This Issue, Malaysian Business saunters down
Bintang Walk in style, only to discover a pair of rather intriguing
restaurants - Rahsia & Grappa SoHo. What sets these two
outlets apart from the countless others which grace the strips?
Besides this scribe, songstress Ning Baizura and actor/comedian
Jit Murad are in on the latest secret in town, especially since
they too have had the pleasure of dining at one Rahsia Restaurant
(for those not in the known, rahsia means secrets in Bahasa
Malaysia). The original choice of moniker was ‘Khatulistiwa’
by the way, but since the restaurateurs wanted a ‘hot,
exotic and mystical’ name, they settled for Rahsia.
Situated right smack in the center of a prominent landmark
in town – the KL Plaza, overlooking Bintang Walk and the
Bintang Steps’ strip of cafes and restaurants, Rahsia dishes
out a sizzling array of cuisine, from Nyonya, Malay, Indonesian
and European.
When you approach the restaurant at the ground floor (on the
street level), don’t be deceived by the sight of raucous
merrymakers – they would probably belong to the bar downstairs.
Rahsia is actually located on the first floor where the ambience
is more relaxed.
Rahsia's ambience is both sophisticated and
relaxing
Rahsia allows you to break the geographical and cultural barriers
with its diverse offerings, ranging from Assam Laksa, Tops Hats,
Acar Ikan to curries (all Nyonya favourites). The house specialty
is The Balinese Set, comprising of Arroz Java, a mildly spiced
fragrant rice dish served with a combination of chicken, beef,
vegetables and other condiments.
There are set meals serving Nyonya, Balinese and Borneo favourites
too. The first set comprises Tumeric Rice with curry, Jiuhu
Char (braised turnips, carrots, mushrooms & cuttlefish)
and a baby spring roll with a choice of fish or chicken, while
the second set is a mish-mash of Sumatran Chicken Curry and
Denpasar Beef, served with Arroz Java, Pineapple Pajeri and
Malinjo Crackers
Make a quick European stop and select some Continental favourites,
from pastas and sandwiches to meat dishes to obligatory soups
and salads. Leafy greens are not blandly served here; they are
spiced up with choices like the Salade’ Nicoise –
a combination of watercress, lettuce, capsicum, cherry tomatoes,
black olives, quail eggs and topped with avocado or mangoes,
served with red wine vinegar and mustard dressing. Or, go for
something home-grown like Rojak Buah which has turnips, cucumber,
pineapple, mango and cuttlefish tossed in Penang Rojak sauce
and topped with sesame seed and crushed peanuts. Round up your
meal with a cup of hot steaming coffee, and proceed to the terrace
with a glass of fine wine while amusing yourself with the antics
of groupies loafing about Bintang Steps.
Prices at Rahsia start at RM5 for drinks and RM6 for food,
depending on what you order. It is also a Pop-and-Top40-Hit-Song-Free
zone, serving acid jazz and world music as well as some vernacular
and obscure niche-genre numbers instead, adding a touch of sophistication
to the ambience.