FEATURES

In-house treats

Tuaran Mee.

At the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, dining-in is a yummy treat for holiday-makers. TAN BEE HONG has a jolly, lip-smacking time sampling the options.

The tandoori platter.

Lobster cooked the Indian marsala way and black dhal.

Seafood mezze plate signals the start to the Seafood Menu For Two.

MOST holiday makers who stay at Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort in Kota Kinabalu have all their meals in the resort restaurants.

Apart from the fact that the resort is somewhat a distance away from the town itself and few are bothered to endure a 45-min drive just for food, the four main outlets there do serve excellent food. In fact, at the Tourism Malaysia Awards 2005 & 2007, the Naan – Flavours of India was awarded Best Restaurant for Indian Cuisine.

Indian Success Recipe

Naan serves mainly north Indian food but there is a selection of hot Goan specialties like Goan Fish Curry. At a sampling of its food, its assistant indian chef Naveen Kishore cooked for us a creamy butter chicken with a rich gravy of tomato, honey, cream, ginger and garlic. This, together with a nutty Black Dhal goes well with a selection of naan breads or Kashmiri Pulao rice.

Then there is the popular Chicken 65, a strange-sounding name until one is told that exactly 65 different spices go into the marinade.

His Lobster Marsala is stunning, with the sweet flavour of the crustacean that’s cooked with the shell left on. But as it has been chopped into big chunks, there is no problem digging the meat out. The gravy has a creaminess that comes from the use of coconut milk, with chopped garlic, ginger, tomato and onions.

Almost all customers pick a selection of tandoori items. The list seems endless with tandoori fish, prawns stuffed with a mince of fish and prawns flavoured with ginger, garlic and coriander, hariyali (spinach) chicken, lamb kebab, chunky chicken and more.

Open only for dinner, Naan is usually packed. Naveen, from Delhi, India, also runs cooking classes every Wednesday for hotel guests and locals from 11am to 3pm. Participants learn the finer side of Indian cuisine, the types of marinade and alternative methods of cooking the items, especially if they don’t have a tandoor oven. They also get to taste what they cook.

On A Casual Note

For more casual meals, there’s Coffee Terrace with an a la carte choice of international and local dishes. Tuaran Mee is a favourite. The fried slim, flat noodles come with chicken or seafood.

The menu has a good choice of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, grilled items, pasta seafood, laksa, chicken rice, curry and an impressively huge selection for vegetarians, including Tuaran Mee.

Marine Theme

For more fine dining, there’s Coast, with chef de cuisine Andreas Von Lonski serving contemporary western cuisine for dinner in an inviting beachfront setting. At the heart of the restaurant is a marine-themed raised bar, offset by a stunning mural made from capiz shell and mother-of-pearl with a set of shimmering, fibre-optic jellyfish chandeliers.

Or one can dine outdoors in three private, thatched gazebos for a truly beachside dining experience.

For those who can’t decide on what to order, there is a Seafood Menu For Two, starting with canapes and a seafood mezze plate. This looks more like a metal basin really, filled with ice and icy pillars of blue on which sit assorted sushi, blue crabs, salmon sashimi, sesame seared tuna and poached and tempura prawns. It’s quite a conversation piece, something to talk about while you savour the food.

Main courses are a choice of roast cod and king prawns, teriyaki salmon or the catch of the day, followed by a Tasting Tower of desserts and coffee or tea.

If you find that too intimidating, go a la carte. Blackened Tuna, with cajun spices and a hot soya mustard butter sauce is a good pick as is the Panko Crab Cake, a hot number served with an iced sweet chili, tomato, cilantro and red onion salsa.

I love the Lobster Tortellini, stuffed with lobster mousse and served with a creamy pumpkin sauce and pan-fried scallops with translucent centres.

Pasta is always a good choice with ravioli, risotto and a rather delectable Linguini Prawn. The hand-rolled strands of fresh pasta, given a golden shade of yellow with the addition of saffron, is served with grilled prawns and a zesty chili-lime reduction. Rocket leaves and a dash of parmesan gave it lots of bite and flavour.

Prefer meat? The Beef Fillet Rossini with gratin potato and a scented shallot confit would keep any meat-lover satisfied.

All the outlets offer a wide range of wines and soft drinks to go with your meal, as well as specialty coffees and teas.

RASA RIA RESORT
Tuaran, Sabah
Tel: 088-792 888

Pictures by EDMUND SAMUNTING

For more stories on the various delicacies which can be found throughout the country, check out the Gourmet Trail featured on the Travel site.

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