Abell Boutique Hotel Kuching

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Abell Hotel with the addition of Carvery Restaurant & Bar.

IT’s hard to miss Abell Hotel when you’re in Kuching.

Besides occupying a prime spot in the city centre, the hotel has a warm, earthy exterior that exudes a residential feel, giving would-be guests a small preview of what to expect inside – an inviting and conducive environment amidst a sleek, fresh, chic and contemporary interior.

The floors of this boutique hotel, which opened its doors last month, are boldly assigned with bright, lively colours while the 80 well-appointed guest rooms are conceptualised with simplicity and functionality in mind for comfort and convenience.

“The vibrant colours, depicting Malaysia’s vibrant culture and culinary heritage, are fused into our cosy guest rooms, funky lobby, multi-purpose function room as well as the Carvery Restaurant & Bar,” said general manager Christopher Tan.

He pointed out that all rooms were well sized with modern amenities such as flat screen televisions, plush 350-thread count bedding, invigorating rain showers in the bathrooms and complimentary wireless Internet with views of either the shopping district of the city or miniature rock garden on all its floors.

“We are also proud to be an entirely non-smoking hotel as we strive to provide our guests with a comfortable stay in a clean, smoke-free environment.”

The hotel’s attraction is none other than the Carvery Restaurant which has relocated from its old premise in Pending.

The restaurant, one of the top dining spots in town for the past decade, continues to live up to its name with its signature Brazilian churrascaria buffet dining concept.

Dining here typically begins with the restaurant’s signature creamy mushroom or vegetable soup, and the self-served hot and cold salad bar which offers wonderfully fresh greens that go beyond the staple iceberg and romaine lettuce.

Expect to find imported crisp arugula leaves, oak leaves, juicy cherry tomatoes among the range of salad mixes available as well as ready-made salads such as potato salad, green pea and corn salad, and coleslaw, to name a few.

Then it’s time for the meat course to commence much like a typical churrascaria, meaning Brazilian steakhouse. Guests are treated like royalty as passadors or meat waiters come out to serve from table to table with knives and skewers of various cuts of specially seasoned and slow-roasted meats, prepared specifically in the Brazilian barbecue churrasco style.

A selection of 14 air-flown premium quality meats and seafood all grilled to perfection will be served one at a time, including roasted lamb leg, lamb chop, rump steak, mussels, smoked beef, beef ribs, fish fillet, turkey ham rolls and an array of plump, juicy sausages.

The best among these delightful selections are the roasted lamb leg bursting with smokey and peppery flavour, beef ribs where the texture remains sufficiently tender and the rump steak, served perfectly at medium rare to create a flavoursome cushion-like bite.

To go with the meats and seafood, a variety of sauces such as black pepper, mushroom and mint are available but even without these condiments, the meats are perfect eaten on their own.

A quirky little feature at Carvery is a chip bearing the words ‘serve me’ on the green side and ‘thank you’ on the red side, given to diners at the start of their meal.

“The carvers will continue to serve guests unless the latter show the red ‘thank you’ side of the chip, signalling to the carvers to stop once the guests are done,” Tan explained.

Every meal is given the five-star treatment in the restaurant’s quest to provide a top-notch dining experience, and given the food and impeccable service, it’s no wonder the restaurant continues to be packed since its opening last month.

Pioneering yet another concept for its diners, Carvery has added a Butcher Counter offering wide choice of premium meats such as chilled USA beef, baby lamb rack, Wagyu beef, foie gras and New Zealand salmon steak, all at reasonable prices.

“Guests can make their choice of meat or seafood from our Butcher Counter and prices will be based on the weight of the meat or seafood they have selected,” Tan said, adding that guests could opt to have their selection grilled to perfection, accompanied by trimmings and salad or as  takeaway to be grilled at home.

“The Carvery dinner buffet, priced at RM56 per person, is also available for lunch with nine selections of delectable meat and seafood at RM38 per person.”

For those who aren’t meat lovers, the Carvery’s Salad Buffet is available at RM28 per person. There is also an ala carte menu with a good range of favourite appetisers and main courses.

The presence of Carvery Restaurant is a big plus for Abell Hotel which itself is fast becoming the choice of business and leisure travellers with its affordable rooms, high quality service and  prime location that allows easy access to shopping malls and sightseeing, tours and activities.

Make reservations to dine at Carvery by calling 082-239449.

Source: The Borneo Post 8 May 2011

Puss in Boots in Kuching, Sarawak

Well, it was not exactly the famous feline character of the French literary fairytale, Puss in Boots, but very close to it. I was referring to the mini parade of cats dressed in colourful costumes at the Cat Fun Show held at The Spring Shopping Mall in Kuching, Sarawak. One of the activities of the show was a Cat Fancy Dress Contest, hence the fanciful attires, ranging from a Victorian-era dress to a Japanese-like Kimono, a Pooh bear outfit, a superman costume and so on. My favourite was the purple Victorian dress worn by a lovely white-coloured Persian cat, who incidentally won the first prize.

The Spring Shopping Mall was one of the largest shopping complexes in Kuching, Sarawak, and the spaciousness of the mall had made it a popular venue for companies and businesses to promote their products or services. The Management of The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching, frequently collaborated with sponsors and interested parties to organize events or activities as a crowd-puller to the mall. The recent Cat Fun Show, called The Spring for the Love of Cats Show, was the third show organized.

I was roped in to assist during the 2-day show, which were held on a Saturday and Sunday… there went my weekend! But being a cat enthusiast, I put my best paw forward. Arriving at The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching, at 8.30am on the first day, I helped the organizing team to arrange 71 cages on two rows of tables, like a long, narrow island, which was then cordoned off with partition stands, leaving two entry points at both ends for cat owners and officials to enter or exit. This area would be referred to as the show ring. Flat boards were placed in between the cages to minimize any tension or anxieties of the cats placed inside as most were strangers to each other… thus the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”, and it worked as no cat fights ensued.

The stage area was decorated with a huge colourful backdrop. There were plenty of cat food products displayed on a raised platform on the stage. These were actually the prizes for the Cat Fun Show Competition, sponsored by First Choice, a nutrition cat food company from Canada. Other sponsors for various prizes and gifts were from Rhone Ma, which provided cat health and hygiene products, MPH Bookstore, Home & Living, Isuzu and of course The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching.

After we set up the registration counter, the first batch of cat owners participating in the show began to arrive. Each participating cat received door gifts of cat shampoo and cat food from the sponsors. By noon, The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching, had become packed with people, all avidly checking out the display of beautiful felines inside the show ring, from longhair to shorthair, local or household and pedigree cats, in a variety of fur colouring and marking.

The pedigree cats at the show included the American Shorthair, American Curl, British Shorthair, Burmese, Exotic, Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, Scottish Fold and Turkish Angora. I was fascinated by the American Curl breed, which had curled up ears, while the Scottish Fold breed had folded down ears! They were naturally born with these unusual-shaped ears.

In the world, there were 40 popular cat breeds, which encompassed the hairless breed called the Sphynx and the tailless breed called the Manx. In between breaks, I had an enjoyable and interesting time watching the cats. A good number were used to being in shows so were at ease, either resting or even sleeping. Some would stare curiously back at the crowd of people, and a few were a little uneasy and restless.

Horatio from Kuala Lumpur was the guest judge for the Saturday Cat Fun Show Competition at The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching. Spectators and shoppers began to gather outside the show ring area as the judging process commenced at 2pm. In a fun show, the judge would generally look for the following criteria in the cat: cleanliness, health, alertness, temperament and overall appearance.

However, for the pedigree cats, the judge also had to evaluate how closely the cat conformed to its respective breed characteristics. For example, a British Shorthair should have a round head and round ears, and not a longish head or pointed ears. Wow, being in a cat show was certainly not as simple as I would think.

Other activities at the show included a couple of presentations on cat breeds, cat care, and how to be a responsible cat owner. The lesson learnt was that we have to treat our cats or our pets as part of our family, with love, respect, and provide them with clean water and food on a daily basis. I would agree with that philosophy.

There was also a “Guess the weight of the cat” contest, whereby a participating cat, a local Turkish Angora mix, was chosen to be “it”; and you could try to guess its weight from afar, head to the registration counter, pay a RM1 per guess fee, get a tiny form, fill in the blanks, then drop into the “Guess” box. The winner would be the one who guessed the weight nearest to the cat’s weight.

The first day ended with the anticipated announcements of the winners for the Cat Fun Show Competition. There were 8 different categories with 5 prizes up for grabs in each category: 3 consolation prizes and the 3^rd, 2^nd and 1^st prizes. The winner for the “Guess the weight of the cat” contest was also revealed. It was past 10pm when I reached home, and my feet and back were complaining, not that I blamed them, and I had to be at The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching, again the next day.

The programme for the second day of the show was quite similar to the previous day; with the exception that the judge on Sunday was Dr. Nicholas, a vet from Kuching, to preside over the Cat Fun Show Competition. There was no Cat Fancy Dress Contest; but the Guess the Weight of the Cat Contest was held again, with a different cat, a pedigree Scottish Fold, being chosen as “it”. Apparently, the contest had gained popularity overnight as a lot more people participated.

The new activity on Sunday was a Kids Cat Colouring Contest for children aged from 7-9 years old organized by The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching. There were a total of 18 children who participated, with 6 prizes to be won, worth from RM50 to RM200 in cash vouchers and gift hampers. The second day ended once more with the awaited announcements of the winners for the Cat Fun Show Competition for 8 categories as well as the winner for the Guess the Weight of the Cat Contest.

I stayed on after the show to assist with the clearing of the cages and partitions. It had been a tiring 2 days, not only for the organizing team, judges, presenters, cat owners, but also the cats themselves. However, I would gladly lend a helping paw in the next cat show in Kuching, Sarawak, because such events provided a win-win situation for all parties involved, and also created better awareness of our feline friends.

Serikin Market looking for Bargain Hunters

KUCHING: Serikin, a village close to the Sarawak-Indonesia border, is a favourite destination for many weekend shoppers, especially those from Peninsular Malaysia.

Situated in Bau District, not far from Tasik Biru and Fairy Caves, it takes 45 minutes to reach by road from the city.

On both sides of the road leading to Serikin, one can see vast tracts of empty land as well as the homes of the Bidayuh.

Having a field day: Rows of stalls on both sides of the road in Serikin selling just about everything with most of the products coming from Kalimantan. — Bernama

Most of the products here are from Kalimantan. The main attraction is the freedom and opportunity to haggle over prices.

“The traders are genial. Hardly anyone raise his voice. The goods are neatly arranged within and outside the simple stalls on both sides of the road for up to two kilometres,” noted Bedah Zainudin, who visits Serikin at least twice a month.

Bedah, a teacher, was with a relative Badiah Raduan to help make purchases and carry back the goods.

To visit Serikin, Guaranteed Lowest Hotel Rates in Kuching here

They departed Petra Jaya as early as 7am and completed their shopping by 9.30am.

“This place gets very hot, so you cannot come too late or stay for long,” she explained.

In the stalls are various types of textiles and kebaya fittings with unique embroidery and glittering labucci for weddings. They are priced reasonably — one pair costs RM155.

The sun is directly overhead much earlier in Serikin than elsewhere in Sarawak because of its proximity to the Equator.

“I came to Serikin for the first time last year. After window shopping and buying a few things, I felt so satisfied. I was not concerned about the time of day but found that it is better to go there early.

“If you are late, you not only have to bear the heat but also face problems finding a place to park,” said Siti Ismail, another shopper who makes it a point to visit each time she comes to Sarawak.

Siti visits Serikin for its reasonably priced crystals, glass memorabilia, and glass storage containers.

Despite the heat that begins to be really felt just before noon and lasts until late evening, it is apparent that many shoppers are not deterred.

There are numerous types of jeans, cotton blouses, textiles, ovens, guitars and even spices packed neatly in the stalls.

“The price of textiles from Bandung is only RM39. Four metres long and 60 inches wide. There are also many colours to choose from,” said a trader in his soft and pleasant voice.

As several of the customers were eager to haggle over the price, the trader brought it down to RM30 for three pieces of the fabric.

In another corner, a trader was selling long-sleeved blouses. Most of them cost RM30 each after bargaining. One can bargain over the price of jeans as well. A pair for adults priced at RM120 was eventually sold for RM70. Besides these goods, table-top box-like gas ovens were also on sale.

“Medium-sized ovens that can accommodate four trays cost RM200. It’s RM220 for one that can accommodate eight trays. You can bargain, come and see,” said a well-built trader, probably in his 30s.

Turtle eggs were also on sale, though selling them is forbidden.

Several visitors were initially curious but after asking about the price and taking a closer look at the eggs in polystyrene bags, they had second thoughts.

“They are not fresh. Moreover, they are high in cholesterol. Maybe that is why they are cheap. The trader said he would sell 10 eggs for RM10,” noted Salimah Hashem who was there with her child.

Another good feature of Serikin is the traders do not get annoyed if you don’t buy something after looking at it and haggling over its price.

The traders seem more concerned and determined to woo customers and ensure that they make return visits. — Bernama

Check out this 4D3N Shopping Tour in Serikin

Day 1:Tourist guide will pick you up at the Kuching International Airport and will take you to enjoy your dinner before sending you to your hotel for check-in. (includes dinner)

Day 2:After breakfast, you will proceed to Sarawak Cultural Village, which is also known as a “living museum” where there are seven types of housing of the main races in Sarawak such as Iban, Melanau, Chinese, Malay, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Indian. Then the tourists will be entertained by the different races on their cultural performance for 45min. After lunch, the next destination is the Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation center to see the orang utans which are living freely in the center and you will be going back to the forest Care Center to watch the Orang utan being fed by the officials there.

Then you will be taken Sarawak pottery factory tour to see for yourself on how the pots are made there. Then, the tour guide will take you to dinner before proceeding back to the hotel to relax. (breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Day 3:At 0900 hours in the morning, you will be heading to SERIKIN. Travel along to Serikin will take 1 Hour and 30 Minutes. At Serikin you can see various kinds of handicrafts, souvenirs made by the local residents there and are sold at a reasonable price. After that, you will be taken for lunch before continuing your visit to the Pasar Tamu Satok. The picture below is the Eggplant Dayak Sarawak is only found in Sarawak. It is very popular and often used to cook Asam fish curry and added chilli and tomato and lemongrass. Taste the fruit is tangy and delicious.

Then, you will visit the Malay Village, follow by the Kek Lapis factory tour to see how Kek Lapis Sarawak are made . Before returning to your hotel accommodation, the tour guide will take you to a nice restaurant nearby to enjoy your dinner.(breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Day 4:At 0900 hours in the morning after you have check-out from the hotel, you will stroll around the city of Kuching. Among the places to be visited are as follows:

Chinese Temple,

Astana,

Sarawak Administrative Building,

City Tower,

Sarawak Museum,

Museum Kuching

Kuching City South Council Building,

Kuching North City Hall Building,

Kuching Monument,

Kuching Waterfront,

Main Bazaar,

Old Mosque and others.

Then the tour guide will take you to the nearest cafe to enjoy your lunch before sending you off to the Kuching International Airport to take your flight home. We recommend Supreme Hotel, and the total package is RM630 per pax.If you want a better hotel, we can recommend you Four Points Hotel by Sheraton (4 star) or Batik Boutique hotel are among my favourites.

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Christmas Noodles with Love

Christmas Celebration in Kuching

Tis a season of giving and loving, a season of forgiveness and cherish our loved ones.

Many folks take this oportunity to go away for holidays. Airasia and Firefly airports are

packed with tourists/travellers looking to go away for the holiday.

Last night, there are a big do in Spring shopping mall with Christmas celebrations. It drew huge crowds and cause massive traffic jam along the road Firefly was giving away FREE airtickets to the lucky ones.

Well, watch out Airasia! firefly is gonna give you a run for your money with better deals!

Meanwhile, Happy Christmas!

Do you know the real meaning of Christmas?

If you say, Yes! it is the day Jesus Christ was born.

Well, check again and let me know if 25th December was the exact date Jesus Christ was born!

Cheers!

If 14 chefs made you an offer…. can you resist the temptation?

It is that season of the year again, the muslims fast for 1 month during this Ramadan and this is the time where you can find dozens of variety of food of your choice available all at one place. from hawker stalls in Satok to 5 star hotels. This is also the time where we must watch our weight and watch what we eat.

I was at Pullman hotel recently and saw their 14 stations all lined up outside their Puzzle restaurant at the balcony area. Go check it out and break your fasts there if you are a muslim. If you are a non-muslim, just check out the variety of food there to satisfy your food desire.

Bon Appetite and if you are a muslim, Selamat Berbuka Puasa!

Pullman Hotel Kuching August Promotion

Four Points, the Hotel that is about Fun & Simplicity

Four Points by Sheraton located near Kuching International Airport was completed in less than a year. It opened its door officially this year. When it first started business, not many of the local folks have heard of Four Points. For the Chinese community, they all wondered why the owner chose Four Points. The number Four is not a good number. Here is an explanation of why the hotel is called Four Points by Sheraton.

Four Points by Sheraton was started in 1995 as a sister brand to the all time Sheraton Hotels. Both are different however. The hotel rates by Four Points are slightly lower than Sheraton Hotel. Four Points main emphasis is all about fun, simplicity, comfort and value. Their rooms come equipped with free high speed internet access. You can make use of the gym that is open 24 hours 7 days a week. The hotel understands your basic needs and they do not charge you for the basics. Four Points is part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide that has over 860 hotels in 95 different countries.

My Pinwheel

Do you remember that pinwheel that we used to play with when we were young? We get really excited when it started to twirl or turn being blown by the wind. I remember being exposed to it in my Science class. Whenever I see a pinwheel, I am reminded of the wind turbin in Holland.

For Four Points hotel, they use Pinwheel as part of their logo to denote simplicity and fun during carefree times. Four Points Hotel believe that travelling is still fun. After all, it will be what you make it out to be.

I visited the rooms. The rooms are large and contemporarily designed with bright, cheerful colours. You just blend in immediately when you stay there. The beds are large and very comfortable. Its plush mattresses, feather down pillows and cozy duvets is what the guests can look forward to after a long day. Its large writing desk and white swivel chair suits me just great for me to tap away on my laptop. Their comfort room is 36 metres in size. Large enough to give you a feeling of space. It has 2 bottles of drinking water, Lcd tv, safe, coffee and tea maker, makeup or shaving mirror, free newspapers on weekdays, bathrobe and slippers being the standard features of a 5 star hotel.

Their Premier room has an iPod dock installed for you music lovers out there. This is something new definitely.

If you have a family, you may want to check out their Junior suites, Comfort Suite, Premier Suite, Premier Deluxe Suite or the ultimate Four Points Suite that has a workout room with an exercise bike and treadmill, or an entertainment ground with TV and DVD player. It has a separate rainforest shower, Jacuzzi, spa bed and plasma television.

If you are hungry, they have good selection of food at The Eatery and Wrapped. Have your meal at The Eatery as you watch over your kids playing at the outdoor swimming pool. For nice pastries, check out Wrapped. Their pastries are at half price after 9pm.

What else can you ask for for such simple pleasures and cool comfort to make your DAY?

check out their special rates from us: bestkuchinghotels@gmail.com

Delicious Home Cook food with Homestay in a Secret Garden

Recently I was cruising around Kampung Siol Kandis looking for an Orchid Café that everyone has been talking about. I heard that their Nasi Goreng Kerabu (originated from Kelantan) is a “to die for” and a must try.

Upon reaching the lush garden café, I was greeted by the owner, Kak Rom, a personable and affable lady. She led me through a small path that goes through a garden that is filled with orchids and lush green shrubs. Her little café is surrounded by flower garden and the landscaping being done by Kak Rom herself.

I glanced through the menu and saw that they serve some of my favourite dishes here, nasi lemak, penang assam laksa and the much talked about Nasi Goreng Kerabu Kelantan. I had ice lemon tea and nasi goring kerabu Kelantan. This is the first time I tried nasi goring keraqbu Kelantan though I have tried nasi kerabu in Kuala Lumpur before. I must say, this dish is really delicious. After you have eaten this nasi goring kerabu, all other type of fried rice, be it yong-chow fried rice, nasi goring kampong or nasi goring ikan bilis or even nasi goring special will all pale in comparison to this nasi goring kerabu. It is the taste of the herbs that has been stir fried together with the rice that makes the taste so special. According to Kak Rom, the herbs are planted in her garden. She planted several type of herbs in her garden. I call it the secret garden because it seemed so hidden away in Kampung Siol Kandis.

After tucking in to a luscious meal, I ventured around her secret garden. She has several chalets and cottages built around her garden for homestay. Her house is just beside the garden.

Imagine waking up in the morning to the melody of birds singing and be surrounded by a garden instead of the sound of traffic in the city. You walk a few steps down towards the café and be served with her hot homemade breakfasts. Then off you go venturing into the cat city.

Come back in the evening and be greeted by the smell of good food cooking. Have a scrumptious dinner and then relax away in the evening with a karaoke session or get a lift to the Food Centre just a few minutes drive from her place. The food centre is located just beside the Sarawak River, right opposite The Waterfront in the city. That is where Grand Margherita Hotel is located. You need to take a sampan to get to the waterfront from this side of the village. Enjoy a giant glass of teh tarik while taking in the surrounding scenery.

I like this homestay because Kak Rom is an easy going person and also because the homestay is located away from city. It is great for a quiet relaxing time. Kak Rom has different rates for her homestay cottage according to their size.

Go check them out. I am sure you wont be disappointed and remember to order Kak Rom’s famous Nasi Goreng Kerabu!

Bird’s Nest

If you are thinking that bird’s nest is something to observe and admire, well, you are in for a surprise. It is actually a type of traditional soup popular in this part of Asia especially among the Chinese population in Sarawak. It is prepared from the nest of Swiftlets- a kind of bird found in Sarawak and is said to contain high nutritious value due to its composition of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. The bird’s nests may not seem as attractive as other dishes available, but for those who believe in this exotic delicacies ability to promote long life and good health it’s worth its every cents of value.

There are two types of nests of Swiftlets- the black nest and the white nest. These birds make their nests in caves or on high walls of a bird house. The bird secrets a sticky solution from their salivary glands, which later solidifies to form the nest for their young ones. Once they grow up, the nests are of no use for the birds. To man they are a commodity so valuable that they are known as white gold.

The seaside caves in Sarawak forms the natural habitat of the swiftlets. However, today people have realized the profits of rearing bird’s nest. The nests build in artificial conditions of birdhouses are much cleaner as compared to those found in caves. Most of the cultivation is in the urban area besides the sea. While harvesting, it is important that there are no babies or eggs in the nest.

The white nests are more in demand as they are made solely out of the saliva of these birds, while the black nest is mixed with feathers, insects and twigs. As such they require a lot more time and effort to clean. Both these varieties of nests are soaked overnight and then cleaned before consumption.

After harvesting and subsequent cleaning, these nests are bought by restaurants where it is served with chicken broth. Usually the soup is not quite savoury but when mixed with sugar it tastes nice. However, its demand is not due to the flavor but because of its capacity to dissolve phlegm, proper renal functioning, prolong beauty and suppressing cough. The Chinese have been consuming Bird’s Nest soup for four centuries now.

So come and have a taste of Bird’s Nest soup and you would want to have it often. You can have it either sweet or savoury. The preferred one among visitors is the savoury one which is prepared along with mushrooms, chicken breasts at times ham and eggs.