Must Eat Food in Sandakan

Over the last ten years of visiting Sandakan every year, I have been introduced to many local places, some of which have closed while others still serve the same quality from back then.

So, are you ready for a gastronomical local food experience in Sandakan? If you are, read on, and you may even explore this part of the East Coast the next time you visit Sabah.

However, over the years of experience and reading how food bloggers review places, I could not help but write this article based purely on my own experiences.

Here, I will open the doors, and you will judge the food places in Sandakan that I have narrowed down over the last 10 years and based on many people’s opinions, usually the wise old locals rather than some new food blogger. 

Again, I am not a food blogger, but I share this information through years of experience eating at these places, and this list of must-eat food in Sandakan is in no particular order below.

There are also two ikan bakar stalls in this mini ‘pasar’, which serve the same thing, just which stall you prefer to dine at.

Both stalls offer grilled fish and seafood, which is available for lunch and dinner; therefore, the tip is to go early to get the best selection of squid (sotong), crabs (ketam), prawns (udang) and local seafish like Ikan Bolu, Ikan Blais, Ikan Putih, Ikan Kerapu and many others. 

Just to add on that, Ikan Bakar Mama Resepi is one of the famous stalls here and over the years, she has opened a total of three branches all over Sandakan where the younger generation tends to eat at the Mama Resepi Ikan Bakar at IJM, Mile 6, which is one of the newer branches and at a proper restaurant.


Mama Resepi Ikan Bakar Pasar Sim Sim
Pasar Sim Sim, off Jalan Sim Sim,
Kampung Buli Sim Sim, 1/2 Mile,
90000 Sandakan.
Tel: +6 016 824 8125 / +6 019 453 0484

The unique Kadazan dishes from Borneo Ethnic Cuisine Restaurant in Sandakan

If you are a noodle lover, this is a must-eat food in Sandakan, as the noodles are purely handmade and one of a kind. They are really springy and fragrant, which can be found nowhere else. 

For the springy noodles, the tip is to come here early in the morning to have the Sandakan spring noodles as it finishes fast, especially on the weekends.

They are also well known for their Cheese Prawns dish. Not to be confused, there are two restaurants at the end of the jetty, and this one is on the right side.

Restoran 88 Sim Sim
Right Side, Jambatan No. 8,
Kampung Buli Sim Sim,
Jalan Sim Sim, Sandakan.
Tel: +6 012 816 3633

From what I have tried here, only two restaurants are serving this, and one of them is the 27-year-old Nam Chai Seafood Bak Kut Teh, located in the Tanah Merah area, along with Jalan Leila, which is the main coastal road out of Sandakan. It is also a 10-minute drive from the city. 

This tends to bring out the seafood’s flavour, making it quite unique and a must-try when you are in Sandakan.

For the meat lovers, fear not as they do have the regular bak kut teh being served too. The place is closed on Mondays, and the must-try dish here is the ‘Lai Mang‘ fish, which sells out fast.

Nam Chai Seafood Bak Kut Teh Restaurant
Ground Floor, Blok D, Jalan Leila,
Bandar Nam Tung, 90000, Sandakan.
Tel: +6 089 612 603

This stall has been doing the ‘Char Yuk Meen‘ since 1940 and is one of the pioneer noodle stalls where they still home make the kuey teow or flat rice noodles. 

To find this stall, you need to find the central Sandakan Market, look for the stairs where you walk up two floors and look for the stall with its signboard. You will notice it among the other stalls here.

Keuy Teow Deep Fried Pork Stall
2nd Floor, Sandakan Wet Market,
Jalan Pryer, Pusat Bandar Sandakan,
90000 Sandakan.
Tel: –

Sandakan’s most famous steamboat, 1Malaysia Steamboat on Trig Hill.

If you love steamboat and seafood, this family-run restaurant is hands down the best place to eat in Sandakan. Located on Trig Hill, just 10 10-minute drive from Sandakan city, it is best to ask for directions or take a taxi here.

The restaurant is called 1Malaysia Steamboat on Trig Hill, which has been around since early 2000 and serves mostly locals some of the best, freshest and cheapest seafood steamboats on the east coast of Sabah.

1Malaysia Steamboat on Trig Hill is a straightforward and simple restaurant. Walk in, order for how many persons, go get your buffet and eat as you please. The price is RM30.00 per person, but when you look at the seafood buffet, you will be happy to know you only paid so little.

The seafood is delivered daily, meaning they are really fresh. Prawns are medium to large-sized, fish are seafood fillets, monster clams (kerang), average-sized flower crabs and white clams.

Wait… there’s more; there is a selection of fish paste, fish balls, yong tau foo, vegetables, beef, chicken, satay, soft drinks, ice cream, soup, fried chicken wings, etc.

Seriously, for RM30, this is a fantastic deal. The tip is to come early, by 6.00PM, to refill the buffet. For an additional RM10.00, you can get a grill pan to grill some of the buffet items.

1Malaysia Steamboat Restaurant Sandakan
Jalan Bukit Trig, Bukit Bendera,
90000, Sandakan.
Tel: +6 013 540 4056 / 017 817 0908

Sotong Kangkung at Bandar Kim Fong’s Market is one of the famous Sandakan foods.

Another popular place for local hawker food is the Sotong Kangkung or Cuttlefish Salad, found at the local pasar or wet market in Bandar Kim Fung, Mile 4 Sandakan.

Several food stalls here sell a variety of local food, but the Sotong Kangkung stall is one of the recommended places to eat in Sandakan.

This stall has been here for over 10 years, and how they prepare the sotong kangkung is unlike others we have tasted around Malaysia. The lady boss’s secret lies in some fresh lime mixed into the overall dish and some quality prawn paste, which gives it a fresh taste.

At RM 5.00 a plate, this also results in an exciting and new flavour compared to the usual dish. While you are here, try other stalls selling tea-time snacks, cakes, chee cheong fun, and chicken wings.

Sotong Kangkung at Pasar Kim Fung
Pasar Kim Fung, off Jalan Pasaraya,
Bandar Kim Fung, Mile 4,
90000 Sandakan.
Tel: –

Seri Wijaya Restaurant at Mile 7, Sandakan, serves excellent Malay food.

Many choices are available for Malay Food in Sandakan, but only a few stand out or have a strong reputation. Sandakan mainly has many types of Muslims, like the Bajau, Javanese and Sundanese cuisines.

Therefore, you will find more Muslim food related to these Muslims here in Sandakan. I talked to the local Sandakan Malays,, andthey cannot even recommend a popular Malay restaurant in Sandakan.

Restoran Seri Wijaya in Mile 7, Sandakan, was a bonus find as they serve Javanese mixed Malay food here. The owners are local Malay mixed with Javanese and recently opened this restaurant in late 2015. They are open from 7.00 AM to 12.00 Midnight.

Their dishes are exciting and freshly cooked a la carte, and the restaurant is clean and hygienic. The food taste is outstanding, and I recommend trying the Ikan Bawal Bakar Set or Grilled Pomfret Fish Set.

Another set to order is the Ayam Kremes Rice Set, as the chicken is tender, and the crispiness is perfect. Their sets come with ulam or fresh vegetables, some home-cooked spicy sambal and a bowl of soup.

Restoran Seri Wijaya 
Off Jalan Lintas Labuk,
Ground Floor Block C,
Bandar Megah Jaya,
Mile 7, Sandakan 9000,
Sandakan.
Tel: –

Sandakan City view

We tried many other restaurants and hawkers but have yet to include them in this list, as there are too many.

Many will know Sandakan for the great seafood restaurants like Ocean King Seafood, which has now moved to Mile 6, and Kenalanmu Seafood Restaurant in Mile 4, but those places need to be more commercial and over-rated.

Even the famous Sandakan English Tea House is not listed here due to over-popularity from the general tourist. Well, most travellers would already know of that place.

Other places like bakeries and stalls are popular, but on a local level, and we may feature the best bakeries in Sandakan in my future articles.

For those travelling to Sandakan and looking for good food, you should know that the central city area is a morning place, and everything tends to close around 5.00 PM.

Some famous restaurants in Sandakan are located in the central city area, while the others are out of town areas, namely Miles 4, 6 and 7, and some are even further out of the city area.

It is best to rent a car and move around to explore the must-eat food in Sandakan, as I have mentioned that they are well spread around. You can also find out what to do in Sandakan while you are here.

To get to Sandakan, you can easily fly in from Kuala Lumpur as numerous airlines are servicing the KL – Sandakan route. There are also numerous flights a day from KL city.

Domestic flights are available from Kota Kinabalu or any other city in Sabah, but you need to check the flight times for AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines.

If you are in KK city, you can also take an express bus or rent a car and self-drive to Sandakan as it only takes about six to seven hours’ drive.

For more on Sabah food, follow Makan Sabah on Instagram, as their main objective is to promote real Sabahan food.

This list of places to eat in Sandakan is compiled based on credibility and authentic experiences in October 2016 and recommended to anyone travelling here.

When travellers or businessmen visit this nature city on the east coast of Sabah, one of the main questions is always what are the must eat food in Sandakan with this, I hope you will find an excellent culinary experience here.