A MUST JOIN GROUP MUST BE THE CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS GROUP, THE KL CHAPTER HAD THEIR GALA WINE DINNER AT SERI PACIFIC HOTEL ON FRIDAY MAY 10, 2013
THEY REALLY KNOW HOW TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND THIS WAS CLEARLY SEEN THROUGHOUT THE DINNER, WHEN MEMBERS SHOUT OUT TO TOAST VIVA LES CHAIN!!!.WHAT AN AMAZING EVENING OF GREAT FOOD, WINE AND COMPANY. THIS AMAZING MOMENTOUS EVENT WAS EMCEED BY THE SERI PACIFIC HOTEL DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS PETER PADMAN,
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| Our Emcee Mr. Peter Padman |
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| Phantom of the Opera Food Presentation |
THE EVENING STARTED AT THE LOUNGE ON THE 30TH FLOOR, WHERE GUESTS WERE RECEIVED WITH CANAPES AND CHAMPAGNE. IT WAS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE THE FAMILIAR FACES OF KL WHO ENJOYS GOOD FOOD AND WINES PRESENT AT THIS EVENT. AFTER A SHORT WELCOME SPEECH, GUEST WERE USHERED TO THE KOFUKU JAPANESE RESTAURANT
AT KOFUKU, DINERS WERE TREATED TO TWO TYPES OF WINES AND THREE SALMON AND PRAWN INSPIRED APPETISERS & SOUP THAT WAS TO DIE FOR. OOOHS! AND AAHHS! WERE HEARD ALL AROUND THE TABLE.
WHILE DINERS WERE FINISHING THEIR THIRD COURSE, SUDDENLY! THERE WAS A BLACKOUT! THE GENERAL MANAGER. EN. HALIM MERICAN TOOK THE MIC TO APOLOGISE TO ALL AND INFORM THEM THAT TNB HAD JUST INFORMED THE HOTEL THERE WAS A BLACKOUT AND THAT HOTEL GENERATORS WERE GONNA BOOT UP IN A FEW MINUTES. GUESTS SEEMED TO TAKE IT IN THEIR STRIDE BUT IN MY MIND I WONDERED IF THE HOTEL WAS TAKING A PISS AT THE OPPOSITION CLAIMED 'BLACKOUT' AT THE BENTONG VOTING CENTER!
ALL THE GUEST WERE THEN USHERED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION, TABLE BY TABLE TO THE PACIFIC BALLROOM LINKED TO THE PWTC WING. AS WE WENT DOWN THE STAIRS WE COULD SEE THE LIGHTS COMING FROM THE COFFEE HOUSE, IT THEN CONFIRMED OUR SUSPICION IT WAS A PLANNED BLACK OUT! (NOW WHAT ARE THE OPPOSITION GOING TO WRITE ABOUT THIS BLACKOUT, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE SERI PACIFIC IS AN UMNO PROPERTY!)
AT THE PACIFIC BALLROOM GUEST HAD TO GET A “PASSPORT” STAMPED BY AN“IMMIGRATION OFFICERS” TO ENTER. THE NUMBERED PASSPORT HAD DETAILS OF THE EVENT AND PICTURES OF EVERY SINGLE STAFF OF THE HOTEL THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT.
AS GUEST WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BLACKOUT, THE PACIFIC BALLROOM BLACKED OUT!, DAMN! NOT AGAIN! THANKFULLY PETER PADMAN, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, THE WARM HOST AND EMCEE OF THE NIGHT GOT ON STAGE WITH ALL THE CHEFS WELCOMING THE GUEST WITH HIS OWN VERSION OF A SONG FROM A MUSICAL. WE KNEW HE COULD PLAY THE PIANO BUT SING AND DANCE TOO.
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| Peter and the Chefs from Seri Pacific Hotel |
THE FIRST MUSICAL PRESENTATION THEN STARTED WITH “PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”. FOLLOWED BY “CATS” , OLIVER"AND “THE KING AND I”. YUL BRYNER WOULD BE PROUD OF HIS REPLACEMENT! THE CHILDREN WERE SO CUTE IN THEIR THAI ROYAL COSTUMES. THE NIGHT WAS SIMPLY ENTERTAINING FROM START TO FINISH!
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| Scene from Olive Twist |
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| Scene from Anna & The King |
THE SEEKERS TRIO THAT USUALLY PERFORMS AT THE HOTEL’S CHEREZA LOUNGE GAVE AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FROM THE CATS MUSICAL. CATS STARTING COMING OUT FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE HOTEL BALLROOM! THE GUESTS WERE IN AWE LISTENING TO THE TRIO.
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| Scene from Cats The Musical |
GUESTS WERE ENTERTAINED WITH THE MUSICALS AS THEY ENJOYED THEIR WAGYU BEEF AND MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI INSPIRED DINNER DISHES. LUCKY DRAWS WERE HELD AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSED.
A SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST WAS INTRODUCED - MALAYSIAN IDOL FINALIST ZAMIL IDRIS, HE SANG TWO SONGS, FROM ANDREA BOCELLI'S ALBUM AND THE OTHER A RENDITION FROM MICHAEL BUBLE.
HE THEN CAME BACK ON STAGE TO SING A DUET WITH MARIA JASMIN, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE WIFE OF SERI PACIFIC’S CHARISMATIC GM MR. HALIM MERICAN
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| Zamil and Maria in a Duet |
MIDWAY THROUGH THE SONG, THE PROUD HUSBAND WENT UP TO PRESENT HIS WIFE A SINGLE RED ROSE , THE GUEST GAVE THEM A WARM APPLAUSE. EARLIER IN THE EVENING, HALIM’S THIRTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER MARIA IZABELLE GAVE A WONDERFUL RENDITION OF “I DREAM A DREAM”.
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| The cute Maria Izabelle singing "I dream a dream"! |
THE STAFF AND TRIO FROM SEEKERS THEN WENT ON STAGE TO DO A LATIN 'MERENGUE' DANCE. THEY THEN WENT INTO THE CROWD AND PULLED UP SOME SPORTING GUEST TO DANCE WITH THEM INCLUDING YOURS TRULY!
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| The Steff dancing Merengue! |
SEEING THE ELABORATE COSTUMES AND PROPS, GUEST COULD TELL THAT THE STAFF AND THE HOTEL MANAGEMENT HAD MADE A LOT OF EFFORT TO PREPARE FOR THE EVENING.
THE HIT OF THE NIGHT MUST HAVE THE BEEN THE MUSICAL SNIPPET FROM THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, WHERE THE STAFF MADE AN ACTUAL BOAT SAIL ACROSS THE STAGE! THAT REALLY SET THE TONE FOR THE NIGHT.
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| Phantom on a boat! |
WE WERE INFORMED LATER, ,MS MARIA JASMIN WAS ACTUALLY A PROFESSIONAL SINGER AND STAGE ACTRESS. SHE HAS TAKEN SOME TIME OFF TO TRAIN THE LITTLE CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN THE 'MUSICALS' AND PRODUCED THE WHOLE EVENT.
THE EVER APPRECIATIVE GUESTS GAVE THE STAFF A ROUSING APPLAUSE AT THE END OF EVERY MUSICAL. THE NIGHT ENDED WITH A STANDING OVATION FOR MS MARIA JASMIN, ZAMIL AND ALL THE STAFF AND CHILDREN OF THE STAFF, OF THE SERI PACIFIC HOTEL.
OVERALL THE NIGHT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND IT WAS NO SURPRISE WHEN THE MEMBERS OF CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS ROSE UP AND TOASTED - VIVA LE CHAINE!!!!
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| The Cast and Crew of all the Musicals receiving a standing ovation! |
KUDOS TO GENERAL MANAGER MR. HALIM MERICAN AND MR. PETER PADMAN FOR MAKING THE NIGHT SUCH A MEMORABLE EVENT. PERSONALLY, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH COMMITTED PARTICIPATION FROM ALL THE STAFF OF ANY HOTEL FOR A PRIVATE EVENT. IT WAS 1MALAYSIA IN ACTION. STAFF AND THEIR CHILDREN FROM DIFFERENT RACES TOOK PRIDE IN COMING TOGETHER TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION FOR THE GUEST MADE UP OF LOCAL AND FOREIGNERS.
VERDICT: ONE SHOULD CONSIDER THE SERI PACIFIC HOTEL AS YOUR EVENT LOCATION OF CHOICE & IF YOU ARE THE TYPE WHO ENJOYS GOOD FOOD, WINES AND GREAT COMPANY, YOU MUST APPLY TO JOIN THE CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS KL CHAPTER. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT MR. PETER PADMAN FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON BOTH AT +6016 - 411 2000.
