Atlas Shrugged

atlas

No, not the Ayn Rand book…though you might find yourself starting to get as verbose as her after a couple of cans. I managed to find the best value beer in town just now. It’s Atlas Beer, weighing in at 12% – it beats SKOL for value. It comes in a 500 ml can – I love the feel of the substantial 500 ml cans. It just feels so solid! I have purchased a slab (24 cans) of SKOL and after calculations by my gf this one is just better. Every self-respecting alcoholic, I mean, ethanol consumer knows that the higher ABV the beverage is, the better. My current favorite.

atlas shrugged

It’s close to wine’s fortitude with the alcohol content – beer at 12%, it’s revolutionary! Bock style beer at just RM 7.90 per can and it’s made in the EU to boot! I suspect it’s one of the Eastern blocs though due to the ambiguity on the packaging – it would have shouted GERMANY had it been one of the more affluent states. It’s replacing my favorite beer (SKOL Super) due to the value – 500 ml @ 12 % is stronger at 320 ml @ 9 % any time. Especially if you binge drink. 😉

I’m going to be driving up to Cameron Highlands tomorrow at 6 am. Be good, coz I won’t have net access there. It’s a birthday present for my girlfriend, and I anticipate prohibitive traffic congestion, but we’re going to do the suites anyway.

Have a great long weekend people! 🙂

iichiko mugi shochu

iichiko

iichiko mugi shochu
is a 100% barley shochu from Japan. Japanese shochu is usually made from either sweet potatoes, rice or barley and though it’s difficult to differentiate between the three, I tend to prefer barley fermented drinks.



iichiko mugi shocho
weighs in at a respectable 25% alcohol and in the new format of alcohol reviews, this is done vlog style, complete with fake Japanese accent. 😉

Skol Super Beer 9% alcohol

skol super beer pack

Skol Super Beer is a new product line from Skol that lays claim to “The only 9% alcohol super strong beer”. The statement is not inaccurate – it is the King of Lagers (in a fiefdom of mostly 5% alcohol standard beers). Certain fortified beers like Carlsberg’s Special Brew attempt to challenge the sovereignty of Skol Super Beer, weighing in at a respectable 8.8% – close, but no cigar.

skol super beer

The extra 0.2% alcohol in Skol Super Beer crowns it as the current king of all beers (measured by ethanol content). It is by far the highest alcohol content lager among all the other brands over here. I picked up a 3-pack at Jusco for just RM 12.80 (the special introductory price), which works out to about RM 4.20 per can. Skol is of Brazilian origin and considered a less premium brand than Carlsberg Special Brew, but it’s cheaper by a few dollars and has the potential to capture the middle income, non-discerning ethanol consumer market.

The interesting trend with beer nowadays is the introduction of the 3-pack. The six-pack beer packaging is a very established tradition, and to go against that convention would be considered heretical by beer aficionados. However, I have noticed several advantages to the 3-pack retail mechanism – it’s at the right price point for the consumption habits of the majority of casual drinkers.

Skol Super Beer – A very strong lager of the highest quality.

Absolut Akimbo!

absolut akimbo

Absolut Akimbo! I managed to get two (2) 1 liter bottles of duty-free vodka goodness from my sister and her husband traveling back from NZ. I wanted Absolut New Orleans and Absolut Los Angeles (the two new city themed Absolut vodka flavors) but my sister couldn’t find it…or couldn’t be bothered to look for it, I’ll never be sure. 😉

absolut ruby red

She couldn’t find Absolut Pears (to complete my Absolut-ly Fabulous liquor collection) either, so I settled with Absolut Ruby Red, which I already have and thus have earned the right (in my twisted rhetoric) to drink…

absolut mango

…and Absolut Mango, launched earlier this year for my collection.

absolut madness

I’ve been trying to find the elusive Absolut 100 (2007) in the black bottles that weighs in at a respectable 50% alcohol but it’s apparently not available at our fine KLIA duty free retail experience. Oh well…

Happy monthsary, dear. 🙂

The Frontera Margarita Man

martini man

Frontera Bar & Grill serves a wide range of premium and super premium 100% blue agave tequila. This here is the official Frontera Margarita Man, who has served thousands of margaritas during his tenure at the bar.

speedy gonzalez

The Speedy Gonzalez is a cocktail with Red Bull, watermelon liquor and Sauza 100% pure blue agave tequila. It’s under the Hornitos label and packs a real punch. The Red Bull (caffeine and Taurine) gives a slightly stimulating aspect to offset the CNS depressant qualities of the Sauza Hornitos tequila.

Watch the Speedy Gonzolez being made live! You can’t taste the alcohol inside, and the stimulants make you feel like you’re not feeling the alcohol too, but you are – a drink to watch out for. 🙂

patron xo cafe

The Patron Spirits Company also makes coffee liqueur, which I didn’t know until I went to Frontera. Dubbed the Patron XO Cafe, it’s like Kahlua, except this coffee liqueur weighs in at a whopping 40% alcohol! It can be sipped neat and taste a hell of a lot better than Kahlua.

stealth bomber

Frontera Bar & Grill also makes a mean B-52 with Patron XO Cafe instead of Kahlua. This doubles the alcohol content so I think it should be dubbed the B2 Spirit “Stealth Bomber” instead. It’s a shooter with B-52 “Stratofortress” ingredients with the Kahlua substituted with the premium Patron XO Cafe.

gran patron

The tequila based drinks at Frontera is sweetened with agave syrup instead of sugar syrup so the taste of agave is preserved. It’s really a good concept, and a great place for tequila based cocktails. The unopened Gran Patron Platinum at the front costs RM 1,400 per bottle. Larry didn’t let me taste it though. 😉 It’s understandable – he hasn’t had the chance to sample it himself.

generations tequila

Tequila is underrated in Malaysia due to the non-premium brands flooding the market but tasting the premium and super premium brands has given me much respect for this drink from Mexico.

frontera me doris

Check it out at Frontera Bar & Grill @ Jaya One.

Project 3 1/2 Inch: Burgers for brunch

ingredients

I spent a nice weekend lazing around at home with Melody and decided to throw together some burgers for brunch. Well, here at sixthseal.com, all our cooking projects requires a catchy name and an irreverent goal, so this was dubbed Project 3 1/2 Inch – to make a burger that would have a height of at least three and half inches. 🙂

You will need:

Beef burger patties
Unbreaded crab flavored claws (this adds bulk and height, as well as taste)
Six (6) eggs
Burger buns
Arrack Putih (local distilled 50% alcohol)

arrack putih

Melody insists that Arrack Putih (translated as “bai jiu”) is meant for cooking. I vehemently disagree, having had more than my fair share of drinking cheap local liquor. It’s RM 5 – RM 10 for a 640 ml bottle containing 50% distilled liquor that tastes like vodka.

down

I have to applaud the local distilleries for marketing a high proof alcohol that doubles as an excuse for cooking purposes so stay-at-home moms can live in denial about their drinking habits. It’s the local equivalent of “just a nip of the cooking sherry”. 😉

drink

To prove my point, I downed a full glass of the alcohol neat, while Melody had 1/4 an inch of the stuff, also neat. She agreed it tasted like vodka too. This begs the question as to why we’re drinking the cheap stuff and the answer to that is simple…times are hard, my friends. 🙂

thaw

Anyway, after being imbued with some Dutch Courage (or Irish Motivation rather), I fired up the gas stove and heated some oil (coz we used up all the butter in the previous cooking expedition) in a frying pan…before remembering that the beef burger patties weren’t defrosted yet. Thus, we waited 30 minutes for it to thaw out and started with the crab claws.

crab claws

There happened to be some debate about how this should be done. I was in favor of steaming it, which she said was ridiculous since the metal instrument was way too tall for the wok to be of any use.

steam

She was all for boiling it in a pot of water with some salt, since that would not only quick defrost the crab claws but we could turn off the gas and control the heat so it’ll still be warm when the burgers are done.

boil

I agree in principal, but boiling will result in an unacceptable loss in the taste of the crab claws. Still, I went along since the ethanol was kicking in and I was in a cheerful disposition. =D

fry

Thus, with the disarmament peace talks reaching a positive conclusion, the beef burger patties were fried in vegetable oil. We fried four beef patties – two for each of us, while the crab claws were being boiled tasteless. 😉

oil

I’m not much of a health conscious person, which is pretty obvious by the way I live my life, but Melody insisted on lining the plate with tissue paper before putting the beef patties in to soak up the excess oil.

egg

However, there is on thing I excel at – The Ancient Art of Breaking an Egg with One Hand (!!!). =D

This is the sixthseal.com guide to breaking an egg with one hand. It serves no purpose whatsoever, but makes you look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen. Chicks dig it. 😉

egg trick

Anyway, I soon realized that six (6) eggs would not make a paper thin wrap around the burger patties Ramly burger style due to the volume so I decided to just fry it all and make an omelet of sorts.

swirl egg

The sheer volume of the unborn chicken fetal material was a bit too much for the wok to handle, but I have a trick I learned while frying eggs in primary school (I love eggs!) which basically involves moving the liquid pooled inside the recessed wok out to the sides so it’ll cook faster…

eggs done

…and then use the spatula to move the cooked egg back in so more liquid egg can be displaced into the treasured hot surface area to the sides. It’s called The Swirling Egg Trick (TM). I’ve been doing it for ages. You’ll have an omelet up in no time using this method.

drain

Meanwhile, Melody started draining the crab claws. I didn’t have a strainer but she has some tricks up her sleeves as well, and managed to get the crab claws out. She dropped one into the sink though…

crab claws cooked

Crab claws are actually made of fish meat and flavored with crab flavoring – whatever that is. The flavoring industry has made leaps and bounds in their technology and I’m sure they can make an artificial flavoring that tastes exactly like you. 😉

me cutting

The problem with the kitchen at my place is that there’s really no proper cooking implements to speak of…bread knifes were nowhere to be seen. I tried my hand at cutting through the burger buns with a regular knife…

knife

…which didn’t work out so well,

melody cut

so Melody did the cutting instead.

process

The burger bun was sliced in half, and the beef patties layered on top of fried eggs before everything is topped with crab claws, peppered with…er, pepper, and doused with chilli sauce.

burger

It’s a huge gooey burger, but it tasted delicious!

burger project

It’s 3 1/2 inches. We measured. 🙂

eat

I must admit…I had a bit of a hard time eating it though…

The Queen Lounge & Café grand opening

the queen

The Queen Lounge & Café was officially launched on Friday night with an invite-only guest list comprising mostly of friends and regulars of Café Café (who is owned by the same people).

queen interior

The interior design of The Queen Lounge & Café can be summed up in a single word – absolutely fabulous. Oh wait, that’s two words. You know what I mean though. The ambiance is great, and I can imagine this being the next new hot spot to hang out in town – the place to see and be seen and all that.

queen reserved

The Queen Lounge and Café is co-owned by Peter, who is an old schoolmate of mine. He just has this magic touch for setting up nice cafes with the warm ambiance that draws in the crowds. I remember hanging out as teenagers during weekends at Country Café (the place to be about 10 years ago) and his dreams about opening up a similar place in the future.

queen couch

Well, he did, and kudos to him for that. The success of Café Café is a testament to his will and resolve, and I respect him for that. Oh, and I’m not just saying that coz I got complimentary martinis the entire night. 😉 No, seriously.

flowers

The proprietors of Queen’s Lounge and Café also own Café Café, a hugely popular café in town – the current place to be. They also have an interior design place called Mari Mari. I’m not sure about the obsession with double affirmatives but at least Queen’s is a departure from tradition – I’m just glad they didn’t name it Queen’s Queen’s. 😉

lychee martini

The Queen Lounge & Café was serving complimentary Lychee Martinis to the guests the entire night as well as snacks on the house.

my martini

It’s made from Kwai Fei lychee, Absolut Raspberry, Cranberry and Pineapple juice with a menu price of RM 22. Queen’s has an impressive cocktail menu with a long list of martinis, shooters and wines.

martini strong

It’s quite nice, but I’m a bit of a monster when it comes to drinking so I was asking Peter for a special, customized Rendezvous Lychee Martini – just Absolut Raspberry neat, with a lychee inside. 😉

satay

Snacks were also served to the guests from the Queen’s Lounge and Café menu. There were Madurerse Chicken Satay (menu price RM 8)…

chicken

…and Thai Style Chicken Wings (list price RM 13) circulating amongst the guests.

ita ting

I bumped into a lot of people at The Queen’s – this is Ita Ting, an old friend of mine from way back in high school.

peter

Peter and Ah Tung, the two co-owners of the place.

grace chan

Grace Chan. OMG, I look fat in the photo.

girls

The beautiful people I’ve been bumping into in clubs around Sibu.

jimbo

Jimbo and some other buddies I hang out with on weekends.

datina ting

Datina Ting! I haven’t seen her since Chinese New Year and she’s getting married later this year. Congrats! 🙂

chinese dancers

The proprietors spared no expense in the launch of The Queen Lounge & Café – there were two troupes of dancers with two different sets of routines.

The first dance is a very Chinese traditional dance, transporting you back to the glory of Shanghai, post-Japanese occupation.

I liked the way they dominated the floor with grace and elegance, garbed in traditional Chinese costumes and armed with fans.

martial arts

The second set features svelte female figures draped in white and performing a martial arts inspired dance.

It’s a very lively performance, extremely full on and unique.

opening end

It was a great premiere for The Queen Lounge & Café and I have exhausted my repertoire of superlatives to describe the opening of the establishment. It’s going to be a great place to hang out at – the next big thing.

Congrats to Peter, Michelle and Ah Tung and all the best in the new lounge! 🙂

Give me Libertas, or give me Death!

liberty or death

Libertas is a South African Cabernet Sauvignon bottled at the West
Cape. I have been taking advantage of the new 5-day work week
implemented by our company to chill out on a Saturday afternoon after
sleeping in late.

libertas kfc

Melody brought some KFC over to my house and we ate the
X-Meals (is is just me, or has KFC burgers shrunk over the past
decade?) while I opened up the bottle of wine. I have now acquired the
discipline of keeping liquor around the house without the temptation of
consuming it immediately, which my addiction counselor would term as Progress (TM). 😉

libertas

Libertas is Latin for liberty, and the title of the post is made popular by Patrick Henry. Anyway, a 5-day work week may be the norm in KL and other parts of the country, but over here in Sarawak, it’s cause for celebration! =D

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