D'KL Restaurant (KK FoodieVenture #23)

Now every time I’m in KK, this is one of the places that is a must on my food hit list. When a friend first brought me to this fine establishment, I was more than a little sceptical, like any other first timers. Why? Well, it’s actually a residence within a housing area, without any signage that indicates the place as a food establishment. So it is very forgivable if you happen to pass along the streets near it and never even know about it, because it looks exactly like any other houses around the same area. It’s located at Kampung Likas (hence the name D’KL which means Di Kampung Likas).

The décor and atmosphere of the place clearly screams Javanese and their food reflected that fact as well. So obviously when we were there, I just got to have their Nasi Ayam Penyet set which was just divine. The sambal and chicken was just one of the best there is in KK. My partner opted to try out their Nasi Ayam Bakar Madu (I think that’s what it was called) set this time around and he absolutely fell in love with it as well. Our dishes will not be complete without their Tomyam Putih (a colourless version of the usually red tomyam) which was just superb and not too spicy. It is good to mention here that the place has a specific opening and closing time (not too sure about the exact timing though) but they're usually closed around late noon to prepare for the night. 

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Yoyo Cafe Centre Point (KK FoodieVenture #22)

My visit to KK this time around were mostly filled with me going through the city's vast selection of finger foods (err, light snacks?) and we’ll start off my list with this establishment (yes, they’ll be plenty more later). This very popular (it practically spawned a slew of wannabes in other parts of KK and even Tawau) had been around since I could possibly remember. They had conveniently opened several branches across KK but the most well-known by far was their Centre Point shopping mall branches (one on the ground floor, while the other is on the 1^st floor).

The place started off as a place that produces mainly ice-blended beverages but has since grown into making pastries as well. But one of their hot selling standout was none other than their croissants. Heck, I didn’t even know what a croissant is before trying theirs. It’s really fluffy and buttery and comes in two main flavours. But it’s a disappointment in my part since they decided to discontinued their chocolate flavoured croissants sometime last year for unknown reasons. It's a bummer since that particular variety was just the best I’ve ever tasted.

Updated on 05/08/2016 - I have stopped by the kiosk recently and found out to my delight that they had started selling the Chocolate flavored croissants again. Yippy!

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Tangerine Restaurant (KK FoodieVenture #21)

As I've stated in my previous post, one of the places that I've stayed in while doing the vacation thingy last December was at The Palace Hotel Kota Kinabalu. And whenever your stay were complimented with free breakfasts, it definitely made the stay an even more enjoyable one.

I have to say that overall, I really love my experience of having breakfasts at the Tangerine Restaurant. For one, the ambiance was just very 'joyful' to say the least, since it's Christmas during our stay there. But the overall setting of the restaurant already looks classy and pleasing-to-the-eyes as it is and I really loved it. Food wise, the food quality were superb although they did not change their menu during our entire stay there. Must be sticking to some kind of regular regime but it'll be beneficial for them to at least alternate some of their menus. But it does not hinder me from enjoying their Nasi Lemak (with that tasty albeit salty sambal), Waffles (my favourite among them all, really fluffy and sweet), Fried Rice (not in the pictures - but it's my partner's favourite) and other flavorable dishes. Their breakfast buffet consist of signature Western and local dishes so you do not have to worry about not having something to eat. There's also a laksa station (yes, made-to-order laksa station) and an omelet station out at the balcony, where you can sit and have your meal, while looking down at the lovely pool and the well kept, jungle-ly views nearby.

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Outward Vacay: The Palace Hotel

While I'm at it, I might as well squeezed in another review just before I go into my hibernating mode again. So just like my previous trip, I have this habit of hotel hopping so my first accommodation is The Palace Hotel Kota Kinabalu. Now before I even stepped into the hotel, I've heard and read some not so favourable reviews regarding the hotel. One colleague even said (with great seriousness) that the place was haunted! But I've decided to give it a go and you know what, me and my partner had a great time there. Granted it might be further from the main attractions (it's situated up on a hill) but at least the Karamunsing Complex (dated mall but still pretty sufficient) and the Karamunsing Capital (rows of new shops - with several new eateries) were just downstairs (and I do mean, down some stairs). And thankfully, we did not encounter any wandering spirits while we were there.

Stepping into the room, I was immediately drawn to their wooden based flooring. I personally love such types of flooring so it's definitely a plus for me. The brightness of the room was also very comforting and the unique use of blinds as oppose to regular curtains was impressive as well. The room was more spacious than I initially thought which what makes it even more appealing to me. The bathroom and showers were pretty standard but I like the fact that their tiles were not the slippery types. Although the view we got was of the back of the hotel (which is a bit jungle-ly) I'm satisfied with the room enough to let such small details go. We were also given free breakfasts throughout our stay (more on that in my next post) and the hotel staff were generally very friendly and attentive except for the guy manning the pool area. When we requested towels before taking a dip into the pool (the pool was a bit murky when we were there but still..) we were greeted with this judgemental look. A few seconds passes by with him looking both of us up and down before he finally gave us a towel only and said that it's the 'hotel's policy' to give out limited towels to patrons. Which was okay for us, if we didn't notice people coming after us (a foreign couple) got one each and another a big family (which consist of an important looking father) got one each as well. Such double standards should not exist today so I'm pretty pissed off by that! I've been to several other bigger hotels and they do not have any problems in giving out pool towels.

But nevertheless I gave them...

Type - Superior Room
Room - 4/5 (I just loved the wooden based flooring)
Price - 4/5 (I highly recommend you to booked through hotel booking sites for the best prices)
Service - 3/5 (everything's great except for that pool boy)
Decor - 4/5 (surprising very modern and comfortable - love the castle like structure as well)
Facilities - 3/5 (again, my only concern was on their pool)
Location - 4/5 (it might be above a hill but this is definitely your place if you're after relaxation)

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The Pines (KK FoodieVenture #20)

Sorry to disappoint you guys out there but I'm still here, alive and kicking! But after an end-of-the-year holiday to my favourite city in Sabah, I practically jumped back into my workload (and what a 'load' it is folks) and only barely manage to find sometime to update this blog. I'll definitely try my hardest to update it more frequently in the future so don't worry okay guys..

It's like a tradition for me and my dear partner to stopped by at our favourite 'resort' on our way to KK. It took us almost 8 hours to get there from Tawau so we do need a little break before continuing our journey the next day. I won't get into much about the resort (since I'd reviewed the place in my previous post) but I do regret not being able to review their one and only cafe the last time. If you're staying at one of the chalets, then chances for you to get a complimentary breakfast (or even dinner, from what I've heard) are high. Me and my partner made ourselves to the cafe at around 9.00am, which can be considered late by the resorts standards. The breakfast buffet was already limited in terms of choices but when you arrived during peak hours, chances are that the trays might be almost emptied. Unfortunately, that's what happen when we were there. It took them a few more minutes to refill those trays so at the mean time, you're left admiring the surrounding sceneries and pretty much doing nothing else. The place was small in terms of spacing so you really do need to share your table with other patrons (which is not a problem since we got to know this lovely Irish elderly couple while waiting for the food). The breakfast buffet consists of a limited and typical local & western choices such as Fried Rice, Fried Sausages, omelets and some other local dishes. A bread station was also available, as well as their drinking station. Taste wise, the food was satisfying but nothing to shout about. You have limited choices for food when you're in a tiny town like Kundasang so overall I'd say it's still acceptable for the purpose of filling up your belly before lunchtime.

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