1.
My heart soared like an eagle as I saw him hobble toward the finishing line.
Haruki Murakami, in his book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, wrote, “People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and being fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole. I believe many runners would agree.” In light of the motivation that spurs Murakami to do the best that he can, I was inspired to be that motivational force to Bald Eagle as he approached the finishing line at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, held a couple of days ago.
“Go, Bald Eagle, go!”, I cheered, urging him to pick up his speed and run towards the marker. Deep down, my heart was bursting with pride, and images of me running alongside the man I loved flashed before my eyes as I prepared to sprint with him. I pictured the photographers picking up on this poignant moment of a wife running beside her limping husband, the stories that they would write later, and my heart swelled.
Perhaps I’d be offered a book deal.
“Not. Now.” he snapped, shooing me away.
What? Bald Eagle wants to deny me MY victory at the finish line?
Murakami didn’t warn me about this. Pbbthhh.
Mr Grumpypuss hobbled away. Alone.
Hobble.
Hobble.
Hobble.
Hobble.
No poignant moment.
*poof* (sound of vanishing book deal.)
2.
It was Bald Eagle’s first attempt at the marathon, and despite the less than dramatic ending, he completed 42 kilometres within a respectable 5:37 hrs. This included suffering from cramps at the 30th kilometre, and the lack of water and medication (the organisers had run out of both – what I call bad and irresponsible management) caused the poor chap to hobble the remaining 12 kilometres to the finish line in pain. It took determination and courage to endure the excruciating pain, and for that, I take my hat off to him. I’ll just have to look for another book deal, hor.
3.
A day later, it was Bald Eagle’s birthday.
Now, the thing about birthdays (with us, that is) is that we’re always trying to outdo the previous year’s celebration. That wasn’t so difficult for me considering that I had not done anything for him last year thanks to the fact that he was in Austria on his birthday while I was lonely and alone in KL with nary a friend beside me. Unfortunately, there was no chance of him disappearing again this year, so I racked my brain to come up with something special.
An imaginary lightbulb flashed above my head as I was having lunch at Max’s new restaurant one Friday. Max had been there for so many of our celebrations, serving plate after plate of brilliant cuisine, that it made sense to celebrate Bald Eagle’s birthday here. Sometimes, as a food blogger, it is easy enough to be carried away with the number of new choices available, but it is also sensible to revisit tried and tested favourites. I didn’t want to screw up, and I knew Max would deliver.
So the stage was set for a perfect evening at Max’s.
4.
Max recently moved from Max! Kitchen & Wines at Tengkat Tong Shin to Max@iHaus located in the maze of one-way traffic parallel to Jalan Imbi. Plus points – ample carpark (yay!), large restaurant with eclectic furniture (yay!) and no claustrophobic feeling (yay!). Minus point – hard-to-find location for first-timers.
Housed in a bungalow cum furniture showroom, the restaurant resembles a house with sofas, dining tables and a kitchen. We devirginised every chair in the restaurant in our attempt to figure out which was the best seat in the house. I suppose, ultimately, it all depends on the size of one’s rump and, in Fatboybakes’ case, the level of one’s military upbringing, i.e. posture.
Bell Pepper Salsa – Crab Meat with Lemon Oil and Gazpacho and Seared Tuna
Soft Poached Farm Egg on Truffled Soubise and Mushroom Potpourri
Seared Sea Scallop in a Grilled Provencale Vegetables – Cherry Tomato Broth with Olives and Lobster Oil
Crisp Quail Breast, glazed with Chardonnay on Piquillo Pepper – Borlotti Beans Ragout
Lamb Roulade with Cutlet with Cabernet – Rosemary Jus
Lamb Roulade with Cutlet with Cabernet – Rosemary Jus
Vanilla Cream Brulee with Late Harvest Gewurstraminer Poached Pear and Warm Chocolate Brownies with Blood Orange Mascarpone Cream
Max’s food has remained essentially the same, primarily because Max Chin himself helms the kitchen to ensure consistency in quality. While in the past, we used to be able to observe him cooking, now the kitchen is tucked away behind closed doors in the far recesses of the house. Nevertheless, Max still attempts to make the occasional appearance to satisfy the curious guest.
The clever use of ingredients to combine the various tastes is ever present in Max’s cuisine. The shredded crab meat gazpacho is a thick broth that is full of ingredients; less of a soup, and the tuna is seared ever so slightly that it still retains a bounce to the flesh. White anchovies complete the first dish, and the combination of the saltiness of the anchovies with the duller taste of the tuna is spot on. Bald Eagle’s favourite dish is the poached egg (with a nice runny yolk) paired with a lovely truffle soubise (onion based sauce?), although I reckon it could do with just a little bit more truffle. The scallops, amazingly sweet and tasty, were seared first, then cooked perfectly in a very light vegetable broth. I loved the quail breast which was crisp and still moist, so unlike chicken breasts which can be stringy in texture. What I didn’t appreciate as much was the bed of borlotti beans that somehow felt like a bad marriage. The lamb roulade and lamb cutlet were gorgeous and tender and the garlic confit literally melted into the meat to create some beautiful flavour. Desserts were nice but not exceptional; in my opinion, Max’s forte lies in his starters and mains.
It is always wonderful to celebrate a birthday with friends. Despite the short notice, they all turned up for drinks at Max’s. Thank you! And thank you, Fatboybakes, for the scrumptious Red Velvet aka Tim’s Velvet cake.
‘Thus the seasons come and go, and the years pass by. I’ll age one more year, and probably finish another novel. One by one, I will face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the same time taking a long-range view, scanning the horizon as far ahead as I can. I am, after all, a long-distance runner’
‘The end of the race is just a temporary marker without much significance. It’s the same with our lives. Just because there is an end does not mean existence has meaning.’
-Haruki Murakami in What I Talk About When I Talk About Running-
Max@iHaus
Lot No. 32, Jalan Jati
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 2142 9720
Open from Monday till Sunday from 12pm till 2.30pm, and 6.30 till 10pm or till late.
NOTE:
1. Opening sentence on this blog was given by Fatboybakes as a challenge to me. I personally think that it’s a blardy corny line, but a challenge is a challenge, so I used it. Check out Fatboybakes’ blog for my suggested opening line to him. You can call me the queen of cheese.
2. Thanks to Ciki who gave Bald Eagle What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Bald Eagle is now a big fan (of you and of the book).
who is this harikiri muthusamy that you keep quoting? so deep one!!
thanks for hosting drinks at max’s. it was a LOVELY start to the week, and of course, it was WONDERFUL to spend it with such wonderful people.
[hmmm, does that come across as sincere or will it be as usual, misconstrued as sarcasm…sigh].
wow! i got tears in mah eyes from the footnote 2! yay… just glad to be a part of this milestone (not just for BE, but a lot of us too la i think!)
really touchin indeed.. Not to mention the waking up at 3am and waitin for 6 hours at Dataran Merdeka! Ya da bomb AWOL!
Lucky Bald one! 😉
Happy happy birthday to the Soaring Eagle and cheers to both of u for such a lovin marriage!
Happy Belated Birthday Bald Eagle! And it was a good choice to celebrate at Max too!
so touching..i think the 6 hr waiting was prob as gruelsome as running it la.
oh so beautiful lamb cutlet…im definitely going to come for dinner 1 day..
i like the pictures of the quails breast and BE’s grimace best! fragile… fragile… hehe:P
The lamb roulade looks delish!! Happy Belated Birthday Bald Eagle!
How can the organizers run out of water AND medication?? That’s terrible! 0_o
Perseverance and determination comes to mind whenn I see Bald Eagle’s grimace. Hats off to you bro! Congrats on your timing again. Meenachi, thanks for having me and becks over that night, it was truly an evening to remember…after the mishap of a planned surprise birthday dinner of mine 😛
*group hug*
Oh, I forgot to add…Behind every strong man, is an even sronger woman! *muacks*
still rmbr back when Max! was on Tengkat Tong Shin (correct?), it was a fav joint for floggers.
they’ve upgraded now, and still I’m reading positive reviews.
impressive.
and yer Eagle hobbled for 12km?!!!! wow, such determination lah ….
fatboybakes: harikiri muthusamy? oh lordy lord. actually, come to think of it, i haven’t come across a japanese indian combo before…sure damn good looking, rite? think of all those sashimi curries they’d be concocting. As for your compliments, ROLL EYES.
cumidanciki: wipe the tear carefully, or those eyelashes may fall off. Oh, I forgot to say congratulations to all of you as well…good job, guys! good job, ciki! good job, cumi! good job, fbb!
thenomadGourmand: eh, which part is loving ar? when he shoo’d me off, izzit? hehehe. Yeah, he’s a lucky eagle, alright. 😛
Precious Sista: He sez tankyew tankyew. And yes, Max basically allowed us to treat the place like our own. So nice lah.
lotsofcravings: I had my iPhone with me, so I kept myself occupied playing games. The time passed by very quickly!
cumidanciki: sadist!
Bangsar-bAbE: yeah, lamb roulade was nice! as for the organisers, I believe there have been a lot of complains against them. let’s see what they’ll do about it.
unkaleong: Sorry we couldn’t join you for beck’s dinner, but glad you could make it for drinks at mine! What’s “sronger woman”?
J2Kfm: Oh, the Tengkat Tong Shin outlet was pretty tiny, and parking was not easy either. I’m so glad they’ve moved. The food’s still good coz Max still cooks, so there’s quality control. He’s a very talented and knowledgeable chef, that’s for sure. And yeah, I can’t imagine anyone hobbling for 12km in pain. I can’t even do 20metres when my leg cramps.
Ooh didn’t know Murakami was a serious runner as well! I might pick that book up… if all the foodies’ perseverance still can’t inspire me enough to run, maybe Murakami can!! On another note, how perfect is that poached egg!? And the party to celebrate the run aftermath? Bald Eagle is one lucky bird!!
Didn’t read Haruki Murakami’s books before but watched a movie adapted from his book, a little bored but meaningful. Nice quotes from his books.
The scallops look good! Like it when food are nicely presented, visually appetising! 😀
Greetings from far away land….Oooo….so touching…. 🙂 Happy belated birthday Bald Eagle… I’ll go find that bottle of Jura next week.
So sweet lah you BFF! Bald Eagle must be very happy.
BTW congrats to Bald Eagle and happy birthday to him too. Sorry can’t make it for the partey!
So sweet lah you BFF! Bald Eagle must be very happy.
BTW congrats to Bald Eagle and happy birthday to him too. Sorry couldn’t make it for the partey!
Bravo bravo to Bald Eagle for that gritty perseverance – can see it all over his face! And belated Happy Birthday wishes to the happy lucky boy, hehe!
You will get a book deal lah, definitely. Cos you have the ability to translate hearfelt thoughts into a something as wonderful as this piece.
This awesome book of his might not represent the rest of his wilder ideas but yes, welcome to the Haruki Murakami Fan Club! Finally! 😛
Happy Birthday again, Bald Eagle! Good job at the marathon too!
I think the reason he shoo’d u off was because he wanted concentrate and focus on crossing the finish line. But I’m pretty sure that he was glad to see you waiting for him at the finish line… no doubt about that.
Anyway, I’m not sure if my wife will ever wait for more than 5 hours++ like you did… maybe she’d tell me to meet her up elsewhere once I finish the marathon 🙂
Hahhaa a corny line instead. Congrats to Bald Eagle for completing the run!
Looks like Bald Eagle had a great party 🙂 And sorry to hear about the anticlimactic finish to the race…hehe…you can find a book deal somewhere else I’m sure!
Wow, if I had a birthday celebration like that to look forward to, I would almost run a marathon———
almost. Ha ha ha 😉
Lovely pics, lovely food, lovely friends and a loving hubby… Congratulate BE for me, and may there be lots more!
@FBB: I’ll make a cultured baker out of you. Will dig into my unpacked library and fish out some Murakamis for your reading pleasure. 😀
Lovely photos. My colleague says that Bald Eagle has muscles on his head… hahahah!
550ml jar of faith: The book is good even for non-runners like me. Inspiring, I tell ya. As for the poached egg, it was firm on the outside, but not overcooked, and runny on the inside, just the way I like it. Yes, he’s a lucky bird, isn’t he? LOL.
Sugar Bean: His writing is surreal. Nor sure how it’s translated when turned into a movie, though, as I haven’t watched any yet. Yes, I love nicely presented food. It’s like the chef takes pride in his food.
Sushi: Greetings, oh Sushi girl…I miss you already…come back, come back soon! (With Jura in hand, of course!)
A Lil Fat Monkey: Yup, BE was happy, alright. After all, he got THE party and THE present, so why shouldn’t he be happy, hor.
Pureglutton: He’s a tough one, alright. Thanks (on his behalf!).
HairyBerry: You’re welcoming Bald Eagle, I presume, to the Fan Club? Well, I hope he does pick up the other Murakamis lying around the house soon, but dat fler only has time for business or sports related books. No fiction, he proclaims. Ciz.
thule aka leo: Yeah, Bald Eagle, you’re only lucky fler for having a wife who’d wake up at 2.30am to join you at Dataran Merdeka. 😛 (Please do my laundry for me this weekend ar.) Leo, your wife has to take care of baby, so of course she can’t go with you lor. Maybe when your kid is old enough to run in the marathon with you? hehe.
KY: It gets funnier and funnier. Check out FBB, CumidanCiki, EatDrinkKL and TheNomadGourmand’s blogs for continuations of this “tag” of corny lines.
Alexandra: There’s always next year, I suppose. Better start cracking the whip to make sure Bald Eagle runs all the way. hehe.
Manggy: hahaha. Yeah, you can “almost” run with me. 😀
paranoidandroid: I will! Psst…you forgot loving wife lah. As for making FBB cultured, good luck. Maybe we can place bets.
Frat Mustard: Thanks! Bald Eagle has muscles on his head? Hahaha. I’ve always thought that his bald pate looks good though…as in, his head shape is perfect for going bald.
Hi hi 🙂 Thanks for having lil ol me and it was tremendous fun and a great start to the week. Haiyo I tell you…I thought it was a friday again then I Alan and I looked at each other and came down to Earth with a bang. Sigh. 4 days more. BUT NOW IT IS THE WEEKEND AND WE GET TO SEE YOU AGAIN! 😉
Wow, that short snippet made me want to read the book. Thanks for the tip. I’ve added it to my library list!
another happy outing! you guys always have so many outings which look so fun! heh
chis…uncultured and proud of it!pooooot…(farting in your face)
Hey babe, what a bash, lucky Bald Eagle (happy belated bday by the way and congrats on the marathon!), having such a wonderful wife! 🙂 xoxo
Awwww… so schweeeettttt. To me, a good couple is when you can poke fun at each other.
(and good fren is when you can fart in each other’s presence..)
BE looked sooooo fresh when I saw him that evening!! (and he looks exactly like from his photos. I felt like I’d already known him for ages from that 1st meeting!!) Who would’ve thought he went through such an ordeal earlier? You must’ve given him some real good lovin…
Bald Eagle totally rocks! Please wish him a happy belated for me!
Ah, it’s near my friend’s Baliness reataurant, CreAsian.
Dahsyat, he has the Karl Lewis look!
i went there yesterday, it was real good.. thanks for the review!