One of my favorite restaurants in Singapore has no menu. There are two price choices, expensive or a bit more expensive. What follows is what the chef has decided for you. You can filter in advance – ingredients that you are allergic to or simply do not care for – but the rest is out of your hands. The reviews were very positive, although I suspect I sensed a bit of apprehension in the reviewer’s writing in between the lines. I willingly admit that I cannot often afford it, so my experience has been limited to two visits over several years.
On each occasion there is a recurring phrase of David that runs through my mind with each bite. “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” (Psalm 34.8) Tastes, textures, and presentation are wonderfully surprising. Even the dishes that I think are going to be predictable are anything but. I am surprised by how surprised I am. It is as if the chef knows what I will enjoy even though we never meet in advance.
As extraordinary as my experience has been, I have come to appreciate that it is not “the” restaurant for everyone. In my immediate friends network, I know individuals that would not willingly sit down to a Japanese meal much less enjoy it. There are others that are open to something new yet also come with a strong preference for a different style of cooking.
The unknown caught me unprepared as I talked to a friend about different places we enjoyed in Singapore.
“Have you been to Luke’s?”
“No, I do not eat or enjoy steaks.”
“Many are confused by the name of the restaurant. It is so much more than that!”
As we talked, I realized that I had no idea what was really going on inside Luke’s. I find myself looking in the mirror this morning and wondering how many other filters I have in life. It is time to be looking for and experiencing the possible.
