Kota Kinabalu - Dinner at Sutera

The dinner I attended was the Annual Dinner of the Malaysian Institute of Architects Sabah Chapter. It was held at the main ball room of the Sutera Pacific. The food was typical Chinese banquet. Normally Chinese food at hotels are quite average, but I must say that Sutera Pacific has exceeded my expectations.

The appetizer was a combination of four items. There was cold jelly fish, a vegetarian parcel, Chinese beef steaks with cashew nuts and pacific clams in a spicy sauce. Everything was quite tasty.



















This is the Chicken with Chinese Herbs. It was served in an aluminium parcel. The taste was all sealed inside the parcel, and the portion was really generous.



















The prawn dish was quite unusual. It was deep fried king prawns in batter with a mayonnaise sauce, served in a pastry shell. I give it top marks for presentation, but the taste was just okay.



















The glutinous rice in lotus leaf was quite typical, but had lots of mushrooms and dried shrimps which gave it an edge over the usual.



















The desert platter was quite impressive. It was created by the hotel especially for the function. There were several chocolate truffles, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and at the centre was a white chocolate mousse with a hint of mint.

Kota Kinabalu - Sutera Sunset

In KK, you will be rewarded with a beautiful sunset almost every day.

If you live there, you probably take it for granted. Such is life !

Kota Kinabalu - A Sutera Wedding

While I was tooling around the resort taking some pictures, I came across a wedding reception being set up. There's going to be a sunset wedding at the beach front. How romantic !

KK obliged with a beautiful sunset for the wedding couple.

Kota Kinabalu - Sutera Harbour

From Siem Reap we return to Malaysia. I was in Kota Kinabalu recently to attend an annual dinner. It was a short overnight trip. The host generously put me up at the Pacific Sutera Resort - one of the top resorts in KK.

Pacific Sutera is located within the Sutera Harbour development which is right next to Kota Kinabalu City. It is very near the airport - about 10 minutes by taxi. There are two hotels here - the Pacific Sutera which is more of a business class hotel, and the Magellan Sutera which is a tropical style resort. In between the 2 resorts is a marina and yatch club. There is also a golf course within the whole complex.

This is truly a destination resort - you can come here and spend a few days without having to go anywhere else. It is very popular with Japanese and Korean tourists who come here for the sun and golf. For them it is cheaper then golfing back home, flight and hotel included.

KK is renown for it's coast line which faces the South China Sea. The views are truly spectacular, with turquoise blue water and beautiful sunsets.

The water here is so beautiful, you wish you could drink it !

Kota Kinabalu - Tambunan Highlands

The Tambunan Highlands is about 1 1/2 hour drive from KK Town. It seems to be the forgotten backyard of KK, as not many people go there. There are a couple of attractions here - a Rafflesia Centre and a Butterfly Park, but not many resorts.

To me this area has great tourism potential. The drive from KK is very scenic, and the weather is naturally cool all the time due to the altitude. Imagine waking up to find that you are high above the clouds, the air fresh and cool, and the worries of the world far far away.What a great escape that would be !

Eating in Kota Kinabalu - A Noodle Buffet

On the last day in KK, we were looking around for a place to have lunch and ended up in Tanjung Aru Resort. Tanjung Aru was the first 5 star resort to be built in KK. After so many years, it is still one of the premier resorts in town. I guess quality will never go out of date.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the place had been given a facelift since our last visit many years back. The coffee house has been transformed and is now called Tatu Cafe. Design-wise it follows the current modern cleanline approach with an open kitchen concept. Buffet is obviously the main thing here, with the buffet counters taking centre stage. 

They were having a special "Noodle Buffet" which was interesting. Basically you get to pick and choose your own ingredients, pass it to the chef and he will cook it up in the way that you like. Of course we opted for that, even though the kitchen was going to close very soon. We had to work fast !

We ordered up some fried noodles first. 

Followed with fried kueh tiaw (flat rice noodles) with duck and celery. Yummy !

Fried beehoon (vermicelli) with seafood.

Beehoon soup with prawn dumplings.

Dessert selection was a bit limited, but after all the noodles we were already stuffed so can't complain.

Definitely an interesting experience should you want to try something different in KK.

Eating in Kota Kinabalu - Lunch at Raintree Cafe

We bumped into this charming cafe while wondering around KK Town. It is at Warisan Square - one of the latest developments in KK. The full name of the outlet is actually Raintree Furnishing and Cafe, as it is also a shop selling furniture and home furnishing. 

I always have a soft spot for places with lots of interesting knick-knacks, and Raintree is filled to the brim with very nice artifacts. The menu here is a mix of Asian and Western fare. They also operate as a bar at night.

The cosy decoration and the relaxed ambience make this a great place for a short break. On my last visit I ordered the Nonya Spicy Chicken which came withh plain rice and a side dish of pickles. It was very good - the spicy paste made from fresh ingredients and the chef obviously took great care in preparing the dish. The pickles made a nice accompaniment to the spicy sauce.

Oh, the coffee here is pretty good too !

Kota Kinabalu - Tanjung Aru Water Village

There are many water villages in Kota Kinabalu. In fact these are one of the first things you notice about KK when you arrive. They are essentially squatter villages built over waterways and the seafront. As in many cities in developing countries, squatters are very much a part of the local population. 

I visited one of the villages commonly known as Tanjung Aru Water Village. It is built on the seafront - sandwiched between Tanjung Aru Resort and Sutera Harbour. The Government of KK have not tried to evacuate the population here so far, and I hope they never will. In fact the Government have even helped to provide piped water and electricity to the villages, which is commendable.

Despite what most people think of as squalid and unhealthy, squatter areas serve a basic purpose of shelter for those who cannot afford normal housing, and over time these have developed into communities with their own culture and identity. There are even those who choose to live here not out of necessity, but because this is their lifestyle choice. The water villages are fascinating places to visit.

Sutera harbour is a stone's throw away.

The village is separated from the mainland by a canal.

The houses are built on stilts and connected with wooden plankwalks. Notice the TV antennas and satellite discs - necessities of modern life even at the squatters.