A day's best food

Some say I have the best job in the world - I beg to differ. They told me that I am lucky because I get to experience so many things that many would envy - I say there is a sacrifice. They said I gained weight - I totally agree and I'll tell you why.

It's a surprised that many people actually googled for MAS Golden Lounge and when they read my blog entry about the lounge, I get to see it through the analytics section of my nuffnang account. I wonder to myself why these people are looking for the lounge. Are they doing a research or simply because they wanted to see how it looked like?

The search keywords

Yesterday, I was invited by the MAS Golden Lounge Manager to attend their launching party of the newly renovated Regional Lounge at the Contact Pier in KLIA. The lounge has been given a RM2million facelift and has been opened for about a month ago. The official launching to the media and press will be next week and yesterday is just a party for the friends and some Enrich members of the CEO of the Golden Lounge, Datuk Raja Nordiana. She has been actively involve in promoting the Enrich card - loyalty program for MAS and also the Temptations (In-Flight) shopping.

The entrance with the water feature

The total concept for the Regional Lounge is based on the theme "Rimbun" as explained by En. Sabry, the Senior Manager. He is the guy responsible for all the MAS Lounges all over the world and it's no surprise that I actually do envy his job. He gets to travel and also use all the MAS Lounges when we economy class travelers have to wait and stare at each other in the boarding gate. The "Rimbun" concept is based on the richness in flora and fauna in the country. He wanted to create a forest like concept with all the right elements in the lounge such as the use of water, wood and also the fern design-sandblasted partition.

The online surfing area with a nice view

Among all the other lounges (Domestic & Satellite), this Regional Lounge at the Contact Pier is the best! It's new and the food selection for the business class passengers are better here compared to the Satellite Business Lounge. However, I still liked the free-flow of Haagen Daz ice-cream at the First Class Lounge in Satellite! If they serve Haagen Daz here, MAS will be running in a budget deficit! The business lounge is used by hundreds of passengers a day and this new lounge will serve the regional flights.

A place to relax and have a cuppa

I was quite impressed with the overall design of the lounge. The best thing about this lounge is the toilet! You have to pay the washroom a courtesy call. Every cubicle has a shower area in it for passengers to refresh themselves. Clean white towels are provided and don't worry about toiletries because the necessities like toothbrush, comb, shampoo, body wash and lotion are provided! How cool is that? They're all L'occitane!!! I was washing my hand in there with the L'occitane hand soap and then followed by the lotion.... Wah syoknya. What to do, I don't have money to fly business and first class, if not I also won't be so "jakun".

The buffet area and the Swiss Chef overlooking the details

I love the beverage bar. You can order anything from Austin Chase Coffee, cappuccino, espresso, latte, hot chocolate, tea and a wide array of other drinks. It's all free of charge of course! I can't count the number of times I've had lunch at the lounge. Everytime I was in KLIA, the manager is kind enough to offer us free food at the lounges. Now, it's like my regular eating place in KLIA. Usually it's self-service at the lounge but because I knew them, they always serve the food & drinks directly to my table. Service is excellent. The staff are all courteous as well. Damn, I really like to spend time there.

The salad and beverage bar

The beverages are from Mr.R who supplies great coffees and also the liquors. I knew Mr.R for about half a year now, and he's so kind. He have been helping me to get my chocolates into MAS as well. Later, you'll see that Fidani is everywhere! Haha... Yesterday I was also fortunate to meet another Mr.R who supplies the food from Pan Pacific to the Lounge. Another business opportunity for me! He's been so nice because I hardly knew most of the guests and he had been keeping me company. I was surprised that when he kissed my hand, he said I smelled like chocolate! LOL That's why I'm so sweet mah!

The dining area and also the business centre

I waited for my boss to come and he finally showed up at 3pm when everyone else has left. I needed his signatures so I stayed. If not, I would have left long ago when the party ends at 2.30pm. When he came, I knew it will take some time before I can go because he has this new idea that he wants me to implement at the lounge. It was a good day for me to attend the party yesterday because I met so many important people that I should be visiting them and I haven't due to the hectic schedule. Yesterday, I get to meet most of the staff of the Golden Boutique (In flight shopping) whom I corresponded through emails for almost 1 year without knowing how they looked like! I have also invited them to take their cabin crew to my chocolate factory for a tour and product familiarization training. So who wants the MAS air stewardess hp no?

Want to know what I'm drinking?

Sometimes, I'm just afraid to see Dato because everytime I see him, he'll have new ideas which he would like to see it being implemented. It's good but everytime he does that, his ideas evolved and what have been discussed are thus void. I'm finding it a bit hard to cope with it because right now, I have more than 6 projects on hand to complete and I'm short of hands, legs and brains. Lucky I stayed on yesterday because the best is always kept for the last. Mr.R was so generous to open 2 bottles of his Dom Perignon Vintage 2000 for our indulgence. If you don't know what Dom Perignon is, does Moet & Chandon ring a bell? If still no, click here. It costs about RM1600 per bottle duty paid. I had four glasses of that heavenly champagne. I don't usually take champagne because wine runs in my blood but this champagne is nice and smooth, provided properly chilled at about 10-12 degree celcius.

RM1600 in a bottle

When I saw the clock striking 5.30pm, I know it's time to leave because I have another session at 8pm in Jaya Palace and I need to collect the chocolates from my factory that closes at 6pm. Before I go, I was given a RM200 voucher for me to redeem any gifts from the temptations showcase in the lounge and I got myself a bottle of Lolita Lempicka perfume! Inside the goodie bag, there were a bottle of moisturizer, body soap, a bottle of basil massage oil from Tanamera and also a correction powder from Estee Lauder. They removed my Fidani Chocolates because I wouldn't be needing them...I have lots of them at the factory. MAS really give good freebies. Everything was done with class. So I finished work that day by just drinking and making merry. What a life! I wished everyday is yesterday.

For MAS Regional Lounge launching, click here.

Well, that wasn't the end of my day. Although I can feel some drunkness in me due to much drinking and not much solid food, I went home and took some dinner before I head to Jaya Palace for another round of wine drinking.

I drank from all these bottles - 1 glass each


The cock scares me already

We had Burgundy (French Wines) yesterday. Seriously, after trying Bordeaux and Burgundy, I began to like Burgundy. It's very easy to spot a Burgundy following the tips given by the wine connoisseur, whom are my wine drinking friends now. According to her, the bottle of a Burgundy is like a women with a heavy bottom. Just look at the different bottles below and you will be able to differentiate. Another point to note is that Burgundy has this ruby red coloured wine. Although the red is not as dark as Bordeaux, the taste is not compromised. Bordeaux contained more Carbernet Sauvignon grapes and thus it has more tanins and also it smelled more of tobacco. However, Burgundy is using the Pinot Noir grapes and to me, it smells better.

Burgundy VS Bordeaux

The colour of Burgudy resembles the Ruby

I have always been drinking Australian & Spanish wines but now I've developed a taste for French wines. French wines are the old age wines and they're easier to drink. If you only have one body, I suggest you fill it up with the best wine and don't waste it on others like the Yellow Tail or Lindemans because these brands don't make good wines. The wines come from different vineyards and you'll never have the same taste in the same bottle.

I liked the Chassagne-Montrachet Year 2006

This bottle costs more than RM200

The food was very interesting too. For the first time in my life, I had foie gras as appetizer and it was superb if you don't remind me how it was made. I know it's cruel but it tastes good especially the one that we had yesterday was brought back all the way from France. It will set you back RM400 for a can of foie gras that is the size of a can of sardine fish. After that we moved on to Sharks fin with Fish Maw braised soup. Now I'm getting a bit sick of sharks fin and abalone because we had abalone with chicken feet. It used to be my favourite but now I don't fancy it anymore. I told Mr.L that ever since I met him, I've gained quite a bit of weight. It was good food and good wine all the way. We had never had a single normal (what normal chinese people with normal earning would eat) chinese cuisine except for that green vegetable dish.

KOBE beef Shabu Shabu

What I was surprised is the shabu-shabu dish. In the middle of God-knows-how many dishes, they brought in a metal pot filled with soup and vegetables. Then 2 plates of beef slices were served together with a plate of the beef balls. Little do I know that those beef slices are Kobe beef of different cuts! OMIGOD, is this how they eat?!! I never knew Kobe tasted like heaven. It was so orgasmic savouring the tender beef in my mouth. Now I hate TGI Friday's Steak. I can't even saw it with the knife! Kobe beef goes very well with the wines and it's a great combination. If i continue to eat like this for a few more times, I'm scared that I will be needing the Marie France Bodyline service soon.

The wine of Flies

We ended the meal with the Clos des Mouches. I quite like the label though with the cute flies on the top left hand corner. Mouches is flies in French. I can't believe my day. I started with a white wine in KLIA at 11am and I end the day with red wine at 12.30am. If a mosquito were to bite me that night, it will die from 2 causes - either posioned or drunk due too the level of alcohol in my blood stream. Don't ask me to donate blood, I'll make them high.

Wish you have my life, don't. You will suffer from kidney failure soon.