UP CASE Cafe (Sandakan FoodieVenture #10)

Me and hubby had been to this cafe during our previous visit to Sandakan (well now that I thought of it, almost all of the eateries currently featured were actually our previous stops) when we were trying to find a good place for dinner via Google. The place left a pretty good first impression on us so we decided to go back at IJM township (I remembered that we had to turned at a roundabout and went passed a Domino's Pizza just to get to the area). We had different dishes during our prior visit but this time around we tried their Vegetarian Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken Chop, Wholemeal Sandwiches and Chocolate Mille Crepe for dessert. We were again impressed by their food which were hearty and delicious. Plus they have a pretty quick service which was even more impressive to us since they have a full house on both occasions that we were there. 

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Restoran Haji Tamrin Prima Square (Sandakan FoodieVenture #9)

Another thing that I have mentioned in my previous post was my husband's love for the Nasi Kuning dish. So I was a bit amused that he was even willing to stopped by this eatery, even though it was actually a branch originated from Tawau. But from what I've heard, their original eatery in Tawau is now being run by an entirely different owner (but still using its original name). Not too sure if that was true or not (as I haven't revisited the eatery for a long time) but this one at Bandar Prima Square, Jalan Utara seemed legit, what with the Nasi Kuning Combo Ayam & Ikan and Nasi Kuning Ayam Berempah tasted just like the ones in Tawau before, which were indeed delicious. 

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Lanun Cafe IJM (Sandakan FoodieVenture #8)

I think I have mentioned a themed restaurant in Kundasang just recently, and this one located at Bandar Utama, IJM Sandakan (walkable from the nearby Bataras Hypermarket) was in essence similar to that one. The differences of course lies within the theme as this one is a pirate themed eatery. I'm always fascinated with themed restaurants as they all seemed to have this outside-of-the-box types of creativity, and this one was no exception. We'd ordered their Red King Chicken Spaghetti and Nasi Goreng Anak Lanun Cheese Kaido (yup, even the menu were appropriately named according to the themed which also mentioned One Piece's characters here and there) and there were not bad. And just for your info, despite its name, my spaghetti wasn't drenched in bolognese sauce. Instead it was drowning in a slightly spicy tomato sauce, which I find both weird and likeable. 

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Aixin Vegetarian (Sandakan FoodieVenture #7)

Wow I'm amazed that the last time I went to Sandakan was almost 10 years ago (yup, that includes my trip last year - where I lost all of my pics thanks to my problematic phone). Obviously a lot has changed since then including their food scene. I wanted to try something different for this trip so me and my hubby ended up at this Chinese vegetarian restaurant, located at Bandar Indah Jaya (they have their own building separated from the other commercial lots - visible upon main road entry). It's rare for me to see a banquet style restaurant that fully caters to vegetarian menu so we ordered their Kampung Sambal Fried Rice and Nasi Kerabu Crispy Mushroom and even though I liked mine (the latter), hubby dearest isn't a fan of his vegetarian dish. Not enough MSG he said (cue Uncle Roger). But he did loved their Pineapple Salted Mint juice instead so at least it wasn't a total lost for him. 

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Tourist Destinations in Sandakan

So before I moved on to Sandakan's food scene, here are my recap of interesting places that we've been to while in Sandakan. You know what they say, all work and no play makes little old me bored 😅

1. Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre

By far the most renown place to go while you're visiting Sandakan. They have specific opening & feeding times so it is advisable to check them out first before going. Also, you need to put all of your belongings inside their locker room for safety purposes (as the walk into the orang utan compound is quite a distance from the entry point and the chances of you encountering their smaller, naughtier cousins are quite high). And most importantly, no camera flashes & disturbing noises were to be made in the presence of the creatures. 

2. Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Just next door to the Sepilok Orang Utan Centre, this centre doesn't have specific opening time (well they do but not as limited as the latter) and it does took a bit of patience (and luck) to actually spot them since the bears like roaming around the compound freely. But if all else fails, you could just wait for feeding time to spot them since they will most definitely come out for food. They also have a nice souvenir shop that you can stop by.

3. Sandakan Crocodile Farm

My hubby was actually more excited about coming here than me. Crocodiles of all shapes and sizes were visible the moment you stepped into their compound area. Plus they have other fishes and petting zoo types of animals for your viewing pleasure. They also have a photo counter should you want to commemorate the occasion. 

4. Agnes Keith House 

As a (somewhat) history buff I'd always wanted to visit this place. I find it fascinating to see antiques and historical items right in front of my eyes. Most of the items were actually donated by other people and doesn't originally came from the house. The house itself has been restored nicely (although the vibe is still a bit spooky when you're alone) and there's even a video room to view their documentary on what else but the namesake. 

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