Kota Kinabalu's wet market and Filipino market

The wet market in KK is quite interesting.  There are buckets of different types of clams with prices ranging from RM5 to RM8 per kg. 

These clams are RM5 per kg.

These white clams taste really good but the shells are very heavy and costs RM8 per kg.

That's another type of clam.  Also RM8 per kg.

These are the white clams but smaller in size so only RM5 per kg.

Fish displayed KK style.

Ikan buntal.  Very weird looking.

The eyes are scary and I thought they look like rats.

That's tuna at RM10 per kg.

That's big prawn at RM35 per kg.

These are really huge clams.  Both the BIG size and the small size ones cost RM5 per kg.  As you can see, they are really very fresh.

That's how BIG is the big clam.  Super duper big.

That's 2 of the 3 crabs we bought.  Prices range from RM8, RM10, RM12 and RM15 per kg depending on the size.  Male and female same price.

That's the 3 crabs (already cleaned) weighing 1 kg.

That's the white clam (on the left) - 1 kg and the BIG kerang (on the right) - 1 kg.  Simple cooking - wash and dump into hot water for a few seconds and eat with chilli sauce and lemon lime juice.  The white clams actually taste really good but the Xtra Large clams were tough - real tough.

That's the 3 crabs in the wok.  Clean, cut and dump into hot water.

Ready to eat.

FIRST NIGHT preliminary dinner - That's the crab (1 kg), white clams (1 kg) and the Xtra Large kerang (1 kg).  All yummy except for the extra large kerang.

That's after dinner.

Finished with the crabs.

This fish costs RM3 per kg.  Very cheap and very fresh.

Only 3 left.

Barbequed chicken liver, tail (RM1 per stick) and chicken wings (5 pieces for RM6) together with chilli and soy sauce at the Filipino market.  Very cheap.

That's supper.  1 slice of watermelon at RM2 and the chicken fried rice was RM3.50 per packet and it was a very full packet.  All from the Filipino market.

This is where I ordered the chicken fried rice.  This guy can cook very fast and wow, very competent with his hands.

2nd night, went to the wet market again and bought prawns at RM14 per kg.  Clean and dump into hot water and serve.

Pan-fried tuna with Aji, salt and pepper and lightly coated with lemon lime juice.  Lots and lots of tuna at the Filipino market which opens around 5:00 pm daily.

Squid/sotong at RM8 per kg.  Fried with shallots (small onion), garlic, ginger and lemon grass.

2nd night dinner.  Fried rice and 3 small fish leftover from previous nite's supper.  New additions are the pan-fried tuna, prawns, fried kerang and fried squid.  Notice the egg tarts at the far end corner?  That's from the Egg Tart Prince - very nice.

Fried clams.

3rd night dinner.  Fried kerang, soup of cabbage and tuna slices (yummy), leftover prawns and pan-fried tuna from last nite's dinner and freshly deep-fried tuna and rice from the food court.  After 2 nights of home-cooked seafood, I feel the need to visit Uncle Ronald - the french fries is yummy!

Dinner in progress.  Notice the orange-coloured chilli sauce?  Bought that at the wet market.  I saw a lot of these at the different stalls and prices ranged from RM3, RM4, RM5 and this bottle costs RM7.  Eh, I thought how come so expensive?  So I asked the hawker why is it so expensive?  She asked me whether I wanted to smell it.  Of course I declined.  Who want to smell chilli-padi sauce, right?  Even though I shook my head from left to right (meaning no), she opened the cap and put the bottle right under my nose.  My natural reaction was to smell it and I discovered it was actually very fresh.  She offered to sell at RM5.50 per bottle.  Now I realised, there's a difference in the type of chilli being used to make the sauce.  The chilli sauce in some bottles are more red in colour while in others, it's slightly darker but the one I bought is orange in colour and purely made from chilli padi (small chillies that's really hot and spicy).  Some bottles contain chilli seeds and/or garlic and/or onion.

4th day lunch.  I don't want any more leftover food since we are leaving KK soon so bought the [from left to right] white clams (RM4 for 1/2 kg), the scallops (RM5 for 1/2 kg) and the black oblong clams (RM4 per 1/2 kg).  All 3 different species of clams fried together with shallots, garlic, ginger and lemon grass.  Wow, fantastic taste especially the clam on the right.  If you wanted to try, eat that - yum yum and double yum.  Like people say:  xi-bay-ho-jiak.

That's the black longish oblong clam - really delicious.

Bought crabs also - 2 crabs for RM8.  I think only weighs 700 gm.  Fried with shallots, garlic, ginger and lemon grass.   Taste is wonderful.

Rice from downstairs curry house coffee shop, 3-in-1 fried clams, soup from the clams, fried crabs and the left over tuna from last nite's dinner.  Actually we can't finish the tuna so we tapau (take-away) and brought them back home.

Filipino market.  This section sells barbequed fishs, prawns, squids, lobsters, sea grapes, rice and some pickled vegetables.

1 barbequed fish costs RM15 or RM20 depending on the specie and the size.  The big prawn is RM10 per prawn.  The smaller squids cost RM10 per stick but the bigger ones cost RM15 or RM20 for 1 squid.

A stall selling fried rice, noodles and some drinks.

Barbequed chicken also from the Filipino market.

As you can see, the seller set up a long table with shade and at one end of the table are the barbequed seafood and customers will order and sit along the table to eat.  After you've ordered and paid, they will heat up the food for you at the barbeque pit at the other end.  Notice that lobster on the left, second row from the bottom?

1 lobster costs RM100.

These are the sotongs.  The big ones on the left costs RM20 per sotong, the medium sized in the middle costs RM15 per sotong and the small ones are RM10 per stick (5 in 1 stick).

These prawns are RM10 per prawn.

These are RM10 per stick.