JOJO餐廳 — Restaurant in Sabah

Jojo, Kota Kinabalu – A Restaurant with Potential but Falls Short

We were drawn to Jojo by its beautifully curated Instagram photos and its reputation for serving excellent steak—something we don’t often find on our travels. The restaurant is located inside a hotel, and we entered through the lobby, ascending an elegant spiral staircase to the dining area. The decor was stylish and inviting, setting high expectations for the meal ahead.

There were only about five other tables occupied when we arrived for lunch, and we placed our order within five minutes. However, the experience quickly became frustrating. After another five minutes, our server informed me that my steak choice was unavailable and asked me to select another. Shortly after, the same thing happened to my husband—his steak type was also out of stock, and he had to choose a different size. While the server was polite, the back-and-forth felt unnecessary, as these stock issues should have been mentioned upfront.

For appetizers, we ordered the grilled octopus, followed by two different steak dishes. The octopus was too soupy and saucy for our taste, but the steak itself did not disappoint. I had the Black Angus, which was excellent, accompanied by a salad and fries. Unfortunately, the fries were a letdown—cold, undercooked, and under-seasoned (3/5).

Service was where the restaurant really faltered. After we finished eating, no one came to clear our plates or check in on us. Despite six staff members standing behind the bar chatting, it was impossible to get their attention. I had to say "excuse me" multiple times, progressively louder, before someone finally noticed. Only then did they bring the bill—while our dirty plates were still on the table.

Pricing is on the higher end for the area, though comparable to North American steakhouse prices. Given the quality of the steaks, the pricing itself isn’t unreasonable, but for a restaurant aiming for a five-star experience, the service and attention to detail need serious improvement.

Final Verdict:

Jojo has great potential, with solid steak offerings and a beautiful ambiance, but it falls short on execution. Service needs to be more attentive, and simple details like keeping menu availability updated and clearing plates promptly would go a long way in elevating the dining experience.

Would we return? Maybe—if they step up their...

Food and vibes were great! However, I really thought an establishment like this would have a better system for serving the meals. I was there with my partner and 2 sisters. We ordered 2 starters and 4 main courses. Annoyingly my main course came out first, and the first starter came out 10-15 mins later, followed by my sisters’ 2 main courses. Then the second starter came and still no sign of my partner’s main dish. I had to eat slowly since I wanted to eat together with everyone else (we went out for dinner together so of course we want to eat together kann?) but the food was too good so I finished by the time the second main course came out. My partner’s food came last, 15-20 mins after the other main courses and it was a wrong order so we had to wait another 10-15 mins for the right one to arrive. By that time 3/4 of us were already done eating and he was just starting his meal 😂 Perhaps it would be better to serve the starters first, and wait for all the main course to be done before serving all of them together. We still had a nice time though, they gave a couple of free ice creams for the wrong order in the end. It’s just that if this keeps going, we might not go back because it’s quite annoying especially if you’re hungry and need to wait till everyone finishes their meal before...

On a solo work trip to Kota Kinabalu, I decided to keep dinner close to my hotel since I wasn’t familiar with the area, and being a girl traveling alone, I opted for convenience. I stumbled upon JOJO, located right beneath my hotel, The Luma Hotel.

I ordered the Beef Ragu Pasta and a Happy Mojito.

The Beef Ragu Pasta was incredible—tagliatelle paired with shredded beef in a rich tomato-based sauce. It was so delicious without being too heavy or overwhelming. As for the Happy Mojito, it had a refreshing burst of lime and mint, perfectly blended with rum. Although the menu stated that the discounted price (RM 25) was only available after 8:30 PM, the waiter was kind enough to offer me the discount even though I ordered before 7 PM!

You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to visit JOJO. It’s on the first floor and easily accessible via the spiral staircase from the lobby. If you’re staying at The Luma Hotel, you also get an extra 10% discount—just show your room access card!

I’ll definitely revisit if I come back to Kota Kinabalu, and I highly recommend it to everyone, whether you’re staying at the hotel or just passing through. I do feel awful that I was alone and could only order one main dish to avoid wasting food—I’d have loved...