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By MAYANG ISMAIL
Photos
by SAM THAM
Prime Grille Room
11th Floor Crown
Princess Kuala Lumpur
City Square Centre
Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala
Lumpur
Tel: 03-21625522 ext 5502 
Jeff Timmons eats Sambal Belacan! It was the first
dish he tried when he arrived in Kuala Lumpur.
“I took a big scoop of it, stirred it into my fried
rice and ate it. It was delicious!” he said.
The Malaysian entourage with him was aghast; afraid
he will not be able to sing.
“I have no such problems. I’m used to hot and spicy
food,” he said. “I’m Italian/Spanish.”
Timmons learns about the culture of a country
through its food. The spicier it is, the better he likes it.
“I grew up on hot and spicy food as my grandmother
is Spanish.
“But, my mum is Italian/Hungarian. Her food is less
pungent than my grandmother’s.”
Due to his tight schedule, he is always in a rush.
However, he enjoyed the food at Crown Princess
Kuala Lumpur's Prime Grille Room so much that he stayed an extra half hour to
indulge on a second helping of dessert.
“I love sweets,” he said as he scooped a mouthful
of Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Mousse.
He left the sliced fresh fruits untouched
though.
“I love citrus fruits, especially oranges,” he
said, grimacing at the strawberry with mousse.
“Yes, I’ve tried durian. I don’t like it.”
Timmons is a simple guy.
For starters, he chose Oyster Kilpatrick.
He polished off three pieces and was amazed at the
toppings' different flavours - a combination of ripe tomato strips and
bacon.
“I’m in on that,” he said.
One of the cooks explained that the citrus-y
flavour he tasted was of fresh lemon and Worchester sauce.
“I love oysters,” he said. “Back home, I only have
them raw,” he added.
Throughout his meal, he only accepted a glass of
red wine, followed by natural Pierre.
“I don’t eat out a lot. I live at home by
myself.
“And I’m busy with my kids and recording stints.
Sometimes I forget to eat.
“And, I don’t have a wife to cook for me,” he
said.
At 16 years old, Timmons worked in a Chinese
restaurant for about six months.
“I never learnt to cook, but I can make a simple
chicken dish,” he confessed.
Timmons loves food, quoting pasta, noodles,
seafood, meats, vegetables (especially mushrooms) and brown rice as among his
favourites.
“But I’m allergic to one thing – rum! My skin will
break into rashes,” he said.
So when soup arrived, it was Cream of Shitake,
Oyster and Button Mushroom.
“It is nice. It’s not too creamy, it’s smooth and
it’s rich in the taste of mushrooms.”
For mains, Timmons tried the chef’s recommendation
– Char Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Harissa Prawns and Caramelized Shallots,
which is the house speciality.
“I like my meat medium rare and it’s even better if
they leave it natural without any sauce or marinades.”
The one served was as what he preferred. There were
mashed potatoes served alongside to ‘beef’ up the taste of the meat, while a
single piece of huge king prawn sat on top of the meat.
Timmons is good with his food. He deftly finished
the meat on its own before he tucked into the prawn.
As he cut the prawn into smaller pieces, he dunked
each piece into the mashed potatoes. “The prawn goes well with mashed potatoes,”
he said.
Timmons was also taken in by the Harissa sauce, a
combination of red capsicum and bell peppers, that was wrapped around the
prawn.
As he finished the last piece, he shook his head
and exclaimed: “That is the first time I saw such a large prawn.''
At the end of the meal, Timmons who is in Malaysia
for an 11-day promotional tour of his new solo album Whisper That Way,
complimented sous chef Mary Leong on the dishes she prepared.
In his haste to make arrangements for another
shoot, he ended the meal with just dessert.
I wondered if he was a coffee person.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/9/2/central/11911118&sec=central |
