FAVSTYLE Essentials

In Tenom, mornings arrive softly. The mist lingers over coffee hills, the air cools the senses, and the road from Kota Kinabalu feels less like a drive and more like a gentle reset. This is where Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin makes its mark. Recently established and already drawing quiet buzz, it is Tenom’s newest reason to slow down and sip deliberately. The journey matters here. As the city fades behind you, the landscape opens into rolling greenery and mountain silhouettes. By the time you arrive, the reward is immediate: panoramic hill views, the unmistakable aroma of freshly roasted Tenom coffee, and a café experience that feels rooted in place rather than trend. Coffee First, Always At Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin , great coffee comes naturally. Brewed from Tenom’s own celebrated beans, each cup carries depth, warmth, and a sense of origin. This is coffee enjoyed without rush, best paired with fresh mountain air and an unhurried afternoon. Stay Where the Coffee Grows What elevates the experi...

Chinese New Year is a season where togetherness takes centre stage, and meaningful moments are best shared over a thoughtfully curated feast. This Lunar New Year, guests are invited to gather in celebration with an indulgent dining experience featuring fresh seafood, time-honoured festive favourites, and a signature Lobster Yee Sang, symbolising abundance, harmony, and new beginnings. The Prosperity Reunion Buffet Dinner , priced at RM188 nett per adult and RM89 nett per child, is available from 16 to 18 February 2026 (6.30pm – 10.00pm), offering a warm and elegant setting for festive reunions. For daytime celebrations, the Gourmet Gatherings Buffet Lunch is served on 17 and 18 February 2026 (12.00pm – 3.00pm), priced at RM168 nett per adult and RM85 nett per child, presenting a relaxed yet refined way to honour the season. Guests may further elevate the experience with an optional Yee Sang add-on, featuring premium selections including Salmon, Hamachi, Lobster, and Vegan options, a...

The highly anticipated 2nd Edition of The Heritage Malaysia Pageant 2026 officially announces the opening of its registration, welcoming aspiring individuals from across Malaysia to be part of one of the nation’s most prestigious cultural pageants. Celebrating tradition through a modern lens, The Heritage Malaysia Pageant is a distinguished platform that honours cultural identity, timeless elegance, and purposeful representation. Beyond beauty, the pageant seeks individuals who embody confidence, intelligence, and a deep respect for heritage, with the presence to represent Malaysia on an international stage. Registration is open until 15 February 2026, leading to a grand celebration of excellence at the Grand Final Night on 28 March 2026. Official Titles to be Awarded • Little Miss Heritage Malaysia 2026 • Miss Teen Heritage Malaysia 2026 • Mister Heritage Malaysia 2026 • Mrs Heritage Malaysia 2026 • Miss Heritage Malaysia 2026 The pageant offers a transformative journey combining cult...

  Chinese New Year is a season where tradition meets intention. It is a time to gather, to toast new beginnings, and to welcome abundance with open hearts and shared rituals. This festive season, Happy Place invites diners to embrace prosperity in its most vibrant form with its beautifully curated Auspicious Lou Sang, created especially to usher in the Year of the Horse. Set against a palette of rich reds and auspicious symbolism, the Lou Sang at Happy Place is a visual and culinary celebration. Premium slices of salmon form the centrepiece, surrounded by a harmonious medley of crisp vegetables, delicate textures and house-prepared accompaniments. Each ingredient is thoughtfully chosen to symbolise prosperity, good health and happiness, turning every toss into a meaningful wish for the year ahead. More than a festive dish, the Lou Sang ritual is a moment of connection. As chopsticks rise and laughter fills the air, families, friends and business partners come together to mark new...

  Chinese New Year is not merely a celebration. It is a return. A return to family, to heritage, to flavours that carry generations of meaning. This festive season, Kublai’s Catch Seafood Restaurant invites families and loved ones to gather around the table for a sumptuous Chinese New Year Reunion Set Menu, thoughtfully curated to honour tradition while indulging modern palates. Set against the elegant backdrop of Marco Polo Hotel Tawau, each menu is a symphony of auspicious symbolism, premium ingredients, and refined culinary craftsmanship, turning reunion dining into a ceremonial experience. Prosperity Begins at the Table Every reunion begins with the timeless ritual of Prosperity Yee Sang, where vibrant colours, fresh textures, and hopeful wishes are tossed high in the air, ushering in abundance, longevity, and success for the year ahead. This joyful opening sets the tone for an evening of indulgence and meaningful connection. Three Curated Reunion Experiences  Reunion Set ...

Sabah’s tourism ambitions received a confident boost as the Sabah Tourism Board reaffirmed its long-term commitment to working closely with Chinese tourism stakeholders during the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association Sabah Chapter’s 2026 Anniversary and Chinese New Year fundraising dinner. The evening gathered a dynamic mix of tourism leaders, government representatives, and international travel partners, setting the stage for meaningful dialogue, shared aspirations, and future-facing collaboration within Sabah’s tourism ecosystem. Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit highlighted the value of STB’s partnership with the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association, describing it as a collaboration grounded in practical outcomes rather than theory. According to Julinus, the alliance enables local operators and overseas agents to experience Sabah beyond glossy brochures. Immersive exposure to the state’s natural beauty, multicultural heritage, and genuine hospitali...

Sabah’s culinary heritage is more than food. It is memory, land, and community served on a plate. This January, a new chapter begins at Idola Station 3 Cafe, where tradition takes centre stage and local flavours are celebrated with pride. Officially opening on 22 January 2026, Idola Station 3 Café at Plaza 333 invites diners to reconnect with the soul of Sabah through its thoughtfully curated Sabah Traditional Linopot Buffet. Inspired by generations of indigenous cooking and the rhythms of village life, the café’s philosophy is simple yet meaningful: Taste Sabah. Feel the Tradition. Celebrate the Flavours of Borneo. A Celebration of Sabah on Every Plate At Idola Station 3, food is prepared with respect for heritage and community. The Sabah Traditional Linopot Buffet highlights authentic local dishes traditionally wrapped and served with heart, reflecting Sabah’s diverse cultures and time-honoured practices. Each spread is a reflection of Borneo’s natural abundance. From comforting kamp...

The 2026 Chinese New Year Dragons, Unicorns & Lions Dance Festival, held on 25 January 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), marked a vibrant and meaningful celebration of cultural heritage, community participation, and intergenerational engagement. Organised by The United Sabah Chinese Communities Association of Kota Kinabalu (USCCA KK), the festival brought together community leaders, cultural organisations, invited sponsors, partners, and members of the public in a shared celebration of the Lunar New Year. The full-day programme incorporated a Cultural Village Exhibition, Children’s Colouring Contest, and Chinese Calligraphy activities, reflecting a thoughtfully curated approach to engaging families, youth, and cultural practitioners. These complementary activities reinforced the role of cultural traditions as living platforms for education, creativity, and community bonding. A key highlight of the event was the dragons, unicorns, and lions dance performances...

Photo courtesy to Adsone Matthew Mitty Gabu In an age where speed often eclipses memory, The Last Tantagas, Keeper of the Sacred Texts arrives like a quiet but powerful invocation. This moving musical performance gently yet firmly reminds us of what is slowly fading from view. The ancient wisdom of the Dusun Lotud tantagas, the traditional healer and keeper of sacred knowledge. The production unfolds as both theatre and testimony. Through music, movement, and storytelling, it explores the vanishing lineage of the tantagas. Not as myth, but as lived heritage. The performance resonates deeply, especially for those whose lives were once touched by such figures. Women and men who healed not only the body, but also the spirit. For many in the audience, the story stirred personal memories. Of grandmothers and elders whose hands carried remedies for every ache and every childhood complaint. Whose love was unwavering, whose presence was grounding, and whose wisdom flowed without books or scree...