this entry is not for people on diet

They are some of my best friends here at MIT whom I invited for my birthday lunch at Pepper Sky the Thai Sensation restaurant. It was on 28th May, one-day late, because I was still in Niagara on my actual birthday day. It is a nice little Thai restaurant with a to-die-for Pad Thai in their menu. I literally dreamt about it during my Niagara trip, especially when I was hungry in the bus, and all my friends were sleeping.


So this is the long-awaited Pad Thai. It may not look as exciting as others (Green Curry, Mango Curry, Drunken Noodle, etc) -- but it is the best for me!! I really like the right proportion of sweet and sour, topped with the crunchy sprouts and crushed peanuts, spritzed by the fresh lime -- ooohhmmmmm. I am salivating now. The rice noodle is so good too, sufficiently chewy... hmmm...

The weather was perfect on that day -- it was cold in the morning but very sunny in the afternoon. Oh, I forgot to mention: I got tanned during my Niagara trip!! And I don't know why, but somehow the color I got is different from when I got it in Indonesia/Singapore. You know, I used to get this dark tan... but this time, it's reddish/brownish (I want to say bronzy but I am afraid nobody will believe it) -- to put it simply, it looks so healthy.

So some of us went to Kresge lawn, to play frisbee!!! But before that, they give me a surprise, tadaaaaa.....!!!

This is the Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. They are real, huge, fresh strawberries!! The cream is SO SOFT, FLUFFY, with the right sweetness. Not too thick, so you don't feel satiated, but not too light, so it doesn't taste fake.
Well, what can I say... it's not really a surprise actually. Few weeks before my birthday, Sonja casually asked me this question "So tell me, what do you want for your birthday?" So I honestly answered "Strawberry Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory." *I like to make my friends' life easier* Like last year, I told my friend "Hey guys, if you consider buying me a birthday present, forget the hassle -- just give me Borders' gift voucher." That works! It is a win-win situation, don't you agree?

Look at me cutting the cake!! I did it as if I was doing a religious ritual *grin ear to ear*

I have to be honest -- I like it to bits!!

After our hefty lunch, we couldn't finish the cheesecake. So to my delight, I bring the remaining back (it was a wreck -- the cheesecake was so soft and creamy and I am definitely not a good cake cutter). I had strawberry cheesecake breakfast for few days straight!! I am not complaining...

We got few hours of sunny fun afterwards -- played frisbee (the wind made us look like horrible frisbee thrower), catch-and-throw with tennis balls, relaxing around, had some ice cold drinks, chatting. It was the week after the final -- and it was the Memorial Day holiday.

So after the extra-fattening cheesecake, what is this? Another group of friends celebrated my birthday separately (oh I felt so looooovveeeeddd...)

This is the Tiramisu from the best dessert place in Boston area, Finale. If you open the link, check these two desserts from the menu: Molten Chocolate and Manjari Mousse. I just had them today and they are oh-so-good. To die for. Oooommpphhh..

SO... that's all for my epicurean birthday in 2007. More stories later...