Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Jln Pryor; dishes RM3-10; 7am-2pm)
Despite being located in what looks like a
multistorey car park, this is the best spot in town for cheap eats and stall food. On the bot-
tom floor you'll find the usual 'wet' and 'dry' markets, selling fish, sea cucumber, herbs,
vegetables, meat and such. Farmers and fishermen rock up here from their fields and boats
throughout the day, bringing fresh produce, bloody butchered meat and flopping denizens
of the ocean. Upstairs you'll find strictly halal food stalls, with a mix of Chinese, Malay,
Indonesian and Filipino stalls. Hours given for the food stalls above are a bit flexible, but
by 3pm most are empty.
Sim Sim Seafood Restaurant $
(Sim Sim 8; dishes RM5; 8am-2pm)
Located in the heart of the Sim Sim stilt village,
this 'restaurant' is more of a dockside fishery, where the daily catch is unloaded and sor-
ted and prepared for the immediate consumption of travellers like you (and a lot of loc-
als). A cluster of red plastic patio furniture huddles in the corner - just grab a seat and
point to your prey! Or ask a friendly regular for help ordering; there are lots of off-menu
specialities determined by what's caught that day. Ask a cab to drop you off at 'Sim Sim
Bridge 8' (they'll very likely know where you're going).
SEAFOOD
English Tea House & Restaurant $$$
( 089-222544;
www.englishteahouse.org
; 2002 Jln Istana; mains RM24-40, cocktails
RM26.50; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
It seems every place that suffered under coloni-
alism likes to recreate the atmosphere of being a rich colonialist, the English Tea House
being Sabah's contribution to the genre. Don your safari suit, wax that moustache and but-
ter that scone,
sahib
. The manicured gardens are a particular joy, with wicker furniture
and a small croquet lawn overlooking the bay, perfect for afternoon tea (RM17.25), a
round of sunset Pimms or some ice coffee.
TEA HOUSE
Drinking
Bandar Indah, commonly known as Mile 4 or Batu 4, is a buzzing grid of two-storey sho-
phouses and the playground of choice for locals and expats alike, packed with restaurants,
bars, karaoke lounges and nightclubs. It comes alive at night in a way that makes central
Sandakan seem deader than the morgue in a ghost town. Bars generally close around 1am
or 2am, music venues slightly later.
