Chatsip House H86 Kon Lou Mee
If you’re a foodie visiting Sandakan, you should know some very famous places for Kon Lou Mee at Kampung Buli Sim Sim. Today, we will explore away from the over-commercialised Restoran Seafood Sim Sim 88 and focus on Chatsip House H86 Kon Lou Mee.
Before I continue, Kampung Buli Sim Sim is a historic stilt village located on the coast of Sandakan, Sabah. Established in 1879, it is considered the original site of Sandakan and is known for its traditional wooden houses built on stilts above the water.
The bridges in Buli Sim Sim, such as H86, connect different sections of the village and are integral to daily life. They provide access between homes, shops, and communal areas. Visitors often explore these walkways to experience the unique architecture and vibrant community life.
Most visitors come here seeking the famous seafood or kon lou mee with century egg dumplings found in several houses. The village is also renowned for its fresh seafood, with several restaurants offering dishes prepared from the day’s catch.
Chatsip House is located on the right of the over-commercialised Restoran Seafood Sim Sim 88 and inside Jambatan H. Walk all the way in; you will be easily distracted by the big seafood signboards for 88 and 90, both sides by side, which gained popularity in the last ten years.
However, as you reach Restoran 88, take a right, and Chatsip House is just next door to it, looking like someone’s home, but the signboard is a giveaway. Don’t feel scared. Walk straight inside, and you will pass through the living room and the kitchen before seeing some dining tables.
Kon Lou Mee with Sliced Fried Pork and Century Egg Dumplings
Note to those who don’t speak Chinese, this is a super local place, so they speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay and a little English. So, if you are confident, go in, sit down and order the Kon Lou Mee, which is served with fried pork, cut into slices and served on top of the dry soy sauce noodles. You can also add century egg dumplings to your noodles or have them served in a bowl of soup.
The beauty of this dish is the noodles, which are specially made in Sandakan and use a lot of egg. This type of noodle is also sometimes called Spring Noodles, because of its springy effect. The special chili sauce served is on another level, nothing I have tried before, and one of a kind.
Most customers here are locals; I was the only non-local sitting with my food guide. He also informed me that local Sandakan people will come here for breakfast or brunch on weekends because of the unique seafood and dumpling choices.
Well, I had a few other places to eat, so I ordered the standard Kon Lou Mee without dumplings and ate what I could, because the next stop was H84, another local home restaurant, just next door.
My verdict: This was truly out of the ordinary and very different from all the noodles I have tried. The springy noodle texture and the right mixture of sauces and ingredients make it a simple yet tasty dish, new to my palate.
Chatsip House
H86, Jambatan H, Jalan Buli Sim Sim,
90000 Sandakan.
Conclusion
Chatsip House H86 Kon Lou Mee is very raw and not your regular cafe or restaurant. It is someone’s home that has been turned into a local eating place, so please respect the people here and be humble, as if you’re visiting someone’s home for a meal.