Welcome to Alu-Alu Cafe!

19 August 2012

Alu Alu Cafe location: Same row as Cock & Bull Bar and next to Canon Marketing.
If there's anything Sabah is famous for, it's seafood. And who can get enough of the fresh yet affordable, not to mention nutritious fish, prawns, crab etc?

*For those of you who are allergic to seafood, I'm sorry, this post is not for you. Please be redirected HERE for other yummy food. =)
Fresh fish!
Alu Alu Cafe 雅路城,which literally means "welcome" in Malay, is strategically located in Jesselton Point, near the jetty where you can catch a speedboat to Kota Kinabalu's neighbouring islands, Taman Tunku Abdul Rahman. One of the five islands in the park is Pulau Gayana, which is home to the Gayana Eco Resort, where the very first Alu Alu Chinese Seafood Restaurant is located.
Some of the chefs have now come together to bring an more affordable and easy-to-reach simple Chinese style of the original menu!
One of the main pulls of Alu Alu Cafe is the fact that they use organic fish and vegetables which are from their own farms! Unlike a lot of organic restaurants though, they still manage to keep their prices low enough for the everyday customer!

Alu Alu cafe serves a choice of 4 types of fish available for each dish: Grouper, Coral Trout, Giant Grouper and Humphead Wrasse. I know you must be going "huh?", me too.. All I know is this:
is the size of a Giant Grouper's head. This weighs about 8 - 10kg, while the whole fish would weigh about 40kg.

This is a head of the Humphead Wrasse.
Other than eating the yummy fish at the cafe, customers can also buy the fish and take it home to cook themselves some yummy dishes! If it's too heavy for you to carry, Alu Alu Cafe also provides home delivery! =)

So what food did I get to try? Lots! Hihii..
Fish Ball with Glass Noodle Soup  -  RM16
The handmade fish balls had that boing-boing texture, while the soup was really tasty!
.       Salted Vegetable & Beancurd Soup (Mix Fish Head or Fillet) - RM25 - RM84, depending on what fish you prefer (Grouper cheapest, Humphead most expensive)
I liked this one, as it was the right kinda salty taste for me. All the dishes we were served that day were Grouper, though they're most popular fish is actually the Humphead. If Grouper was that nice, imagine how yummy the Humphead version would be! =D
Chinese Herb & Yam Soup (Fish Head) - RM25
This was Meitzeu's favourite. I'm not a fan of yam, so this was not really for me! =)

       Salt-Steamed Chicken (Kampung Chicken) - RM45
One of my faves! I used to love salt-baked chicken when I was in KL, used to buy it from the night market.. This tastes the same, and I just love the tender meat and yummy sauce! If you're wondering why it seems like a small chicken, that's because it's a kampung chicken, which means it's a "village" chicken. No hormone injections here! =)

Thai Style Ba Jiao Fish Fillet - RM20
Ba jiao is a local sauce used by the natives in Sabah, and by mixing this woth Thai sauce, Alu Alu has succeeded in creating a rather unique flavour! This wasnt my favourite as it was a bit too spicy for me, but it's highly recommended by Beverly!

Stir Fried Fish Fillet with Butter Milk Sauce - RM20 
The fish is fried before the sauce is poured on.. Butter fish is a personal favourite, but be warned there is a slight spicy flavour as there's chilli in this dish.

Fish Fillet with Wasabi & Potato - RM20
Nearly everyone's favourite, including mine and Charlotte's! The potato flavour was just nice, and you can really taste the wasabi! Definitely recommended, I'm gonna go back for more! =D

       Braised Fish Head with Beancurd in Claypot – RM32
I remember Melisa enjoyed this dish. If you're not a fan of fish head, fish fillet is also available. The sauce is really tasty, and the tofu was really soft!

    Braised Fish Head with Enoki Mushroom & Red Dates – RM32
Hayden said this is a must-try, and I cant agree more! The taste is to die for, as if you couldnt tell just by the aroma that invades your nose as soon as the dish hits the table!


And lastly, what meal is complete without a little greenery?
Organic Bak Choy with Garlic – RM12
Every bite is fresh and tasty, not too overpowered by the light sauce.

Best of all, the price mentioned for all these dishes are already inclusive of service charge and tax! For the everyday luncher, meals can be as affordable as RM10 per person, as Alu Alu also serves a set meal, which includes a bowl of soup of your choice with fish fillet / fish head / fish balls etc., and it will come with rice or noodles (dry / soup) as well!

Operating Hours : 10.30am - 2.30pm & 6.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact No. : +6 013 860 6220/ +6 088 380 390 (Symington Jenkins)

8 comments

  1. SEAFOOD!!! YUM YUM! I got allergy but who cares?! eat first suffer later! =p

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    1. HAHAHA!! Henry! That is so WRONG!! Omg.. But I now how you feel la.. Hihii..

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  2. I like this post. Good pics and expression. Makes me wanna grab a meal there now.

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  3. MMMMM...so tasty! Feel like trying all of it! Thanks for sharing the info!

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  4. Ahh.. I miss home food so much now!

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