GAYANG - DINING WITH THE ENEMY

Any visit to Kota Kinabalu (KK) would not be complete without a visit to one of their many seafood restaurants. Miss out on their seafood and you would have missed out on a unique Sabah dining experience. Sabah is well known not only for their live seafood but also for its relatively lower prices compared to the Klang Valley.

During my recent trip to KK, I rounded up a few enemies and off we went, to Gayang Seafood Restaurant. Heck, it was either dining with the enemies or surviving on the 3 biji of Ferrero Rocher that I had saved from the airlines in-flight meal!

Gayang was the logical choice because of its close proximity to where we were staying. Besides, being located 26km away from the city (in the direction of Nexus-Karambunai Resort), I assumed that it would be less attractive to tourists, and hence lower prices to be expected.

Finding one's way to Gayang, which lies beside the Salut river, can be a bit challenging after sun set as the road leading to Gayang can turn rather dark and unfriendly. A GPS device is highly recommended to prevent any navigational mishaps.

While we did observe a solitary tourist bus parked in front of the restaurant, we were overjoyed when we found out that the prices didn't disappoint. RM30/kg for live crabs, RM36/kg for live prawns, RM20/kg for live Sa Pak clams, RM55/kg for live Grouper. No additional cooking charges too!

Boiled live prawns - a logical choice given its freshness.

Sa Pak Clams fried with ginger and spring onions - loved it.

Steamed live Grouper - not bad but we could have gone for the house speciality (Steamed in nyonya sauce).

Sabah vegetable fried with belacan - forgettable.

Chilli crabs - has a unique tang to it.

Eating Fish 101 - waste not.

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Gayang Seafood Restaurant

Address: Kampung Baharu, Jalan Sulaiman, Tuaran
Contact number: 016-8102395

Reservation: Not required

Opening hours: 11.00am - 10.00pm
Cuisine: Chinese (Pork Free)
Must order: Seafood

Must not order: Vegetables
Budget for 4 pax: RM120
My verdict: 3 stars

GADERIAN - A HIDDEN GEM

During a recent visit to Kota Kinabalu, some friends invited us to dinner at a rather secluded restaurant, nestled unassumingly deep within a housing estate near the KK International Airport. Although clearly out of the radar of most tourists, Gaderian Restaurant was nevertheless packed with locals when we arrived shortly after 8.00pm that Saturday night.

Gaderian is indeed a refreshing change to our usual seafood hangout in Kota Kinabalu - the very touristy seafood outlets in Seri Selera Kampung Air (SEDCO Square). A rather unique name for a Chinese seafood restaurant, Gaderian is an old English word that means "gather". And I am sure glad that we were invited to gather here that night as the food was lip-smacking delicious.

They have a few signature dishes that are worth a mention. I loved their Kam Heong Brinjal - strips of brinjal that are marinated in curry powder, deep-fried until golden brown and dry stir-fried in curry leaves for added flavour. Their German style Pig's Trotter was fantastic too - crispy on the outside while moist and flavourful on the inside. We were told that due to a mix-up in our order, we had to miss out on their other star attraction, Butter-Milk Crabs cooked in Salted Egg - quite a pity as I do have a fondness for these crustaceans.

I did not have a chance to compare prices as our hosts graciously picked up the tab that night, but judging from the number of locals that filled the restaurant, I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that the food here is very reasonably priced.

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Gaderian Restaurant

Address: N/A
(Directions: Turn left after the Petronas between Lido and airport, and Drive towards the end of the road).
Contact number: 013-8609388
Reservation: Highly Recommended
Opening hours: Dinner only
Cuisine: Chinese (Non Halal)
Must order: Kam Heong Brinjal, German style Pig's Trotter, Butter-Milk Fried Prawns with Salted Egg
Must not order: Herbal Chicken
Budget for 4 pax: RM120
My verdict: 4 stars