Mango Garden Restaurant - Rumah Terbalik, Tamparuli , Kota Kinabalu
Sunday, May 26, 2013 //
5 comment(s)
No idea where to find a place in Kota Kinabalu that serves true authentic local malays and native east malaysian food?
Fret no longer! We finally have a restaurant in Kota Kinabalu that serves all these delectable and authentic traditional cuisines from Sabah under one roof and that is - Mango Garden Restaurant.
The outside of Mango Garden Restaurant
If you're wondering where is this restaurant, it is actually located just right next to the first upside down house (Rumah Terbalik ) in South East Asia, located in Tamparuli area which opened in early February 2012. There is currently only 5 of these unique structures in the entire world, two in Japan and Europe respectively. I was there to visit the Rumah Terbalik when it just opened last year and at that time, the restaurant doesn't exist yet nor any construction work was taking place at that time. Now that they have a restaurant within the span of a year, shows that it has fast progressed as a unique choice of tourist destination in Kota Kinabalu.
I personally didn't know this restaurant existed until the owner of Rumah Terbalik's wife Ms. Diana Chia dropped me an email and kindly invited me for food tasting. So I did my usual research on this restaurant and found it very interesting because I am looking forward to the unique traditional dishes that I get to taste. Since my dad is a fan of traditional Kadazan food, I'm a Sino as well so I took him along with me for this food tasting.
Upon arrival, my dad & I were greeted by their friendly staff, the manager, Kenny at the carpark, then by Diana herself and their Executive Chef, Fortunato Lowel.
Mango Garden Restaurant derived its name originally from this piece of land as it used to be a mango tree farm. I honestly didn't know this place used to be a mango tree farm until Diana enlighten me about the reason why they chose this name.
Mango Garden Restaurant has a very nice exterior to it, designed to look like a house with a structured body made of glass, it does add on the little touch of class to this restaurant. This restaurant able to cater to 100 person at once, on any occasion just inside. However, they're able to add more tables and a mini stage if you require one outside and cater to a larger functions. I also noticed that they have a couple of mini portable live cooking stalls outside which they use for functions as well.
The Executive chef, Fortunato, previously worked with Petronas for a couple of years, where he took his chance to travel around the world and explore cuisines from different parts of the world until he realized that his job environment is constantly a high risk area. Being a family man himself, he decided to quit and settle in Sabah where he previously worked at Lembah Impian, and now Rumah Terbalik.
He brought along his years of experience to create fusion dishes, and on top of that he always travels to other towns in Kota Kinabalu where he spoke to local natives around the areas and learnt their signature dishes . Together he incorporated both ideas and that's how the menu came about for this restaurant.
The Menu
As you can see above, the menu serves a variety of dishes, from appetizers to main course, local favorites individual meat and vegetable items, desserts and drinks.
You'll definitely be spoilt for choices because there's just too many to choose from. I find it very interesting and easy to read the menu because it has very detailed explanation of the dishes, especially when it involves the clear picture of the ingredients used and method of cooking. What made it even better, it comes with pictures of the dishes as well. I no longer have to guess how my food will look like or wonder what is it, good job on this one!
Pineapple smoothie
RM 8.50
So firstly, we ordered our drinks. We were told by recommendation of the waitress that they are famous for their smoothie, made with local fruits. Thus we opted for Pineapple smoothie and Mango smoothies.
I liked how their smoothies tasted so fruity with just the right amount of fruits and sweetness to it. Texture wise it is really smooth and thick, unlike some other which I've tasted before that's just pure watery and tasteless. A great drink to have on a warm sunny day definitely.
Mango Smoothie
RM 8.50
Tinutuk Mangga * Signature Dish
RM5.50
For starter, we had the Tinutuk Mangga which is basically young mango being cut julienne style and mixed together with traditional fresh herbs, lime, shrimp paste and chili. As the mango is young and raw, it creates the sour-ish taste to this dish and the chili complement this dish well and created a mild spicy and sour-ish appetizer.
Hinava Sada * chef signature dish
RM7.50
Next, we had another very popular appetizer in Sabah originated from the Kadazan Dusun Tribes called the Hinava Sada. It is actually a dish made with freshly selected fish fillet marinated in lime juice, shallots, ginger, sliced chili and grated Badu (wild mango seeds). It was my first time trying out this dish, as I don't normally eat authentic Kadazan dish. This dish has an acquired taste in my opinion but I know it does taste good. More like local made tuna where you can eat it with your bread. Nevertheless, I gave it a try but still it's not what I can easily get use to eating instantly.
Tuhau Miampai Daging Salai
RM 10.50
Another appetizer, is actually sliced beef marinated with Tuhau, or what we call local ginger stem pickles, char-grilled and mixed with chili, lime, lemongrass and other herbs. According to Fortunato, this dish is taken during drinking session as titbit but can be taken with rice as well.
Rendang Daging
RM13.50
For main course, I'm sure everyone knows what is a Rendang Daging. It is one of my favorite malay dish of all times, and a must have during any special occasions such as Hari Raya. I liked how this dish was exceptionally tender and flavorful as it is the key to cooking a good rendang. The beef cubes were slowly braised with local herbs and spices, with mixture of thick coconut milk till it is soft and tender.
Sup Tombol Ekor *Chef Specialty
RM12.50
In another words, this dish is called Oxtail Soup as most of us would've known. The oxtail is braised with vegetables such as potato and radish , along with the usual add on of local herbs and spices. The moment I had this soup, I instantly felt like I just had the most authentic oxtail soup which I didn't have in a long time. In KK, it is not easy to find this soup which are rich in its taste and flavor of oxtail in the soup unless you go to an authentic malay restaurant. This is a must try :)
Sayur Kailan Masak Dua Rasa *Chef signature dish
RM10.50
I find this dish very unique due to the different styles of preparation. We usually can find the normal Kailan stir-fried with seafood in any Chinese restaurant. Little did I know you can actually deep fry Kailan and it tasted like seaweed, most important it is very crispy. Apparently this method of cooking is adapted from the Bajau Semporna tribe. The crispy kailan was complemented with salt and anchovies and each bite of the vegetable does give a very rich green leaf taste. I love this very much.
Sotong Bakar Masak Sambal Tomato
RM12.50
Next, the last main course of the day is a favorite dish of the Bajau Ubian Tribes. we had the marinated and barbecued squid topped with homemade sweet and spicy tomato sambal and onions which created a thick and flavorful sauce to cover the strong barbecued taste.
"I love you like a fat kid love cakes "
Rumah Terbalik has an indoor coffeehouse as well that serves a variety of beverages mainly their specialty coffee , cakes and fresh buns daily. Price wise is considered reasonable for a coffeehouse. They have free wifi in this coffeehouse as well. Perfect for anyone in search for a quiet and peaceful time to have their discussion, or generally just any tech savvy person who can't live without their internet wherever they are ;D
Berangan Banana Caramel Chocolate Cake
RM 6.50
For dessert, my dad and I opted to share this banana chocolate cake as we were already full from the heavy lunch. The unique thing about this cake is the Berangan banana was caramelized before it is use to make this cake. It has a very ideal sweetness to it , a smooth texture and to top with the moist chocolate sponge cake and a layer of chocolate mousse. It is one of the best cake I have ever tasted. Another thing is, they made their cakes using entirely local fruits and ingredients. Definitely a must try!
I had the opportunity to taste the special "Rumah Terbalik" special coffee and was so impressed by it. I had the Mocha Latte. Look at the picture above you may see how foamy and smooth is the coffee. Little did I know Rumah Terbalik has made all of its coffee with its own secret coffee beans specially made by Cap Kuda, one of the famous coffee bean company based in Kota Kinabalu. The management had blind coffee tasting before deciding on the base of the taste they wanted for their coffee which cannot be found anywhere else. Apart from that, their Barista were also sent for training at Cap Kuda company where they learnt the skill and knowledge on how to make good coffee.
Their coffee comes in different sizes of mugs as well, a huge and a tiny one.
As it was Mother's day during that weekend, I decided to buy my mum a Cassata Siciliana cake because I find it unique. Unlike any other cakes you normally find in the bakery shop. It is actually an Italian cake, similar to a fruit cake. However, I find it a little bit too sweet to my liking though. I wished its a little bit less sweeter then it would be perfect.
Finally, the latest addition to Rumah Terbalik which just opened about 3 weeks ago? Which was the Tandas Terbalik, or what we called as "Upside Down Toilet ". Be sure to check it out!
I also would like to thank the whole team of Rumah Terbalik for doing a great job and specially to Diana and Fortunato for inviting me to this food tasting session. I definitely had a great time learning about this place and the uniqueness of the food it offers.
To know more about this place, please refer to : Upside Down House or visit them at
Batu 21, Jalan Telibong, Tuaran, Sabah.
Tel: +6088 783 911
Fax: +6088 782 503
Facebook: Mango Garden Restaurant
Labels: Advertorial., Asian, Authentic Flavour, Borneo, Coffee, Experience., Food, Kota Kinabalu, Rumah Terbalik, Sabah, Weekends
Santola Bar Cafe, Inanam - Kota Kinabalu
Saturday, November 24, 2012 //
2 comment(s)
Searching for a place around Kota Kinabalu city to have a nice coffee session with family or friends?
A place with good coffee but not as overpriced as Starbucks?
Or fancy a quiet place for discussion be it for work or studies with free wifi?
Santola Bar Cafe is the place to be.
As many of you might have already known this place, since it was opened for quite some time now, it is no stranger to us that they do serve good quality coffee in this little small cafe. However, due to its location which is kinda, remote and not in the city area I would say, many does not know this place existed including myself who only knew about this place about 4 months ago after reading it in other person's blog, and worst is I used to pass by the same road quite often back then and didn't know it existed.
Anyways, I was glad to finally able to drop by this place for a visit with my family. We had a great tea break there on a lovely Sunday afternoon. The place was rather peaceful, not as noisy as other places, easy to get a table, wifi is free, parking is easy to get as the entire place is a private property. So convenient.
A little bit information about this place is, they take pride in their "Cap Kuda" brand coffee. In here, they serve quite a variety of beverages, be it cold or hot beverages. You name it, they have it freshly brewed for you. Besides that, they do serve a variety of pasta, cakes, sandwiches, pies and etcs.
Price wise, you can get a coffee and probably, a pasta priced below RM15 :) everything has a member and non - member price, so if you're a member you can enjoy your food cheaper! If I'm not mistaken, the membership only cost RM20 a year. Really worth every penny.
What we had on that day;
Toasted Butter Kaya Set ( Including 1 coffee ) - RM 5.50 / set
Custard & Chocolate Japanese Waffle Dorayaki - RM 3.50
So rich inside!
Spaghetti Mushroom Chicken - RM6.50
They were quite generous with the portion, food tasted good :)
Spaghetti Bolognese - RM6.50
Do check them out ;) because they're worth checking out.
29, Jalan Kilang, SEDCO Industrial Estate, 88816 Kota Kinabalu
+6088 428 468 or +6010 931 6733 (Booking or Order)
Labels: Asian, Authentic Flavour, Food, Kota Kinabalu, Places to Eat, Places to Visit, Tea Break, Western
Tam Nak Thai Restaurant, Api-Api Centre Kota Kinabalu Sabah.
Sunday, March 18, 2012 //
2 comment(s)
Today I would like to introduce you to this amazing thai restaurant that has been around for more than 10 years :) and honestly, their food is still that delicious ever since I stepped into this shop some many years ago, and of course my most recent visit to this restaurant was on Valentine's Day :) - Tam Nak Thai Restaurant.
If I'm not mistaken the owner of this shop is actually a Thai too , which explains the various really authentic thai cuisines that is offered in the menu and their dishes are sure to not disappoint you.
In my opinion, this shop is rather unique it serving its rice to their guests. They actually used a silver pot and delivered their rice using the russian service. Whats interesting about this is that you don't see this service that much around places like KK and for RM 1.20 per person, you can get unlimited refills for your rice :) Their staffs are really attentive and are always polite and pleasant to their guests.
Gai Tom Kah - RM 13
This soup is definitely my favorite soup among the available thai soup that I've tasted since I don't take tom yam really well. This is like a less spicier version of tom yam soup and it is really tasty because they cook it with coconut milk , some lemon grass for appetizing , chicken and chilies for taste. I have tasted this soup previously during my visits to Thailand, and I must say that the soups are comparable to each other's in taste.
Nuer Yarng - RM 16
Next we had is the Nuer Yarng, which translate to " Grilled Angus Sirloin". The meat itself is a tad-bit dry because its sliced thinly and grilled, this dish is accompanied by its own thai sauce, which has a hint of sweet and sour taste to it.
Gai Pahd Med - RM 13
This dish is actually called " Chicken with Cashew Nuts" and yes, I love cashew nuts with any dishes that I've had so far and this combinations are perfect. The breast chicken is cooked with black soy sauce, spring onions, mushrooms and onions just to name a few and it tasted really sweet and easy in the mouth.
Tawd Man Pla - RM 15
For that night, our last main course was this Thai fish cakes. This dish is usually served as an appetizers back in Thailand but not for this shop. The texture of this dish is firm and bouncy, made with red curry paste, some lime leaves and really fresh fish. The taste of the lime leaves and red curry paste compliments each other and dipping it with the fresh made chili dips made the whole dish tasted even better. It actually reminds me of the famous nyonya dish , otak-otak :), well some say its actually the same because their recipes are really similar.
As for desserts, my parents and I ordered different desserts. Each of this desserts looked quite similar, which actually is the crushed ice dessert, similar to our famous Malaysian dessert called the ABC .
Tap Tim Benj - RM4
Both of my parents opt for this , which actually is crushed iced top up with coconut milk, brown sugar syrup, sago, jackfruit and waterchestnut , I tasted this and I really liked it!
Saguruamuit - RM 4
and for myself I chose this instead of my initial choice which was the mango dessert because they ran out of it :( This is actually quite similar to the first dessert, just that it has more corns and mangoes in it . Well, look at the generous amount of ingredients they put in my dessert, I was really bloated when I'm done with all of it heh.
I highly recommend to everyone who haven't try out this amazing thai restaurant to pay a visit and savour their delicious cuisines because there isn't many thai restaurants available in town currently. You can find them at ;
Tam Nak Thai Restaurant
Unit 5/G5, Ground & 1st Floor,
Api-Api Centre, KK.
Tel: 088- 258 328
Labels: Authentic Flavour, Food, Kota Kinabalu, Places to Eat, Sabah, Special Occasion, Thai food, Thailand
English Tea House & Restaurant, Sandakan.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 //
4 comment(s)
Fancy a place to have a nice tea break session chilling, catching up with friends and family while taking a break from the hustle bustle of a city life? This is the place to be. Apart from serving fine teas from around the world, they also serve a variety of cakes and pastries along with a la carte selections of traditional English specialties and of course local Asian favorites, they do not sell pork though.
a place where you can also have a game of lawn croquet and its free for both adults and children
This place is able to accomodate up to 250 guests and its a perfect location to held a large garden parties, weddings and other business or personal events. They also do provide a range of wedding anniversaries and birthday packages that can be held in one of their gazebos which also opens for public when there's not function on anytime of the day.
my lil cousin who is so happy with her soft drink
they do serve juices too, and its fresh :) not packaged or anything close to that
my favorite hot drink at all times, hot chocolate
a very rich chocolate filled dessert with a cherry on top!
New york cheese cake, which is simply oh so delicious.
Tuna Club sandwich , they do serve a varieties of Western delights and the portion is usually huge too, you can share it with another person definitely .
Their home made burger, look at the thickness of the meat patty and the portion of the potato wedges!
and of course, a varieties of tea sets.
This set is the most expensive tea sets among all that is available there which is the Royal Tea Set.
If you ask me personally what do I think about the price of the food and beverages here, I can honestly tell you that the price is actually quite reasonable for a coffee house / a restaurant but not for all the items. What I meant by reasonable is because they're charging the food at a higher cost but the portion is huge, service is considered top notch and the food quality is definitely there. It all depends on what you're looking for.
Been there twice and it's still my favorite place and I'm pretty sure its the same for the locals and tourists there too as they always have customers patronizing this place despite of its price.
Experience the lush, tropical greenery and cool breezes while you enjoy spectacular views of the town and bay. Relax with a cocktail in hand, socialize with friends and family under a gazebo or enjoy a wide selection of beverages at the long bar.
Award winning restaurant :)
If you would like to know more about this place, do check them out at this link :)
p/s: I don't know if some of you are aware of this restaurant in KK which is located near Jesselton but honestly, that branch can't beat the original branch that is located in Sandakan in my personal opinion. You really got to just try this place in order to notice the differences :)
Labels: English Tea House, Family, Food, Kota Kinabalu, Places to Eat, Places to Visit, Sabah, Sandakan, Tea Break, Western
