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.