Let me tell you how my recent trip to KL came about. An observation that Singapore could be called the ‘food capital of the world’. Another that KL was boring. And I had woken up the very Bengali Arindam AKA Chats in KL. His home for the last 5 years after Mumbai.
He kept telling me that he would change my view of KL. A work trip to Singapore. And then a very uncharacteristic trip to KL to stay with Arindam and his lovely wife Sasha for the weekend followed. Uncharacteristic because I stick to hotels when I travel and rarely stay with anyone in their houses. I was understandably apprehensive.
So how was the experience? Hosts who would constantly be planning about how to give me the best possible time. Hosts who would look into every little detail, from keeping bedroom slippers for me to giving me my own room to make my stay comfortable. AC and water heater switches were pointed out to me even before I sat down. And they made it a point to change the mosquito mats every night. Want to go to Ikea? No problem. They drove me there and walked me around. Want to buy supermarket stuff? No problem. With hubby working, missus took me to Watsons and Carrefour On Monday and pushed the trolleys while I raided the aisles. So what if we hadn’t met before? We would chat till 5 AM every morning. Just as our energy levels dipped, out popped an amazing Mocha and Chocolate ice cream. The food was abundant, well thought out and ordered after much deliberation to ensure that I got a full range, a local flavour and a taste of the best. Well before I left they began to make plans of how I could come to visit them again. This time with Kainaz.You have heard of hosts who open their houses to guests. I met two of the best in Arindam and Sasha.
The KL versus Singapore debate? This was settled in the first night itself when we had dinner at 4.30 AM. A & S ordered from a Chinese restaurant called Lucky Garden.
The Tilapia was in a spicy coconut milk gravy which I would have never associated with the Chinese till I had this. And the gravy was well infused into the fish unlike the one at Long Beach, Singapore. I am no fan of fish and yet lapped this up in joy.
