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Food guide

Best Breakfast in Kota Kinabalu

Where and what KK eats before 10am: beef noodles, fried egg noodles, kaya toast, kuih and kopi.

Updated

Tuaran mee with char siu and greens

Breakfast is Kota Kinabalu's strongest meal. Coffee shops are full by 7am, and many of the city's best stalls close by early afternoon.

Quick recommendations

Hearty
Ngiu chap
Classic
Tuaran mee with egg roll
Sweet
Kuih and teh tarik
1

Noodles are breakfast

Most KK locals eat noodles for breakfast: ngiu chap, Tuaran mee or pork noodle soup.

Go early, share a table and order a drink as soon as you sit down.

  • Ngiu chap: a bowl of beef noodle soup with sliced beef, tendon and beef balls

    Sabahan Chinese (Hakka)

    Ngiu Chap

    Ngiu chap ('mixed beef' in Hakka) is a Kota Kinabalu beef noodle soup with brisket, tendon, tripe and beef balls in a spiced broth, served with noodles either in the soup or dry on the side.

  • Tuaran mee: fried egg noodles with char siu, egg and greens in a takeaway box

    Sabahan Chinese (Hakka)

    Tuaran Mee

    Tuaran mee is a Sabah noodle dish of hand-made egg noodles fried hard in a wok until springy and slightly crisp, served with char siu, choy sum and egg roll. It comes from the town of Tuaran, north of Kota Kinabalu.

2

Dim sum and bakery mornings

If noodles aren't your breakfast, KK also does Cantonese dim sum and old-style bakery-kopitiam toast with kaya.

Dim sum houses are busiest on weekend mornings; bakery-kopitiams open early and stay open late.

3

Halal breakfast options

For halal breakfasts, look for kuih counters, Malay rice stalls and Muslim-owned cafes.

Many coffee shops are not halal, so check for a certificate or choose a Muslim-owned shop.

  • Hinompuka: banana-leaf parcels, one opened to show the brown rice cake

    Kadazan-Dusun

    Hinompuka

    Hinompuka is a Kadazan-Dusun steamed rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and palm or brown sugar, wrapped in banana leaf. It is sweet, chewy and fragrant, and especially associated with the Kadazan of Penampang.

Map

South China SeaSulu SeaCelebes SeaKota KinabaluSandakanTawauSempornaTuaranPenampangKundasangRanauBeaufortLahad DatuKudatKeningau

Schematic map, not to scale. Select a town to see where to eat.

Frequently asked questions

What time do breakfast places open in Kota Kinabalu?

Most coffee shops open between 6 and 7am. Popular noodle stalls can sell out by 10 or 11am.

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