...And, you know.. That other guy who does most of the talking.. Hahaha..

Hey guys, so I had the opportunity to be part of a new photography web show called HyperFocal Zool (Zool being the guy who explains the lens). It's a photography / camera review show sponsored by On On Camera and shot by Infin8 Productions.

In the pilot episode, Zool tries out the latest Tamron lens, the 24-70 2.8 VC DI. No, I dont have any idea what that is. Hahaha.. Which makes my part on the show a kinda learning experience along the way too.. =D For this episode I was the model, but through newer episodes I will become co-host, so please do subscribe to the channel and show me some support! =D

Here's the video for easier viewing first though:

As always, comments and constructive criticism is definitely welcome as being on video is still new to me.. So throw it at me! ;p

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So recently I did a food review video with Shoot Up TV, and the teaser came out not long ago.. For some unknown reason it never occured to me to put it up on my blog, I only put it up on my fb page.. Hmm..


Anyway, thought I'd share it with you, and I cant wait for the full video to come out! Definitely room for improvement, so please bear with me, and comments / constructive criticism are always welcome! =)


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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!

Dream of being a singer? Got the talent but not a big enough outlet to show off those lungs? Fellow Borneons, let me bring back your hope and let your eyes sparkle like the diamonds they are!

Mr Kenneth Soh, General Manager Luen Heng F&B, a subsidiary of Carlsberg during his opening speech.

The Carlberg Diamond Idol 2012 is here, returning after a successful event last year where they discovered tremendous talent within East Malaysia. Offering more than RM30,000 cash prizes this year, finalists will also attend a week-long Diamond Idol Camp where they will get to fine-tune their skills with special classes by professionals in the industry, namely Professor Dr Fred Chin (motivational & team building speaker), Victor Lee (vocal trainer), and Skyler Liew (dance instructor). 

Some of the bloggers at the press conference, with a Carlsberg representative.

My sister-in-crime, Melisa of FoodLoh.com

During the press conference which was held on 20th July @ Firefly, the judges were introduced to the media, who got to meet Stephen Lim, a renowned producer who has collaborated with Hong Kong artists such as Jacky Cheung, Eason Chen and Daniel Wu, and who also produced this year's Carlsberg Diamond Idol's jingle. Area judges Jonathan Tse (singer, songwriter and music producer), Gina Mojina (vocal trainer and pianist), and Angelina Perete (singer / songwriter) were also present, while Grand Finale judges Nikki Palikat, who is a Sabahan singer, and Eric Lim, winner of the Astro Talent Quest 2001 delivered their messages for the crowd via a pre-recorded video.

Carlsberg Diamond Idol 2012 - Officially Launched!

All the pretty Carlsberg girls!

 So, here's all the info you need to know!

L-R: Emcee, Jonathan Tse, Gina Mojina, Mr Kenneth Soh, Mr Gary Tham (Managing Director), Angelina Perete & Stephen Lim

The press conference ended with an explosive performance by last year's 2nd runner up & The Most Popular contestant - Agnes James, who sang lung-bursters "I Drove All Night" and "I Surrender" by Celine Dion, and her winning song from the Carlsberg Diamond Idol 2011: Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing.

Agnes James

Most of the media stayed on to enjoy the free flow of Carlsberg, while I was much more interested in retrieving my goodie bag.. Muahaha.. 

A set of Carlsberg glasses!

For more info, visit their facebook page, or log on to www.diamondidol2012.com.my

Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, or more locally known as KK's 5 Star Beach Hotel never disappoints when it comes to their Cafe Tatu's buffet spreads. I rememeber Ray and I went for his birthday once, and we left feeling very pleased with ourselves!

Yes, he looked a lot different in '08! ;p

Anyhoo. A few days ago I had the chance to try out their special Ramadhan buffet. Serving from 5.45pm (Just in time for sungkai (the time when Muslims can have their first meal of the day after fasting from around 4 something in the morning during the month of Ramadhan)) to 10.30pm, the buffet features a variety of traditional and international halal dishes.

With Samantha Siow, Director of Communications of STAR

In no particular order (cz it's really hard to decide where to start!), here's what was on offer:

Breads & Salads

A variety of bread.

Hummus! I love hummus.. *A little suggestion for STAR: Next year serve it with hot pita bread? YUM! =D

Assorted Bean Salad with Grilled Corn

Avocado with Mango and Crabmeat Salad

Roast Chicken with Mushroom Salad

Asparagus with Soft Boiled Egg

Tuna with Yoghurt Dressing

Assorted Cheese and Dried Fruits.

Fresh Vegetables, and Pickled Vegetables!

Local Delicacies

Ayam Berlada (Spicy Chicken)

Pumpkin in Coconut Milk

Sumur Daging (Beef)

Chilli Crab

Ikan Asam Pedas (Spicy-Sour Fish)

Gulai Kambing (Lamb)

Sotong Goreng Kunyit (Fried Squid)

Arab, Malay and Indian Food

Chicken Shawarma

Shells and fillings for the shawarma

Ikan Goreng (Fried Fish)

Chicken and Beef Satay, comes with Peanut Sauce

Roti Canai and Yellow Dhall

Biryani Rice

You can find Chicken Tikka, Dhall Thurr, Pita Bread, Vegetable Jalferazi and Fish Masala at this station. Due to the lighting over this station though, I was unable to get any good photos of the actual food.. =(

Japanese / Korean Specialties

Kimchi!

Sushi (comes with, what else? Wasabi!)

Roasts

Roasted Duck (Served with a choice of yellow mustard, pommery mustard, dijon mustard and horseradish sauce)

Roast Beef (with gravy)

Whole Roast Lamb

Fresh Seafood

Big, juicy prawns; shellfish; and crab, served with an array of different sauces!

International Cuisine

Beef Lasagna

Seafood Thermidor

Roasted Lamb with Rosemary Sauce

Noodle & Pasta Stations

Yours Truly

Yellow Noodles, Mee Hoon, Green Vege and Beansprouts

Beef Balls, Chicken, Beef, Fish Slice and Condiments

Pasta Station

Beef Bacon, Minced Meat, Bolognaise, White Sauce

Choose between Spaghetti and Ribbons!

Sweet & Savoury Kuih

Bahulu!! =D

Sinful Desserts

Mango Gelatin Cake!

4 different ice cream flavours, with 3 different toppings

Pancakes!

  And Fresh Fruit to take off some of the guilt

Papaya, Honeydew, Watermelon, Pineapple

There was so much choice, I'm sure I missed out some! In fact, I know I missed out the soups (there were 2 choices), and the ice kacang! My favourite choice would probably be the roast beef and the.. Oh my, so hard to choose! =D Desserts-wise, I'd definitely recommend the mango cake, and please do try the kuih and pancakes! I forgot.. =( I so wanna go back and re-stuff my face! Hahaha.. On every table there is also a plate of kurma (dates) and a glass of sirap bandung!

Til next time honeys!
xxxxx

The Buka Puasa Buffet will be on til 10th September, available at RM98nett per person. Due to the popularity of the promotion, interested parties are advised to call ahead for reservations to avoid disappointment (which really wouldnt be good, especially at this time of month!) 


Cafe TATU
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa
Tel / Fax: +6088-327888
Email: tah@shangri-la.com

*For (much) better photos, check out www.everydayfoodilove.co! =)