Hello Stranger Cafe (KK FoodieVenture #161)

There was no specific reason why I choose to dine in this particular eatery during my most recent KK trip. I remembered just walking along the quiet The Walk Riverson area and their name got my attention ("why Hello to you to stranger😅") as I've entered the mall (they're located on the ground floor, not that far off from the main entrance & also accessible from the open-aired area within said mall). It was almost noon and since I woke up late that day, I was open to having a somewhat heavier brunch. Plus, my partner was not around yet at that time so I was hoping to find a cosy, quiet place to eat so the eatery most definitely fit the relaxing vibe that I was going for.

I've gone through their menu and was already expecting a mostly fusion dishes list (which they did) so I've chosen their Thai Tomyam Fried Rice as my meal. It came out very simple and with a scrumptious taste but nothing too special I'm afraid. And my initial request for Chamomile Tea had to be shot down due to the drink being out of stock (I think I was there a day after the New Year's so it was understandable) so I had their Earl Grey tea instead, which was nice to have in a mellow environment such as their's (I'm just loving the bookshelf decor by the way).

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Indo-Taste (KK FoodieVenture #160)

On several occasions (usually during 'strategic' timings of the day - if you know what I mean 😉) I would think back at the Indo-Taste food that I've once had before they decided to move to KK and found myself missing them. I mean, it's hard to find delicious and somewhat authentic Indonesian cuisine these days so because of that, I'd managed to locate their current eatery (which was within the T1 Bundusan commercial area in Penampang - don't worry, you'll spot them in no time since they're located on the ground floor and the area is not that big) and practically dragged my partner there for lunch, with the help of Mr. Waze.

What I do notice right off the bat when I entered their KK establishment was the pretty decor. It was nice to see that they're willing to fork out some dough for the decor due to stiffer competition in KK (because their previous Tawau restaurants were fairly simple looking). Plus, their food tasted exactly like I've remembered them, which was great. I've ordered their Nasi Racik Sate Ayam while my partner had their Nasi Ikan Bolu Bakar Bumbu Rica and both were delicious, although my partner said that his fish's sambal was spicier than he'd previously anticipated . What was more surprising was that their staff actually remembered me! Apparently the owner had uprooted not just the eatery to KK but their main staff as well so it was no surprise to see such familiar, friendly faces there. And honestly I'm touched that they do remember their former customers.

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My Native Sabah (KK FoodieVenture #159)

From the East Asian palate, we now move on to some local flavours. And by that I mean a real local flavour experience. I had a couple of Kadazan-Dusun friends who'd recommended me several eateries that provided authentic Kadazan dishes and only this time around that I was able to go to one. It was when my partner had arrived from Tawau a day before and we decided to be adventurous and try out this eatery, located at the ever lively Plaza 333 commercial area in Penampang. Although I was well aware that the place was on the 1st floor, me and my partner still took at least 15 minutes driving around the area and being hilariously confused as to where it was. As it turns out, we'd missed a lane and yes, that lane also happens to be where they are (if you're just coming into the area from the main road entrance, they are on the right side; on the second row from the front) 

We pretty much went into the place blind so we chose dishes that looks good on the menu and had gone for the Linopot Miagal Di Gulu Ikan Masin set and the Sambal Fried Ikan Tenggiri dishes respectively. My partner is someone who doesn't easily adapt to a new palate so he'd played it safe and chose what he thought was familiar to him (which was the latter). He does like the fish but as predicted, he found the Red Bario rice and condiments to be weird tasting. Me on the other hand is his exact opposite when it comes to food and ended up loving the food that I had. It's been a long time since I've had a salted fish and the dish just brings out the 'hunger' in you. Heck, I was so into my food that I even cleared out the condiments that my partner had left out. Although I do admit that the Tuhau, Bambangan and Hinava took some time getting use to (with the tastes) but I ended up liking them and it does compliment the main dish really well. Overall, a positive first time experience for me so I'm happy.

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Seoul Food Express (KK FoodieVenture #158)

So since we're still within the East Asian region themed here, here's a Korean eatery that I've been to while I was walking around by myself in the Centre Point shopping mall. It was lunchtime and I was reminiscing about how I used to frequent the basement floor food court of the aforementioned mall when I spotted this new Korean stall. Well, at least it was new to me since it wasn't there when I went to KK the last time (not that I've noticed at least). 

I was very impressed with their somewhat extensive Korean food choices and affordable pricing. As my stomach wasn't ready for something heavy just yet (because I was snacking throughout the morning - a bad habit, I know) I decided to try their Vegetable Gimbap and Kimchi Pancake. The latter had been on my wish list ever since I'm into all things Kpop lately (ahem) and I'm happy to say that I absolutely loved the said dish. It might be a tad oily but the taste was just nice. The gimbap however was just so-so and I do need to highlight that portioning for both food were also 'just nice' for a non-famished person. Well, you get what you paid I guess.

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Ichizo Ramen (KK FoodieVenture #157)

Since my first taste of some real ramen turns out to be quite positive, I've decided to give another ramen specialty store a go. This time around it was the Ichizo Ramen on the 1st floor of Suria Sabah (right by the entrance to the Food Hall) and personally, I had an even better experience here than before. 

For one, the staff were much more welcoming & patient than previously mentioned eatery so that was definitely a plus. And not only did they had more choices when it comes to said dish, the ramen of my choice (which was the Chicken Ramen) was also superbly taste. The ramen there is definitely more flavourful and might suit the local palate better than its competitor. I was also eager to try out their Chicken Gyoza for the first time (it was supposed to be my second time had the previous place did not look down on me) and even though it came out slightly peculiar looking to me (later on I found out that it was because of the dried frying oil, for which I eventually came to love) it was definitely delicious. It was tasty and juicy without being too greasy which was just fantastic. Oh and I forgot to mentioned; since the last time that I've ordered a ramen came out without nori (seaweed sheets), this is around I made sure that I've ordered some as my add on. It turns out that it wasn't actually necessary as this dish actually included nori within their bowl of ramen. Oh well.. More for me then (and I'm not complaining)..

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