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Magicians never divulge their tricks, but Alan Voo, the founder of Fish Market Restaurant, is happy to reveal his secrets to success in the business.
I watched as the waiter placed plate after plate of fresh seafood into the steamer in the centre of the table. The steamer uses steam from the broth to instantly lock in the natural flavour of the seafood. Inside the transparent lid, through a haze of steam the tiger prawns slowly turn bright red before my eyes, and the scallops and clams gently open up to a tantalizing hue. The fresh, juicy steamed seafood needs almost no seasoning at all, and every bite feels like heaven.
Sabah’s Uniquely Rich Seafood
Fish Market Restaurant is the first steam hot pot restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. After the pandemic, the restaurant restructured and moved to its current location in Sutera Avenue and has become a popular spot, along with the adjacent The LUMA Hotel. The restaurant’s founder is renowned chef and gourmet Alan Voo, with over 30 years of experience in the restaurant business under his belt, and currently operating three restaurant brands. Over the years, his insistence on high quality ingredients and top-notch service remains unchanged.
Clams, scallops, lobster, tiger prawns, geoducks...each kind of seafood tastes unbelievably fresh and sweet. No wonder they say steaming brings out the pure, natural flavour of seafood. The Humphead Wrasse, which cannot be exported and can only be consumed locally, is known as the one of the most prestigious and highly sought-after delicacy for many gourmets because of its smooth and tender flesh.
In addition to seafood, there are also many signature dishes at Fish Market Restaurant. For example, the cornish chicken. You will instantly fall in love with the sweet, tender meat, with a hint of aromatic corn flavour. If you’re a noodle lover, you may order the local favourite, Tuaran noodles, which is traditionally handmade and known for its chewiness and egg flavour. The dish is served with lobster, which is absolutely mouth-watering.
Golden congee with seafood essence
Yes, congee! Before steaming the seafood, a bowl of rice will be put into the bottom layer pot without adding any water or seasonings. If you are wondering how they cooked the rice, the answer is with the essence of the seafood that will be dripping into the pot while steaming on the top layer steamer plate. The result is a pot of congee that is so rich with delicate seafood flavour!
It was nearly the end of the meal when Alan adds the leftover lobsters and crabs into the congee, and serves it with salted duck eggs, youtiao and green onions. He keeps stirring the pot while I’m drooling over the aromatic congee. This is probably the most flavourful and delicious congee I’ve ever eaten in my life! It was the perfect ending to the meal.
Surprise after surprise, this seafood feast is truly eye opening. The ingredients are fresh, the cooking is exquisite, and the service is impeccable. Are there any more hidden secrets? I pick up the menu and look at a collection of appealing and tantalizing dishes when Alan proudly proclaims that it will take 3 days for someone to taste all the items on the menu! Well, I honestly don’t mind coming to the restaurant every day.
蒸好食 Fish Market Restaurant
Address: A-G-2, Ground Floor, Block A Phase 1, Lorong Sutera, Sutera Avenue, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fishmarketrestaurantmalaysia
