A Tribute to Thamby, The Queen

The Queen is .... well, it's her birthday. Today. She shares the same birthday as her cat. Who is also the same age, according to Nigel Skelchy.

Which Queen do we mean? Is it this one?

We know she's a Thamby, but she's not this queen, because for starters, you wouldn't catch her dead in THIS angle, and she has no facial hair.

She could be this Queen, afterall, she does think of herself rather Bruhtish, although she is from Klang. A former colony. But no, that's not her.

Victoria's secrets might be her choice of undies, and old as she is, she isn't nowhere near as old as THIS queen.


This Queen has the same Boob Size, and skin color, but our Queen doesn't sing, unless she's drunk. And she is rarely ever drunk.

She might have wanted to be the fairest in the land, and even tried donning on fake lashes to be so, but ah well, she is not quite as malevolent as this Queen.

TAH DAH, this is the Queen we Meen,ah. The Queen of the DSLR, and now the Point and Shoot. Queen of the Food Bloggers.


I would like to make a dedication to the Queen. She proclaims that as Queen, she does not FART. Ever. Thamby, time to change that. You need,

A TOTAL RELEASE OF THE FART. (To the Tune: Total Eclipse of the Heart)


(Turnaround) [ass facing BE]
Every now and then
I get a little bit windy
and it's never coming around
(Turnaround)
Every now and then
I get a little bit tired
of holding it, the sound of my fears
(Turnaround)
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
that the best of all the smells have gone by
(Turnaround)
Every now and then
I get a little bit terrified
and then I see the look in your eyes
(Turnaround bright arse)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turnaround bright arse)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turnaround)
Every now and then I get a little
bit restless and i dream of something wild
(Turnaround)
Every now and then I get a little bit
helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms
(Turnaround)
Every now and then I get a little bit windy
and I know I have to get out and cry
(turnaround)
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
but then I see the look in your eyes
(Turn around bright arse)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if I'll only hold on tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong together
We can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A TOTAL RELEASE OF THE FART

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only smells in the dark
Nothing I can say
A TOTAL RELEASE OF THE FART

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADGE!!!!!! HIGH FIVE!

Lunch At The Sage With The Thamby

I've defined sage before in an earlier post.
Sage [noun] - SAYJ - Skinny Indian Guru in loincloth that sits on mountain top dispensing advise to the needy.

Anyway, when I heard that we were throwing the Queen of the DSLR a surprise lunch at Sage, immediately I clutched at my heart, thinking of the severe damage to the wallet. However, I was assuaged by the fact that the set lunch is RM100 net, and it was unlikely that this particular lunch crowd would imbibe bottles of Chateaux Margaux during lunchtime, so with my discount card, press press calculator, I decided, yeah, I can probably afford it, even in these dark and troubled times. Have discount card will travel! In fact, my discount card kinda paid for my share and wife's share the last time the food bloggers ate there and conveniently decided to celebrate my birthday as well, last year. Not that I wasnt grateful.

So yeah, with a recent spate of broken leaky pots, and a certain lady with a penchant of letting more pussies out of the bag than the city hall stray cat pound, we plotted and planned. I even bought The Queen a decoy lunch (last year we ALSO had to do the same thing), at Rice Cafe, the day before the surprise. The day of the surprise lunch dawned, and everything seemed to be going without a hitch, when suddenly on MSN, she asks, "Why are people wishing me Happy Birthday?" (the lunch was a week before the real day). IMMEDIATELY, I thought of the Queen of Leaky Pots....but she had been warned that it was a surprise. However, she had mentioned to her daughter that she was going for the Queen DSLR's birthday lunch, and her daughter took the liberty of wishing QDSLR, "Happy Birthday Auntie Thamby".

Nevertheless, though suspicious, I think she probably didnt expect the scale of the celebration. I mean, these are all post blogging era friends...relatively new, all with the exception of one, made after food blogging changed her life.


The Calm Before the Storm


Very Fancy..... even the menu is in Gold Letters


You know fancy places when they serve breads with ladida things, like pesto etc, and not your usual run of the mill butter. I am a pleb. Give me butter, SALTED please.


The lady from that classy cake shop below comes bearing her gift for the birthday girl.


Shucks, MORE presents from generous friends. Me, I must have been Penang born in a previous life. Stingy to the bone. I reckon, if I am paying to BUY you a birthday lunch, I don't need to buy you a present. Chis. No one else shares my philosophy. I don't particularly enjoy receiving presents, nor giving them. Who started this gift giving thing anyway? Half the time, people buy what THEY like. Flowers for example. What the heck would one do with flowers? Make honey? It's fine if you are a Bee.


In a menu where too many things end with - OISE, but is not pronounced that way, is too taxing for my peasant brain. DAUPHINOISE.... (huh? not dolphin noise meh?) Choices choices.


We are in fine company. Perfectly manicured nails.


I opted for the foie gras, only coz I didnt know what the other thing meant. Allo, one foi grass please with the muscle salad. Hah? Mesclun? What that? Ohhh masculine salad. Yes yes. The fwah gras was divine. So was the accompanying quail. Whacked in two mouthsful.


The Vichyssoise, a lovely cold soup with a plump Hokkaido scallop. Creamy but not too jelak. So I was told. I managed to get a teaspoon full off a generous soul.

I opted for the foie gras, only coz I didnt know what the other thing meant. Allo, one foi grass please with the muscle salad. Hah? Mesclun? What that? Ohhh masculine salad. Yes yes. The fwah gras was divine. So was the accompanying quail. Whacked in two mouthsful.


Wagyu Beef Cheeks. Actually, it's quite a large portion, for lunch. I was kinda glad I didn't order that. It was rather good though, and not overly gelatinous as some beef cheeks can be. Someone apparently (not at the lunch) just found out that wagyu beef cheeks are actually from the cheeks of the face, not the butt.


Being ever the health conscious freak, I opted for the Seabass and Prawn. Actually it was very good, as was the gravy accompanying the dish. I shamelessly licked it down to the last drop. The fish was cooked perfectly, not over or under, and the prawn was sweet, not like some places where the prawns look good but taste plastic.


Earl Grey something something.... lovely wobbly texture it was. From the oohs and ahs, I assume it was lovely.


Cheese platter. Not much of a platter la. More like a mousetrap portion. But it was not bad. I love that fruitty thingie in the foreground.



Ironically, when we were talking about birthdays, Thamby was saying, "the least you could've done is brought me a pavlova to Rice Cafe for my birthday lunch". Well, she got her wish, unknowingly. A pav, made from the leftover meringue from an order from Monkey.



And the masterpiece, the gorgeous cupcakes by Su of Delectables. I finally got to sample those beautiful cupcakes that are just too pretty to eat.



Well, Happy Birthday (belated now) and wishing you many more.

Summary: My 2nd experience at the Sage was far more satisfying than the first one. At RM100 net, I thought it was very good value for money. The food was excellent, and really, no complaints at all.

Ducking For Jun's Birthday, And All Hail The Queen

When it comes to Duck places, I seem to be waddling behind the pack, for just as I one of the last living Malaysian food bloggers to try Four Seasons in Capsquare, I must also be one of the last to try the famous DUCKING in Jaya One. Actually we have attempted to eat there before, but without a reservation, it was like pouring water off a duck's back.

So, when Nigel suggested this place to celebrate the birthday of my new Idol, Jun, cordon bleu chef and baker and what not, with a string of credentials that make an elephant's trunk look short, I was almost willing to sell my soul to make sure I attended. And this may sound really exploitative, but you know for a fact that where there's Nigel, there'll almost inevitably be dessert. Kinda like me and alcohol, in my heydays. Not anymore though, no sirree.....

I was actually surprised to know that Ducking is a verb, not a noun, as in Duck King. Ooh, I'm ducking your punch, or ducking a bullet....

[Note: Food presentation not in chronological order]

Yeah, so they are famous for their ducks, (like KFC is famous for its C), and one has to preorder so as to avoid abject disappointment. As it is, half the stuff Nigel ordered had already been sold out....until he had to ask the captain, SO, LEI KONG LA, YAU MUTT YEH???

The duck did not disappoint. The skin was loverly and crispy, and the meat tender and succulent. Again, I like it because it's not overly fatty.

Ducking Duck

Fried French Beans with Shrimp. Actually originally, three vegetable dishes, plus a veggie soup appeared, which made me wonder if Nigel was up to some health programme, and depriving us all of meat. Oh well, unjustified fears. The beans were good. Nice and crunchy.

Hearty Wholesome Soup.....made me think of home.

Kailan Swings Both Ways. Crunchy verdant kailan, perfectly fried. Not oily. Good.

Gorgeous Melt in the mouth siu yoke. Though Unkaleong initially declared it looked dry, I begged to differ, and ahem, was right. It was superb actually. Just the right amount of fat, and ohhhh such crispy skin.

Hong Siew Pork Ribs... by this time, all my fears that this was a vegetarian health meal were tossed out the window. The ribs were good, flesh falling off the bone kinda thing, and the gravy went well with the fried bread, or rice.

Chee Yau Char Fan. This was an added bonus. But it's so so only la, its just literally some fried fat, sprinkled over rice, unlike our previous encounter at KWTZ.

Taufu with Mushrooms. I simply LOVE this dish. Simple, but oh so good.

Jun The Tart....another creation by Just Heavenly Pleasures. Made in honour of the birthday boy, its a delectable tart with a chocolate tart base, a layer of marshmallow and chocolate ganache. If you have a sweet tooth, this will send you straight to heaven, with a firework display in the background and chorus of heavenly angels singing.

Wishing the birthday boy a blesses year ahead, and quick, I must try the cordon bleu chef's cooking soon!
Thanks Nigel for the Tart.

ANNOUNCEMENT: JUST HEAVENLY PLEASURES is opening another outlet at JAYA ONE, next to Cold Storage, called A SLICE OF HEAVEN. Do pay them a visit.


On another topic, ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF THE DSLR.....
Remeber her name, FAME
She's live forever, She's gonna learn how to fly
High

We feel it coming together, People will see her and cry
FAYYYYYYYYYYME,
She's gonna make it to heaven (and a slice of heaven too)
Light up the sky like a flame , FAYYYYYYYYYYME


However, I was shocked to read, re the blog, "more importantly, it represents the love of my family and the fellowship of friends"!!! Cough cough choke choke. AWWWWW, how sweeeet is that!!!!! (Jabbing self with insulin)

Check it out, Monday NST Tech & U, page 13, June 8 2009