Okay so I do noticed that Tawau has also been bitten by the 'Korean/Japanese snacks & beverages' bug as of late; as it seems that several stores selling such stuff has popped up almost at the same time (and coincidentally around the same area). Must be because of the Hallyu/Kpop effect I guess. But I also like the fact that these stores not only focuses on the two main countries's products, but has also go beyond which was very good in terms of giving customers more variety. And here are four such places that I've been to (mostly before the MCO)...
Big Mart
Where? Kubota Square & LA Hotel
Pros? You can also have a full on meal inside the premise
Cons? Impossible parkings especially during busy weekdays
Big Mart actually has 2 branches in Tawau but I've only been to their Kubota Square branch. Imported snacks & beverages were abundant and what's more, they also provide rented 'boxes' for outside vendors to put & sell their products. They also have limited selection of food and cafe drinks for you to have at the premise (both the Nasi Lemak & Hot Chocolate that I've tasted were quite good)
Mercato Express
Where? Kubota Sentral (right beside I Love Yoo!)
Pros? You can also shop for your other daily needs there
Cons? Staff can be 'extra' attentive (especially the ones manning the entrance)
This is actually a full on supermarket that happens to have a few sections inside the premise dedicated to imported products, particularly snacks & beverages. Their choices for imported products were definitely wider than the rest (I even found Bulla ice cream & Blackpink's pepsi there, which was a rarity in Tawau) plus you could also shop for other local things there which was very convenient.
TotoMart
Where? Kubota Sentral (in front of One Stop) & Taman Sejati (coming soon)
Pros? Has a more intimate feel
Cons? Same problem as I've had before with Ding Tea (the young people behind the counter sometimes doesn't completely understand Malay)
Brought to you by the former owners of the now closed Ding Tea, the place is not big as the above-mentioned but still provides adequate choices of imported snacks & beverages. But the highlight of their store has got to be the oden and soft serve ice creams selection as well as milk teas. Of course I cannot possibly not try out their chocolate milk tea and it was actually quite tasty for a simple drink.
Svok Mart
Where? Svok Hotel (backside of the lobby)
Pros? Very handy for SVOK hotel patrons
Cons? You'll probably feel a bit 'shy' coming into the place as you do have to walk past the hotel's reception counter to reach the area (as their side door is temporarily closed due to the CMCO)
Okay, I'm including this place because they did promote themselves as a 'mart' that sells imported snacks in their FB page. And it was more like a corner than anything and the products were fairly limited. But they do have in-house promotional items from time to time such as chicken wings and fried fritters which people can give a try (and unfortunately so should I).
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