A feast at the Lyns

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

She's been dubbed social empress because of her celebrated dinners, soirées, and/or informal lymes with family, relatives and friends coming together to celebrate the ties that bind and/or simply to celebrate the acclaimed culinary skills of her husband.

She, however, would much prefer to be known as the celebrated entrepreneur and businesswoman who has harnessed the Jamaican culinary brand, made popular by street-corner vendors.

We are indeed talking jerk here, and the lady in question is the indefatigable, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mover and shaker, Thalia Lyn.

Indeed, the fact that Thalia Lyn has managed to emerge from within the ranks of a largely male-dominated society, and a family which has produced many a leading male business figures and stalwarts speak to her undying love of challenges and her sense of conviction which has guided her to the pinnacle of the Jamaican entrepreneurial class. She stands on equal footing with her brother, Canada-based Jamaican-born multimillionaire entrepreneur Ray Chang. And this speaks to her resolve and ability to embrace challenges and to convert them to opportunities.

Ever the industrious leading lady, committed to Brand Jamaica and the role that her beloved Island Grill can play in supporting the national brand, both nationally and internationally, Thalia Lyn has always found time to embrace and not just laud the achievements of others, but to celebrate them and their special moments. And in this respect, is the last to toot her own trumpet, but will celebrate the 'fee-fee' of others.

And so, my dears, that earlier on this year when Thalia Lyn was honoured by the Jamaican Government for her contribution to the country in business and philanthropy, nary a word was heard from the social empress on her well-deserved national recognition.

Two Sundays ago, however, with her brother, the distinguished Ray Chang, and his wife, the fab Donette Chin-Loy, visiting, and on the eve of his birthday, Thalia hosted a soirée in celebration of her visiting sibling, and so she and husband Capt Michael Lyn threw open the doors to their charmingly appointed Old Stony Hill mountainside residence, with its commanding view of the city of Kingston, and the neighbouring parishes, for what proved a simply fabulous social do!

My luvs, it is widely accepted in their intimate social circles that indeed Captain Michael Lyn is a genius in the kitchen. The retired Air Jamaica senior pilot is an acclaimed chef, especially skilled in the art of Asiatic cuisine.

And so it was, that on this occasion, Capt Lyn and his wife's cousin, Thomas Chin, took to the kitchen and, between them both, prepared and served up yet another fabulous Chinese. It made for a beautiful outing and nothing but!

Luvs, we are talking a crush of the reigning fabulocracy here, my dears, and then some as the Lyns home was the centre of social gravity on Sunday, November 24. The world and his wife gathered here.

Dears, this was simply fabulous lunch of the regal order. We are talking a gathering of social heavy-weights here, but no floating egos and self-centred fuddy-duddies parading their supposed history of greatness. It was a simply fabulous outing here, where the emphasis was the celebration of each other's accomplishments and nothing but, and it made for a fabulous outing!

My dears, with premium libations flowing, and the hillside ringing with the intermittent peals of polite and sometimes infectious laughter, as the balmy afternoon sun swathed the afternoon, pips and champagne made for great cocktails!

And then there was the fare: jerked turkey - done up by Howard Mitchell; pork in box, and other Lyns' home speciality dishes done up by Capt Michael Lyn and Thomas; plus a simply fabulous garden salad, a grape bowl, avocados and fruit bowl, birthday chocolate cake, petits fours, and stuff that makes you go mmm.

Dears, we are talking fab like that and then some, with among those out included Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips and his wife, Mrs Sandra Minott Phillips, QC; US Ambassador Her Excellency Pamela Bridgewater; Chinese Ambassador Zheng Jinjai; Canadian His Excellency Robert Ready; Mexican Ambassador Gerardo Lozano and wife, Mariza; South African High Commissioner Mathu Joyini; EU head of delegation, Ambassador Paola Amadei and husband; Colombian Ambassador Guillermo Martine and wife, Gertrudis; Brazilian Ambassador Antonio DeCosta E. Silva and wife, Sylvia; Rick McElrea Sr, trade commissioner of the Canadian High Commission; Dennis Lalor; Peter and Beverley Rousseau and their lovely daughter, Suzanne Rosseau; Joe and Bernadette Matalon; Robert MacMillan; Msgr Gregory Ramkissoon; Fr Garvin; Msgr Richard Albert; Anthony and Jean Bell; Alston and Judith Douglas; Patrick and Marguerite Lynch; Duncan and Debbie Stewart; Olympians Grace Jackson, Hansle Parchment, Warren Weir, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, and husband Patrick Hylton; Howard and Linda Mitchell; Lily Lubianski and Jo-Anne Chang (sisters visiting from Toronto; Hugh & Toni Spooner (also visiting from Toronto); Prof Gordon Shirley; Gerry Niesen and the regal Lorna Myers; Mark and Karen Myers; Tina Myers Matalon; Capt David McRae; Capt Michael and Anne Marie Feanny; Dr Bobby Chen and Erica; Hugh and Carol Gentles; Ian and Celia Levy; Bruce and Suzanne Bowen; Minna Israel; Douglas and Michelle Orane; Gordon and Diana Arnold; Donovan and Michele Perkins; Vincent and Debbie Chang; Erin and Matthew Chang; Thomas and Sheila Chin; Dr Trevor Murphy, wife Niki Chang and sons Max and Caelen; the Rev Carlene Davies Cowan and son David and daughter Naomi Cowan; Charmaine Chin Loy; Doug and Michelle English and their daughter Claire English; William Mahfood; Chris and Gillian Zacca; Chris and Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind; Bob and Angie Fowler; Maritza Warwar; Matthew and Lisa Hogath; and former Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley and wife, Jo-Ann Kingsley, visiting from Canada; plus several others.