CH’NG Poh Tiong
Rumpole of the Bailey was a 1970s British television series created and written by the barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole whose speciality was defending the underdog.
Rumpole loves his claret and his favourite wine bar – near his chambers – is Pomeroy’s.
Of the 44 episodes, one of the funniest is Rumpole a la Carte.
The plot begins in La Maison Jean-Pierre, a Michelin 3-star French restaurant.
When the condescending Maître d’ introduced the speciality of the house “wafer thin slices of breast of duck served with a celeriac remoulade”, Rumpole asked if he could instead have “steak & kidney pudding, mash potatoes and boiled cabbage with mustard please, English if you have it”.
The unimpressed Frenchman informs Rumpole the dish is not on the menu.
The lawyer is taken aback.
Rumpole presses the point, saying it should be an easy request for the kitchen to fulfill.
After all, the menu says “Your Pleasure is our Delight”.
Rumpole looks at the Maitre d’ and says “Could you ask Cookie to pleasure me?”
Click here to find out what happens in Rumpole a la Carte
