Restoran Sri Keningau

For those that are from Kota Kinabalu, you might be familiar with this particular restaurant as they’d opened a branch in Tawau quite a number of years ago. And as with its KK (and beyond?) counterparts, the restaurant has been well received by Tawaurians. Tons of lunch goers came in droves almost everyday to sample their sizeable variety of lauk pauk for their Nasi Campur (which was their main attraction in my opinion).

Located right in front the Perdana Sports & Recreational Club within the Fajar Complex area, some of the things that we have tried during our multiple visits were their seafood offerings as well as vegetables, chickens, beefs (to which they cook using various Malay and Thai recipes) and not forgetting their ulam-ulaman. The tastes so far were pretty spot on and yummy although in more than one occasion, can be either a little over or undercooked. But their customers (including us) still came back for more so they must be doing something right, right? Service was swift and they do serve other cook-to-order local dishes should you’re not interested in their selection of pre-cooked food.

** Current status – Has been taken over by a new owner & changed their shop's name (as of April 2022) 

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Steakroni

As with anything new in town, Tawaurians began flocking to the barely 3 weeks old western restaurant like nobody’s business. So obviously that got me curious enough to drop in for dinner with my partner recently. Oh and just so you guys know, they’re situated within the bustling Fajar Complex area (the former spot of several eateries before them), visible from the Tawau branch of CIMB Bank. 

After scanning their (self-service) menu, we initially wanted to try out their burgers but since those items were not available yet, we opted instead for their Classic Carbonara Spaghetti and Grilled Beef Steak. Taste wise, their dishes were actually delicious (albeit watery in the case of the former) but I do have a slight dissatisfaction with their portioning though. I mean, I finished my pasta in less than 2 minutes (I’m not being sarcastic here folks) while my partner noted that his steak feels more like an appetizer rather than a main dish. Granted, the place is using some good-grade tenderloin and sirloin cuts but it might not be worth the price that we’ve paid. Plus, it would be wise to ask the customers beforehand just how they would want their steak to be prepared, instead of the one-for-all medium-well. But then again, they did take note of the problem so I’m still hopeful that they would somehow turn that around as the place has potential. We’d also shared a plate of their Triple Chocolate Crepe and I swear that I could finish 3 of that dessert (no joke) by my self since it was very rich and well… ‘chocolate-y’; perfect for a chocoholic such as myself!

** Current status – Has been closed (as of August 2019) 

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LowCost Cafe Tanjung Batu

My partner took me to this eatery mainly because it was near to his house (located within the Kampung Tanjung Batu area, in near proximity to the Tech Guan owned Majulah Koko Tawau factory) and due to the fact that he needed to buy some things from the City Freshmart supermarket adjoining to it. Oh and just so you guys know, the ‘lowcost’ doesn’t really mean that their food is cheap; it actually meant ‘Low Customs’ (translation = it refers to this lowered & customized 4x4 vehicle club in Tawau). 

One look at their menu and I noticed that it was identical to their Muhibbah Jaya branch. But what I do like about this franchise (can I call them a franchise?) is that each branch (including another one within the Taman Sri Balung area) tried to put their own spin to the menu by adding a few ‘original’ items. In this case, they’ve added the Ikan Baulu Goreng set (that comes with rice and a vegetable soup) which my partner had tried and absolutely loved afterwards. And its no wonder since the fish that he got could easily fed 2 person. In fact, huge portioning seems to be the running theme for this place since the Ais Batu Campur that I’ve had also came in big sizes. They also rented out their spacious place to a few food vendors and one of them had caught my eyes almost immediately. The BP Burger & Grill is your typical locally westernized food provider so I went for their Chicken Chop Burger while my partner (who got it over his head that he has an elastic stomach) opted for their Grilled Chicken Burger. Their burgers were good but what I wanted to highlight here were the extra sauces that came with the set, for free! Man, they’re definitely generous with their BBQ sauce and I for one am thankful for that.

** Current status – Has been replaced with Garage Cafe (as of August 2019) 

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1st Cafe Tawau

I probably have mentioned before that not only is my partner a footie fanatic, he plays football (and by extension futsal) like a fanatic as well. So whenever he asked me to accompany him, I was more than reluctant to budge. As much as I enjoyed watching the game myself, I prefer to do it while sitting comfortably at home. But I got to hand it to my partner for knowing just how to persuade me to follow him. He just has to mention ‘new makan place’ and I’m there!

The fully open-aired eatery (for the obvious, ‘sweaty’ reason) is located right next to the Tawau Futsal Centre at Mile 3, Apas Road. It’s hidden deep within this industrial area so I would suggest using Waze for first timers. And since my partner was off to his game the moment we got there, I had to console myself with a Nasi Goreng Lalap Ayam (a bit too salty but still acceptable) and a Beef Burger (nothing too memorable about it, just your average tasting burger). A funny side story – there was this overly ‘friendly’ cat that has no problem leaping onto the table, parked itself strategically right next to your plate of food and has a hard time not ‘sharing’ your food in the process. I personally loved cats but it’s a bit tedious trying to eat and shoo the cat’s face simultaneously. The waiters were very apologetic and carried the little fatty away numerous times but to no avail as it will find its way back in seconds and was also picky with the food that was given to him (the cat totally ignored my vegetables and go straight for the good stuff which was my fried chicken). Well… at least it was keeping me company the whole time I was left alone so it’s not all bad.

** Current status – Still in operation (as of October 2018) 

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