Hot & Roll

It was all thanks to my partner that I've finally got the chance to try this place out after noticing them for awhile, especially whenever I bought a Boost Juice Bar drink (see below to understand why). He was unwell right before CMCO started (non Covid related fortunately) so he was looking for something light to munch on. 

Now if you have not bought from Boost before (they're located within the Kubota Sentral commercial area, just steps away from Tealive), you might not know that the food kiosk is located inside the same aforementioned shop, as there aren't any signage to indicate that. Well, there used to be this standing banner but I do not see it as of late so it will make it harder for any non-Boost fans to discover them. Oh but they do have this collaborative food truck going on with Twentea as well so you guys might want to check that out (but I'm not too sure where their location is going to be though).

So menu wise they actually have a variety of sweet & savoury wraps for you to choose from but not all might be available at one time. Like during the first time we tried them, we'd ordered their Savoury Crispy Wrap (Pizza Beef) and Wholemeal Wrap (Cheezy Chicken) which were both satisfying & surprisingly filling. But when we went back about a week after that, we tried their Chapatti Wrap (Chicken Sausage) and Sweet Crispy Wrap (Banana Chocolate) instead since the ones that we had before were not available. Personally, I would say that I prefer their savoury items more but the sweet ones were nice as well, so it depends on your preferences I guess. 

**Current status - Still in operation (as of Dec 2020)

Btw this here (below) is the Cheezy Chicken... 

... the Chicken Sausage... 

... the Banana Chocolate... 

... and last but not least, the Pizza Beef

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GETTO

It's been almost 2 months since CMCO was implemented in Tawau and I can't seem to kick this mounting feeling of laziness. Then it hit me.. It was almost the end of the year so obviously my mind (and heart) is already gearing towards the upcoming holiday season. 

But before any of that can become a reality however, here's another throwback review that I haven't post yet. I've actually continued ordering from this eatery several times over the course of the CMCO (via delivery services) but the last time I've actually dined there was around the previous RMCO period. They are located within the Kubota Sentral commercial area, replacing the previous Dozo branch spot and right in front of Pedasss. So GETTO (as in Get To Eat, Get To Drink) may not have an extensive menu yet but they do add new items from time to time. Among the food that we've tasted were their Chef Roasted Chicken Rice, Curry Chicken Rice, Salted Egg Spaghetti, Blackpepper Spaghetti and some Indo Fried Fries. I personally loved both of their fusion spaghetti (hence the repeat orders) as the ingredients mixed well with the main dish but my partner isn't too keen on them. Different palate I guess but you guys can give them a try yourselves and see if you agree with me (or not). 

**Current status - Has been closed (as of July 2023)

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Mk. Diin Burger Semporna (Semporna FoodieVenture #7)

As we were making our way back to Tawau after a short business day trip to Semporna a couple days ago, we once again found ourselves driving by this grilled burger joint that I've heard about from the local social media circuit. Since they are located at the entrance to Kampung Bubul, Simpang Sapina (and right beside the main road), we had a hard time ignoring them this time around so even with our bellies full at said time, me and my partner decided to just takeaway their food instead, to satisfy our curiosity. 

And I guess because we have looked through their official FB page before (and noticed just how locally popular they are), we were half expecting the Single Patty Grilled Chicken Burger & Grilled Beef Burger to look exactly like in the pictures (I know.. silly us) but was somewhat disappointed that it came out looking slightly different and err.. smaller than we'd expected. But both burgers were still quite tender and yummy so I guess it wasn't all bad. Oh and FYI... they're currently open for business at around 3.30pm till 10pm and do offer other non burger dishes such as a variety of grilled 'chops' and sides.

 

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Restoran Anjung Lepa (Semporna FoodieVenture #6)

Thanks to the very recent announcement of the lifting of the inter district and state travel ban, me and my partner had been able to safely made the journey to and fro Semporna (but more because of official business rather than leisure). And while we were there, we decided to get some lunch as we were starving upon arrival. My partner was fond of having food by the seaside (I mean, it is Semporna after all) and since most of the places that we know were still closed, we eventually came upon the Anjung Lepa Restaurant, which was attached to the prominent Seafest Hotel (yup, the hotel owns the restaurant as well) and just a walk away from the Seafest Square at the edge of the town. It was actually one of those places that we wanted to try out before but hesitated due to possible price issues (but it turns out to be a somewhat reasonably priced place after all). 

And just to prove how famished we were (well... it was that plus the fact that I have not taken any foodie related pics for like ages) I had completely neglected to take pictures of our food as it had first arrived at our table (so I apologise beforehand for the not-so-pleasant & half eaten food pictures below). But in terms of taste, the food were very good though; as expected from an established hotel chef. We'd ordered some Nasi Goreng Kampung, Udang Masak Tiga Rasa and Baby Kailan with Garlic dishes and my partner was very impressed with the latter that he was determined to crack the chef's recipe himself upon being back in Tawau. Overall we had a very pleasant experience at the restaurant but do take note that they do take a considerable amount of time to prepare your dishes so do avoid this place should you're pressed for time.

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The Tiffin

I do notice that I tend to hang out at the Kubota Sentral commercial area more often than any other places, probably because it is currently the 'it place' for up & coming eateries to established themselves. And even though I might not be dining in anywhere recently (I'm still giving my hard earned money to Foodpanda, Grabfood etc - which did a fabulous job by the way) I still have a few more places that I've been to before the CMCO started that I would like to continue to share (and coincidentally within the said area). 

So the local social media scene has been buzzing about this (then) soon-to-be open concept eatery (they're located on one of the corner lots; easily spotted if you're driving around the not-so-big area) probably a week or so before its actual opening. Obviously that made little old me curious, especially when they are presenting the unique 'mangkuk tingkat' concept. It's a very creative idea, I do give them that but I was somewhat let down by the actual food that I've tasted. Me and my partner tried out their lunch sets (the Sweet & Sour Fish and Curry Chicken plus your choice of a side vegetables and some fruits) and although it was still tasty, I think I let myself have this high expectation of their food judging by the very pretty designer tiffin carriers that comes with the set (and no, you're not allowed to take them back home with you). So err... Don't judge the food by its tiffin (heh, sorry... just can't resist that lame joke)? But they also have other non set meals that I might try in the future so the jury's still out on this one.

**Current status - Still in operation (as of Nov 2020)

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Kam Ling Seafood Restaurant

With the CMCO extended and the very recent announcement of the government's decision to lax some of the current SOPs for local dine ins, things should be back to almost (new) normal in no time (though I don't think that I'm ready just yet to dine in anywhere especially with the ever increasing Covid numbers)  

So in the meantime, here's another place that I've been to several times before the CMCO. Located on a separate stretch of land within the Kubota Square commercial area (they're directly facing the Tawau.fm station), the seafood restaurant was a favourite amongst tourists and had formerly started their business at the open aired, seaside food stall area within the main Sabindo town. We've been to their current restaurant a couple of times during special occasions (I mean... I would've gone there more often if they're not draining my wallet like water, as the place was on the expensive side) and other than its impressively huge dining areas (both for public and private usage) the food were pretty commendable as well. For example, we ordered their Spring Onion & Ginger Fillet Fish, Dry Butter Prawns, Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish and Yam Ring with Chicken for my mom's birthday and all of the dishes were delicious, with the latter being my top faves. But don't worry as they also have an affordable line of tapau lunch sets that were equally satisfying for you guys to try especially during this stay-at-home season.

**Current status - Still in operation (as of Nov 2020)

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