Tag Archives: noodle

Liang Yung Hua Restaurant (???)

Liang Yung Hua Restaurant (梁荣华饭店) and its 80-year-old recipe

3 Replies

Can we put equal sign between “New” and “Better”? Probably not everything, especially for traditional food by Leong Wing Hua Restaurant in Papar town, which is famous for their roasted pork prepared in original way for over 80 years.

Old wooden shophouses in Papar town

Papar is 37 Km away from Kota Kinabalu City. The old wooden shophouses there would be the first thing that grabs your attention. Outsiders may think that it’s a sign of under-development and ought to be replaced.

The location of Liang Yun Hua Restaurant

However, the locals may not agree, as they appreciate these old building as a heritage. You will understand their sentiment, after you have a meal at Leong Wing Hua Restaurant (Other names: Restoran Liang Yun Hua, Kedai Makan Liang Yung Hua; 梁荣华饭店 in Chinese). The authentic taste of their roasted pork brings you back to the era when taste and quality matter more than profit.

Liang Yun Hua Restaurant is over 80 years old

The interior of Leong Wing Hua Restaurant is quite basic. No fancy theme, no air-conditioning, and no music, but it’s always crowded with people who want great food.

Liang Yung Hua Restaurant (梁荣华饭店)

Leong Wing Hua Restaurant serves excellent roasted duck, Chinese sausages, and roasted pork (烧鸭、叉烧、烧腊、脆皮烧肉 in Chinese). You better be there early before everything is sold out. Normally we eat these with noodle or rice.

Food menu of Liang Yun Hwa Restaurant (see translation in blue at the left)

Their noodle is also handmade, which tastes better, less oily and more chewy. Another must try is their Vinegar / Sour Pork Trotter (猪脚醋 in Chinese). Each dish costs about RM6.50 (≈US$1.60). Please see food menu above (prices as of Mar 2016).

Old photo of Liang Yung Hua Restaurant

This restaurant was started by Liang family in 1937 and is passed down to 4th generation now. The founder learned the “secret” recipe of making delicious roasted pork from a Hong Kong chef who worked for a wealthy family. Even after 80 years, the restaurant insists to grill the pork in traditional way with charcoal.

Noodle with roasted pork and Chinese sausage

The slow and mild grilling process by charcoal can keep the meat juicy and smoke it with nice aroma. In contrast, most restaurants today order roasted pork from distributors, who usually use “shortcut” method, i.e. by gas or electric oven, to mass-produce mediocre roasted pork to save time and cost.

Noodle of Liang Yung Hua Restaurant. Papar folks like to put a bit of Tomato Ketchup (Maggi brand) for the best taste.

FYI, Leong Wing Hua Restaurant also makes Hakka Pork Belly With Yam (客家扣肉) during Chinese New Year by special order.

Chinese sausage of Liang Yun Hua Restaurant

The following is the location and contact of the restaurant:
Cellphone: +60 16-5366971 (Ah Lun)
Address: P. O. Box 158, 89608 Papar, Jalan Masjid Papar, Sabah, Malaysia
(Next to SJK Cheng Hwa Primary School; 吧巴正华小学 in Chinese)
Opening Hours: 7am – 2pm (may close earlier if items sold out) (closed on Monday)
GPS: 5.735573, 115.932982 (see Location Map or Street View)

Photos taken in Papar, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Nom Nom Sabah Food at Sim-Sim Water Village

8 Replies

Let me tell you what are the must-do things when you go to Sandakan City. First thing is Eat, second thing is also Eat, third thing is… well, you know. I may sound like joking but there are really a lot of delicious Sabah food you must not miss in Sandakan.

Sim-Sim Water Village

One of the best places for eat out is Sim-Sim Water Village, which is about 3 KM away from city center of Sandakan and along the main road Jalan Buli Sim Sim. Sim-Sim Water Village is built by hundreds of wooden stilt houses on the sea and has over one century of history. Travel agents always bring tourists here for sightseeing.

Going for lunch at Sim-Sim

The water village is really a big maze. It is divided into over 20 zones and each zone is accessible by a “bridge”, which is a long concrete or plank walkway extending a few hundred meters to the sea and flanked by houses and shops. The famous dining area is on 7th and 8th bridge.

Walking on 8th bridge of Sim-Sim Village

7th Bridge (or Lorong G)

If you want to taste iconic food of Sandakan, go for Spring Noodle and Century Egg Dumpling (弹弓面 and 皮蛋饺 in Chinese) at 7th Bridge of Sim-Sim Water Village. Actually these two food are also available in other places of Sabah (even in Kota Kinabalu City) due to their increasing popularity, but 7th Bridge serves the most original and authentic version.

Spring noodle (left) and Century Egg Dumpling of Sandakan

The highly recommended restaurant for both dishes are Kau Kee (九记) at G68 of 7th Bridge. This coffee shop opens from 6am to 11am daily, but the food can be sold out before 10am, so you better be there early.

Century Egg Dumpling

The texture of Spring Noodle is dense, thereby nearly doubling the flavor and aroma of yellow noodle, and a small bowl can make you full. As its name implies, the noodle is springy and a bit chewy. Eat it with savory deep fried pork and enjoy their lusciousness bounced in your mouth.

Century Egg Dumpling is a must-try at Sim-Sim

Oh boy, next one is my favorite, the Century Egg Dumpling. The cook mixes the pork with century egg (jelly-like preserved egg), giving this dumpling a meaty taste blended with rich and creamy yolk flavor. However, some westerners might think the smell of century egg is repulsive. If you are first-time trying, you can order small quanity to sample, and order more if you really like it.

8th Bridge

For seafood lovers, head to 8th Bridge, which is just next to 7th Bridge.

Seafood restaurants of Sim-Sim Water Village

When you reach the end of 8th Bridge, turn right to Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant (Chinese Name: 森森海上风味餐厅). This Chinese restaurant doesn’t serve pork but it’s not truly halal, though some Muslims think it’s acceptable.

White-bellied sea eagle statue of Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant

Sea view at Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant

You can enjoy sea view and breeze while having your meal.

Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant

The opening hours of Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant are 6:30am-3:30pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm.
Address (see Location Map): Kampung Sim-Sim, Off Jalan Buli Sim-Sim, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel: +60 89-226558
They accept payment by credit card.

Steamed fish of Sim-Sim

Sandakan City is one of the most important landing ports of seafood, so the restaurant is never short of fresh seafood such as fishes, crabs, prawns, squids, lobsters and seashells.

Sandakan is never short of big fishes

Great variety of seafood dishes at the restaurant

There are many ways to cook a seafood, e.g. steamed, fried, broil. You can always ask the waitress to recommend the best way to enjoy it.

Butter Prawns

Clams

Big oyster of Sandakan

You can find many positive reviews on the Internet that Sim-Sim 88 Seafood Restaurant offers yummy seafood at affordable price. I won’t say it’s very cheap but it’s great value for money. The best seafood is fresh seafood. They don’t even need to use MSG.

Juicy big oyster

If you want only quick and simple meal for one person, you can order the following items too.

Seafood noodle

Fresh seafood with noodle

Crispy seafood noodle (香底米粉 in Chinese). The noodle absorbs all the broth from seafood.

Milky seafood noodle soup with sour pickle, very appetizing

Want to have some “snack”? You will love their fried baby squids. It’s crispy and chewy but you will enjoy its fragrant smell.

Fried baby squid (with dark soy sauce) goes well with beer

Close-up of fried baby squid

Piranha in fish tank of the restaurant. Can order? 😀

Other Sandakan Food

As I mentioned, Sandakan City is great for a gastronomic tour. The following are more Sandakan food to make you happy:

Photos taken in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kueh Teow Noodle with Deep-fried Pork

3 Replies

How much can things change in 75 years? Even 20 years can change our look and city a lot. However, there are something that are better left unchanged, because they have become a heritage. I’m talking about a noodle in Sandakan City at East Coast of Sabah. It’s as delicious as 75 years ago, like what our grandparents and parents used to enjoy.

Sandakan Central Market

The hawker stall which sells this noodle is located in Sandakan Central Market (Pasar Umum Sandakan in local language) of city center (see Location Map). Before World War II, Sandakan was a prosperous capital of North Borneo (now Sabah) and called the Little Hong Kong because many Chinese were living here. They developed the city and also introduced localized version of China food.

Only locals know this great place for breakfast

When you walk up to level 3 (top floor) of Sandakan Central Market, you will see many food stalls. The place is quite clean. Though you won’t see many tourists eating there, this market is one of the important stops of traditional food trail for food hunters.

Their noodle would be sold out before noon, so be there early

Then look for the stall with sign that reads “家傳正宗炸肉大粉 Since 1940, The Original Homemade Kueh Teow with Deep-Fried Pork”. Also known as Kuy Teav or Kway Teow, Kueh Teow is flat rice noodle that looks like fettuccine, but it’s white, smooth and soft. This Chinese food stall opens from 5am to 11:30am every day, but be there early because the noodles could be sold out before 10am.

Kueh Teow with deep-fried pork (dry and noodle soup)

You have two ways to eat this noodle, i.e. noodle soup or dry style. Both taste good so it’s just a personal preference.

Kueh Teow noodle soup topped with deep-fried pork and sliced Chinese fritters

The Kueh Teow noodle is topped with deep-fried pork, slices of Chinese fritter and minced spring onion. The flat noodle has absorbed the savory soup and I like its smooth texture. The coarse fritters add an interesting contrast.

Kueh Teow noodle soup with deep-fried pork

The pork is well-marinated and deep-fried to have a slightly-burnt, aromatic and crisp outer layer. It has “condense” savory taste of meat, a bit chewy and not as oily as roasted pork.

Kueh Teow with deep-fried pork (dry)

Each bowl of noodle costs only RM4.00 (less than US$1.00, no tax, price as of Aug 2015). The serving isn’t much though. I was 73.58% full and wish to have more.

Kueh Teow noodle topped with deep-fried pork and minced spring onion

So I ordered second bowl, the dry version which has no soup and enhanced with lard. Just kidding. It belongs to my friend.

Hawker stalls on level 3 of Sandakan Central Market

Started in 1940, this Kueh Teow food is as old as McDonald’s. Instead of becoming a franchise with fancy shop decor, this stall keeps the setting basic, the way their loyal customers like to enjoy a traditional noodle from the oldest China town of Sabah.

Photos taken in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Best Soto Noodle Soup of Sabah

13 Replies

The recent rainy days turn Sabah into a cool place, so having a bowl of delicious Soto noodle soup is a delightful way to warm my stomach. Soto is a beef soup served with Mihun (rice vermicelli). It is so common that you can find it in almost every Malay or Muslim restaurant in Malaysia. Though Soto is everywhere, few restaurants offer very good Soto. To save cost, the cook would use beef bouillon cubes for the soup.

Kedai Kopi Yuan Yuan (源源茶餐室)


The best Soto I have so far is at Kedai Kopi Yuan Yuan (源源茶餐室 in Chinese) in Tawau, east coast of Sabah. You might be surprised that it’s a Chinese restaurant. Same as traditional Soto, their beef broth is flavorful, but cooked with spices (e.g. pepper, cinnamon, star anise, lemongrass) in Chinese style. Though Yuan Yuan is not a Halal (for Muslim) restaurant, they serve no pork (to some Sabahan Muslims it’s ok).


What does the full house photo above tell you? It’s a social proof of excellent food. I had to wait nearly 10 minutes for an empty seat, but I was more than happy to stand behind a long line for the best Soto. The workers there were as busy as bees, to serve the noisy customers who sounded like hungry chicken waiting to be fed.


The Soto of Yuan Yuan comes with a few flavors such as Daging (Beef), Ayam (Chicken) and Seafood. As there were many customers, I had to wait another 10 minutes for my Soto Seafood. My mouth was dripping just by smelling and looking at it.


My Soto Seafood noodle soup has fish balls, prawns and egg, with fried garlic and sliced green onion as condiment. Tawau is abundant with seafood, and from the taste, I can tell they use fresh seafood (instead of frozen one). Their beef soup is richer and darker than other Soto. The soup also has strong pepper flavor, with mild spicy taste and very appetizing.


The soup is not oily, and I give A+ to their fish and prawn balls as they are springy, and without heavy use of flour. I notice they don’t use cucumber slices, which are used a lot in other Soto (because it’s cheap).

If I live in Tawau, I will have Soto here as breakfast every day. Too bad I have only one mouth, or I’ll try all flavors at a time. Anyway, I took a few photos of other Soto, as shown below:


Pic: Soto Ayam (Chicken)


Pic: Soto Daging (Beef)


Pic: Soto Campur (Mixed), if you like to have beef, chicken and seafood in one serving.


Pic: minced chili
Personally I think you must add a bit of minced chili made by Yuan Yuan. Unlike the sharp hotness of red chili that attacks only tongue, you can feel heat spreads in your whole mouth as if it’s fire inside, quite potent in a pleasant way. It tastes more like pepper though.


Pic: the best time to drop by Yuan Yuan is after meal hours in weekday, when there are less people.

Kedai Kopi Yuan Yuan is open from 8am to 1:30pm/2pm every day (rest 1 day every fortnight). The shop is located at:
TB10749 Taman Megah Jaya, 3.5 Miles Jalan Apas, 91000 Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia (near to SJK(C) Kung Ming Chinese school) (See location map in Google)
Tel: +60 89-761986


Pic: the food menu and prices of Yuan Yuan. The price of Soto ranges from RM5.00 – RM7.00 (≈USD1.50 – 2.10) *as of Apr 2013

Restoran Happy Muslim (Happy Muslim Restaurant)

Another nice place for Soto noodle soup is Restoran Happy Muslim (non-Muslim is also welcomed) in Kota Kinabalu city center. It is a Halal restaurant that serves true Malay style Soto. The soup is clear and it tastes slightly bland, but highly recommended by many. Sometimes I saw tourists tried the Soto there too.


Address: Lot No.9, Block H, Ground Floor, Sinsuran Complex, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (See location map)
Tel (Mobile): +60 14 6555516 (Mr. Wau)
Opening Hours: 7am – 5pm daily


Pic: Soto Daging of Restoran Happy Muslim, RM4 per bowl (≈USD1.20) *as of May 2013


Besides Soto Daging (Beef) and Ayam (Chicken), they have other varieties such as Soto Tulang (bone), Soto Perut (Beef Tripes and Omasum) and Soto Urat (Beef Tendon), each costs about RM5.50 per bowl (≈USD1.70) *as of May 2013

Other Types of Soto

There are many types of Soto that bears different names and getting popular. You can find the following Indonesian-style Soto in Sabah too.


Pic: Coto Makassar
Coto Makassar originates from South Sulawesi. I tried this Coto in Restoran Sri Mandahan next to the road near to Bongawan town. Coto has grinded peanut in the beef soup so the taste is sweet. Instead of noodle (rice vermicelli), you eats it with rice cubes (Ketupat).


Pic: beef meat, tendon, liver, intestine and tripes in Coto Makassar


Pic: Bakso (means meatball)

Bakso is Soto in Bugis style actually. The highlight is the meatball, which is commonly made from beef or chicken.

By the way, I was told more than once that Soto can relieve hangover. Now is the month of Kaamatan (Harvest Festival) and everyone will be drinking a lot. Hope this tip will help you, haha.

Do you know any other Sabah restaurants that serve excellent Soto? Please share with me in comment section below. 🙂

Photos taken in Tawau and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

The best Ngiu Chap (Beef Noodle) of Sabah

13 Replies

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

2 Replies

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

4 Replies
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

2 Replies

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