INTRODUCTION TO SABAH |
WINE & DINE, NIGHTLIFE | THE WATERFRONT
Imagine you have had a lovely day sightseeing in and around KK, or perhaps you spent the day snorkeling and now, you want a relaxing evening, wining and dining in a pleasant open-air ambience. 'Penthousekk' gives you the ideal location. A five-minute walk out of Marina Court and you are at the KK 'Waterfront', an exhilarating variety of restaurants, bars and entertainment outlets on your doorstep. Developed about 2 years ago, when the city council was keen to create more tourist-related facilities, it comprises a broad, wooden boardwalk overlooking the sea and the islands of the Tungku Abdul Rahman National Park.
Here you will find a wide range of food and entertainment outlets, catering to a variety of tastes, be it seafood, western, local or international cuisine. In addition to the local dishes, you can enjoy the delicious flavours from China, India, Japan and Indonesia. The spacious 'Portview Seafood' restaurant, one of the best in town, entertains you during your meal with a traditional Sabah cultural dance performance. Or, you may favour the Aussie BBQ bar where you can have a scrumptious T-bone steak, or enjoy an Irish stew at the 'Shamrock' bar. Weather permitting; you could be eating at candle-lit tables along the boardwalk.
Oh, and another thing, if you're a keen shutterbug, get there before the sun sets, at around 6.00pm, it's a gem of a location for photographing the most spectacular sunsets. Alternatively, you can enjoy those stunning sunsets from the balcony of your penthouse, sipping on a sundowner and relaxing during the final daylight hours of your busy day, before leaving for your evening's entertainment.
Four bars, come pubs, look after your tropical thirst. These have a distinct British flavour. What could be more British in name than the 'Cock and Bull' or simply, 'The Olde English Pub'. 'The Shamrock Bar' serves the best draught Guinness and Kilkenny beer, while 'The Loft' has a marked Scottish flavour, and offers a pool table for your entertainment. International sporting events are covered and projected onto large screens allowing you to watch your favourite team do battle, while you relax with a long cool drink on a balmy tropical night.
To complete the Waterfront scene, there is a Coffee Bean outlet and a Sabah traditional crafts shop. Finally, for the younger generation, there's 'The Bed,' which, contrary to what you may think, stands for 'Best Entertainment Destination.' This nightclub has a live band and a DJ to entice you to get on your feet and rock the night away. You are never lost for enjoyment in the evenings at the ever-popular Kota Kinabalu Waterfront. These are some of the major hot spots at The Waterfront:
BED
B.E.D stands for Best Entertainment Destination, but creates interesting plays on words when it comes to questions like where are you. A very large area, it's popular as a dance place and is the venue in KK closest to a club. Also feature a live band (as most places in KK does), otherwise interspersed with the DJ playing danceable songs.
Cock 'n Bull
A pub along the lines of those commonly found in Britain. Has a small stage occupied by, yes, a band. Now playing is a trio from the Phillipines with decent renditions of Phil Collins numbers as well as other hot songs. Alternating with back ground music, you can drink a jug or your favourite spirit whilst chatting away inside or outside facing the seafront. They also have a pool table.
The Shamrock
Irish themed pub and the only place in Kota Kinabalu where you can buy a draft Kilkenney.
The Loft
The Loft is one of the vibiest places in KK. It's superb location on the Waterfront means that everynight is started with the second best sunset in the world (urban ledgend about sunsets in KK, but it could well be THE best sunset). They serve decent priced drinks, the usual at about RM15 each, and buckets of Carlsberg, Tiger and Heinken, which, to be fair, is not the cheapest in down. (In)famous for their 'lockdowns', it's possible to stay at the Loft until the wee-hours of the morning - especially if they're hosting a birthday party, for which their towering flaming drinks are a must as a gift to the (un)lucky birthday boy or girl.
