Once in awhile, something happens that makes me doubt if the road less traveled that I thought I had taken -- seemingly far from the madding crowd (or ironically, I may be right smack where the madding crowd is...) -- is my ideal path to self-achievement. And by self achievement, that includes every aspect of life deemed important in the mode of survival, expectation and dreams.
This thought floats and lingers in the air around me...amidst a world economy where countries owe more than they would ever know how to pay back, and where each day's tweets shoot more question marks into cyberspace on where the country is heading; which in turn, bumps the value of the currency and sways the fickle stockmarket.
Fortunately, with every dish of negativity offered, there seems to be choices of positivity offered at the same table of life too. While having to constantly remind myself to switch from negative to the mode of positive opportunities, this other matter came as a challenge.
In the small group of three "childhood" friends, I find myself reluctantly being thrust into the job of finding the venue to celebrate yet another of our birthdays, as the other two wrongly assume that i am the most well-traveled when it comes to finding good restaurants in KL, a result of their own wrong assumption that their lives existed under the coconut shell.
It's easy to find any place to have a small unassuming birthday dinner, I thought, but then, Birthday Girl mentioned somewhere "quiet with a nice ambience." (Me blank face. Mind hmm).
So, on the very day of our planned outing, after a short frustrating moment of not being able to reach the home-dining, set-menu restaurant named Huck's Cafe a friend had told me about, I suggested another more convenient Japanese outlet. However, several minutes later, I was surprised to get a return call from Huck's Cafe, which welcomed us for that very evening, and I then had to make a small deposit to confirm my reservations.
Within several hours, we found ourselves outside an old gate with its yellowish paint almost all peeled off, wondering if we had come to the right place even though the address given seems to be right.
From outside, it looked as if the place was vacant, as it was situated in an area of old houses. When I finally pressed a doorbell, the gates swung open, and we walked hesitantly down a path that let to this charming white house.
Birthday girl and Other Friend, was impressed by my cleverness in finding such a secret hideaway. Haha.
The place was befitting its home dining, private kitchen advertisement with no signboards whatsoever.
We were immediately relaxed in the white cooling environment with its refreshing tropical and Balinese features.
So, I thought, "Success!" despite being the reluctant birthday party planner.
Fortunately, this place cooperated with my laidbackness and stern reluctance to add to any organizing frenzy of my lazy weekend, I promptly agreed to ordering their "Surprise Menu" for chicken, fish and lamb.
Just do all the work, baby!
So, when Other Friend asked, "What shall we order?" I calmly advised her to let go of the need to control everyone and do everything. (Wink, wink).
If you let go, you let the chance for somebody to do something for you -- like, surprise me with the "Surprise Menu!"
She was not used to that.
(After all, you surprise your children everyday with your cooking. They don't have a menu to order from, do they?)
What was surprising to me was such a concept of a private kitchen dining, now an expanded private kitchen, and a first-time experience for us, represented the dream of a man who chose a road less traveled.
My friends were throwing questions at me, like, "You mean we have to pay a deposit?" Unheard of in other restaurants.
"He went to Tuscany? Where is Tuscany?"
Under the coconut shell of Klang to KL, Tuscany is barely a name that you could pronounce, let alone imagine its whereabouts.
According to Huck's facebook, he had spent some time in Tuscany recently, absorbing its recipes, lifestyle and art.
To us who think ourselves possessing an artistic flair, Tuscany truly is an artist's dream place, with rolling fields of lavender, days of wine and roses, medieval architecture, pure art.
A hint of pure envy as well.
"And they charge per pax?" Yes, i chose the RM128 per pax, which was a 3-course menu with soup, main meal, dessert and drink all in.
Interesting first purple drink was served. "What's inside?" They call it selasih.
Then a choice of creamy soup. Delicious.
"Do they serve bread ah?"
"Don't know lah."
Then, the most gorgeous-looking garlic bread appeared.
The first of the main course soon arrived, all wrapped up.
"Surprise!"
All three meals arrived -- two of them wrapped, but the 3rd, a baked salmon, was unwrapped, a delightful visual surprise with pistachios and a host of delicious toppings, interestingly pomegranate seeds.
The wrapped meal was lamb with juicy sweet potatoes.
The other meal was fragrant roasted chicken with bell peppers.
Birthday Girl was so impressed with the meals. "I have to meet the chef," she repeatedly said.
Her wish was granted later when Mr Huck himself appeared, and acknowledged that we were the last to make reservations for the day.
They were already fully booked, but someone else had canceled, so we were lucky to go in that evening, and he was lucky to have a full house.
The salmon, we found out, was their most popular dish, followed by the lamb. (Now, how did I know what to order?)
We were fully fed, but there was still dessert. We couldn't pass it up, after all, it's included in the set.
So, out of 4 choices, we ordered chocolate mudpie, the durian mudpie, and the brownie. And then another drink came.
So, the mode of positivity resulted in satisfaction for that evening. Assuming I didn't know any better, the feeling is close to heaven.
But food aside, my point that let me to this is that my quest for positivity led me to an inspiring moment here.
Operating a small private-kitchen type of business without the hype of commercialism (the bill was just written on a generic bill book readily found in any stationery shops), Huck dared to set a fixed-price per pax menu, and requested a deposit in order to confirm our reservation.
And there were customers ready to pay him for all his demands, and succumb to his ways!
This was my instant example and answer to choosing a road less traveled.
Do it, only if you're convicted in your heart, and you must do it cheerfully. You might be led to your own Tuscany.
