Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 497

who died and one of the most sociable cafés in town,
this friendly joint offers a great nasi lemak , among other
Malay dishes - the “special” comes with delicious chicken,
cooked in a pandan leaf (RM14); Anzac biscuits also on
offer. Daily 7.30am-midnight.
★

the punters with a mixture of strong drinks and fusion food
- from big salads to hummus and tapas. Friday is Open Mic
night from 9pm, so if you want to sing or recite something,
here's your chance. Wednesday is popular pub quiz night.
Tues-Sun 5pm-midnight.
Party Play Jln Gaya. This self-proclaimed “lifestyle café”
may well be the spot for you if your lifestyle involves
margarita fishbowls to share, occasional karaoke and
fusion Western-Asian food. Daily from 5pm until late.

Chilli Vanilla 35 Jln Haji Saman. This great little
fusion spot serves veggie dishes - lentil soup, chunky
Mediterranean sandwiches with grilled aubergine - as
well as home-made chicken liver pâté, washed down with
fresh fruit juice, organic coffees, shakes and smoothies.
Mains from RM16. Mon-Sat 11am-10pm.
★

6

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange Among the various money-
changers (Mon-Sat 10am-7pm) in Wisma Merdeka
are Ban Loong Money Changer and Travellers' Money
Changer, both on the ground floor. ATMs are easy to
find throughout the centre of KK - HSBC, Jln Gaya;
Maybank, Jln Pantai.
Books Times The Bookshop, Ground Floor, Warisan
Square, sells an excellent selection of English books, novels
and travel guides. Borneo Books 2 on the second floor
of Wisma Merdeka is a secondhand bookshop with an
excellent range of reference books on Sabah.
Embassies and consulates Australian Honorary Consul,
Suite 10.1, Level 10, Wisma Great Eastern Life, 65 Jln
Gaya ( T 088 267151); British Honorary Consul ( T 08
251755) - contact the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur
(see p.432) for emergency travel documents; Brunei,
Lot 8-4, 8th Floor, Api-Api Centre ( T 088 236113);
Indonesia, Lorong Kemajuan, Karamunsing, Peti Surat
11595 ( T 088 218600).
Hospital Sabah Medical Centre, Lorong Bersatu, off Jln
Damai, 6km southeast of the city centre ( T 088 211333,
W sabahmedicalcentre.com), offers decent private care.
Immigration o ce Kompleks Persekutuan Pentadbiran
Kerajaan, Jln UMS, 9km south of the centre (Mon-Fri
7am-1pm & 2-5.30pm; T 088 488700). Take bus #5A
from Warisan Square and ask them to drop you off there.
Internet All accommodation options reviewed offer
free wi-fi and some have free internet too. Otherwise, try
Gaya Internet Centre on Jln Tinku Abdul Rahman (daily
9am-10pm).
Pharmacy Apex Pharmacy, 2 Jln Pantai, or UMH
Pharmacy, 80 Jln Gaya.
Police Balai Polis KK ( T 088 241161) is on Jln Dewan.
Post o ce The general post o ce (Mon-Sat 8am-
4.30pm) is on Jln Tun Razak.
Shopping Borneo Handicraft (1st Floor, Wisma Merdeka)
has a good choice of woodwork, basketry and gongs;
Borneo Handicraft & Ceramic Shop (Ground Floor, Centre-
point) stocks ceramics, antiques and primitive sculptures.
The Filipino market (daily 8am-5pm) is a good place to
bargain for cultured pearls and handicrafts from Borneo,
the Philippines and elsewhere. Gaya Street Sunday Market
(around 7am-3pm) is pure kitsch.

Cristão Café & Grill 1 Jln Jati W cristaokk.com. Come
here for Malaysian Portuguese soul food, from melt-in-
your-mouth pulled pork burgers with 'slaw to fiery devil
chicken curry and pork vindaloo. Decadent desserts also
available. Mains from RM15. Tues-Sun 11.30am-3pm &
6-9.30pm.
Kohinoor Waterfront Esplanade. Large portions of
tandoori dishes and curries are on offer at KK's best Indian
restaurant. Plenty of dishes for vegetarians, including okra
masala (mains from RM12). Daily 11.30am-2.30pm &
5.30-11pm.
★

Night Market Jln Tun Fuad Stephens. Easily the best
place for inexpensive seafood, this waterfront market
kicks off after 5pm. Pick a stall, order fresh fish and seafood
by weight, and specify how you want it prepared (mains
from RM13). Accompaniments include rice and “Sabah
vegetable” (jungle fern), and sellers from drinks stalls will
come by to take your drinks orders.
Moon Bell 33 Jln Haji Saman. Xinjiang dishes from
northwest China, ranging from the signature caramelized
aubergine to twice-cooked pork and lamb dishes. Mains
from RM15. Tues-Sun 11am-9pm.
Seri Selera SEDCO Complex, off Jln Sapuloh. A restaurant-
lined square with outdoor tables; one of the best places in
town for fish and seafood - barbecued and Chinese-style.
Pick your fresh victims and get some “Sabah vegetable”
( midin - jungle fern) on the side. Mains from RM14. Daily
5.30-10.30pm.
Yu Kee 74 Jln Gaya. This unpretentious Chinese spot
serves the versatile meat in many delicious forms, from
crisp pork belly and pork intestine - an acquired taste - to
ribs and barbecue pork and rice (mains from RM7). Daily
10am-10pm.

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Bed Waterfront Esplanade. Go to Bed to see live Filipino
bands lip-synching to the latest hits (from 9pm onwards)
and DJs spinning their stuff in between sets. Raucous
and best enjoyed in a group, though it's not the place
for an intimate conversation. Daily from 9pm until the
wee hours.
★

El Centro 32 Jln Haji Saman W elcentro.my. Buzzing
with expats and travellers, this subtly lit, lively bar pulls in