Food guide
Best Food in Tawau
Nasi kuning breakfasts, Bugis cooking, Sabah chocolate and seafood in the south-east.
Updated
Tawau's food reflects its position next to Indonesia: Bugis and Indonesian dishes alongside Chinese coffee-shop staples, plus chocolate from local cocoa.
Quick recommendations
- Breakfast
- Nasi kuning with fish curry
- Souvenir
- Sabah-made chocolate
Nasi kuning for breakfast
Nasi kuning, turmeric rice with fish curry and sambal, is Tawau's signature breakfast and usually sells out by mid-morning.
Buy it wrapped to go, or eat in.
Soto, Chinese coffee-shop style
Tawau's Chinese coffee shops make soto with a spiced beef or chicken broth, a lunch favourite with locals.
Coffee shops serving soto usually close by early afternoon.
Cocoa and chocolate
Tawau grew on cocoa, and local chocolate is the best food souvenir to take home.
Look for chocolate made from Sabah cocoa in shops around town.
Map
Schematic map, not to scale. Select a town to see where to eat.
Frequently asked questions
What is nasi kuning?
Nasi kuning is rice cooked with turmeric and coconut milk, served with fish curry, egg and sambal. In Tawau it is a breakfast staple linked to the Bugis community.
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Updated