When you’re invited by the 3rd richest man in America for dinner, you know even the food you’re eating is gonna be different.
You see her smiling now, but half an hour later she was shivering uncontrollably because of the aircond
Immediately after Venetian Macao‘s grand opening extravaganza on the 28th August, the invited guests emptied the arena straight for the casinos, while the few special ones were ushered into the Venetian Ballroom for an exclusive Gala Dinner.
Now I have been to some big dinner banquets before, but this is just too impressive for words. Not even my camera could capture the splendour and opulence we’re enveloped in.
The Venetian Ballroom housed almost 400 dinner tables for 4000 guests. There’s an attendant in sight every corner. Each table is intricately decorated with flowers, candles and utensils from the East and West.
We even get a souvenir in the form of a masquerade ball mask bracelet.
In front of a ballroom is a theatre stage adorned with red curtains. We can only wonder what treat is in store for us behind those curtains.
It’s beautiful.
Even the Thai girls I shared the table with are beautiful.
Gotta love the image on the cover of their dinner menu.
It shows a European-style masquerade ball mask on the left halve versus a Chinese Opera mask on the right halve. It’s a fitting reference to Las Vegas Sands Corp establishing itself in Macau, China.
The gastronomous delight on offer.
Coming from a humble little town of Kuching where cheap hawker food is so embedded into our everyday life, I must say I’m not used having such expensive dishes. I gained 3kg in 3 days in Macau, and this is why.
First item on the menu is the appetiser: Atlantic Lobster with Sea Urchin Tofu.
Lobsters for appetisers? Sea urchin tofu? In some places, we call this the main course already!
I got so excited I swallowed down two bowls of those. Divine!
Entertainment for the evening comes in the form of a live performance from the original cast and ensemble of the Phantom of the Opera from Las Vegas.
It was a short performance but they did all the well-known scenes, including the romantic duet “Say You Love Me”. Too bad the crowd was busy chattering and indulging in the food, paying little attention to the performers.
Next came a soup interestingly named Buddha Jumps Over The Wall.
It’s a Chinese soup with all the expensive ingredients like abalones, scallops and shark’s fins all thrown in and stewed in a pot for two full days. Whoever invented it called the soup that way because they claimed it tasted so good, even a vegetarian like Buddha would jump over the monastery wall to steal a sip.
Controversial, I know. But I don’t think it’d have the same effect if it’s called Jesus Jumps Over The Wall.
The main course is a fantastic dish comprising of braised abalone and seared prime beef tenderloin served with foie gras.
Knowing that shark’s fins and foie gras was served to some 4000 guests in attendance is enough to send any animal activists up in a frenzy. But they were so darn good, I gladly helped the skinny Thai girl next to me finish the dish.
Venetian Macao certainly saved the best for last. After the main course, We were served the most unusual dessert dish I have ever seen in my life.
On a long plate were some strawberries, a slice of Tiramisu cake and then there’s this.
What is this, you ask?
My friend, this is what they called Bird’s Nest Creme Brulee. Served with Gold.
Yes, GOLD. An actual sheet of pure GOLD!
This is ridiculous. I’m used to finding stawberries and ice-creams on my dessert. But what in the world is a sheet of GOLD doing on my dessert!
Gold is meant to be worn as an accessory to show off how rich you are. NOT EATEN AS DESSERT.
Heck, I didn’t even know you could eat gold!
But yes, eventually after overcoming my surprise finding gold on my dessert, I took a bite.
It was tasteless. But weird knowing that there’s a piece of gold metal swimming in my body now waiting for digestion.
Or maybe the gold I ate wouldn’t even be digested.
In that case, there’s a chance whoever handles the plumbing at Venetian Macao might shift through the shit to look for the gold sheet and make himself a gold ring.
There was still a big plate of chocolate truffles to go around, but by this time it was getting quite late and most of the guests have left already.
I later helped myself to all the untouched truffles left on the tables as I watched the entertainment on stage.
It was really great ‘cos unlike in the stadium-like Venetian Arena, we get the chance to go up close and personal with the performers.
I got so ridiculously close to them, I could even see the hair in their nostrils.
What the hell, right?
Diana Ross is definitely one of the most impressive 63-year-old grandmother I have met. It was surreal to be physically inches away from such a legend.
If you’ve watched Dreamgirls before, the movie was pretty much based on her life and career, with Beyonce’s character playing the role of Diana Ross.
Someone’s hand touching Diana Ross’ left boob
She belted out classics like I’m Coming Out, Baby Love and finishing up with I Will Survive – a song that even up till today is a major hit.
How many 63-year-olds you know could move and sing like that?
I can’t imagine my mom doing that, and she’s not even 63.
For the second time in the evening, Grasshoppers came out again.
Dammit somebody’s gotta call the pest controller.
I know I’ve said some pretty nasty things about Grasshoppers, but you gotta give them credit lah.
I mean, not a lot of people I know would dare to go up on stage wearing THIS.
What do you call that thing? SANITARY PAD FOR MEN?
Grasshoppers have always been known for their energetic dance moves, and they didn’t disappoint tonight.
This one they called it, “Rooster Crows In The Morning”
I believe this one is, “Mommy! I Want Candy!
Finally this one is called, “Scare The Shit Out Of Your Backup Dancer”
Alan Tam’s performance was in contrast, a lot more subdued.
Too bad I don’t listen to Cantopop a lot, so I’m not familiar with many of his songs. For the finale, the crooner sang Pang Yao (“Friends”) – a fitting end to the most amazing evening.
Here’s an edited video of Diana Ross, Grasshoppers and Alan Tam’s performances during the Venetian Macao Gala Dinner.
Anyway, this finally concludes my multiple blog entries on my Macau trip.
I must say, getting a media invite to the Venetian Macao’s grand opening is almost like winning jackpot in the lottery. The resort must have spent at least RM10,000 on each of us. Flights, rooms, food, everything. I almost feel obligated to ask my readers to buy a ticket to Macau and visit The Venetian right away.
We’re literally treated like kings. I have no idea when’s the next time I’m even gonna get something similar.
It was so amazing to stay in a resort that was almost made of gold. We’ve seen gold, touched gold, EVEN TASTED GOLD.
On our way out of the Venetian Ballroom, we’re even given a gift from the hotel as souvenir.
What! MORE gold!
Through my networks, I was asked to look for young talents aged below 25 who could represent Malaysia in the International Junior Delphic Games to be held in the Phillipines this November. Specificially, they’re looking for anyone who could compete on the world level in the fields of music, dance, crafts, photography, film-making or story-telling. More info click here.
Talents come first. Sponsorship and fund-raising to get to Phillipines will follow.
Just cannot resist after seeing no one has commented yet…great photos and nice wit…keep em coming 🙂
Great trip Kenny, I wonder why on earth they serve Gold there..is that guy THAT rich? maybe he eat gold bar for supper.. ahahahhaha 🙂
bet you loved the trip kenny 😉
Nice post.
I love your Macao posts kenny! Its so luuxurious and enjoyable. and the most important thing that its free for you.
mmm…i’m impressed.
haha cheapskate. u gave that gold leaf to samantha as a gift.
Obscenely extravagant.
actually the romantic duet in Phantom of the Opera is “All I Ask of You” not say u love me.. hahaa just thought u oughta know! but nice work on the coverage of this absolutely fabulous looking hotel! 🙂
lucky you
i also wanna go to venetian macao
*jealousy*
u r freaking lucky man!
it’s all gold!
That is awesome. But why has your camera got the orange glow? All your pictures seem to be a bit too orange. I mean they flew you out there to publisize them, they should have given you a better camera as well.
oh GOSH.. EATING GOLD?!?!?!?!
O.O
O.O
O.O
lucky lucky chunted much!
Same age not same life~
hmmm.
u know what i wonder.
if the toilet seats are made of gold.
omg.
think about it.
Gold toilet papers.
Kenny!! you are so lucky!!
Amazing.
only a guy with balls of gold will eat gold, eh kenny? 😉
I don’t even have a lick of those food before…
kenny… u r on paradise~~~!!! pls open the door to heaven n let me in~~~~ haha…
If i have the chance to eat a meal like that, im in heaven already~
*shrieks* WOW!!!!!!! i wish i’m the one who’s there.. but guess im not as lucky as u. :'(
can someone bring me there?……..pretty pls…
yes, u can eat the gold sheet coz it is metal and wont be digested. talk abt turning shit to gold!! hehehehhehe
and i’ll bet they hired our local sg plumber who engineered the much debated T.T durai GOLD toilet bowl too!
How come no many pictures of scantily clad dancer? ? Hahaha
you are really one LUCKY CHAP!!!
bird nest served with a gold film? woah… too bad it tasted bland…
i.am.soooo.jealous! but are u sure you’re supposed to eat the gold? or is it for decorative purposes only?! haha
Yah! Nothing new eating gold. The Japanese used to do that when times were good.
You can now fly direct to Macau from Kuching by AirAsia. So save up, beg, steal or borrow.
Tina Turner (born 1939) is 68 & older than Diana Rose but she (Tina) can outdance, outsing, outbreathe, outperform & outlast Diana on the stage anytime!
kenny, you are one hell of a lucky guy 😛
touch, sleep, eat and bring home gold…
and live performance by Diana Ross… *envious*
Hey,
I’m interested in participating in that
Junior Delphic Games in the Philipines.
But isn’t it a bit too late now?
I think the closing date was the 15th.
wow, impressive! Kenny, you & your blog are like a media now…
i’d like to hear about the actual description of how the food taste like!!! come on kenny!! satisfy me!
Nice photos Kenny! I really liked the pictures of the food! You are a lucky man and I hope you enjoyed your trip.
But looking at all this luxury, I have to wonder … how can people justify this extravagence? Think about the costs the Venetian reaps on the earth and also the social costs. How does all this extravagence affect the environment? How many people could be fed and clothed with the gold that you and the others will undoubtedly, just sh*t out?
I hate to be a kill joy and I am not blaming you for anything Kenny Sia. Like I said I hope you enjoyed the trip. I just have to wonder, how many Venetians Hotels human beings can afford to build and maintain ethically.
Kelly, I don’t often get girls asking me to “come on” and “satisfy them”.
wah..i envy u ler…>
Kenny, you are one blessed guy.
Not everyone can get such privileged to even stay in the hotel let alone having everything paid for.
I envy you
ha, u know what i think? the 3kgs are not only from the food u ate. but also the gold.
GOLD’S HEAVY!!
did u had a hard time lifting the spoon with the gold inside?
ah, =.=
“Jesus Jumps Over The Wall”
Should also have “kenny jumps over dinning table”. lol
dammm,the only gold i tasted was the one off the lil gold choco wrapper.
damn.. i wonder if it has more gold than even the Emirates Palace.. One has to wonder..
*dies of envy*
though i gotta admit i luv money, i luv food more.. the idea of eating gold sounds weird to me.. and its tasteless.. hmm..
if i were u, i think i would keep it, sell it later and use the money to buy FOOD, FOOD, FOOD and more DELICIOUS FOOD!!
hehe..
Wahh… eating gold… treasure your shit…
i hope i can go there someday… and taste all the food.. for free like you!.. which will never happen..!
walauuuu,jealous leh!!!
What a spectacular evening…
thank you kenny! it was amazing being able to see everything up close thru ur photos, video & commentaries as if we’d been there ourselves =) they did the right thing inviting u!
The place looks really grand… Thanks for the great coverage, I feel like I’ve been there already. 🙂
Kenny, Philippines is spelled with a single ‘l’ and a double ‘p’.
you are SO lucky! :DDD
And I LOVE Phantom of the Opera. LOVE!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a sign, Kenny…
Go ahead and start a casino and make fucking lots of mooney..
Are u ready to poo? Maybe a piece of gold will come out!!!
check this out: -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_leaf
anyway, from what i know, there are some edible gold/silver which is supposed to calm someone’s nerve, strengthen the bones and get rid of “wind” in your body… whatever it is, it is definitely a symbol of opulence. \(^V^)/
i wan those meal too…tempting!!
you are seriously a big eating machine..
haha
u see anything u sapu everything..
You’re so damn lucky. Hey, are you sure you’re supposed to eat it?? Is that sheet of gold digestible? Haha
What the hell…. Showing off Bastard
have you drank champagne with gold flakes?
Heard bout using gold to garnish the dessert b4, i thought is gold powder? But this one the gold in piece!!! Dont flush after bo pls…get the gold sheet from toilet bowl 1st….lolz
u guys should do a little research on gold sheet.
I read about japanese started the consumption for gold sheets in their food. Have u seen japanese bakery serving chocolate cake with gold powder?
that’s the same thing lar.
I remember it’s good for health.
My dear, You are just sooo lucky, u made many people jealous…. lol. You’d got another Media invite huh? where is it goin to be? wish someday some media will invite me too :P… Huh!! gold sheet is good for health meh??
Greetings fellow Kuchingnite!! I’ll be there over Hari Raya as well. Though I wish I was wined, dined, and entertained on the house like you were. I’m so envious!!
Woah.
I want gold in my dessert! ;(
wow wow!!! damn luxurious!!!! u r really lucky!!! anyway, u’ve always captured nice photos, even on the food or from far~ may i ask what camera r u using?
U have to make fun of grasshoppers until like that meh.. haha
What! You’re such a lucky man kenny.
Maybe that piece of gold isn’t meant to be eaten la. But if you miss the taste of it, you can always eat your souvenir =P
Damn i want to fuck all those hot chicks
walao eh.. pure gold.. come my house pangsai~~!! =D
Whattttttttttt????
LIMITED EDITION!
u’re one hellova lucky dude.
btw, besides gold leaf, there’s silver leaf too! and edible gold dust.
the “Mommy! I Want Candy!” picture looks as if one of the Grasshoppers is HUMPING the lead Grasshopper.
so nice to be able to go there!!
I was in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago and went to Roslin Chapel. That was a few days after you posted about your return from macao.. there, i saw this guy who looked like you.. haha… from a distance.. kept thinking how you can get to Edinburgh so fast after your macao trip… wahahaa.. but close-up the guy obviously wasn’t you.. but some taiwanese guy with his friends who snuck into the Roslin Chapel through a hole at the gate behind the Chapel just to avoid paying the entrance fee of 6 pounds… should;ve snuck in with them.. hehe..
oh my. poshness of such magnitude! i wish i will have a chance to attend something like this in my life man. lol.
the babe with the massive ‘boob job’ need a squeeze from me, is she from the playboy mansion. Looks like fun and ive been to the opera in S’pore. lots of chick there but the guys were ugly….
Hi Kenny!
I love reading your blog and your pictures are always gorgeous!
I’m a Chinese American living in KL for the next year to work.
I thought I’d also shamelessly plug my blog here:
Confessions of a Chubby Asian Girl
Thanks! 😛
Jackqueline Lou
Wahlau, Grasshoppers are cool man, I remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle song that they did(or covered) don’t diss my childhood. Dianna Ross has a huuuuuge er..afro….good post!!
grasshoppers?
any sheltox sprays to spray the bugs?
im a frequent reader of your site.. your post/pictures never fail to put a smile on my face. I still can’t get over the photo where u tag “Scare The Shit Out Of Your Backup Dancer”.. classic man..
Thanks for giving me a good laugh.. i really in need of it in this depressing world.
Kenneth jumps over the dining table?? Lol. Love the coverage!
Hehe..I left the wrong website. Here it is
Confessions of a Chubby Asian Girl
Lucky Bastard !! 🙂
was the gold even meant to be eaten at all?! feels like eating a piece of foil sheet that you accidentally left in your potatoes when you are bbqing them, lol. XD
anyway, did you dig thru your shit?! pics or gtfo! 😛
“Gold” is a very common decoration for any high class dessert. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen any before…! 😉
I believe the Phantom of the Opera song which you mentioned earlier, “Say You Love Me”, is actually “All I Ask of You”…
gold! wow…
Hi Kenny. WOW!! You’re so lucky. I was there too for the grand opening. I’m the PR rep from Indonesia, went there with a bunch of media. I was just wondering.. what are you? I mean, I just want to know who got to be invited to the VIP dinner. Because when I went to Macao for a meeting, Venetian told me that we might be able to attend the VIP dinner, but not the media. But i guess they changed mind. I didn’t get any invitation or whatsoever to go to the dinner 🙁 Anyways, lets keep in touch. I’m Hanz from Indonesia. You can reach me at justhanz@gmail.com. Take care, and hope to hear from you soon. Nice post btw. And dont you think VMRH is just magnificent?? All the media that went with me were stunned to see what they saw. Extravagant!
Hi Kenny. WOW!! You’re so lucky. I was there too for the grand opening. I’m the PR rep from Indonesia, went there with a bunch of media. I was just wondering.. what are you? I mean, I just want to know who got to be invited to the VIP dinner. Because when I went to Macao for a meeting, Venetian told me that we might be able to attend the VIP dinner, but not the media. But i guess they changed mind. I didn’t get any invitation or whatsoever to go to the dinner 🙁 Anyways, lets keep in touch. I’m Hanz from Indonesia. You can reach me at justhanz@gmail.com. Take care, and hope to hear from you soon. Nice post btw. And dont you think VMRH is just magnificent?? All the media that went with me were stunned to see what they saw. Extravagant!
OMG Kenny .. how beeeeeeeeeeautiful! and … erm .. gold dessert huh? there’s a first for everything 😉
OMG Kenny .. how beeeeeeeeeeautiful! and … erm .. gold dessert huh? there’s a first for everything 😉
Hi Kenny
I just visited Macao last week and saw the Venetian. I thought the interior design looks cheap when you look closely. The paint works look cheap and unprofessional. I would have thought marble walls would do the magnitude of the premise justice. Phase II will soon complete and hopefully look less cheap than Phase I.
I don’t think what you had was really gold. And I’m almost certain it was just a gold leaf, meaning… not the precious metal. I’ve seen many cake shops adourn their cakes with the substance you suspected was gold that looks exactly like yours. Are there any bakers here who can verify?