Comments on Beyond Scrapple - A Guide To Lehigh Valley Ethnic Restaurants: Alando offers a taste of Kenya

I'm excited to announce that Alondo will now b...

2011-02-04T17:36:58.828-05:00

I'm excited to announce that Alondo will now be offering my 'Classic Africa' photo collection for sale from their walls. Make sure you take in that art as well as the food.

I admire the owners for taking on the task of runn...

2010-10-25T11:28:13.316-04:00

I admire the owners for taking on the task of running a small business while educating the Lehigh Valley about their cuisine. It's no small feat in an oddly configured space with minimal staff and a menu with unfamiliar ingredients.

For me, Alando and Charly's Thai are places where I can get hooked on one dish, and pick up take-out when I get a craving; on the other hand, I've enjoyed everything I've ever had from Kow Thai and Olive Branch and frequently order specials. I love that the Lehigh Valley hosts so many great hole-in-the-wall joints, owned by ambassadors who know their stuff who enjoy cooking up affordable cuisine for locals.

Have been to Alando twice and it was outstanding e...

2010-10-16T09:54:44.298-04:00

Have been to Alando twice and it was outstanding each time. Truly authentic Kenyan is a nice change of pace in the LV. People have to recognize the diversity in cuisine and culture in each country or ethnic group and not compare unrelated traditions. In India alone there are hundreds of culinary traditions. This is not to mention individual style and capacity of chefs/owners.

That being said, Alando would do well with more visible exterior signage. And, the wait staff could use a little spunk and organization. But, it is a family run business and that is all part of the experience as with many of the truly ethnic places of business.

I can highly recommend Alando, in particular the green grams and coconut chicken, and I hope they do well.

The Ginger ice cream you mentioned definately is N...

2010-09-12T17:08:38.193-04:00

The Ginger ice cream you mentioned definately is NOT made on the premises. I have had similar Ginger Ice Cream from Nuts About Ice Cream on Linden St. - Across from Libery High School. Next time I am there I will ask the owners. As far as Indian tasting Kenyan food - Indians have been living in Kenya since the late 1800s and as such we can see their spice influence. True Kenyan food is not very spicy and the Samosas and Bhajias are indian snacks.

It's definitely more subtle than either Ethiop...

2010-08-29T05:12:03.833-04:00

It's definitely more subtle than either Ethiopian or Indian. I also had a chicken masala wrap at their booth at Musikfest; it was full of flavor and with the sauce had a nice kick. The short ribs were probably the most flavorful dish. If you go back you might want to give them a shot.

I visited last week with my girlfriend- where were...

2010-08-28T23:48:42.955-04:00

I visited last week with my girlfriend- where were both totally underwhelmed- we love Ethiopian & Indian and I figured it would be similar... it wasn't. You're right, there was no heat- and the pil pil was the best part. I had vegetable masala & it tasted like potatoes in campbells soup. And the night we were there the green gram grains were tasteless.

Your description of the dessert sounds good though, but I don't think I'd give them another try. It is great to see more diverse cuisine opening up in the valley- maybe it was just an off night...