Olfactory Memory. Second week at Cilantro.

(no pork served)


For the life of me, don't ask me my address. I do remember my unit number. I don't write letters to myself and the only mode of public transportation I take is the train. Don't ask me for my postcode either, for I don't have an inkling of what it is. . Ditto my office number. Why would I give myself a call? I am totally dependent on my mobile devices. I can give you my 5 email addresses with ease, or my mobile device numbers.

Poached Lobster a la minute with Kyuri and Avruga. Perfection in a mini cocktail glass. A cold starter with some Japanese Cucumber Puree adding a new dimension of freshness to the beautifully poached lobster, drizzled with caviar.

Years ago, there was a French Philosopher and Mathematician by the name of Descartes (who by the way is the same brainy chap who invented Cartesian Points) who doubted his own existence and wrote a book titled Meditations on First Philosophy which contains 6 meditations. He tried to postulate his own existence and the existence of God logically. Descartes validated his own existence with his famous "Je penser, donc je suis". Or in Latin Cogito, Ergo Sum. I think, therefore I am. An updated version of Meditations on First Philosophy v 2.1.0 is I charge my Blackberry, therefore I am. My mobile devices are a sort of validation of my life. My entire life is in my mobile phones. Photos of people that mean a lot to me, my favourite tunes, contact information, encouraging emails from friends and of course, my own address. If I doubt i really exist, I can always call my friends up. The invention of Mobile telephones have negated the Cartesian dilemma of self.

30 minutes of separation from a working mobile network, I start showing separating anxiety. 2 hours without mobile internet service, I will fidget and sweat. Try going to Myanmar for 2 weeks. Upon arrival at Bangkok Airport after the trip, when my mobile showed connectivity to the AIS network, I kissed my phone and wept tears of joy. My happiness was short lived, as a deluge of emails and messages that needed replying left me with regret. I had been idle time at the Burmese capital while indulging in the fragrant yet diabetes inducing tea at the tea shops. I should have been punching my blackberry with vengeance as I was accustomed to if I had been in another country.

Parpadelle Pasta with Crispy Duck and Foie Gras. Very generous portion, and very rich. A very safe pairing of flavours and the Pasta was served in Red Wine Reduction.

There is something about Nations run by crazy despots that make them averse to mobile communications, mobile internet, and criticism. Ever tried data roaming in Burma or North Korea both countries run by self glorifying dictators before? It does not exist. Maybe our Government should take note of that before being too overzealous about internet censorship. But I digress.

We were talking about memory. The only memories that one can recall vividly, without any effort at all would be olfactory memory. Ever notice how certain smells trigger off certain emotions and how we can equate places and people with certain smells? I was asked to send a child to school last week, and when I was there I was hit by a blast of acrid earth, cut grass, stale socks, exercise books, wood and varnish. Unconsciously, the smell of school has been etched deeply into my brain, which the passage of time and space has left greatly intact. I inhaled deeply, and suddenly from the recesses of my mind, forgotten names and faces appeared, my old teachers and classmates whom I have relegated to the deepest part of my psyche refreshed itself without effort. It gave me a sense of calmness and well being plus a yearning to return to a period in my life when I was truly contented and happy.

Our nervous system is built on a series of cells known as neurons which communicate to one another by synapses, without any physical contact at all. One of the characteristics of the neuron is it's inability to regenerate. That is why neurological injuries seldom recover. Paraplegics and Stroke victims are left with permanent residual damage. The only exception to this is the olfactory epithelial cells. These group of neurons regenerates. An old man may lose the sense of sight and smell, but seldom complains of losing the sense of smell.

Sea Bream with Scallop and Zucchini Flower. Perfect for a lunch. The scallop was hidden inside the zucchini flower which was deep fried in batter. An innovative twist, and complimented the fish very well.

Our breathing apparatus directs air to the top of the nose, where our olfactory cells are located. Small tendril like projection of the cells travel up to the base of the brain via sieve like perforations and connect to the olfactory bulb. which connects to different parts of the brain. One of the more interesting connection is the close, two synapse relationship with the Amygdala.

The Amygdala the center of the brain which preforms the function of storing memories related to emotional event, stores long term memory (life long) and deep, primal emotional responses including sex. The confluence of smell, memory and emotion at the Amygdala explains why smell is often an intense trigger for distinct memories and potent emotions.

Slow Roasted Grain Fed Lamb, served with Delphinoise Potatoes and Summer Truffles. If you have to sink in carbs, let the potatoes be the weight. Rich and flavoured with Truffle, it almost overshadowed the beautifully roasted lamb. Cilantro has maintained it's standards so stringently that is ia very rare that you can order a dud item from it's menu.

Who can forget the sensations evoked by The First Kiss? Where desire is culminated by the sensation of warm lips meeting warm lips, with the sword fight of two moist tongues, the grating sensation of teeth sliding over the tongue, like a knife spreading truffle butter over bread. The sensation of warm air blowing out of the nostrils nearby intensifies the long, lingering kiss together with a steady throbbing of an elevated heartbeat....

The missing ingredient is the smell. Metallic, salty, paraffin from the lipstick, a slightly malodorous after note from the putrefaction of food particles stuck between teeth, spearmint from the chewing gum with a waft of musk, the smell of desire.

What was the smell of your first kiss?

The fact is, smell complements a lot of experiences. Try to eat with a blocked nose. Suddenly the food becomes tasteless. Even carnal pleasures are associated with smell. Describing it would render this blog x rated.

Warm Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Their version of the classic. The pie was light as air and fluffy as down pillow.

A very clever perfumer by the name of Antoine Lie has created a perfume for Etat Libre de Orange has created sex in a bottle fragrance called "Secretions Magnifique". It is available on line or at Galleries Lafayette, Paris. It has the accord of blood, iris, coconut, sandalwood, adrenaline and smells like cum. Now, why would anybody like to smell as if he ejaculated all over himself in bloody cum defies reason, but if you are interested, you can order it here and read their description of the perfume.

I love perfumes. Fragrances complements certain memories that I kept stored inside my brains. Certain perfumes remind me of places. I don't know why, but Terre by Hermes always reminds me of Seville. Other perfumes remind me of people. Opium by YSL always reminds me of my late mother. And the perfume that reminds me of Cilantro is Comme des Garçons 2. An intriguing scent of Ink, Cedarwood, Cumin, Iris and Angelica Wood among others. A mixture of occidental and orient. A French-Japanese Fusion. Just like Cilantro is.

CDG 2. Unfortunately, unavailable in Malaysia. You might have to source it overseas.

And when you smell a rat all over town, don't worry. You are not alone. With the latest political developments, the smell is pervasive. Only rats cannot smell their own filth and continue to scrummage the last bits of filth from the garbage pile and hoard it. As we wait for a Pied Piper to lead the rats to drown, let us be cautious too, as the Piper might steal our children away.

Have a nice week ahead, folks! Will be away for a week. Ciao!

(all shots taken with my Canon 50mm f1.8 lens)