Portview Seafood Village

*Apologies for the long hiatus guys - the last few months of 2008 have been crazeeee....we spent more time out of the country than in!!*

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One of us grew up in Sabah, and we both love seafood. But, in all our married years, we have never had good seafood in Sabah! Oh, it’s not the seafood’s fault – most restaurants have live creatures frolicking in aquariums – but the cooking styles have always been rather disappointing. On recommendation from a trusted foodie relative, we ventured to Portview during a recent visit.

Perched on the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront in the heart of KK city, Portview overlooks Gaya Island and the South China Sea. Pick your seafood literally “on display” in aquariums as you stroll in.

The steamed fish was cooked just right. The flesh was moist and sweet, and the soy and ginger sauce was not overpowering. For half the price we paid at Portview, I have had better in Hong Kong. But hey - we're not in Hong Kong, are we? We had soy prawns (see yow wong chow har) – I swear these were the BIGGEST prawns I have ever eaten. Can't fault this dish, but ain't nothing to shout about either.

So, what's there to shout about at Portview? Well, I'd be yelling about the also-very-big oysters. Actually, big could not even begin to describe the oysters. They were huge, no – gigantic, no make that super extra JAI-NOR-MOUS!! I kid you not, they were the size of my palm!! And, at RM7 each, they were a steal! Would’ve love to have had them au naturale, but our dinner guests didn’t quite like the idea of slimy, raw oysters. So, we had them steamed with garlic. Still delicious!! For their size, these oysters were surprisingly non-rubberry. Handy tip: steak knives are particularly helpful to help carve the oysters into bite-sized pieces.

A note of caution though, stick to the seafood – the “other dishes” were pretty ordinary. The five spice fried chicken was dry, veggies were OK but the pork way too tough!

Check out: www.portview.com.my

Where: The Waterfront, Sabah

Style of food: Chinese

Price guide: $$$