Friday, August 20, 2010

Lunching in the City for less than RM 30. Max@iHaus, Jalan Imbi, KL.

(no pork served)

It is still possible to get tasty and good food in KL for less than RM30 for lunch. Max offers a free drink (iced lemon tea) a choice of Starters and Mains for RM 25++

I was looking back at my previous posts and discovered that I have only started blogging just over a year ago. This means I have known my regular makan kakis for just over a year. It is strange that time flies so fast I feel that I have known them forever. Ciki plucked me out of the unknown and from then on, she and her friends have become almost a permanent fixture in my life.

I am shy, painfully shy. Introverted. I sometime imagine myself to be a XY version of Amelie from Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, stuck in my little cloistered make believe world and amusing myself with tall stories weaved out of fantasy. Some of the readers here would have caught glimpses of my mad musings from some previous posts.

Choose between this Marinated Feta Cheese Salad with Olives and raspberry Vinaigrette or Pumpkin Soup with Caneloni Beans

I am actually intrigued by the current 1 Malaysia campaign. I have always thought that there is only 1 Malaysia, because as far as I and my friends are concerned we do not go about our daily activities thinking that we belong to any particular race. Nor do we go around classifying our friends according to their races. The only time the subject of race or rather, religion pops up is when we have to choose a place to dine when we have to be sensitive to the restrictions certain religions impose.

Probably I am shielded from the harsh realities of racism by the urbane milleu that I often keep, but my best friend is a Malay. Both of us share a resentment of the polemics of race, especially used by an oppressive Government who remains to stay in power by constantly satisfying the lust for money and obscene wealth by it's power base. If the lazy mind is the playground of the devil, it is exemplified by the proponents of racial superiority.

For mains last week, there was a choice of Charbroiled Chicken Chop with Chardonnay Rosemary Sauce

If there is one thing that I have learnt from my blogging friends is acceptance. I have to admit I am probably slightly eccentric, and may not be the best company for a meal. I can hardly recall how many sentences I uttered during my first encounter with the bloggers at Sri Nirwana Bangsar. Despite my awkwardness and shyness, Ciki, with her big and open heart persisted in asking me out for meals with her friends.

I never had to hide the fact that I am an atheist, I have never got to be embarrassed about being a total moron when it comes to directions or the fact that I read the most inane and boring books ever written. And they respect my fear of being photographed and my dislike for big crowds and loud noises. I could just be my own morbid, neurotic self.

or, Oven Baked Butterfish with Thyme Jus and Sauteed Potatoes.

There is no time for the Germanic tradition of differentiating between friends of acquaintances. I had to leave formalities aside and not worry about using Du or Sie. I can hardly believe that we have only known each other for about a year or so. Food sessions are greeted with warm hugs and absence from twitter are peppered with "I miss you" or "are you still alive?" messages. And again, the absence of discussion about race during our meet ups.

or, Smoked ducked Breast with Olio Spaghetti.

We live in a country that is filled with ambiguities and paradoxes. A PhD holder which in any other country in the world be considered an ethnic Chinese who professes the Islamic faith has jumped into the racial polemics of asking immigrants to go home. The funny thing about this country is that I am constantly reminded of my ethnicity in my homeland. In Germany I will be known as an Auslander, in Thailand a Malaysian but in Malaysia, I am a Chinese. Ethnicity and Nationality are two different things.

You will have to add another RM 14 to 22 for dessert, and pay extra for coffee.

But thankfully, among the food bloggers, I am known as the Paranoid Android, not the Chinese Android, but an eccentric Malaysian who loves food.

These bloggers are priceless and not for sale.

Thank you, dear friends for your acceptance and for you friendships. Missing for lunch are @llemongrass, @nigelskelchy, @minchow, @boo_licious, @j_chocoholic, @unkaleong, @wackybecky, @lotsofcravings, @seanyoong

Max@iHaus
Lot No 32 Jalan Jati
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur


TEL 603 2142 9720

9 comments:

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Errr. Tangechi keeps calling me an Indian. Chis! (I duwwan to buy him. Can I bid for Velvetescape please? He can do tricks with his nose.)

You are a gem, PA. One in a million. :-)

J said...

AWWWWWWWWWWW.
*HUGS*

(M succumbing to the bloody flu right now but all it took to make me feel better was a dose of Android sweetness!)

Sean said...

heheh, i know you as the guy whom i know almost nothing about. but someone who clearly thinks a lot and probably feels a lot too. :D
it would be nice to have a leisurely dinner with you sometime. a weekday evening when you aren't working late. not a group thing, just one-on-one, cos that's the way i roll, heheh. dm me on twitter whenever u have a relatively less busy week (oops, but just not next month, cos i'll be away on vacation for most of it!)

minchow said...

This food-loving bunch does have a special skill of excoriating the wallflower out of the wall indiscriminately, I have to say. I don't know under what other circumstance I would have had the opportunity of knowing you and dining with you, had it not been for them. It's been a privilege.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

so nice that i am part of the gang eventhough im down under. it was a pity that i never got to eat with you more often, other than that 1 meal at bangsar seafood.

oh well, come visit down under!

Ciki said...

burp.. 1 year only meh? feels like bulls years all :P

hurhur.. here's lukin at u kid.

Jazz said...

From your beautifully crafted words and eccentric thoughts, I would not have tagged you for an introvert... I am one myself but surprisingly I work in the most un-introvert environment. I sometimes suffer as I go for functions, a not so young person still struggling to find a place to place her hands in front of strangers..I would hv tagged you for a vocal extrovert with your magical twist of words and thoughts..how surprising we all are in this virtual world :)... Love the insight of this blog :)

Paranoid Android said...

@LL: LOL! I am sure he called you Tangechi with love. Yes, he certainly can do a lot of tricks with his nose.

@J: Hugs back.

@Sean: Dining with you would be my pleasure. Will tweet you.

@Minchow: Likewise, it has been a privilege to know you.

@Joe: The major difficulty is getting everyone together, especially in KL. Would love to meet up with you in Oz.

@Ciki: Oh! Lovable Ciki. Thanks for everything.

@Jazz: Yes, sometimes this alter ego thing is really deceptive isn't it? We must try to meet up someday, with the rest of the foodies. They will love you.

qwazymonkey said...

Its true. the makan gang is really an accepting bunch. for who could ever accept a monkey like me :)

Nice and fun lunch that was. Not to mention cheap too!

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Unless stated otherwise, all the posts and food here is paid for by the Paranoid Android. He dose not receive any financial compensation for posting in this blog. The views expressed here are an opinion and as usual, taste is subjective and varies among people, time and mood as well! Please feel free to contact me at humanist dot philo at gmail dot com. Unless otherwise stated, the photos here belong to the owner of this blog. You are free to use it for any non commercial purpose. As courtesy, just drop me an email and credit the photo to the blog. Thanks for dropping by!

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