ZUS Coffee Imago (KK FoodieVenture #200)

I can honestly say that ZUS Coffee has been making its rounds in the local social media scene that even some Tawaurians were requesting for their presence here in good old 'slow' Tawau. But alas, they're currently only available in KK, specifically on the ground floor of Imago Shopping Mall (right by the side entrance, beside Upperstar). And yes I do know that this is actually one of their newest outlet after several successful openings around other parts of KK. 

It was packed when me and my hubby stopped by (mainly because it was during the weekend and there seems to be some sort of internal promotion going on at said time) but I've managed to squeezed in an order for Iced Australia Chocolate drink as well as a Chocolate Fudge Cake just to see what the fuss is all about. Personally both the drink and cake were pretty good, with the drink being chocolatey without being overly sweet as well as a decadent cake. And what's more their pricing were slightly cheaper than other big franchises like Starbucks so I definitely see the appeal of this brand. 

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Nasi Mbak Kg Likas (KK FoodieVenture #199)

As I was going through the recent pictures in my folders, I realized that I have wrongly put 2 supposed KK eateries into the Semporna one (man, I'm definitely getting old 🤦). So here's one of the places that I've actually been to back in early May (during my short trip to KK). 

So after his favorite go-to place for Nasi Mbak has now been completely demolished, my hubby was in search for another locally popular place said to also sell the authentic dish when we finally found this one at Kg Likas. And trust me when I say that we actually circled around the area multiple times for 2 days before we finally found them (thanks to finally asking a nearby local - like duh!). I think the main reason why it was 'invisible' to us was because the place was called Kedai Runcit Salmin rather than the aforementioned. But when we stepped into the 'kedai runcit' we instantly knew that we were at the right place since every customers that were occupying the seats were eating said dish. We tried their 'special set' aka 3 fried chicken wings plus rice, soup & chilli sauce that costs RM10.00. They also offered the 'regular set' (1 or 2 fried chicken wings which costs RM4.50 & RM7.00 respectively). The dish was most definitely a Javanese original recipe just like at the former Amin Centre Cafe, so it was crispy and very filling. They also had bakso, sup perut & sup tulang within their small menu, as well as assorted kuihs and pre-packed food which can be nice choices for people who're not that into the latter. 

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Terowong Street (Semporna FoodieVenture #14)

We were looking for a place to have dinner when a friend suggested this place to us. Although I have passed by the area a couple of times during my other previous trips to Semporna, I never thought that the place would actually be so vibrant. Located at Kg Cina Pekan (right beside the still-in-development building next to Green World Hotel), this night market actually comprises of 3 main sections; the clothing stalls, food stalls and entertainment stalls which includes a haunted house (yes... a haunted house). 

Me and my husband pretty much circle the food area several times (just to ogle at everything) before deciding to order from a stall which sells various local cuisine. We ordered their fancy name dishes such as Nasi Goreng Shanghai and Nasi Goreng Samurai. But alas, fancy names doesn't necessarily translate to fancy taste as both dishes were just so-so in my opinion. We were also enticed by a Luk-luk stall (you know, that snacks-on-a-stick type of finger food) and a chocolate ice-cream stall but again, both 'appetizers and dessert' were just okay at best. Nevertheless we still enjoy the overall vibe of the place, since it feels really lively without being overly crowded.

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Green Cafe (Semporna FoodieVenture #13)

I'm not exactly sure whether this eatery has any relation to the Green World Hotel which was only steps away for its location (they're located at the far end of Bangunan Hock Hing Leong) and because their names are quite similar to each other. But we did decided to try them out because they looked quite 'clean' at first glance (and by that we mean the appealing, mostly white exterior - not their cleanliness per se). 

And like most eateries with thick menu, you could pretty much expect that at least 50% of its food items are going to be unavailable (the curse of the 'ambition vs reality' strikes again I suppose) and that was exactly what happened there. We ended up ordering common dishes like the Nasi Goreng Pattaya and Nasi Goreng Tomyam but thankfully both were quite good in terms of taste. Even my not easily impressed husband thought that his dish was quite delicious. The fries were just your average snack but they do have waffles available during the evenings (and not sure why only during the evenings). Overall, it was an okay eating place; plus a more comfortable place to eat as it was free from the usual local child beggars (that seems to be a problem in Semporna since ages ago). 

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Yolo Bistro (Semporna FoodieVenture #12)

When we were still staying at the Semporna Seaview Hotel, me and my husband thought that it would be great if both of us just walked to the nearby Seafest area to burn some calories that we both seems to be accumulating rapidly these days (yup, say bye bye waistline). We arrived at the Seafest Square some 10 minutes later and after walking around a bit decided to try this quiet cafe (at the far end of the ground floor of said mall, right in front of an Orange convenient store). 

Mind you, this is during the state level 'catuan bekalan elektrik' (due to the excessive heat) so right after we made our orders, the lights went off the entire area. We did considered having our dinner elsewhere but since the waitress and owner (I presume) were asking us nicely if we could wait a bit, we decided to do so. Funnily enough, me and my hubby ended up having an enjoyable conversation (by that time, we decided to move to the al fresco tables as the nearby street lights were still lit) that the food eventually came. And yes, we pretty much ate in semi darkest but overall the food were pretty tasty. We ordered typical local dishes the Nasi Goreng Pattaya Chicken and Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng since those were among the only choices that were available at that time (especially with their cook cooking in dark mode throughout). The place is more of a bistro (which serves alcohol) rather than a cafe, but with kid friendly menu available for order as well. Not sure how that's going to work out but I'm all for variety I guess. 

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Outward Vacay: Chan's Smart Living Inn Semporna

Not content with just staying at our previous hotel, me and my hubby decided to extend our Semporna trip and choose another accomodation the next night, this time a bit further out of the main town area (but still pretty near; at the roadside of Batu 2 Jalan Bubul, near to a Bataras supermarket). I had noticed this place whenever we were driving into Semporna before so we decided to try them out for the night. 

One thing's for sure is that this accomodation (which we later learned is an affiliate to the Chan Furniture chain stores) caters more towards family and group since almost all of its rooms were very spacious and has at least 1 king bed and 1 single bed (like ours). They provide adequate parking spaces within its premises, as well as a mid size swimming pool, a well maintained garden and an open kitchen for patrons to use freely (but you do need to buy your own cooking ingredients though since they only provide basic necessities). Their TV selection were also much better than our previous accomodation (at least they have several clear channels to watch) and the lone receptionist manning the tiny reception area was also very polite. Both of us actually enjoyed our (somewhat) relaxing stay there but it could've been better if other guest's children, especially from 'that particular country' did not make so much noise at the pool (at 10pm mind you) and were running here and there & making all kinds of noises at the wee hours of the day. 

Type - Superior Triple Room with Double Bed

Room - 4/5 (very spacious and has a classic feel to them but is also showing its age, judging by the furniture's condition)

Price - 5/5 (worth the price that we'd paid since it includes breakfast)

Service - 5/5 (a very quick check in and out so no complaints here)

Decor - 4/5 (if we're talking about the room only; they're somewhat classic and English - although I'm not too sure if the sensual tango portrait inside the room is appropriate for patrons with kids)

Facilities - 5/5 (you could practically had a whole day of relaxation within the premise)

Location - 4/5 (they're visible from the main road leading into Semporna - what with its very colourfully lit signage at night)

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