Halal Food in Kota Kinabalu - 10 Best Halal Restaurants & Cafes

A captivating city in Sabah, East Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu is a tourist hotspot and a gateway for backpackers of Sabah and Borneo. Since a Muslim area, gourmands don’t have to worry about locating halal restaurants in Kota Kinabalu. Ample halal outlets are serving absolutely appetizing halal grub that is highly appreciated by all the tourists as well as the natives. Muslim travellers can enjoy and indulge themselves into the aromatic halal eateries in Kota Kinabalu. 

These are the top 10 halal-certified restaurants and cafes in Kota Kinabalu:

1. Restoran Sri Melaka

A plate of delicious chicken tikka
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Offering a wide variety of Malaysian food choices, Restoran Sri Melaka along Jalan Laiman Diki is also known to serve vegetarian, vegan, and Halal food. Attentively catering to its customers during lunch, dinner, and brunch hours, this food stop has employed highly amicable and obliging staff that provide an excellent service. Sometimes, gourmands at this eatery are also entertained by a group of dancers. Overall this immaculate eatery has a perfect ambience to feast upon.

Location: 9, Jalan Laiman Diki, Kampung Air, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 9:30 PM (Daily)
Cuisine: Malaysian

2. Borenos Fried Chicken (Asia City)

A picture of lip-smacking fried chicken
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One of the popular halal-certified eateries in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo Fried Chicken, impresses its chicken-eating connoisseurs with crispy and lip-smacking fried chicken. The right amount of marination, amazing breading skills, and control of oil temperature are the steps required to lock aromatic flavours into this tantalizing chicken grub. This food outlet in Asia City, which is known to cater fresh and quality fried chicken is also a great place to laze around and chit chat with friends and family. 

Location: Kompleks, Lot G23, Ground Floor, Jalan Asia City, Asia City, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Cuisine: American, Asian, Malaysian, Fast food

3. D'Place Kinabalu

A plate of delicious fried fish
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An authentic halal restaurant serving traditional KadazanDusun dishes with Hinava, Tuhau, Ambuyat, and Turmeric - Fried Fish being its popular savouries. D'Place Kinabalu also works as an event space for occasions like birthday parties, baby showers, and corporate events like product launches and press conferences. Designed like a hut, this event space gives a village-like experience to its gourmets who are also entertained with beautiful cultural dance performances and traditional games.
Location: Plaza Shell, 2nd floor, 29, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kota Kinabalu
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday - 11:30 AM - 7:30 PM

4. Jothy's Fish Head Curry and Banana Leaf Restaurant

An appetizing plate of fried chicken
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One of the best restaurants for Indian halal food in Kota Kinabalu, Jothy's Fish Head Curry, and Banana Leaf Restaurant present a classic South Indian dining experience. The restaurant title carries the food highlight of this place - “Fish Head Curry and Rice served in Banana Leaf”. This tempting dish comes as piping red hot curry that is prepared by adding a unique mix of herbs and spices along with eggplants, tomato, and lady's finger. Other not to be missed food specialities of this restaurant are Mutton and Chicken masala, Deep-fried mackerel fish, and Fried chicken. Don’t leave without sipping some yummy banana and mango lassi! This Indian cuisine serving food stop is also open for private and corporate parties.
Location: Block 1, Lot G1-0, 9, Api-api Centre, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (Daily)
Cuisine: Indian, Asian, Malaysian

5. Brass Monkey Cafe & Bar

A plate of food on a bar counter
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A bit expensive steakhouse in Kota Kinabalu, Brass Monkey Cafe & Bar is a western cafe and event space that is frequented because of its exceptional viands. This halal restaurant in Kota Kinabalu serves generous portions of beef and lamb that are supplied from Australia and New Zealand. Don’t miss the scrumptious honey mustard chicken, it is the food speciality of this cafe bar. This event space gives one a cosy ambience because of the warm dim lights that illuminate the entire eating house. The walls of this place are adorned nicely with monkey art and intriguing decorations. Excellently serving its guests, Brass Monkey Cafe & Bar is highly recommended for candlelight dinners with your special ones.
Location: Lot No. 1-0, Luyang, 1, Lorong Lintas Plaza 4, Lintas Plaza, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday and Sunday - 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM, Friday - Saturday - 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Cuisine: Steakhouse, Bar, European

6. Silk Garden Chinese Restaurant

A picture of scrumptious noodles
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Located next to the serene garden and landscaped ponds of The Pacific Sutera Hotel, Silk Garden Chinese Restaurant enjoys some fantastic views by the marina. Serving Chinese, Asian, and Cantonese comestibles along with halal food, this expensive Chinese restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and comfortable seating arrangements for all its foodies. Gastronauts can try a variety of dishes other than the popular dumplings and spring rolls. Catering its customers with a memorable dining experience, Silk Garden Chinese Restaurant has hired attentive staff that provides great service and impresses you with sizable dishes.
Location: 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday - Friday - 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday - 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Cuisine: Chinese, Asian

7. Sailors' Cafe

A picture of the delicious salmon fish
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Nestled on the first level of Plaza Grand Millennium, Sailor’s Cafe is a vibrant cafeteria serving finger-licking Asian and Fusion halal food in Kota Kinabalu. From sorts of pasta to salmon, steak, and lamb shank dishes, this noshery offers its visitors a huge variety of food choices. This cafe also acts as a great event space for birthday parties, baby showers, family and friends gathering, reunion parties, and some corporate parties. Don’t leave without trying their amazing brownies and waffles. 
Location: Lot 36 1st Floor Plaza Grand Millennium, Jalan Penampang Bypass, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday and Wednesday - Friday - 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM, Closed on: Monday 
Cuisine: Asian, Cafe, Fusion

8. Cafe Boleh

2 refreshing glasses of cocktail
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A famed halal cafe residing on the second level of The Pacific Sutera Hotel is Cafe Boleh that impresses its tourists and natives with a huge assortment of Western and Malaysian dishes. Due to a brilliant indoor and scenic outdoor set-up, this eating house witness a lot of visitors. The eatery is also known to present a fine selection of beer, cocktails, and healthy juices to all its juiceheads. So, enjoy this local and international buffet at Cafe Boleh with some melodious music that is played in the backdrop.
Location: 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM (Daily)
Cuisine: Asian, Malaysian

9. Souq Garden Restaurant TH Hotel

A delectable plate of chicken biriyani
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For appetizing Arabic food rush to Souq Garden Restaurant which boasts of a menu replete with Mediterranean, Asian, Egyptian, Arabic cuisines. With a perfect ambience for diners, Souq Garden Restaurant has a set of signature dishes to try at the buffet like Chicken Biryani, Chinese Wonton noodles, and Char Kway Teao. Expect great hospitality from the attentive staff members working at this eatery.
Location: TH Hotel, Kampung Sembulan, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM (Daily)
Cuisine: Cafe, Mediterranean, Asian, Egyptian, Arabic

10. Kedai Kopi Kak Tini

An aromatic cup of coffee
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Feeding its customers with cheap and affordable Malay chow, Kedai Kopi Kak Tini is a local coffee shop in Kota Kinabalu. Other than Malaysian natives, Indians, and Chinese people also frequent this coffee outlet. People rush to this place to nibble as well as bring home yummy Banana Fritters or Pisang Goreng, Nasi Kuning, and Pulut Panggang are some of the must-try dishes at this food stop.
Location: 58, Ground Floor, Jalan Gaya, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening hours: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
While travelling comes with a lot of food restrictions, spotting for a halal food outlet in Kota Kinabalu is not that difficult. The halal restaurants in Kota Kinabalu or KK serve toothsome Mediterranean, Arabic, Cantonese, Asian as well as Egyptian cuisines. So, start gathering your nearest and dearest ones for a trip to Kota Kinabalu, and make sure to nibble zestful comestibles at one or more of the restaurants listed above.  

This post was published by Amisha Gondhalekar

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