Saturday, August 15, 2009

GAYA STREET, KOTA KINABALU BAZAAR – NOW AND BEFORE

Last Sunday a friend suggested that we make a visit to the Gaya Street Bazaar at the Kota Kinabalu city to look for something sold there. As it was more than a decade, more precisely about few years that I hadn’t visited, I agreed to the suggestion. We reached Gaya Street just after 8.00 AM in the morning after looking for parking lot nearer to the Gaya Street.



The first thing that caught my eyes was the traditional cake, where those cakes were only found in Kota Kinabalu and it’s surrounding. I agreed to come because I was looking forward to the tasty and popular Mee Laksa at one of the restaurant there. The Beef noodle soup was excellent too but I decided to skip it as I tried to be health conscious nowadays. The Laksa soup cannot be excluded also but I cannot help it and ended with a bowl of the ever-popular Laksa Noodle soup. The restaurant was a very popular and it would be your lucky star if you happen to get a seat barely waiting for other people to leave their seat especially in the morning.


It just happen that a couple was leaving their seat as we approached the restaurant and I gladly get hold of the table while waiting for my friend who was tailing me behind. The ‘Towkay’ showed his gestured to me as he’d known me as one of his great customer before and he might be wondering why I hadn’t come to his restaurant for a long time. My friend ended ordering the same as me that was the Laksa Mee soup. I noticed that the soup was a bit reddish compared to last time when it was more of a creamy look and the soup tasted more spicy but still good, I prefer the previous soup though. While waiting for our noodle soup I took a picture of the ‘Towkey’ preparing the noodle soup in case my reader happen to be in Kota Kinabalu and would like to taste the noodle soup. The name of the restaurant is called Kedai Kopi Yee Fung and beside it is the Tun Nan Bookstore. If you know the bookstore then you will not miss the restaurant.


As we were slurping and enjoying the creamy soup few people were like watching you with their eyes glued on your bowl and to you like ‘hey mister quickly finish your noodles or I will sit on your lap’. When you finish your bowls of noodles they will move closer to you with a smile that would melt you (if sexy girls lah) and even your lemon tea ice drinks tasted even much better. No time to chit chat, just call the shop assistant for the bill with the toothpick still sticking to you teeth and leave the place. In no time the table will be cleared and cleaned by the restaurant helpers for another customers. The more customers they get the more profits they get and the ‘towkay’ will be laughing his way to the bank.


We started our tour of the Gaya Street after breakfast and what I noticed was the many stalls selling clothing. Is Gaya street bazaar becoming another of the ever-popular Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur? Even few stalls are selling ladies accessories like earrings, rings and whatever ladies accessories. Shouldn’t it revert back to the old times when village produce was sold there? I did not enjoy my tour of the Bazaar as what you find there could be found anyway else. The city hall should strictly adhere to the product that only cannot be found in the shop or shopping complexes within the city. They should encourage traders to sell product produce by the villagers from the neighbouring districts. Let it be a very enjoyable visit by visitors or tourist instead of wasting our time to see products, which can be available in any place.

The Bazaar at the Gaya Street Kota Kinabalu is no longer the same as for first few years of its existence. They should revert to the original concept of the Bazaar should it remain as the Popular Bazaar during every Sundays.

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