I ate it and it tastes sweet with a bit of sour, very similar to mangosteen but less sour. Actually Mangosteen is a Garcinia species, while the scientific name of Tampoi is Baccaurea macrocarpa.

The seed is small and has a layer of pulp glued with it. I believe such feature will make monkey consumes the whole seed, so Tampoi can take advantage of its mobility to spread to further place via excretion.

Related post
Wild mangosteen of Borneo

Photos taken in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Coconut Pudding

Leave a reply

After trying the BBQ Clams (Lokan Panggang) and Grilled Coconut (Kelapa Bakar) in Tuaran, I decide to try Coconut Pudding (Puding Kelapa) in second visit. You can order Coconut Pudding from most of the roadside stalls there.

To know how to get there, you may read my last blog about BBQ Clams and Grilled Coconut.

They fill the inside of coconut with pudding and ice it. Each coconut pudding costs only RM4 each (≈USD1.20). The quantity is really satisfying as I’m almost full after having one only.

It tastes just like other pudding, soft and sweet, but rich with taste of coconut milk. It’s a great dessert in hot day and it’s not oily nor overly sweet.

Therefore, I have no problem finishing it happily. Not only that, I order more and share it with my family.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to carry the heavy coconuts back home. They have cup version that sold for only RM2 (≈USD0.60) each. To get the best taste, you may store it in refrigerator before eating.

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo