One can never go hungry in Kota Kinabalu, and that is not an overstatement. Between Indonesian, Filipino, Western and Chinese foods, there is a ton of choices, especially known for its seafood, the city has no dearth of restaurants and eateries that serve a wide array of gastronomic delights, from Western to Oriental, American to Continental, contemporary to traditional and cheap to the very expensive. Dining out is an adventure in itself!

Go local is the advice to heed for a memorable sojourn. A walk through the city streets and alleys takes you from one coffee shop to another. These provide a great way for the discerning visitors to savor Sabahan dishes, minus the exorbitant prices charged by major hotels, and experience everyday life amongst the residents here. Restaurants, however, offer a wider variety as they are much bigger, and cater to a different set of clientele altogether.

Varieties of food presented in the local stalls are, for example, the nicest Roti Panggang (fresh baked buns filled with red beans, kaya or chicken) offered in KK's Chinese coffee shops or the Filipino favorites such as steamed cassava with grilled fish or agar-agar with sesame seeds, Fishballs and fish meat that are used a lot in most of the curries. You can also get very nice papaya salads at most of the lunch stalls. Also, if you order rice at any of the stalls, a pleasant light soup is usually served with your meal.

Sinsuran Market
The market to the right of the Sinsuran handicraft stalls tends to have very good food during the day. The night market is unsurpassed and the stalls are all very good. Here you can find Indonesian, Filipino and Malay cuisines and also a lot of cakes and very nice ABC (crushed ice with mixed candies).

Segama Night Market
A bit more of a Chinese-influenced area, you can also get some Malay food. The Segama Night Market is located right under the big overhead bridge that extends to the market from nearby Milimewa Department Store.

Kampung Likas
On the road to the mosque, along the waterfront, many stalls set up selling Malay gastronomy and seafood. The place provides a really nice scenic view of the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. Take any bus to Inanam or Kampung Likas and you will see the stalls next to the beach.

Centerpoint Mall
If you are too tied from shopping, the Centerpoint Mall also provides eateries with lots of very nice and relatively cheap local foods in the lower floor in front of the local bus station.