Anjung Samudra @ The Waterfront Kota Kinabalu is home to a row of chic cafes and restaurants, where guests can chill while watching beautiful views of the South China Sea: boats docking in the evening and the shadow of Pulau Gaya beyond. The place is especially lively at night among tourists, expats and the local yuppies. It’s also where you’ll find Kohinoor, one of only a few restaurants in town that serve North Indian cuisine.

Dimly lit interior gives the feeling of intimacy.

For appetisers, we had Pakora – assorted fried vegetable fritters of onion slices, cauliflower and peppers. Vegetables usually absorb oil during the cooking process, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that these didn’t leave a greasy aftertaste. They were nice, crispy and addictive! The minty sauce accompaniment was also refreshing and further helped to reduce the greasiness. I could eat these all day.

Butter chicken – spicy, creamy and filled with tender chunks of chicken. I could really taste the fragrant, buttery flavours in this!

Clockwise from top left: Palak Paneer, a gravy made from pureed spinach (hence the green colour), tomato and seasoned with garlic, garam masala and a variety of other spices, Naan basket, Butter Chicken and a curry with mutton meatballs in it. Indian cuisine is heavy handed on the spices, so for those who are not used to it (like me!), all the different herbs, ingredients and spices can get quite confusing on the tongue after awhile lol.

With so much sauce/curries/broth, one must have rice or naan (flatbread) to go with them. The version here is fluffy and light with a slightly chewy texture, browned at the edges from the baking process. You can also opt to have garlic or cheese added to the bread, but honestly? They’re good enough on their own.

Biryani Rice

Washed down our food with some cool and refreshingly sweet Mango Lassi. 

Overall, the meal was satisfying and portions were more than enough for the four of us. Service is also fast and friendly. Can be a bit on the pricey side, but hey, you get your money’s worth.

KOHINOOR NORTH INDIAN RESTAURANT