Monday, August 11, 2008

Cosmopolitan Virgin No More

For some bizarre reason, I was SURE that the invite for the Champers Brunch was at Iketeru. There we go, to one of KL's most expensive carparks, where the security guards make a half hearted feeble attempt at checking your car for bombs, only to find out to my horror, that I had misread the invite. It clearly stated, "lunch at PREGO"..... gosh, I must be getting senile. That was RM6 down the toilet (amongst other things, by the end of the day)....

Oh, be warned people, credit card companies have now started charging an outrageous exorbitant amount of 1% for late payment. (over and above finance charges). So for a balance of 3k, you'll be paying RM30 late payment even if you're a day late. Daylight robbery I tell ya.

Fortunately, Sunday traffic at noon is fairly smooth flowing, and we had intended to start drinking early, afterall, it WAS champagne brunch....so even after the wrong venue fiasco, we still arrived at Prego at the Westin in good time. In fact, apart from the host, and birthday girl, we were the earliest guests. Nothing like a nice cold glass of Laurent Perrier to calm one's nerves down.....

The buffet spread is quite elegant. Waiters come round with platters of stuff, like Penne Ariabiatta, Squid Ink Pizzas, Squid Ink Pastas, and you can walk around and help yourself to the buffet starters, the usual oysters, prawns, etc etc.

Platters of meat from the barbeque section are also available. The baby back beef ribs were tender and falling off the bone.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The barbeque chicken was also tasty and succulent. But really, I was more interested in the bubbly stuff that was by now making me rather happy for a Sunday afternoon.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This aglio olio was delicious, and I love that we can choose teeny weeny portions like this for taste. Should be easy enough to replicate at home. Lemongrass could probably do this for her bald eagle's wednesday dinners.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Ah, although personally I prefer Proseccos for day time drinking, I guess who am I to object if its French. Actually at RM198++ per head, for the champagne brunch, it makes sense to try and finish an entire bottle on your own, as I think each bottle costs about RM200. I may have succeeded, but I think the wife kinda pulled down our average.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

More stuff from the BBQ, the most divine and tender roast lamb. It must look like we were awfully carnivorous, but actually I was too lazy to move around the buffet to photograph, and these platters were conveniently placed in front of us. I don't remember eating very much actually. It's amazing how filling champagne can be on its own.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The dessert selection, I have to say, was not very impressive. Everything looked good, but nothing really tasted good. (somehow on a day when the mind is sharper, and not dulled by residual alcohol, I think that preceding line would have been followed by an analogy vaguely relating to something political, or government). What's the cantonese saying? Hou tai mmm hou sek. Nice to see, not nice to eat.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

So since dessert was dismal, we decided to go back for starters.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Nah, kidding. Just that I was too lazy to rearrange the pics.

This tart looked promising. Chocolate Pear. Again, nothing to shout about.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I was soooo excited when I saw that roll thing, which they labelled as Canelloni, but I'm pretty sure its a canoli. I have only ever seen it on Everybody Loves Raymond, and have been dying to try it. The minute I plopped it onto my plate, I could hear the alarm bells of regret. First, the cream looked too white, and that can only mean one thing. FAKE NON DAIRY CREAM!!! ARGHHHHHHHHH! Might as well put me on a torture rack!!!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Okay, the ice creams were good, and the freshly baked chocolate souffle was also very good. So if you go for the desserts, stick to those items.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

At about 2.15, I saw the neighbouring table get a round of what looked like Cosmopolitans. (apparently known as Cranberry martini). Having just watched Sex and The City the night before, I thought OOOOH, I MUST TRY!!! Not bad, cocktails are free flow too in this buffet. So we ordered a round of them. Well, hence the title of this post.

Verdict for the cosmos, its a chick drink la.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This time we were wiser, and approaching 2.30, when all free flow ceases, we kinda stocked up ......

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

One of the other guests had brought these cupcakes for the birthday girl. The only thing I remember was that the buttercream was laced with Cointreau. However, after 8 or 9 glasses of champagne, and 2 cosmos, a buttercream laced with Cointreau is like putting a drop of brandy into a cauldron of dodol.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Oh, what a painful Sunday evening. Trying to stand upright at family dinner and pretending to maintain some form of sobriety. Such are the trials and tribulations of life.

36 comments:

The Caked Crusader said...

I am drooling at your photo of the chocolate pear tart - one of my absolute fave things! You are a very wicked man for making me look at such things! Keep up the good work....

Henry Yeo said...

Prego is a good choice and obviously you need to learn how to hold your alcohol, binge drinking is not good for the body (nor your peace of mind, after reading your post).

Another time for Iktereu then.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm.. I love freshly baked souffles. The only time I ever had it was at Mandarin Oriental years ago, never found it elsewhere again.

Well, it was a good thing you didn't have to usher that evening, then.. :D

BTW, Choya is Japanese plum wine. Someone brought a bottle to dinner that night. Deceptively yummy.

fatboybakes said...

caked crusader, alas, the choc pear tart looked better than it tasted. what a waste right, to be stuck with a dessert you dont really want to finish!!! but i am sure a well made choc pear tart would be divine.

henry yeo, hold my alcohol? guffaw.... young man, i can hold my alcohol alright. lianne kang didnt even know i was inebriated during her farewell. care to drink with me and test our holding powers?

kat, ah, that afternoon nap just after a champagne brunch is sooo blissful. ya, someone has since told me what choya is. i think i had freshly baked souffle (in a buffet) at the shangri la in hong kong.

boo_licious said...

Ah, this is one of the buffets I didn't do, but I heard good things abt it. Yeah, drink about 4 to 5 glasses and you would have made your monies back??? The other one, I had great raves abt is the one at MO.

Ciki said...

now that sounds like my kinda buffet.. nothing nicer than getting intoxicated before the sunsets.. then a quick siasta before dinner.. only to eat and drink again! nice shots.. tres tres chi-chi :D

Anonymous said...

Did Henry just challenge your drinking prowess? O the brave and foolhardy Youth of Today (TM)!

P.S. So pandai to stock up before closing time (for the free flow anyway); no repeats of The Mill! :)

myCoffee said...

Oh no, did the price go up? It used to be RM178++.

HairyBerry said...

your Chocolate Pear Tart pic is very nice lah. like out of a food magazine liddat.

i wonder why chicks dig cosmo. it tastes like FANTA+alcohol. and what is so cosmopolitan about it when it's not carbon monoxide-flavoured? i'll have a Asahi beer, anytime. hehe!

fatboybakes said...

hairy berry, blush...food magazine? high accolade indeed coming from you..(if it was lemongrass i'd have dismissed it as sarkasm)..but if it was a food magazine, must be a ciplak one la. probably the free daisy margarine endorsed ones they're handing out.

mycoffee, i dunno leh, i am new to this decadence.

kenny mah, i know! i also gasped!
as for stocking up, you know la, once bitten twice shy.

ciki, i knowwww!!! that nap proceeding the session is just so heavenly. body feels like its wafting through an astral plane. and for a brief moment in time, i feel light....

boolicious, you mean MO also got champagne brunch? i really must compile a list.

Anonymous said...

Aglio olio is a simple dish to prepare, but just as easy to screw up. Of course I can do it for Pasta Wednesdays.

As for your comment to Hairy (re: sarkasm), have you ever seen me compliment your spelling? Noooo, of course not. Waitaminute, that was Russian, wasn't it? Ah, I am not worthy to be in the presence of a multilingual chef. Tres bien, tres chic, tres magnifique and other such french accolades to you! (Sorry, I can't speak Russian)

Argus Lou said...

So cute how the choc souffle sticks up. Wow, what a splendid family dinner! See you on the evening of Aug 25, ya? (You and Lyrical Luverly, please decide where - although I'm partial to Japanese.)

Henry Yeo said...

drinking competition? whisky? brandy? tequila? vodka? sake? whatever.

Henry Yeo said...

a froogle search for laurent perrier brut turns up prices under U$40. Throw in the taxes...yeah, you made your money's worth. :P

fatboybakes said...

henry, yup. i think we all got our money's worth. as boo said, 4 or 5 glasses, can cover already.

argus, what family dinner are you referring to? the champagne brunch was certainly no family dinner. yes yes, we are planning for the 25th.

lemongrass.......ignoring sarcasm.

Anonymous said...

Oh FBB, at least she was only sarcastic with ya. She laffed out from her arse at me. Oh the indignities I suffer! :P

Now, what's French for flatulence...?

fatboybakes said...

hahah, kennymah, i missed that bit. she's omnitalented, that goddess of the blogging realm, she is.

french for flatulence...hmmm.....escapes me.

daphne said...

goodness me. Free flow? GluP!

and the part abt going back to starters after dessert is quite witty. Too bad it was just the photos! Comeon, break the rules and have starters after desserts. LOL

Kenneth said...

The food looks amazing!!! However, the chicken kinda looks like chee cheong fun. he he ... I wanna go for this at the end of the month.

Anonymous said...

Aiyoh boys (kenny and fbb), don't have to fight over me...I'm equally nasty to both of you mah. Group huggggzzzzzz now.

Dee said...

I'm wasted at champagne brunches. In more ways than one. Cheap date lah. Good thing my man has hollow legs. Sure looks like a good spread *temptation rears its ugly head*

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

eh i thought theres was meant to be a drinking showdown cheer i put up that day?..must have been too drunk reading ur post..

fatboybakes said...

nipples, what u talking about? what drinking showdown cheer? you mean you thought you posted a comment but not there? yeah, happens to me.

dee, wasted, cheap date, legs, good spread... hmmm! i know how they frame people these days! hahaha.

lemongrass, where got. you nastier to me hands down.

kenneth, ya, go indulge man.

daphne, that's what i did. GULP the free flow!

Anonymous said...

You know-ah, your post is like a 3 course meal. It first appears in my RSS feeder (appetiser/soup), then I go to your site for read the entire post (main) and then I go down to your comments (dessert).

Now I am satiated. *grin*

Henry Yeo said...

yeah, there is one.

between you and kenny. GO Kenny!!!

fatboybakes said...

henry yeo, me no understand.

kat, aww, how sweet, you made my day. was already contemplating moving out of the haunted hacienda....due to its eerie silence.

Bernsy said...

not sure if you have the pics of my faces in red dots after drinking with you.... what were we doing that night, beer, wine, whiskey, and spiked punch...

fatboybakes said...

bernsy, i think i do. shall i put it up? u mean at the FCI's apartment? GOT LOTS! for me it was the carlsberg special brew that did it. phhoooo, potent stuff. after 8 cans, nearly can topple.

HairyBerry said...

OOOHHHHH NOOOO!!!!! the people are in dire need of a dose of intellectual stimulation and funnier-than-leno-o'brian-lettermen entertainment.....unbearable 7 days of drought...OOOHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

fatboybakes said...

guffaw, nicleekh!!! what ARE you talking about! getting sarky like your mentor, lemongrass eh?!

Bernsy said...

i din realize u had 8 cans... by the 4th i already stopped counting.. wakakakaka,

fatboybakes said...

damn kick la that special brew. let me dig up the pics.... changed pc recently, didnt really back up....

Anonymous said...

Rubbish. I am no mentor to young Hairy. He confessed to me that I am merely his friend, and that you, my dear baker, are his idol. At first, I was devastated, but I eventually realised that he was speaking the truth. You are idol to many, including me. (And I especially love your pavlova.)

fatboybakes said...

lemongrass, ya, my pavlova from saturday is coming right thru my esophagus, in an antiperistalsis movement, very quickly, after reading your comment!!!!

Anonymous said...

Damn,was hoping you'd cry after reading what I wrote. Have you no heart, man?!?!

fatboybakes said...

bwahahhahahahahahahhahaa.....u mean tears of laughter?