A Lonely Dinner

I have a cousin's wife who often throws lavish parties here and I am always the top in her must-invite guest list for my filthy mouthed and racy jokes. I didn't know that it pays to be a gossiper and jester at dinners. She would often have home cooked dinners at home in TTDI complete with finger food, appetizers and main courses served in matching napkins, Noritake Chinas, Euro-cutlery sets and even door gifts!!
Otherwise she would often host at Shangri-la Hotel's Chinese restaurant. Her late grandpa was Penang's philanthropist and tycoon who was better known as the head of Malaya's Chinese Chamber during the Japanese occupation. So generosity and charity still runs in their generations till today.

She changed her last venue to a somber place in KL city which I had never stepped foot upon. A long table was being reserved that evening and I promptly got dressed in my sluttish outfit that night. I drove to town and it was raining in the chaotic traffic along Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Several roads were blocked in major junctions and I could not turn into Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. I just got off from opposite Sheraton Hotel and walked out with my big umbrella into Jalan TAR. I was surprised to see big crowds in the drizzle crowding near SOGO's front.

There were so many guys in local costumes, drenching under the rain and blaring music. I guessed some VIPs could be coming soon.


The Malay costumes looked very Thai styled to me. I still had no idea what was going on till they had to close the whole street!


Finally, I saw some funny shelf displays of perfumes and discount placards in the street procession. They were launching the Mega Sale!


Even big placards of bananas, roti chanais and teh tareks were being paraded. It was a funny sight and I forgot the rain & long distance walk.

I reached the venue after half hour's rain water tasting walk.




Coliseum Cafe & Hotel.




I peeped through the frosty windows to see a cowboy bar counter with high stools minus any Rhinestone cowboys.




It was opened since World War 1 and in hey days, it was popular with all the British soldiers and families who came in traditional hats and Victorian laced dresses and frills.




I went inside and sat alone. The hostess and whole troop of guests had not arrived yet. I just gazed around to see the ambiance which still carried its old world's charm of faded white table cloths and assorted arm chairs.




I flipped through its laminated menu and the cover says ~ Established Since 1921. So long ago dei! That was around the era when my grandpa was courting my grandma amongst the bushes in Taiping's Lake Gardens!

The hostess called my mobile and dropped me the disastrous news. The dinner had to be canceled as none of their cars could reach the vicinity. My jaw dropped in disbelief and I squirmed to call the captain. I regained my composure and decided to remain seated in a smaller table. It was my first visit to this much talked about place and should at least try the food. It was after all 8.30pm and the rain was still drizzling outside. I know I looked like a single fool dining alone. The other Japanese and Caucasian diners stared at me but I just put on my natural thick skin to bravely smile back.

Their old Chinese & Bangla waiters looked shabbily dressed in their white uniforms complete with big black buttons! They reminded me of the Chinese comic, Lao Fu Tze! Muahahaha! The service was excellent and polite as if I was in the old days dining with Winston Churchill.



I promptly ordered their famed Ox Tail's Soup which was bloody thick and so muddy!
The taste was damn rich and fucking nice!




The main course was the even more famous Oriental Chicken Chop. Oh boy, it was delicious and done to perfection!


If the food was bad after all the troubles, I would have hanged myself on their antique coat hanger! I will be invited there by the same hostess again soon.
Have you dined at this famous eatery?