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All
that constant jostling with fellow shoppers
for the best bargains along Bintang Walk this
Mega Sales Carnival month has got you to the
point where you are ready to scream. Hold on.
Keep it in a little longer. Totter over ....er,
walk ...to Rahsia.
Ah
relief, blessed relief! It's an entirely
different world from the one you just walked
away from minutes ago. It's surreal ....
walking from the maddening crowd into a
rustic, old world calm. You'd want to keep it
a secret .... Rahsia.
And
it's got a view. There's a terrace overlooking
the lane that runs between KL Plaza and
Starhill shopping complex. Oh, those poor
souls down there, still trying to push their
way through the crowd. And you, you're in your
secret hideaway .... Yes, you can also access
Rahsia from that road, too.
Owner
Oh U-Chen has gone to great lengths to create
a place away from it all. Maybe he needed it
for himself, an escape from the pressures of
marketing services consultancy, his other
passion. Whatever, he has done a great job.
Even
the approach to Rahsia - on the left, between
Jade Collections and Next Boutique as you make
your way towards the stage from the Jalan
Bukit Bintang entrance to KL Plaza - gives a
feeling of walking back in time.
Credit
must go to U-Chen for realising its potential.
Over lunch, he recalled: "I was looking
for an office and was shown this lot. My mum
and I had talked about opening a restaurant,
but hadn't as yet got it going. I liked the
view. So, why not?"
The
marketing man in him begin to visualise the
concept. "I wanted something Malay...
something with a touch of mystique, intrique."
Rahsia fitted. Just two syllables. And you can
play on the name .... Mana makan? Rahsia
(Where are you going for lunch? Secret).
Adding
to the mystique .... You can't really put a
finger on the decor. It looks Malaysian, yet
not quite. Then you realise it's drawn from
different cultures but blended imperceptibly
into a whole.
A
floral spray greets you as you enter. Then you
notice a row of black figurines above, on the
wall, which acts as a backdrop. Balinese
voodoo dolls, says U-Chen, to put a hex on
you, a good spell that makes you relax ... and
return.
Almost
unnoticed, on the floor beside the entrance,
there's an earthenware bowl filled with water,
flowers floating in it ... your attention
drawn there by the three flickering candles
dancing in the water. Shades of Thai.
The
music is light and soothing. "So people
can have a quite chat while having a drink or
a meal," explains U-Chen. The colour
scheme is decidedly rustic ... in various hues
of wood and brown.
You
sink into your chair ... no, more like flow
into it. Must be the spell cast by the
Balinese voodoo dolls. Slumped in your chair,
and as your eyes get used to the soft lights,
in contrast to the harsh sunlight you escaped
from just minutes ago, you notice the lamp
shades. Long cylinders of bamboo or rattan,
the light through the lattice work distorting
your sense of time. More like late evening
than midday, which it actually was. Bamboo,
says U-Chen. Surprise. These aren't really
lampshades. They're Vietnamese baskets that he
had adapted for lampshades. A beautiful touch.
Just
as well the appetiser came; I could have dozed
off. Prawn and mango salad: sauteed prawns on
a bed of fresh vegetables, with a dash of
Rahsia's home-made sauce, garnished with
succulent mango. Top hats came next, followed
by the main course. We had picked the Balinese
set, the Nyona set and the rack of lamb.
The
Balinese set comprised mildly spiced rice (arroz
java) served with Sumatran chicken curry,
spicy beef, pajari nenas (a pineapple dish)
and keropok; and the Nyonya set, tumeric rice,
fish, chicken or prawns, accompanied by juihu
char (fried cuttlefish) and a spring roll.
Keeping
in mind that Bukit Bintang is Kuala Lumpur's
premier tramping ground for tourists, the food
served panders more to the Western palate. If
you are local, remember to ask for the real
stuff. Remember to say "make it
spicy" when you order.
Besides
Malaysian favourites - including char koay
teow, mee goreng, Penang assam laksa, nyonya
laksa, oriental fried rice - there are also
Western orders like pastas, spaghetti, soups
and salads. A selection of desserts, including
sago gula melaka, is also available.
The
next time you are in Bukit Bintang and feel
overwhelmed, just head for U-Chen's secret
hideaway - Rahsia - to recharge.
Netvigator.com,
2001
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