tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post1664094216546756136..comments2024-03-17T21:34:33.490+08:00Comments on A Daily Obsession: Alu Alu RestaurantTerri @ A Daily Obsessionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00220600890256142215noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-62121572456869635752014-05-10T14:33:25.166+08:002014-05-10T14:33:25.166+08:00Wow, wow, wow! I wish I was a great writer like yo...Wow, wow, wow! I wish I was a great writer like you, because trust me I am falling short off words to express what I am feeling after reading this blog post. I really appreciate your skills and thoughtfulness.Restaurants in delhihttp://www.zootout.com/delhi/restaurantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-38237545901024812342012-10-14T05:00:19.592+08:002012-10-14T05:00:19.592+08:00Great, now I am hungry ;-)
The fish looks delicio...Great, now I am hungry ;-)<br /><br />The fish looks delicious. I could eat some of that right now. <br /><br />I don't understand why the quality of the food would slip. Perhaps chefs really are cutting corners to save money, as you have said. It's not good. The fact that both the quality and the quantity of the noodles that are being served has dropped serves to confirm this. Usually a bowl of noodles is one of the cheapest things you can get when you go out to eat.<br /><br />I hope that Alu Alu will maintain the quality of their dishes so that customers can continue to speak well of them.Ellen@katomcomhttp://katomcom.knoji.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-86672357965779969612012-09-04T10:57:18.094+08:002012-09-04T10:57:18.094+08:00My parents like to take friends to King Hu. I also...My parents like to take friends to King Hu. I also bring friends there on the way or from their flights. <br /><br />Was at Moon Bell a few weeks ago. Food was still good but yeah, portions are on small side.<br /><br />For seafood I bring friends to Dowish. I don't seem to go for seafood unless friends are in town. There are several 'safe' dishes I order which I know will keep people happy. 'Sapak' Clam soup, Asam steamed fish- great with man tou, steam prawns, Tung Fung loh, Crab steamed with coconut water, deep fried kangkung, claypot crab rice, mantis prawn (which is $$$$$ these days), coconut pudding. Fish steaming ability has varied :(<br /><br />Also used to bring people to Equatorial but last visit was meh.<br /><br />Makanan Sedap has potential as a place to bring guests. Ate there a few times. Lamb, and Yam Ring was quite good.<br /><br />Taiwan Porridge place is more down scale but I get repeat requests from friends when they're in town. <br /><br />Chubs has expanded their menu. They should just stick with their original menu or chicken, lamb, pork.Foomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213887349764183324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-46044803639802293382012-09-02T23:01:32.261+08:002012-09-02T23:01:32.261+08:00Hi Terri,
We did ask how much for the cod-fish and...Hi Terri,<br />We did ask how much for the cod-fish and was told RM28 per 100gm and we thought 2 slices would not be that heavy..maybe 300 to 400gms. We ordered that bc wanted dad to have it as it was quite delicious the last time we had it somewhere else. <br />Thanks for the good advice. <br />Btw, tonight, we(5 of us), went to Equatorial again and oh I wish I didnt. The food different from the last time we were there. We ordered yam ring this time but it was oily and soggy and cost me RM45for a small one like the size of a small soup bowl. The pork ribs were too sweet, the ginger fish was bland...no fish taste, the claypot tofu, mixed vege..nothing special. Sigh...enough for a long time to come! <br />Also this afternoon, we went to Alu Alu for lunch and ordered the fish head/yam claypot and organic vege. I asked for a mix of fish slices and head. It was yummy but the fish pieces were coated with too much cornstarch and fried, we hardly could taste the sweetness of their so-called 'organic' fish..what a waste. Also the yam was cut into such a small cubes that we could hardly taste its flavor. Anyway, next time, I think we will order the same thing without the cornstarch and bigger yam size. Agreed with you about the vege.<br />Enjoying your blog as usual.<br />Tina U. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-61711819192121673182012-09-02T00:33:54.529+08:002012-09-02T00:33:54.529+08:00winston: i am good; how r u? i think many of us ha...winston: i am good; how r u? i think many of us have this nostalgic longing for food we ate growing up so we long for it esp when we are away frm home. but yes, it's friends n family tt makes kk food bearable:D<br /><br />yolly: haha i can see you telling the guy off. i think since u travel so much, it's even more obvious to you how bad the food is here now.<br /><br />fooman: king hu--their dishes r not like b4 n i hate the chipped soup bowls. their goutie r half their previous size n sometimes taste of rancid lard. but i do still go there, it's till better than most places.<br /><br />i used to love moon bell but i suspect the chef has left bc the dishes dont look or taste the same n their portions have shrunk to half the size before, esp the windstorm chicken:(<br /><br />i ate at chubbs once, and tt was it for me. the steak n was so tenderized it had no flavor. typical local version of western food, looks like it but not it.<br /><br />not been to dowish in years so i'll give it a try soon.<br /><br />agree with you about party play.<br /><br />taiwan porridge, yes, menggatal ngiu chap yes, fook yuen yes but only the one in damai's really good..count me out on supertanker. make tt me n yi. then again we hv avaoided the place for years. maybe time to try it again. but if you had to bring visitors for dinner, where would you go? we used to go to promenade's chinese restaurant but we go so often we got sick of the food.<br /><br />tina: oh equatorial's quality has dropped like years ago. we nvr go there anymore. what a rip off on the cod fish! sounds like they fleeced you guys by inflating the weight esp since they changed the weight when you complained. i think it's not just cod fish but for any item, ask. even in front of visitors, i ask. smtimes we dont ask bc we dont want to appear too concerned about the price but have you noticed how waiters always ask you if you want the most expensive items--lobsters, tiger prawns--in front of your guests, making it hard for you to ask for smthing cheaper? i dont fall for tt, i ignore their lobsters n order within my budget. someone i know ate a rm3000 fish in a seafood restaurant near the old wharf years ago. it was a 'mouse grouper'. they argued until police were called in. in the end, the price of the fish was reduced to rm1000. what a shock. so two things we must do 1) ask b4 ordering 2) check the bill. i always do both but tt time in singapore, i thought how much can crabs cost right. well now i know. i comfort myself tt they didnt seve us alaskan king crabs or some fancy crabs tt cost much more!<br /><br /> <br /> terri@adailyobsessionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027727551942336449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-81243826984478700082012-08-31T00:00:02.270+08:002012-08-31T00:00:02.270+08:00Hi EC, thanks for your reply and kind explaination...Hi EC, thanks for your reply and kind explaination. So happy to find a man who cares for consumers more than his pocket. Keep up your good job and passion.I will go soonest and eat your fish in Alu Alu one of these days. Thanks again.<br />Tina U.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-42753245589732993872012-08-30T14:50:51.965+08:002012-08-30T14:50:51.965+08:00I like that dedicated farmer. =)I like that dedicated farmer. =)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-12848710617147200602012-08-30T14:06:03.844+08:002012-08-30T14:06:03.844+08:00Tina: Our fishes are not fed pellets. We feed them...Tina: Our fishes are not fed pellets. We feed them feeder fish (eg: basung) that we get from the markets. So we feed them pure fish. No made up pellets or anything artificial.<br /><br />Our farm is located in Kg. Serusop, Tuaran. Marine fish such as groupers and snappers need to be cultured in very clean and constant water change in order to survive. In addition to that, I do not feed any of my fishes antibiotics therefore making my farm's water even cleaner than first thought.<br /><br />Please check out our website www.borneo-eco-fish.com and order now for a fresh fish right at your doorstep! <br /><br />Regards,<br />EC - dedicated farmer with passionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-14728025919781746292012-08-30T08:58:57.371+08:002012-08-30T08:58:57.371+08:00Ate at Alu Alu last night. Had the fish head yam c...Ate at Alu Alu last night. Had the fish head yam clay pot which was pretty good. Yes the portions are small and its pricier but the ingredients were fresh and the cooking more refined than your typical place.<br /><br />Time for more food explorationFoomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213887349764183324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-73578728030074899652012-08-29T23:10:47.039+08:002012-08-29T23:10:47.039+08:00Terri, when I read your comments about the Thai re...Terri, when I read your comments about the Thai restaurant that you went to in S'pore recently..how they charge so much for the claypot mung bean noodle with crab...I want to relate to you what I experienced in a chinese restaurant here. <br />We went to the chinese restaurant in D'junction near to Lido, in Penampang. There were 5 of us and we ordered, fish bladder soup-taste of aji and the fried fish bladder was hard and smelt of 'old' oil, half steamed farm-reared chicken which was skinny, prawns which was small and tasteless, 2 pcs of steamed cod-fish-thinly sliced-not much aroma of the fish and 2 type of veges with no dessert. When the bill came, it amounted to about RM550+. As usual I checked the details of the bill..RM70 for the soup, around RM 70 also for the chicken and prawn and now hear this... RM280 for the 2 thin slices of cod-fish which was stated 1kg! My goodness, how can 2 thin slices of this fish weighed 1 kg? I called the waiter and asked...he said..let me check and came back with a new bill of RM450+ saying that they weighed the fish wrongly and the new weight is 700gms. I called the captain and she went into the kitchen to check and came out telling us thats the correct weight. I just cant believe that the fish weighed 700gms! We end up paying as we didnt have a choice. What a rip-off! As I looked around us, there were only 3 other tables that were occupied. So different from what it was used to be. <br />Lessons: Never order cod-fish in any restaurant. If you want to, ask them how much and tell them how many gms you want.<br />Hope to be wiser next time.<br /><br />Tina U. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-84192272789289232142012-08-29T22:21:46.012+08:002012-08-29T22:21:46.012+08:00Hi Terri, what you wrote is so true of KK restaura...Hi Terri, what you wrote is so true of KK restaurants. I, like you, also find it hard to choose where to eat nowadays. Just the other day, we were up late just trying to figure out where to take our guests for dinner the next day. After much thought, we end up in Equatorial Restaurant in Tanjung Aru Plaza. We have not been there for quite sometime for the same reason...food quality down, small portion, poor service but that day, we had some good food. Maybe they have a new cook? I will always try to choose a restaurant that have a reasonably clean kitchen..clean chopping board, and those that dont serve my food on plastics, whatever its grade.<br /><br />Please let me ask a question to EC about the farmed fish..so if the fish are not fed antibiotics, what exactly do you feed them with? I mean what exactly are those pellets made of? Also, do you check the brackish water(sea meet river)? Many rivers that run into the sea are so dirty and polluted!<br />Hope you dont mind me asking. Thanks very much!<br /><br />Tina U.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-42289627824868715742012-08-29T10:04:18.442+08:002012-08-29T10:04:18.442+08:00Gonna bring my parents to Alu Alu tonight. Any pla...Gonna bring my parents to Alu Alu tonight. Any place you go to 3 times in 10 days can't be bad. HahaFoomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213887349764183324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-54494651950965783402012-08-29T09:38:42.515+08:002012-08-29T09:38:42.515+08:00Yeah, I think KK has fresh ingredients, but chines...Yeah, I think KK has fresh ingredients, but chinese restaurant cooking tends to be 'rough' when compared to KL, HK, etc.<br /><br />Here are a few places I bring out of town guests. Not all Chinese restaurant banquet style though.<br /><br />King Hu is good for fast, tasty meals on the way to the airport.<br /><br />Dowish restaurant in Penampang for sea food. It has the occasional miss but I order selective dishes and keep the captain under control from not foisting high value dishes on us.<br /><br />The Taiwan Porridge place in Beverly is a requested repeat for my out of town friends.<br /><br />Menggatal Ngiu Chap in Menggatal or Inanam.<br /><br />Fish noodles in Damai or Hill top. The new one in Towering was pretty good but seems perpetually closed now.<br /><br />Super Tanker is an oldie but food there is still good.<br /><br />Had a few good dinners at Makanan Sedap in hilltop a couple months ago.<br /><br />For western, there's Little Italy & Chubs.<br /><br />For dessert, its Party Play, but I think you need to see which outlet Dominic is paying attention to at the moment.<br /><br />For something different, Moon Bell.<br /><br />Fook Yuen for bread in Damai.<br /><br />Shan Fu in Sembulan is a greasy joint but I like the Tuaran Mien, Wong Chau Kai and soups there.<br /><br />And yes, Larry & Vince Farmstay has great food, provided you get past the mozzies. HahahFoomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213887349764183324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-43615599543105473082012-08-28T22:06:00.103+08:002012-08-28T22:06:00.103+08:00I come back to KK every few years and on my recent...I come back to KK every few years and on my recent visit early this year, I found everything disappointing , so different than before. One more reason not to come back. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-86409535799260346572012-08-28T21:24:29.361+08:002012-08-28T21:24:29.361+08:00Terri, I totally agreed with you. Used to eat in t...Terri, I totally agreed with you. Used to eat in the old establishment when we were young. Nowaday, look at the cook, I once ordered preserved veg with braised pork. Informed the manager , but insisted that was the real thing, even after asking the cook. That dish is a Hakka dish but some other Chinese telling the true blood that she was wrong. I wanted to bring the real thing to the restaurant but stopped by my hubby.Yollynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-50775626734138540602012-08-28T21:07:08.072+08:002012-08-28T21:07:08.072+08:00Oh!!! Some hits and misses there but would still d...Oh!!! Some hits and misses there but would still definitely love to try next time I'm back. And I totally share the same sentiments with you about food scene in KK. The number of times I've gotten disappointed or lost faith in places I once had such high hopes for is unbearable. Never sure where to eat anymore! But, then again, each time I'm back it's less about the food and more about the quality time with friends and family so I never mind as much anymore. Hope all is well on your end!! =)Winstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-23391354132903043982012-08-28T20:31:02.866+08:002012-08-28T20:31:02.866+08:00Terri: Our fishes are not fed any antibiotics as o...Terri: Our fishes are not fed any antibiotics as our farm is placed in brackish water (sea meet river) conditions having constant change of sea water. We grade our fish regularly and seperate them according to sizes to avoid over-crowding hence we rarely get hit by diseases. Our farm has also been awarded the GOOD AQUACULTURE PRACTICE CERTIFICATE by the Department of Fisheries and I believe we're the only one in Sabah that has been given this cert.<br /><br />I must point out that the fishes you get in Alu Alu Cafe might just be the closest you'll get to wild caught fish. We do not rare prawns due to the fact that we cant get them 'organically' cultured.<br /><br />Thank you for your time.<br /><br />Regards,<br />EC - dedicated farmer with passionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-58725377426829602182012-08-28T18:04:17.448+08:002012-08-28T18:04:17.448+08:00the other thing i've noticed about kk restaura...the other thing i've noticed about kk restaurants is the chefs/cooks in western food restaurants r more passionate about their cooking. why is that?terri@adailyobsessionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027727551942336449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-3441963761157893162012-08-28T17:52:33.632+08:002012-08-28T17:52:33.632+08:00Yumlist: there's so much to do when you hv a r...Yumlist: there's so much to do when you hv a restaurant. It'd be hard if the cook also has to be the owner-manager. Too much work. maybe if i am younger. no, not even when i'm younger! i prefer to eat n critic haha.<br /><br />Ec: frm what i know, like farmed chicken, farmed fish are raised on fish meal in pellets form esp when young, and if the population density is high, a lot of antibiotics are needed to keep the fish from getting various diseases. Let's hope this is not the case with the fish in alu alu. i do eat farmed fish in restaurants. it's hard to get wild fish now. prawns from the high seas are even harder to get. most prawns we get are farmed:(<br />You r welcome, n thnx for your info:) i like the KISS cooking style but not the stingy portion...<br /><br />Foodilover: yeah, those who hv been to those old kk chinese restaurants know what i'm talking about. places like nam hing, winner hotel (not the winner now, no!), borneo hotel et al. those tt came later, king hu, n even supertanker, or the new ones like fisherman's n so on hv changed their cooks so many times tt the food they serve now is a shadow of what used to be served. *sigh* so yes, cook at home bc really, more n more of my friends are telling me tt even their kids, who used to love eating out, now prefer home cooked food!<br />i've seen the add for liya early this year. they do sichuan hot pot right? i MUST go there soon, thnx for reminding!<br /><br />anon: which old establishment is still good? seriously, i'd like to know bc i cant think of any! last month i brought some hk relatives to a seafood restaurant in inanam n it was awful, embarrassing! then another time, it was another seafood restaurant with yet another relative frm HK n he said "pity, kk has fresh seafood but no good cooks!" recently i was at a seafood rest. in asiacity n a couple of ppl frm china (didnt know them) asked me why the seafood prices are the same as in china; they thought the prices'll be lower since we export seafood.<br />i dont eat out as much anymore but i still do so at least a few times a week. fyi, i was one of 3 judges for the KK Food Festival in March this year (didnt annonce it here bc i wanted anonymity:)) and had to eat thru 30 restaurants in 2 weeks. yes, there are some good restaurants out there but just a handful. the good ones are the western n fusion ones (i did say in this post tt i'm lamenting about the chinese restaurants)n some young ppl who hv trained overseas r back to bring up the standards, so yay. but chinese restauarnts? i dont' mean chinese restaurants in hotels (too pricey for me) or those small cafe type restaurants. i mean sit down, sort of banquet dinner resturants. which are the ones you like?<br /><br />fooman: see comment above n answer me fooman. i really want to know:)terri@adailyobsessionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027727551942336449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-34756332062251155292012-08-28T17:23:42.572+08:002012-08-28T17:23:42.572+08:00This comment has been removed by the author.terri@adailyobsessionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027727551942336449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-40175635179334240172012-08-28T16:22:11.124+08:002012-08-28T16:22:11.124+08:00Yeah, dining in KK can be a mixed bag when it come...Yeah, dining in KK can be a mixed bag when it comes to restaurants. I find that consistency over the long run can be a challenge for many places. The coffee shops tend to do better in that regard.<br /><br />There are a few places I usually bring out of town guests to.<br /><br />Will try Alu Alu this week.Foomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213887349764183324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-66649286887782899912012-08-28T15:39:49.986+08:002012-08-28T15:39:49.986+08:00I disagree with your statement on the food scene i...I disagree with your statement on the food scene in KK. Yes many older establishments may not be as great as they used to be, yet they have stood the test of time and age and still have their loyal patrons. On the other hand as of late there have been so many new food outlets popping up in kk (some very well received, some not). Point is, i believe the local food scene is still great and rapidly growing with a better coverage of both the traditional Eastern, Western and even Fusion cuisine. I have no problems taking guests around to eat (more often not enough time to show everything we got). Perhaps you need to go out and explore a lil bit more and checkout our local media to update yourself :)<br /><br />Cheers<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-61865435321947158572012-08-27T22:43:33.253+08:002012-08-27T22:43:33.253+08:00Sad ....we used to have such nice chinese food dur...Sad ....we used to have such nice chinese food during those heydays when there were proper chinese chefs from HK working in the hotels.. Don't think we can get them coming to cook in KK so readily.<br /><br />Nowadays, I turn to cooking blogs like yours and you tube and do my own home cooking. I also refer to reviews from local bloggers and try out new eateries. <br /><br />Not sure if you have tried this restaurant in 1Borneo. Would be good to get your review. I have tried it but have not much idea or taste of authentic Sichuan cooking. <br /><br /><br />http://www.everydayfoodilove.co/2011/09/liya-restaurant-1borneo.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-84782696996664059112012-08-27T14:13:42.454+08:002012-08-27T14:13:42.454+08:00Hey,
I'm the supplier of all farmed fish to A...Hey,<br /><br />I'm the supplier of all farmed fish to Alu Alu cafe. Just wanted to let you know that our fishes are not fed any chemical or growth hormones. Its purely fed FISH that we get from SAFMA. Please check out our website www.borneo-eco-fish.com for more information.<br /><br />We also do home deliveries whereby we clean,scale and gut the fish for you and send it straight to your doorstep!<br /><br />Thank you for visiting Alu Alu cafe and your kind review. <br /><br />Regards,<br />EC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-39537399349403592642012-08-27T12:02:16.508+08:002012-08-27T12:02:16.508+08:00That must be frustrating to not have restaurants t...That must be frustrating to not have restaurants that you love in your hometown. Maybe it's time you opened your own? :-)The Yum Listhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06401523207811915718noreply@blogger.com