Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Ever wondered what the best food is in Tawau, Sabah, or what the famous food is here? This article will help you narrow down the places to find it.

Not only that, but I have personally tried all the food listed here during my many trips to Tawau on the east coast of Sabah Borneo.

This Tawau food list also indicates whether the food is Halal or if no pork is served; hence, many places are also Muslim-friendly.

Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Seafood is one of the must-try local foods when you are in Tawau.

Before I start, Tawau is a coastal city on the east coast of Sabah. It is well known as the main gateway to popular islands like Sipadan and Mabul.

The destination is often overlooked as many visitors will fly in and head straight to their next destination, usually the town of Semporna, where they catch their boats to the islands.

As Tawau is quite laid-back and a little original compared to cities like Kota Kinabalu, you will see that it is very different in terms of being a city.

But having been this way, the culinary rewards are pretty exciting. You get to explore local food, which has stayed the same since the day they started selling it.

A true foodie will appreciate this rather than the commercial ‘stall to shop concept’ that has taken Malaysia by storm.

A famous or popular stall will always have realness and authentic charm, and when people try to be different and bring the concept to shopping malls, this is where it fails.

nasi-kuning-tawau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Nasi Kuning Ikan is on the left, and Nasi Kuning Ayam is on the right.

1. Nasi Kuning Tawau

One of Tawau’s most sought-after local dishes is the extremely popular Nasi Kuning, translated as yellow rice. However, foreigners visiting Tawau should refrain from using the name ‘yellow rice’ as they will not expect any response from the locals. The dish is known as Nasi Kuning.

haji-tamrin-nasi-kuning-tawau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Restoran Haji Tamrin in Tawau.

The most famous place is none other than Nasi Kuning Haji Tamrin, which is located in the city area of Tawau. There are, in fact, numerous places that sell this dish, and most of them are just jumping on the bandwagon due to the popularity of this dish.

Nasi Kuning Tawau

What to Order: Nasi Kuning (Chicken and Fish)

Where Are They: 4188, Jalan Sim Hua Seng, Tawau
Halal: Yes

Price: $$

tawau-pisang-cheese Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Selection of Pisang Cheese and other banana snacks.

2. Pisang Cheese Tawau

Undoubtedly, this is one of the local favourites found here and has been for many years. Though this dish originates from Indonesia, the Pisang Cheese Tawau has become a popular dessert. They sell cheese-fried banana fritters and have a whole range menu catering to rice, noodles, and many other dishes.

pisang-cheese-tawau-menu Best Food to Eat in Tawau

The Pisang Cheese menu at Indo Cafe in Tawau.

Be careful, as there may be other shops attempting to ride on the popularity of this dish. The brand Indo Cafe has two branches: one in the city and one outside Tawau.

Pisang Cheese Tawau

What to Order: The Pisang Cheese, hands down. But if you have a sweet tooth, try the Pisang Coklet.

Where Are They: 542, Jalan Bantu, Tawau
Halal: Yes

Price: $

Some of the seafood dishes that I ordered.

3. Tawau Fresh Seafood

This is undoubtedly the main thing that anyone visiting Tawau should try, and I vouch for it. After eating fresh seafood around Sabah, namely in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, Tawau is still the best and the cheapest.

You can find a row of seafood restaurants along Jalan Chen Fook in the Tawau City area, and the restaurant I visited was Kam Ling Fresh Seafood and Goof View Seafood restaurants along this busy road.

seafood-in-tawau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Kam Ling Seafood has an exciting choice of fresh seafood.

I recommend that you head here at about 6 p.m. to order early, as the seafood restaurants can get really crowded from around 7 p.m.

Another thing is that you can accommodate any size group to eat the local seafood. When I was here, two of us ordered a few dishes, and the price was just under RM100.

Tawau Fresh Seafood Restaurants

What to Order: Anything seafood, such as shells, fish, crab, etc.

Where Are They: Along Jalan Chen Fook, Tawau
Halal: No Pork Served

Price: $$ to $$$

mee-tauhu-tawau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

The famous Tawau Mee Tauhu.

4. Mee Tauhu Tawau

This dish is also very popular among Muslim travellers heading here and for anyone who loves noodles and tau foo.

Also, many places are selling the Mee Tauhu in Tawau, so finding the right one can take time and effort. During my trip here, I saw at least six restaurants selling local favourite noodles, and with much asking around, only two restaurants were popular.

One is Kedai Kopi Tawau, found along Jalan Kubota in the main city area. But again, the locals here have their favourite place for Mee Tauhu.

Kedai Kopi Tawau Mee Tauhu
What to Order: Mee Tauhu
Where Are They: Jalan Kubota, 91000 Tawau, Sabah
Halal: Yes
Price: $ to $$

nasi-goreng-sup-payau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Sup Payau is on the left, and Nasi Goreng Payau is on the right.

5. Nasi Goreng and Sup Payau Tawau

This is one of my favourites whenever I am in Tawau. You can find this little restaurant just outside the Tawau airport. Since being introduced to the Kari Payau (Deer Curry) in 2007, I have always made it a point to visit Bibiq Corner, about five minutes’ walk from the airport.

sup-payau-tawau Best Food to Eat in Tawau

The exciting menu at Sup Payau Bibiq Corner

The restaurant is very local and straightforward, but the unique wild deer is served and captivates the foodie. Most Malaysians will relate to this dish as it is cooked in a very local style.

When my flight lands at Tawau, I usually walk over, have my Nasi Goreng Payau, and then head towards town. If you are taking Grab, just walk around and call your Grab from here.

Bibiq Corner (Next to Tawau Airport)
What to Order: Sup Payau and Nasi Goreng Payau
Where Are They: Jalan Airport, 91000 Tawau, Sabah
Halal: Yes
Price: $ to $$

A sunset scene at the Tawau Esplanade.

What else to do in Tawau?

While you are in Tawau, you may also have some free time to explore one of Sabah’s least visited cities.

You may be here for work, a quick family trip, or even a wedding, and you might have some extra time to wander around.

And for those seeking what else you can do here, I have written a comprehensive article about the many things to do in Tawau for just about anyone.

tawau-town-map Best Food to Eat in Tawau

Map of Tawau’s main city area.

How To Go To Tawau?

Direct flights are available from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and other cities in Malaysia. Airlines that fly there include Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, the latter of which has more flights.

For those travelling from Kota Kinabalu, the best option for travelling to Tawau is still via a flight. If you have time to spare, you can always travel overland via bus or rented car.

While most Malaysians or Asians plan limited travel days, your best way to get to Tawau is by flight so you can make the most of your trip here.

nasi-lemak-bakar Best Food to Eat in Tawau

This is called Nasi Lemak Bakar; I wonder if it is still available in Tawau City.

Conclusion

Are you planning to visit Tawau anytime soon? If so, I hope this list of the best food to eat in Tawau has been helpful.

You can also follow David.Travels‘ Instagram account, where I share my random travel and food photos. Malaysia Asia is more focused on travel photography and destinations.

If you have any comments or feedback, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment form below. Also, if there are other dishes I may have missed, let me know.

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