Kota Kinabalu’s culinary zest

The last thing that comes to mind when you think of Borneo is haute cuisine.

But it’s time to reconsider some stereotypes about this island of jungles.

Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, in Borneo’s north-eastern corner, may still be growing as a city, but it already has a few culinary gems — and Limau & Linen, in the upmarket and expat community area of Jalan Signal Hill Park, Likas, is one of them.

It is born from the mind of chef Linn Yong. She is originally from Peninsular Malaysia’s southernmost city, Johor Bahru, near Singapore, where she was educated and worked.

Limau & Linen matches a gourmet experience with a feel-good, artisanal food experience with a focus on sustainable local ingredients.

“No, you are not going to have one of our pizzas,” she tells me — and I suppose it’s not because she’s afraid that this Italian would not find them “authentic enough”.

Linn knows well the more standard Western items on her menu, like the excellent thin-crust pizzas I see on tables all around me, are just “necessary evils” to lure in the clients who may still need to develop a palate for more refined local tastes.

“I want to reflect the incredible rich diversity this land of Sabah bestows upon us,” she tells me.

Only a couple of hours away, she says, on the flanks of Mt Kinabalu, a sacred peak to the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun people, the fresher climate helps produce excellent vegetables.

It is possible to argue Linn herself is not a local, but the Malaysian-Chinese self-made chef and entrepreneur is by now an integral part of this land’s mixed heritage. About 20 years ago, when her Sabahan-Chinese husband, Anton Ngui, was asked to return to his native Sandakan from Singapore to revive a family hotel, big-city girl Linn could not oppose the move.

Moving from the stylish world-class island city to a conservative small town in Borneo with little excitement was hard to adjust to. But soon enough, Linn’s creativity spawned two of the State’s best-known — the Ba Lin Roof Garden, set above the Nak Hotel of her husband’s family heritage, and San Da Gen, a hip cafe based on the quintessential concept of the traditional Malaysian kopitiam (coffee shop). Its mouthwatering signature dish is a recreation of Sandakan’s traditional UFO egg tarts — flat sponge cake base, a thick custard filling, and a toasted meringue topping that also gives them the name of “cow pat tarts,” because they resemble the shape of dung.

Two children and a few years later, even with two restaurants to nurse, Linn’s primeval love for the big city and border hopping pushed her to take the plunge and carve her chance in the biggest “metropolis” she could find on her new turf: Kota Kinabalu.

“Like it or not, it’s Sabah’s biggest city, where there are more people with a higher disposable income and a more refined sense of taste,” Linn tells me as I try a glass of 1602 Life beer, a draft pale ale from Borneo, preparing to taste a few of Limau & Linen’s original dishes.

EATING WELL

We start with scallops garnished with flowers curated by a community of women of Kundasang, a town on the flanks of the sacred Mt Kinabalu. They’re zesty and fresh and, of course, presented with that floral element that makes the plate look beautiful, and not just appetising.

That’s a similar concept to what comes pretty much at the same time — Garden of Eden, a salad dish that highlights Sabah’s local vegetables, all sourced in collaboration with a network of female farmers. I put a fork in my mouth and feel the freshness and, in particular, the authenticity of a plate that’s conceived to raise awareness about going local and making sustainable choices.

We also try the Wo-Tie Dumplings with Mala Aioli, fried in the guise of a pancake, topped with greens, to imitate a street food style. As I sink my teeth into their golden crust, juiciness exploding into my mouth, I see our main dish coming out of the kitchen. It’s a slow-cooked lemongrass hay-smoked free-range spring chicken with crispy skin and tender meat. Even this bird was sourced directly from a small local farm.

When I ask why it’s so flavourful, Linn explains it’s because it’s been smoked slowly using lemongrass hay with a hot jungle honey glaze.

The serving of triple-cooked potatoes knocks me out — a perfect combination that doesn’t help save much space for one last treat, one of Limau & Linen cheesecakes — thick and delicious like any proper Western-type cheesecake should be.

Even if we have closed the night with a stereotypical dessert for the average masses, the attention remains on the twist on local ingredients — something Linn will continue to experiment with, to create who knows what other fabulous Sabah soul food for your next visit.