Cottage Garden — Restaurant in Sabah

I have been here a few times. The owner Mr Joseph still runs the place. The atmosphere here was always nice. The made both indoor and outdoor seatings. I prefer the outdoor seating. The ambience is just too inviting in my opinion.

We ordered only two dishes. One was grilled squid in sambal. The squid is nicely done, just slightly undercooked. That is how it should be. It's not like having rubber. The smoky flavour of the grill is bold but not overpowering. The sambal with it was also really fragrant. All the flavours of sea and smoke melded with each other with the sambal complementing it all. I would prefer it to be slightly saltier. It's still a dish i would recommend ordering.

We also ordered the kangkung belacan. This is one of our fav vegetable and its hard to go wrong. This is a typical Malaysian dish, made by almost all races. This malay style of using fermented shrimp paste is to die for. The nutty roasted shrimp paste or belacan was strong and bold but wasn't strong enough to cover the taste. The freshness of the vege is still present despite the strong shrimp flavour. The balance of shrimp umami and freshness of the vege was spot on. Most importantly the control was good enough that it wasn't overpowering the squid dish.

I do not regret coming here. Noted the price is slightly higher than other tawau joints but for what i am getting,...

Like what shared on FB the atmosphere here is unique and instgramable. Comes with industrial design inside with garden style outside which is very suitable for family gathering. Lots of parking space. I can't review the food yet because we were not planning to come to do it, just a lil hangout in the afternoon. But..the food can be improve more because it lacks presentation so thus the taste. Although, we just ordered some drinks and chicken and fries and ayam bakar. The ayam bakar is nearly raw, we have to send it back to recook. This place show a lot of potential, maybe some rookie mistakes because it just open. Looking forward for the next visit! Love the hanging Burung...

"The atmosphere in the cottage garden is enchanting, offering numerous benefits, particularly for families with children due to the diverse play areas available. The Chinese owner warmly welcomes guests and their amiable staff further enhance the experience. Noteworthy is the suggestion for enhancing gatherings with a karaoke option by providing 2 microphones for duets. In conclusion, I am thoroughly pleased with this establishment; even the ample parking space adds to...