slothis · English

Fook Yuen: Chinese Food in Kota Kinabalu

2017-11-13 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

I missed lunch because there were no decent restaurants at Signal Hill. On top of that, after a short hike, I was so hungry that I actually lost my appetite. Coming down the mountain, I could see the downtown area, and the famous spots from the guidebooks I'd been wanting to visit started appearing. The first thing I saw was Old Town White Coffee; since it's famous for its white coffee, I made a solemn decision to have it for dessert after my meal. With my fists clenched in determination, I headed to Fook Yuen in the building next door.

It's so distinctly Chinese style that anyone can immediately tell it caters to a Chinese clientele. Walking in felt similar to visiting Mu-Mu in Russia. I had no idea what to order, and the staff in front of me watched closely to see what I'd pick, which made me sweat quite a bit. Of course, unlike in Russia, they didn't scold me to hurry up and choose. Malaysians generally don't seem to put people in awkward situations. But maybe it was trauma—the atmosphere was so similar to that bad memory of Mu-Mu that I was exhausted before I even started eating.

Exterior of a restaurant with a sign reading Fook Yuen, and people sitting at outdoor tables.
Large wooden sign reading Fook Yuen Cafe & Bakery and the interior of the restaurant.
People sitting and eating inside the restaurant with round tables and wooden chairs.
It's not uncomfortable to eat alone, and there are plenty of solo diners.
Serving counter displaying dim sum and various foods under a sign that says Self Service.
The menu is buffet-style, just like Mu-Mu.
Upper part of the restaurant counter with a self-service notice, a clock, and a drink menu hanging.
The prices are written above. It might be fun for some to figure out what's what, but in my case, it just made me frustrated. I wish they just had set menus or something.

I just ignored the prices and ordered things I roughly liked, but I kept the portions small. Strangely, the unique smell of the Chinese restaurant was suppressing my appetite, so I didn't need to grab much. Is this why Chinese people are thin?

Menu board for Kedondong juice priced at 4.50 ringgit, and a beverage refrigerator next to it.
Kedondong juice. I didn't know what it was, but I ordered it thinking it was lime. They were promoting it with a huge sign, so I just grabbed it.
Many people enjoying their meals sitting at round tables filling the inside of the restaurant.
The interior is very spacious, but apparently, there are no seats during meal times. Still, since the food is quick to eat, I expect the turnover rate is very fast.

The chicken leg, dim sum, and egg tart I ordered came out. The egg tart gets 0 points, the dim sum 50 points, and the chicken 100 points. As expected, chicken never betrays us. Egg tarts are only good when freshly baked, but this one was completely cold and tasted like nothing. The freshly baked egg tarts in the morning are what made this place famous, so I highly recommend timing your visit right. The dim sum was edible, but the problem was the outer wrapper rather than the filling. It had a slightly fishy smell, so if I were in Seoul, I absolutely wouldn't have eaten it. The chicken was exactly as perfect as you'd imagine, and it was the only thing that properly filled my stomach.

Two pieces of fried chicken legs, a steamer basket with dim sum, egg tarts, and a cold green drink on a tray.
Three egg tarts filled with yellow filling in a small stainless steel bowl.
Two pieces of fried chicken legs with the handles wrapped in aluminum foil are placed on a white plate.
Praise the almighty chicken.
Three dim sum topped with orange garnish are placed side by side on thin paper inside a bamboo steamer.
A glass of green fruit juice filled with ice and a receipt are placed on a tray.
Oh right, the kedondong juice I thought was lime tasted more like apple juice. It was refreshing, but they gave me so much ice that it disappeared after a few sips.
Interior of the restaurant with an ice cream freezer and a glass showcase displaying bread against a tiled wall background.
Fook Yuen is also famous for its bakery. According to the guidebook, people line up for the smell of morning bread. But based on the food I just ate, I wouldn't expect too much.

Because it was introduced as such a famous spot in guidebooks and blogs, I went in with high expectations. Who said it? Even if a highly anticipated place is delicious, it can never meet your expectations. However, the quality here was such that I wouldn't have liked it even if I had zero expectations. But the prices are definitely cheap, and I expect the "freshly made" food would taste good. If you're curious about what kind of food Chinese people like, it's worth visiting this place once. It has a distinct Chinese aroma that is definitely different from Korea. However, if you're on a family trip and want to treat your parents to a proper meal, it falls far short.

Expenses (conservatively multiply by 300 to get the amount in KRW)

Daily expenses: RM 330.42

Total trip expenses: 2875000 KRW + RM 1050.83