Sabah Malaysian Cuisine

It took my friend and I a long while to find this location because we were not very familiar with this area. We did not book a table and as a result we had to wait for about 15 minutes. It was around 8pm and the place was full house. The best thing to do at this moment was to look around to see what other people ordered. One thing I was very pleased was that even there was a long line up and the seating area was relatively small, they would give us 2 two-seater tables for just the two of us. Why? It is because they know that there was no way the single table can fit more than 3 dishes, the extra table space is really needed.

(1) Pork Ribs Soup with Herbs 肉骨茶 (Bak Kut Teh)
I have been trying this soup all over Hong Kong, but the results were not that pleasant with most of them being overly weak / light in taste. In my opinion, one of the key elements for a good Bak Kut Teh is the herb flavor. The one being served here was certainly one of the better ones I have tried in a long time with very strong herb flavor which I loved. In addition to the flavor, the ingredients were plenty and the pork ribs were very tender as well. Thumbs up from me!!

(2) Ipoh Beansprouts Chicken 怡保銀芽雞
When I ordered this dish, I wondered how exactly the beansprouts play in the cooking or preparation process; whether they were cooked along with the chicken or etc. It turned the dish should be called Hainan style chicken on top of beansprouts! Those beansprouts were place beneath the de-boned chicken. I wasn't sure what Ipoh really means, likely a name of a place but it tasted very much like Hainan chicken to me. It was good very good though with tender and juicy meat all around, including the breasts. Although the chicken skins were a bit thick, meaning fat, I could not help myself but to eat them together with the meat as well because it would be such a waste!

(3) Beef Rendang 馬來巴東牛肉
Not too spicy at all and I liked it. The sauce was thick and for some odd reasons, it tasted sweeter and I think better after leaving it at room temperature for a while. It was a perfect dish to go with some Roti. The one thing I did not like about this dish was the beef, it was very hard and difficult to chew. Maybe it was the way it should be, just not of my personal liking.

(4) Roti 油酥餅
It was a must to order either Naan or Roti to go with the Rendang, otherwise it would be a waste of the delicious sauce. The Roti was alright and it can be enjoyed by itself as well. I usually order Naan bread but I think I would order Roti more often from now on because it seemed less "floury" (less carbon hydrate) than Naan, meaning I can have more!

(5) Stir Fried Malaysia Noble Green 貴妃苗
I liked it. Very crunchy and fresh. With a little dry garlic on top, it added an extra texture to the whole experience. However, while it was fresh, for some reasons, it lacked any vegetable flavor. It seemed like I was just chewing some fiber!

Likes:

• 肉骨茶 (bak kut teh) - very strong herb flavor
• Beef Rendang 馬來巴東牛肉 - love the sauce

Dislikes:

• Even if an extra table, remain rather uncomfortable in terms of seating arrangement.
• Very noisy environment
  
• Stir Fried Malaysia Noble Green 貴妃苗 - very fresh but lacked the vegi taste / flavor
  

Sabah Malaysian Cuisine 莎巴馬來西亞餐廳
G/F., Shop 4-5.,
98-102 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai
Tel: 2143-6626