Syn Ming Hing Cafe & Cake, Sandakan

Many Sabahans like to "Yum Cha" or having a drink at coffee shops. Usually around 3-5pm, to have a break or simply building rapport with clients. People usually will go for kopi (coffee), teh (tea) and etc... and most of the time will complement it with confectioneries or pastries like roti kawin (bread with butter and kaya), cakes and etc.

Syn Ming Hing in Sandakan is one of the popular place for "Yum Cha". Located in the city centre, it is popular for its delicious cakes and pastry. Its something like restaurants and cafes standards but served at coffee shop at affordable price.

My favourite is their cakes, especially those with sponge cake base and chiffon, where it very soft and spongy. To my experience, this the place that serves the best coffee shop cakes.

If you want to try, please go before 4pm for better variety as its going fast.

Taiwan Restaurant, Kinarut

Many people does not realise the existence of a Taiwanese restaurant along the way to Papar from Kinarut. When heading to Papar from Kota Kinabalu, there is a small signboard on the right-hand side with the name "Taiwan Restaurant" pointing to the direction of a small junction leading to the restaurant.

Many people when reaching the car park, are surprised with the uniquely simple design of the restaurant. It's an opened concept with no fancy layout, furniture and even without air conditioning. All it has is natural sea breeze as it's situated on the beach front.

Well, anyway, who cares about the design and layout if it serves good food. Well, the serve ONLY good food. Service? No way! Don't expect any good services except good food in this restaurant. Surprisingly, many people are willing to tolerate the type of services for the exchange of good food. One of them is me, myself.

The most popular dishes they serves is the Braised Pork Trotter. Slowly cooked for hours until all the sauce being soaked into the meat makes every bites a sensational taste. Uniquely, it is cooked with pineapple to gives a bit of extra kick in the flavouring. Best served with steamed rice.

If you planned to go and try their pork trotter, make sure you go with at least 4 person; else, the owner will REFUSE to serve you. Reason being you can't finish the big portion and you will waste the food. Funny isn't it? No matter how you argue, or telling them you are big eater, she just won't serve you the amount of food she thinks you cannot finish. That is why I cannot show you the pictures of more delicious food from this restaurant like their popular Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, Stir Fried Fragrance Mushroom and etc.

Well, want to try strange services with good food? Just pay a visit on the way to Papar, Beaufort or Sipitang. Last but not least, I also found their blended chilies are unique too. They added in preserved soya bean in the mixture of chilies.

Lok Kyun Restaurant, Tuaran

During my outstation trip to Kota Belud, I usually stop by Tuaran town for lunch. Tuaran is the town for the popular Tuaran Mee (a hand made egg noodle). Tuaran Mee is not only popular among the locals, many of my friends from West Malaysia, Sarawak and Brunei like it very much too.

Tuaran Mee is a hand made egg flat noodle. The texture is tender and usually fried to covered with eggs. It's usually cooked with simple ingredients like BBQ Pork (char siew), eggs roll, veggies and pork. Some stalls might use a more expensive ingredients like prawns.

Although it's very popular, many people when asked, are unsure of the origins of this Tuaran Noodle (the shop that invented it) because too many people are selling it due to its popularity. However, when one visited Tuaran town, many will be introduced to Lok Kyun Restaurant. It's noodle is hand made by their own restaurant. This restaurant has been visited by Jason Yeoh (Ah Sien), the host of Astro AEC's Taste With Jason which introduce good food around Malaysia. When one visited the restaurant, one can see all the pictures taken with Jason and posters around.