An open air art installation located in the ruins of the colonial Land and Surveys Building that was razed by fire in 1992. All that's left are 30 pillars.
Lamb Brisket in Claypot is a must-order. The lamb is tender and not gamey. Stir-fried Long Bean & Eggplant with Dry Shrimp sounds simple, but the dried shrimp will make you asking for more rice.
A small church with a unique architecture. The design is square, with the bell tower rising up in the middle. Built in 1964. Check out their blog for the latest mass times. Parking is available.
Established in 1908, but the building was completed in 1931. A commercial organization with focus on education, and culture.
Halal cafe with Western and Asian food options. A nice selection of pastries and cakes too. The Basmathi Nasi Lemak with Ayam Penyet (RM18.90) is seriously quite good. The sambal has standard.
look for the 33-A stairwell. Buzz to be let in. Doubles as an art space. Very small drinks and food menu. I'm happy with their americano (RM11). Black tonic is espresso with tonic water (not a fan).
The sashimi and unagi set is a nice combination. For tuna lovers, there's a trio of ootoro, chutoro, and akami at RM88. Engawa in ponzu sauce is a nice appetizer, but came last for us.
Cannelloni is a must-order if you like tomato-based pastas. Comfort food, and uncommon. Pork cutlet has a weird sauce. The dessert platter is perfect for fickle people.
Don't expect to find Romanized signboard for Kappo Takebayashi, its actually located inside the restaurant. House roll and white fish yuzu kosho is recommended. Sake available only by the 750ml bottle
A Marriot Bonvoy hotel. Check in was fast and painless. Parking is via valet (RM10). The deluxe room on the 20th floor was pretty comfortable, but the view is blocked by the brick facade. Clean linens
Hard wood and metal theme. The sous vide white pork ribs has a very oriental stewed pork taste, and I like it because rib tips are used. Black mussels in spicy tomato sauce is really spicy.
the fried yin yong has decent wok qi. Asam fish is one of their signature items, but I found it a tad too sour. My personal favourite is the minced mushroom with preserved vegetables tofu.
A neighbourhood Japanese restaurant with a good price point, and decent food quality. The sashimi was fresh, and the dragon roll is recommended. Sukiyaki was so-so. Don't like the horrible parking.
Single hall performance arts space. Seats are comfortable enough. Beautiful red brick architecture. Basement parking available. Lots of food options nearby.
The theme ingredient of this Chinese restaurant is bitter gourd. Either order dishes, or single meals. The fish head noodles with bitter gourd (RM11 for small) is delicious.
Great place for handmade bao. The skin is very good, not too thick, with fluffy texture. I like the mui choy bao (RM2.80) but the price has increased and the filling reduced.
A popular neighbourhood eatery with lots of loyal customers. Attentive service. The nasi kerabu is great for sharing. Not exactly the traditional style, it comes with some uncommon embellishments.
Located inside Book Excess, near the Piazza. A quiet place to have Japanese food. Enjoyed the nigiri sushi set, and grilled Sanma. Seafood is fresh. Attentive service. Kitchen is a tad slow though.
No-frills yakitori restaurant with a very appealing price point for a place like Taman Desa. Surprised to find motsu (intestines) skewers on the menu. Loved the akaebi. Some meats too chewy.
During peak hours, you might need to wait up to 1 hour for your food. Enjoyed the grilled iberico pork selection cuts, and Spanish octopus. Food comes with a complimentary cabbage salad.
An Instea branch with 2 floors, and an internal balcony with a view of the main entrance. Big space. Clean, with good a/c. The americano here is RM12.90, and is weak. I like the honey lemon aloe vera.
Dim sum restaurant with some roast meat options. The base price is RM7. The siew mai is has a good taste and meat texture. Ham Sui Kok is very crispy and not greasy.
Interesting stuff on the menu like Tomato Brown Rice Saikoro Steak, and Suzuki Curry Risotto. Portions are small though. Surprisingly, their seasonal Yu Sheng is really good.
Quiet with an event space. Love the Apple Crumble waffle here~ topped with ice cream, Biscoff, apple filling, and cinnamon. First time I was ever asked on how I like the texture of my waffle.
Main items here are nasi lemak, pan mee, and chicken chop.The nasi lemak is pretty good. Pan mee is just average. Definitely order the Signature Hainan Coffee (cold).
Famous for Beaufort Noodles. I ordered the the bihun version. Basically its stir-fried noodles with starchy gravy, minus the egg drop. Comes with a generous amount of vegetables, & meat. Good wok hei.
A wood-themed cafe with a lot of character. The interior is very chill with a low loft. Afogatto came with three scoops of vanilla ice cream. Chocolate cake is moist. Good coffee.
The baos have that handmade touch to it, but I think the skin is too thick with not enough filling. Polo bun is a great combination of textures with a great pineapple filling that's not sickly sweet.
Good representation of night life in Kota Kinabalu. Great place to chill and enjoy a cocktail (tried the Blood Orange, not quite to my liking). Do it al fresco or indoors. Ambience is great.
