Sarawak & Sabah restaurant reviews

El Centro

El Centro has seen a lot of good times in its ten years of operations (some might even say it’s been responsible for quite a few!) and it is raring to go once again in its brand new location in Lorong Dewan. Perfect for live music, dancing and quiz nights, the new El Centro is oozing with boatloads of effortless charm in an old shop block on one of Kota Kinabalu’s historic streets. With original features such as “kedai kopi” tile floors, and a big, beautiful bar shiny with an elegant granite countertop and a bespoke inlaid wooden design, the whole spot exudes an alluring old-meets-new feel.

But giving you more than just charming aesthetics to feed off on, El Centro also wows with their new tapas menu (think blistered chilies, flatbreads and a generous range of traditional Spanish food) which runs 4pm-7pm daily at 5RM per plate. A love for what they do translates into the love put into their food and only increasingly good things have been said about what comes out of their kitchen. If you’re looking for something with a bit more weight, their Mexican and Western fusion menu is absolutely super, starring winning dishes like mac & cheese, eggplant parmesan and of course, their famed tacos and burritos—and all, might we add, for really good value. “With good food on one side and a good vibe on the other, where they meet in the middle... that’s El Centro”, they say and with a motto like “Eat. Drink. Enjoy”, there’s no room to go wrong here.

eat, drink

18, Lorong Dewan, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu Tel: 6014-862 3877 IG: @centro_el

Nook Café

Invoking everything you could ever want in your go-to breakfast place is Nook Café at Lorong Dewan. Revolving around a breakfast, brunch and lunch concept accompanied by good specialty coffee, the café embodies a cosy casual and friendly vibe with charming rattan furniture, lots of greenery and a clean, minimalistic environment. If you’re not tucking into their signature Nook’s Breakfast, then you absolutely must have a bite of their wholesome sandwiches made with their amazing sourdough loaves—especially their bestselling grilled cheese sandwich, a golden cheese encrusted affair with hearty onion marmalade filling. Aside from demonstrating the enviable merits of having an in-house bakery with their never-ending supply of European-style country loaves and delectable sweet treats, Nook’s bakery also churns out soft sourdough loaves and brioches that customers can pre-order to buy. And if you need any more convincing, their specials will bowl you over

Sabah with unique dishes such as Teh Tarik Tres Leches, Masala Sticky Toffee Pudding and Tuhau Coconut Tart. “We try our best to cater to the different taste preferences of our patrons by developing food and desserts using distinct ingredients unique to each local culture, while also trying our best to source produce from local farmers and growers,” Nook says. Two thumbs up emojis!

Can’t get enough of Nook? Us neither! So it comes as good news that Nook has just opened their latest branch, People by Nook, a shared space with Mountain Coffee Roasters, toting a casual-restaurant concept where they delve into lunch and dinner menus and engage with local artisans and social enterprises for collaboration. Same same but different (menus), as they say! ••

19, Lorong Dewan, Pusat Bandar, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Open daily: 8am-6pm IG: @look.for.nook Tel: 6012-8663900

Penn’s Pantry

Hungry for some food with heart? Feel free to raid the pantry—Penn’s Pantry, at least. Serving up an authentic Foochow storm is Penelope Ling who comes from a long line of food lovers and is a mix of Foochow and Teochew herself, making her the perfect person to carry down their age-old traditional recipes. A familiar presence in the kitchen since the tender age of nine, Penn’s Pantry’s menu is Penelope’s official public foray into the world of traditional Foochow Gu Tian Food with a modernised Western twist. To start with, try some of their crowd favourites such as their Foochow Chicken Soup Mee Sua, their signature Kompia with Angchao Meat Filling or Salted Egg Yolk Fried Chicken with Passion fruit. Also, be prepared to feel completely at home in Penn’s Pantry; with roots stemming from Sibu, a father who’s an interior designer and an antiquecollecting mother, all themed décor hails from Penelope’s family home which means there’s always something interesting to look at in every corner! ••

D-G-15 Gala Street Mall, Gala City, Jalan Tun Jugah, 93350 Kuching IG: @pennspantry Tel: 6016-658 1052

Blendsmiths

Step inside a unique mid-century modern coffee house where you’re welcome to hang out and unwind or get down and get to work in a setting that inspires you to do both. Welcome to Blendsmiths where customers are taken care of with an impressive menu exclusively handcrafted by talented hands, and sleek, sophisticated interiors which make you feel right at home. Skilled baristas in the know, or rather, “blendsmiths” prepare their bestselling coffees with local Borneo coffee beans as well as imported quality beans. However, “we understand that not everyone is a coffeelover” and for the non-caffeine inclined, they raise their special Hot Chocolate made with 75% Valrhona Dark Chocolate topped with a luxurious dollop of homemade marshmallow, bestowing the drink with a bittersweet elegant body. Mm mm mmm.

Generous blends and a sizeable menu of sips aside, we also suggest getting a slice or two of their Organic Artisan Banana Bread or Dark Chocolate Brownie and if you’re so inclined, one of their filling Signature Croissant Sandwiches (baked turkey ham and cheese with honey mustard glaze croissant? Oh my!). With ambitions to continue providing an elevated experience to their diners, don’t be surprised that their dessert menu flows where the seasonal products of the local markets do. To that we say, all the more to indulge while you can.

And if you’re in the Bintulu area, a little birdy told us that there might be a new branch popping up somewhere in the area. Watch their Instagram for more updates!

eat, drink

Sarawak

Grd Flr, Lot 20, Blk A1, Saradise, Jalan Stutong 93350, Kuching IG & FB: @blendsmiths.kch Tel: 6016-236 8660