Filipinos will always have the passion for food, and Filipino foods at that. A few days away from my homeland made me crave for a true Pinoy taste. This craving led us to the Filipino Market located within Jalan Tun Fuad, across the Centre Point Shopping Complex, and fronting the South China Sea. You can easily spot the area because it is near the bus terminal.
You think only the Chinese can put up Chinatown in every country? Actually, any country can disseminate its culture by setting their humble territory around the world and Filipinos, since we are scattered across the globe, also have our own so-called town no matter how small or big it is.
The Filipino Market is a medium sized plaza or flea market where fellow Filipinos recommend Philippine native goods such as souvenirs, decors, traditional delis, wooden dinner wares, faux-gemstones, shirts, and medicinal herbs. There are cultured pearls that were for sale for around RM5 and up depending on the finish. And fresh seafood! How can we forget lunch by the refreshing sight at the seaside?
Fresh seafoods…fish, lobster and very large shrimps (I don’t know what they’re called)
Shrimps of different sizes….
Various grilled seafoods
These were the food items we ordered that night…
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What made the whole dinner even more special was the fact that we were dining by the sea…
There’s no faucet here where you could wash your hands decently but they made up for it by providing this equally efficient washing system…
Inside the Filipino Market are hundreds of fine choices that, if you have been to tourist spots in the Philippines, can also be seen in my motherland but there are also exciting new stuff to find here. By new, I do not mean the sewing shops lined just outside. Although the sight was very familiar, we were very glad to see Pinoy tailors ready to render minor and major stitching services for very affordable (and still negotiable) prices!
Aside from the thingies, it’s the familiar air that Filipinos offer that made us feel warm and welcomed. It was as if we never really left the Philippines at all, which can be an advantage and disadvantage. No worries. Everyone enjoyed this trip to the Filipino Market. As always, our ‘Kababayans’ never fail to amuse us with their unparalleled diligence and hospitality.
More about our Kota Kinabalu vacation here.
