Dining · Borneo
Yee Fung Laksa
A Gaya Street coffeeshop in Kota Kinabalu whose laksa was adapted from a Sarawak recipe; named among Asia's 50 best in the Essence of Asia category.
The Restaurant
Yee Fung is a coffeeshop on Jalan Gaya, one of Kota Kinabalu’s best-known streets, and its laksa has a longer story than the setting suggests. Owner Cheng Chew Wang, who moved to Sabah from Johor in 1981, worked first in a chicken rice shop and began selling laksa about three years later. Daily Express reports that the recipe was originally Sarawakian and that he adapted it with his own spices and ingredients; the business had been running for 37 years when the paper reported on it in March 2021.
It earned wider attention that year when it was named among Asia’s 50 best restaurants in the Essence of Asia category, a list based on recommendations from chefs of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, the 50 Best Academy chairs and trusted food writers. It was one of four Malaysian eateries on it.
What to Order
The shop is known for laksa, claypot rice and beef noodles. A Weekend Notes reviewer, who ordered the ngau chap, a Sabah noodle soup of beef, meatballs and offal, found the beef soft and tender and the broth full of flavour, and would order it again. A dry version is also served.
Timing matters: the same reviewer met a long queue at 1 pm on a Sunday but none at 11 am on a Thursday. An earlier listing gave a Tuesday closure, so confirm opening days before going. See the Borneo destination for wider context.
Sources: Daily Express: Gaya Street eatery wins recognition among Asia’s top 50; Weekend Notes: Yee Fung Laksa, Kota Kinabalu. Check the official websites for current information.
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