Siu~V: celebrating sa~jie's birthday

Not that anybody really likes 'celebrating' getting old(er), but nonetheless, we threw one for our tai-ka-jie, Vanessa in celebration (whoops there's that word again) of her XXth birthday.
Seriously, I've not a clue on her real age. Better left that way eh? heehee

who's the birthday girl?

Frankly for my part, ask me to join in someone's birthday celebration and the first thing on my mind is always 'ooh, what are we gonna be having?' . Yes, I am THAT greedy when it comes to food, and yes, it makes no sense at all coz i'm famous for leaving that tad little bit on my plate after my meals. I must have been an ant my past life with that urge to store food for winter or something. But hey, I'm pretty sure there's some saying in the Chinese belief about leaving leftovers on your plate. Something about fortune, perhaps... =^.^

So we went to this place called 'The Zun Kitchenette'. Not familiar?

Sounds like some place that serves Greek food eh?

ah-ah, it's this Chinese restaurant inside Eu Yan Sang. Looks nice from the outside. And i'm not talking about me and Yin.

We (ok, I) have never tried this place before, plus we didn't have that many choices to choose from since Vanessa gave us the following criterion - perferably good Chinese food + air-conditioned + comfortable environment + ample parking space + good-looking waiters/ waitresses (ok, this one I just made up...aren't we a good-looking bunch already?).

So, Yin went 'hmm EuYanSang..good place...serves good soup for the elderly and the health-conscious..let's go there' . I choose to be categorised under 'the health-conscious' since I AM a Health underwriter by profesion (gee, that sounds kewl when i say it)

We were given our own little private room to dine and make lot of our usual nonsensical dialogue in.

Outside our room, the entire place was actually empty and so quiet that if someone farted, it would only be the waiters and waitresses eyeing one another.

This is Yin, me, Vanessa and Choy Phyll before the arrival of our food. Can you tell from our faces we were starving? I know mine does.

What's my blog without food review in it right?

So, here's what we ate...let's see how many of these you've tried before

Bak Zhan Black Chicken Soup - 6/10 (could do with a thicker broth, accentuated with a heavier chickeny essence)

Double-boiled Chicken Soup - 6.5/10 (the usual herbal soup that mummy use to boil...better)

Curry Fish in Claypot - 6.5/10 (so-so, wished it was spicier though)

Mixed Vege with Fermented Beancurd - 8/10 (Vegetable dishes are the simplest to prepare and I love my mushrooms, so...)

Braised Spare Ribs with Yam and Dong Guai - 7/10 (Ribs...CHECKED!...but I couldn't find the yams!)

Smoked Chicken Salad - 7/10 (only because it's 'different' and got a slight twangy taste to it)

Stir-fried Okra - 6/10 (i just prefer mine plain with the best sambal belachan in the world!)

This entire set meal for the price of RM 168+! Worthy? Well, your call.

End of the day, it's the priceless companionship of precious friends and loved ones that count (oish, spoken like a wise philosopher).

And we could certainly do away with the companionship of this waiter who was peeping at something in Vanessa's hands.Yup, trust us to come up with the best-decorated card for anybody's birthday. Too bad I had forgotten to snap the front of the card.

Vanessa's card is extra special coz it contained 3 self-written poems by Mark, Tan and yours truly. Poems that will only bring out the maximum effect when sung out by our very talented MarkLim. The effect it brings out in a person (as you are about to see in Vanessa).....are indeed phenomenal.