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Tucked
in a corner on the ground
floor of KL Plaza is a new
little secret that's just
waiting to be told. Aptly
named Rahsia, this new
Balinese and Peranakan
restaurant was brought to our
attention during a little
walkabout at the shopping
center.
While
the façade of Rahsia from
within the complex may not
really beckon passers-by to
give it a try, believe us when
we say that once you step
inside, your opinion will
change. Rahsia is eclectically
clean in its setting,
emanating a sort of quiet,
relaxing atmosphere which is
quite a breath of fresh air
from the hustle and bustle of
Bukit Bintang. The décor is
simplistic as it is elegant,
making the restaurant an ideal
location for a quiet lunch
alone, or for business
discussions, without
interruption. It even has its
own little alcove overlooking
Bintang Walk that's just ideal
for a late afternoon tea
party.
This
little place fits 60-70
patrons at a time, according
to proprietor Oh U-Chen, a
Baba by birth. The brainchild
of U-Chen, stemmed from his
mother's fabulous homecooked
meals, Rahsia was a dream
conceptualised and realised in
all of four months, with an
investment as little as
RM300k. The name itself came
as an afterthought after
fiddling with a few Malay
words to depict the cuisine
that this place would
specialise in, according to
U-Chen, and what a stroke of
genius it was.
As
for the food, we were told
that Rahsia is not a fusion
restaurant. While you may find
a menu that comprises mostly
of Asian cuisine with a
sprinkle of European dishes,
Rahsia conforms strictly to
traditional recipes when it
comes to the local dishes
offered.
"I
think fusion is a word that
restaurants use when they
can't cook up a certain dish
properly," said U-Chen
jokingly.
While
there, two of my colleagues
tried the Balinese set and the
Peranakan set, while I had a
most scrumptious mango salad.
The portioning is just nice
for a light lunch, while the
sets may prove to be a little
heavy for the ladies.
Worth
mentioning is the choice of
different sorts of rice used
in both the sets. The Balinese
set comes with a sort of
briyani rice, served with beef
rendang and curry chicken,
whereas the Peranakan set
comes with turmeric rice,
fried fish in vinegar
(delish!) and the delectable
jiahu char. I pinched a little
of the beef rendang and the
fried fish, which I really
liked, although my colleague
found it a little sour for her
tastebuds.
For
dessert, we had sago pudding
and crumble. Being a
self-professed cook and a
perfectionist (which was
evident from the way U-Chen
was combing each dish with a
critical eye), crumble is
U-Chen's forte and while I
really shouldn't be having
anything as sweet as this, the
apple crumble was worth a few
more rounds on the exercise
track.
Although
U-chen himself found the
results to be only mediocre
("…not crumbled
enough", he said rather
seriously), we liked it.
The
sago pudding came with the
sago right in the middle of a
yin-yang sort of presentation,
with the santan (coconut milk)
on one side and the gula
melaka on the other. This is
convenient, so that one may
concoct one's own level of
sweetness with the santan and
gula melaka placed separately.
According
to U-Chen, the menu is still
being expanded on, which will
probably be done by the time
the restaurant officially
launches in January. If you
ask me, I think the
restaurant's two chefs,
ex-staff of Bontton and
Sheraton Imperial, are doing a
pretty good job for U-Chen
already. My advice to you
would be to drop in the next
time you're in KLP before the
Rahsia is out in the open
early next year.
Rahsia
accepts bookings for functions
and events. Simply refer below
and ask for Oh U-Chen.
Rahsia
Bistro & Wine Bar
13, Jalan Damai, Kuala Lumpur
Te:
21425555
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