Can’t believe I haven’t given these guys a shoutout! I guess it’s better late than never. Before my trip to Kota Kinabalu, I had diligently researched for must-eat places. Ten restaurants made it on my list, yet I managed to cover just one restaurant! But only because I was blessed with a newly acquainted local friend who took us to the best local joints instead! Delicious Curry House was one of them. Thanks Johnny!

We hand picked a red grouper head from a chiller display filled with fresh whole fish, heads and tails (amongst other seafood) for their specialty fish head curry. This seems to be the star of the restaurant. The curry gravy, though lighter than what we are used to, still packed a nice little punch. Laden with generous amounts of okra, tofu puffs, tomato and aubergine, all soaking in the soupy curry. A good level of spiciness but what really shone, was the sweet meaty fish head. Honestly, you could do anything to that fish head and it’ll be delicious! And a richer, thicker curry might just overpower the natural sweetness of the fish.

Steamed Squid with Garlic – We had some of the best squids in Kota Kinabalu. Every single one was sooo damn fresh. And always cooked perfectly. Meaning not a minute longer than it needs, so the meat is juicy tender springy and soft. The minced garlic lifted the fresh oceanic flavor of the squid.

Golden Crispy Fried Chicken Thigh- At every table and an absolute MUST! This signature chicken is heavenly! As promised, it is crispy, juicy and pull-away tender; with an aromatic marinade that is deep in every bite. This deserves 5 stars!

The fantastic fried chicken had my heart until Lamb Chops with Special Sauce came along! This was an OH! MY! GAWD! Moment! Lamb chops just bumped Fried Chicken to second place! Lamb has a distinctive flavor you either love or hate. This was coated in a sweet savory marinade which was just deep enough to still allowed some of the natural lamb flavor stand out still. I think this lamb would change most non-lamb eaters. 

Salted Egg Bittergourd- Not the most unusual dish but it was surely very well executed. Each piece of bittergourd is nicely coated with a good amount of airy batter and sandy salted egg paste. The texture is light and dry without any excessive oil. So addictive! I pretty much silently wiped out the entire plate!

Signature Salted Egg Yolk Butter Prawns- We salted egg lovers don’t stop at one. Unlike the bitter gourd, these prawns were coated in a sticky, lava-ish salted egg sauce. The prawns were huge and meaty, with shells so crispy you could chew on them! But not before you first lick and suck every drop of the delicious sauce off every nook and crack!! Gosh.. Describing this makes my mouth water! What’s great about this salted egg sauce is the subtleness of it. Not so rich and overwhelming you feel all icky after one bite. The sauce has a teeny bit of sweetness and a nice whiff of curry leaf. 

Stir Fried Four Angled Bean in XO sauce- Cut into thin slices and flash fried in a good hot wok for that smokey aftertaste with can’t-go-wrong XO sauce. And in every mouthful, a little salty crunch from the fragrant dried shrimps! So simple but totally delicious.

If you wanna eat like a local in KK, check out this place for sure. If you are looking for tanks of live seafood, clams and shellfish in different shapes and colors, done in countless cooking methods plus a menu in 3 different languages, DM me and I’ll send you that first list of mine!!

Delicious Curry House @ 63, Lorong Austral 10, Taman Ridgeview 88200 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Phone: 088-319 777

Disclaimer- This is not a sponsored post.