1Borneo might not be ready to open in April, but, says Tune Hotel, they will. Already sporting the distinctive red-and-white splashes of colour at 1Borneo, Tune Hotel is nearing completion of their first hotel in KK and Sabah, featuring 165-rooms.

Based on the successful concept of sister company AirAsia, where booking in advance gets you lower rates and you only pay extra for what you want, Tune Hotel has taken Malaysia by storm and is expanding aggresively.

Features of the Tune Hotel at 1Borneo are a twenty-four hour 7-11 convenience store, Gloria Jeans & Nelson for coffee and food requirements and Captrans providing transportation.

Other features of Tune Hotels everywhere are power showers, 5-star King Coil beds and 24-hour security. As an added advantage, free in this case, Tune Hotels also provide wi-fi access in the lobby.

1Borneo’s Tune Hotel in KK will be upgraded with luxuries like 19-inch flat panel TVs, even more comfortable King Koil beds and sound proof doors, allowing for an experience unlike that of the budget realm.

With rock-bottom prices and paying only for what you want, established hotel accommodation in Kota Kinabalu will be given a run for their money when 1Borneo gets the first Tune Hotel in Kota Kinabalu.

4 & 5 April: DJ Jonvu

The first weekend in April sees DJ Jonvu making his first appearance at KK’s Blue Note. A regular on the circuit at clubs like Zouk, Palate Palette, Maison and Atrium, he gained international experience along side DJ Raysoo, Bryan Burger and Ben Katana.

11 & 12 April: DJ Victor

Spinning the decks with names such as Mauro Picotto, Eric Enterna, Hybrid, Luke Chable, Dano, DJ Tatiana, BT and Dimitri, DJ Victor promises to bring something special to KK’s club scene on the weekend of 11 April. Experiences under his belt is having hosted his own dance show, Wicked, on Red FM, winning the Heineken Juice Magazine DJ Quest and Vestax Extravagazna DJ Competition’s mixing category.

18 April: DJ Terence C

Not new to KK’s club circuit, DJ Terence C has rubbed shoulders whilst spinning decks with Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Chicane and John Digweed. In a collaboration with Callen Thama nd Didjital, he performed part of Altered Image Collective and won the Heineken Thirst Malaysia Championship.

19 April: DJ Blink

DJ Blinks brings a unique sound to Blue Note when on the 19th of April he will show off his persistence and innate turntable skills. His distinct sound is polished by spinning with DJ Tony Tay from Zouk Singaore, DJ Hyper, Meat Katie and Hybrid. He’s also won several competitions including Vestrax and Heineken Thirst.

25 April: DJ Elf

Through experimentation with various methods on the decks, DJ Elf has built up a range of sounds ranging from down tempo, house and trance, to techno and electro. Having attended the Royale DJ Academy, DJ Elf is also a film editor, and although he doesn’t have a musical background, his rapid intuition enables him to produce astonishing results.

26 April: DJ Groove Doctor

Blue Note’s April edition of Generation Y concludes on the 26th when DJ Groove Doctor rocks the scene with his roots firmly in house. Reputed to be Malaysia’s pioneer club DJ he boasts the title of Malaysia’s Godfather of House. Providing his groovy recipe of dance floor madness in China, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand, DJ Groove Doctor made history when he became the first Malaysian DJ to be invited to play in the US at San Francisco’s famous Red Melon Party.

For a clubbing vibe, house music and serious dancing or just a good night out clubbing in Kota Kinabalu, be sure not to miss Blue Note’s Generation Y.

Situated opposite Wisma Sabah tucked in under the Capitol Hotel, Little Italy provides great Italian food with very efficient service.

Hardly ever will you see this quaint little restaurant less than brimming with punters basking in the warm glow of Little Italy’s Italian kitchen.

Little Italy’s secret is no secret at all: great food, good price, excellent service. That people simply love Italian food helps, of course, and at Little Italy they are ever willing to oblige.

The menu of classic pizzas and pasta dishes is complemented by a variety of innovative variations on the theme. Soups, salads, pastas, pizzas and even chicken and beef dishes flesh out the substantial menu.

Highlights on the Starters section include Little Italy’s bread basket, the talk of the town, a variety of Bruschetta, and the Soup of the Day, which is usually one of the first things the waiters will highlight for you.

From the mains menu everything has the potential to be a favourite, but as we favour pizza here at sabahbah.com, the pizza pollo e funghi comes highly recommended and features chicken and mushrooms smothered in a generous layer of mozzarella cheese.

From the dessert menu it would be wrong not to highlight the Tiramisu, as of the many places in KK where this traditional dessert can be sampled, it is arguably the most outstanding at Little Italy.

The Wine List features a selection of Italian wines and is supported by a beverage menu that includes soft drinks, juices and a generous selection of Aperitivi, gourmet and imported coffees.

A good meal at Little Italy will cost around RM40, more if you choose an alcoholic drink. Dishes vary from RM9 for soups and starters through to RM26 for large pizzas or pastas, up to RM48 for the New Zealand steak. Do check the actual prices against menu.

Wine by the glass is RM18 or RM75 for a bottle of house wine, up to RM95 for a bottle of Italian wine.

For exquisite Italian food at a good price with great service, stop by and say ciao at KK’s Little Italy.

Looking for showtimes? Check out Growball movie listings on SabahBah.com’s Cinema Listings page.

Growball Cinemax is located on the 8th floor of Centrepoint Shopping Centre in the heart of Kota Kinabalu.

Growball shows a variety of Hollywood, Malay and Chinese movies. The screens are supported by confectionery counters selling soft-drinks, caramelised popcorn and hot-dog sausages.

Complementing the cinemas are an eatery, Internet cafe, pool hall, electronic video game arcade and the popular instant Karaoke machines, K-Box.

Co-located on the same level is KK’s current largest bowling centre, CPS Bowl.

A variety of show times feature at Growball Cinemax and depending on the day of the week, can start early morning until very late at night, with frequent midnight screenings of new releases.

Ticket prices very from RM5 on certain days with student discounts to RM17 for two on a couple seat, a couch-like seat with no armrests. Usual movie tickets are RM8.

For a listing of the latest movies and movie show times at Growball Cinemax, visit SabahBah’s Cinema Listings page.

Opposite 1Borneo in a development called Alamesra, lies Seremban Seafood Restaurant which is fast gaining a good reputation.

Of seafood restaurants KK and Sabah has no shortage and although many have a wide selection, some are known for a specific little ocean treasure.

Such is Seremban Seafood Restaurant in the complex opposite 1Borneo, that it is fast gaining a reputation for it’s crabs. And even though it’s a good 20 minutes outside Kota Kinabalu, those who drive there do so willingly.

Seremban Seafood Restaurant has, as expected, a menu full of delicacies from the sea, but it’s the mud crabs that has everybody talking.

Could it be the tasty basting sauce, which people literally lick off their fingers, or is it perhaps the fact these crabs are some of the bigger ones you can find in KK? Whatever it is, the relatively small restaurant seems to be doing brisk business in it’s surrounding which are still eerily unoccupied as the complex is new.

Once 1Borneo completes later in the year and more tenants flock to this cluster of shop lots, queue are anticipated. So if you crave a good crab, a visit to Seremban Seafood Restaurant now might give you the opportunity to say ‘I ate there long before they were famous’ later on.

Of course, driving out all that way you can’t stick to the crab only, even if it is some of KK’s best crab. Luckily the rest of the menu is pretty mouth-watering as well.

Other seafood sampled included the prawns, which a rich buttery sauce, which will have the prawns melt in your mouth. Then there’s the Shop Speciality bean curd; beans, scallops and veggie surrounding an odd-looking, but flavoursome bean curd soaked in a sweet-and-tangy sauce. A variety of veggie balances the ample seafood menu.

Prices are reasonable, if a little on the steep side for the drinks. Soft drinks are RM4 each and fruit juices RM5. As per the included pictures, the crab is RM58.30, the prawn RM30, the veggies RM18 and the Shop Speciality Tofu was RM12, which is not bad for a seafood dinner in KK.

If you’re in the area, feel like exploring or just got to have some tasty crabs, then you’re well recommended to visit Alamesra for a sitting at Seremban Seafood Restaurant.