Take on Time, the Tramp, at Cilantro KL

How do we upend this losing battle to time? At some point, we're risking expiry, aren't we, being harangued by our constant defeat, running out of time, not knowing what to do with what little time we have left to ourselves even when we do find it?

Truffle Butter

Too simplistic to point to work being the culprit of this perpetual massacre, burying ourselves under the days and hours lost to the demands of dry rosters of duties and this and that? Hmm, a lot of problems could probably be solved by the materialisation of this.

Cold Capellini with Panaché of Seafood and Mentaiko

I said probably. Imagine, once we start having more time off work, the value of personal time would become even more brutally apparent, lead to the question of why the hell do we even work anyway, and the same franchise of angst and resentment would persist in a downward spiral, probably at greater speed!

So here's this thing I tried recently, to some pretty amazing results - the ultimate victory isn't in being able to wrangle as much off the to-do list in a short space of time, but in the exact opposite. Pick just one day, anyday, to stop and sink for an inordinate amount of time and drop, just drop whatever you're doing, drop your shoulders, drop your calls, drop the time-keeping and drop, while the rest of the world is grunting and heaving.

It is a painfully rare occasion when I dare pull away from the masters, to slip in with some disarming company over lunch, at Cilantro, no less. The ceremonious beginnings of truffle butter on warm fresh bread and dainty cold pasta starter assure me that I'm in very good hands.

Hokkaido Scallop with Artichoke Soup and Truffles

The second course mirrors the conversation at the table as we tuck into Cilantro's resplendent brand of escapism, frothing in bite and mellifluous anecdotes.

Fricassée of Free Range Chicken with Maine Lobster

Chicken makes a rare appearance on Cilantro's lunch menu, and it tones down the heart-stopping violation of the schoolday Subway-and-chap-fan palate. A shade more pedestrian but at this point, the fun's shifted from the food to stories shared around the table.

Pan Fried French Rouget Fillet with Baby Squid and Rouille

The others found the fish main underwhelming and muted, compared to the glorious starters.

Roasted Plum with Vanilla Ice Cream

Sweet and tart ending, which while simple to the point of rustic, somehow spurred lunch on until around 3.15PM, when the staff had to apologetically shoo us out back to the hours.

And whaddya know? The world didn't end because of one decadent lunch, work still got done that evening, and yes, the internal time-keeper in me sulked for a bit for being ignored for those few hours, but the tramp eventually got over it. So the next chance you get, consider flipping time the bird and hit Cilantro's Friday lunch, which springs new surprises every week.

Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar
MiCasa All Suite Hotel
Jalan Tun Razak
50400 KL
Tel: +603 2179 8082