Shang Hai Tian Dinner

Dinner at Shang Hai Tian was a delightful experience, especially as we were seeking somewhere convenient, just a short walk from the conference hall. Arriving around 6 pm, we were reassured by the good number of diners already there, a promising sign of the restaurant's popularity and quality. The cook also looked very busy.

We ordered an array of dishes: Karamunsing pork, marmite chicken, sayur manis, and stir-fried sweet potato leaves.

We asked for a pot of Chinese tea with ice cubes. What arrived was a pot of iced chinese tea. That was so interesting!

The Karamunsing pork, served in a claypot, was a standout. This dish is inspired by the flavours of the Karamunsing area, known for its blend of Chinese and local Sabah influences. It features pork belly cooked with salted fish and a variety of spices, giving it a rich, umami flavor that is both savoury and slightly sweet. It was a lovely dish, rich and savory, and paired wonderfully with their sambal belacan, which added a spicy, tangy contrast. Think of this a 'ham yue fah lam' with a sweeter sauce.

The sambal belacan

The sayur manis was another highlight. It was fresh, crunchy, and perfectly cooked.

On the other hand, the stir-fried sweet potato leaves were a bit too salty for my taste, but still enjoyable for those who prefer a stronger flavour.

The marmite chicken, however, was a bit of a mixed bag. While the texture of the chicken was excellent — tender and moist, avoiding the common pitfall of being over-fried and hard — it lacked the distinctive marmite flavour. Despite this, if you think of it as a stir-fried soy sauce chicken rather than marmite chicken, it was still a satisfying dish.

The variety and quality of the dishes made for a pleasant meal. And the price made it even more worthwhile. RM80 for 4 dishes that was enough for the 4 of us.