KOTA KINABALU, Oct. 18 -- In the bustling centre of Kota Kinabalu, there's a door you could easily miss.

Its modest sign doesn't call attention to itself, but step inside and the hum of conversation mingles with the scent of the sea.

Here is Bar Abong, a bistro where land, tide and vine speak the same language - one shaped by Sabah's rhythm, and translated through the vision of its owner, Max Collard.

Collard explains that the space "has a speakeasy feel, inviting guests to discover the quality of our menu and drinks once inside."

That unassuming entrance hints at Collard's own journey - a trajectory that began not in hospitality, but in the humming server rooms of London's financial district.

Before he found himself among Sabah's ma...