Food & Drink
Local cuisine has influences coming from India and the Philippines.
Staple food is made of rice or noodles.
Side dishes consists of vegetables, fresh fish, seafood, mutton or chicken.
Flavours and seasonings usually come from soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onions, spicy sauce, fish sauce or coconut milk.
What are the Popular fruits in Sabah?
Green or yellow mango, rambutan, lychee, durian, pineapple, watermelon, jackfruit, papaya, langsat, star fruit, banana, coconut and mangosteen.
What are the Popular dishes in Sabah?
- Nasi Lemak - rice cooked with coconut milk and served with anchovies and roasted nuts. coming with curries.
- Nasi Goreng Kampung a type of fried rice flavored with fried fish.
- Roti is a thin bread, fried and served with curries.
- Indian curries.
What are the Popular Drinks in Sabah?
The beers are usually more expensive as they are imported from Thailand (Leo), Singapore (Tiger), the Philippines (San Miguel) or Europe (Heineken).
More about Food & Drink
Eating in Sabah is one of the underrated pleasures of a dive trip here. The local cuisine blends Malay, Chinese, Indian and Filipino influences — rice or noodles as the constant, with vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, chicken or mutton alongside, and the flavour engine running on soy, garlic, chilli, vinegar and belacan. It's food built for appetite, which is convenient, because nothing manufactures appetite like three dives.
In Semporna, the move is simple: the seafront seafood restaurants. Tanks of live catch, priced by weight, grilled or steamed to order — this is the town's genuine attraction, and dinner there is the standard ritual between airport and island. Prices are honest for what lands on the table; point, weigh, wait, feast.
On the islands, meals come with your package at nearly every resort and lodge — typically buffet-style, seafood-forward, with Malaysian staples and enough Western options to keep everyone fed. Tell your resort about allergies and dietary needs when booking, not at the buffet: the kitchens accommodate well with notice, less well with surprises. Vegetarians manage comfortably; vegans should flag it early.
Drinking notes: Malaysia is majority-Muslim, so alcohol exists but isn't everywhere — resorts and Chinese-run restaurants serve beer, town stalls generally don't. Hydration, on the other hand, is a diving duty: drink far more water than feels necessary. Contact us to plan the trip all this eating fits inside.