Good and Bad Eat-Out Experience
Complimentary Brownies from Miri Marriot about 4 years ago
Written by Mrs. Money
Few nights ago, I invited a lawyer friend from an oil town and her “long time no see” children to eat in a supposedly to be one of the most popular Chinese restaurant in Kuching city. I worried in midst of Chinese New Year bliss most restaurants would be busy, thus I made a reservation before I left my house.
When I reached the restaurant, I realized I made a mistake that I didn’t ask which exact storey of my booked table. What I did with my guests and kids was we went to second floor first and then first floor but in their booking list I found no money tai tai’s name, eventually they told us to go down the Thai and they told us we couldn’t order pork there. (I wonder why they didn’t tell me the time when I booked the table)
The foods served were good, but we left so many dishes for tabao. A waitress gave us two packages and I looked at her with doubts but I kept quiet, “That’s all?” I thought those waitresses just put everything together.
On the next morning, when I took out the two doggie bags for breakfast, I found out the remaining half of a kilogram golden pomfret and the Thai appetizer (only a piece was eaten) were missing, but only those sparingly remained tofu and noodle were given to me.
My temper elevated immediately, “Hell, those heaven bliss restaurant folks thought that I was a rich tai tai? They thought that I would dump those doggie bags to my maid upon reaching home and wouldn’t take a second glance after that?”
I pressed a complaint, soon a manager returned her call; I was so surprised that she could exactly describe what were those left over things. She said, “I will replace you when you come again!”
Whether to ask for that half kilogram pomfret and desert back is another consideration and up to my siew chea's temper to dispose. I like their tom yang, but definitely I have to wait after my siew chea temper gone before thinking to step in the heavenly bliss restaurant again, it’s heaven bliss the time to eat but the “after shock” was not that pleasing, when the restaurant was busy, the inconsistent services in booking and tabao both ended in such messes.
Another bad eat-out experience that we might encounter is: Often we went to a restaurant, we paid so much yet the foods ended were not as fresh, especially the shashimi served in some hotel restaurants in this city ward me off quite some times already. It's hard to please my experienced taste buds in fresh shashimi, so ended up I went the wholesaler carried home the air-flown salmon. Sometimes I doubted the chef's treatment and storage of fresh fish, normally a fresh salmon should be frozen for a few days before served to kill if any of those harmful worms, their eggs or bacteria ..... many people probably have forgotten Malaysia is a very warm country and they like to defroze the frozen fish (or chicken) just out there in the warm room temperature for the whole morning or whole afternoon, I used to see my maternal side aunts soaked the meat and fish in hot water and recently I saw my mother-in-law left the frozen chicken under the sun but I didn't dare to voice out. I would like to advise ones to defroze the meat or fish in cold refrigerator (or defroze it quickly by microwave oven) and leave those fresh meats or fish in the cold refrigerator ONLY temporary.
I always remember many years ago, there was a very outstanding F & B manager in Miri Marriot, I remember his name is called Steve, he could speak perfect American English and good Mandarin too. I ate there often all because of him, under his management, the waiters and waitresses were so polite and thoughtful. I noticed that the busier they became, but their services never got tangled or in a chaos. Steve was looking like a happy host, “gracing” table to table greeting and talking to his guests, he treated the busy situation at ease as it a happy blissful special occasion of many guests coming to his family party.
When I mentioned to him when I was in Texas, the Marriot’s Brownies was always my favorite especially after concerts, few minutes later he came to me with a piece of Marriot brownies. Any guest would be delighted with such a special surprising treat, you think I would spend my money anymore from that onwards in other in town hotels’ restaurant?
Very soon Steve’s shadow disappeared from the restaurant then I asked one of the waiters and he told me Steve got posted to Singapore. I then saw the obvious mood changed to the restaurant, the Marriot’s Brownies also became a history there and I didn’t see any trace of it being served during buffet.
The picture of Steve’s restaurant management spirit, skills, hospitality and thoughtfulness always would emerge on my mind whenever I encountered either pleasant or unpleasant eat-out experience.
Complimentary Brownies from Miri Marriot about 4 years agoWritten by Mrs. Money
Few nights ago, I invited a lawyer friend from an oil town and her “long time no see” children to eat in a supposedly to be one of the most popular Chinese restaurant in Kuching city. I worried in midst of Chinese New Year bliss most restaurants would be busy, thus I made a reservation before I left my house.
When I reached the restaurant, I realized I made a mistake that I didn’t ask which exact storey of my booked table. What I did with my guests and kids was we went to second floor first and then first floor but in their booking list I found no money tai tai’s name, eventually they told us to go down the Thai and they told us we couldn’t order pork there. (I wonder why they didn’t tell me the time when I booked the table)
The foods served were good, but we left so many dishes for tabao. A waitress gave us two packages and I looked at her with doubts but I kept quiet, “That’s all?” I thought those waitresses just put everything together.
On the next morning, when I took out the two doggie bags for breakfast, I found out the remaining half of a kilogram golden pomfret and the Thai appetizer (only a piece was eaten) were missing, but only those sparingly remained tofu and noodle were given to me.
My temper elevated immediately, “Hell, those heaven bliss restaurant folks thought that I was a rich tai tai? They thought that I would dump those doggie bags to my maid upon reaching home and wouldn’t take a second glance after that?”
I pressed a complaint, soon a manager returned her call; I was so surprised that she could exactly describe what were those left over things. She said, “I will replace you when you come again!”
Whether to ask for that half kilogram pomfret and desert back is another consideration and up to my siew chea's temper to dispose. I like their tom yang, but definitely I have to wait after my siew chea temper gone before thinking to step in the heavenly bliss restaurant again, it’s heaven bliss the time to eat but the “after shock” was not that pleasing, when the restaurant was busy, the inconsistent services in booking and tabao both ended in such messes.
Another bad eat-out experience that we might encounter is: Often we went to a restaurant, we paid so much yet the foods ended were not as fresh, especially the shashimi served in some hotel restaurants in this city ward me off quite some times already. It's hard to please my experienced taste buds in fresh shashimi, so ended up I went the wholesaler carried home the air-flown salmon. Sometimes I doubted the chef's treatment and storage of fresh fish, normally a fresh salmon should be frozen for a few days before served to kill if any of those harmful worms, their eggs or bacteria ..... many people probably have forgotten Malaysia is a very warm country and they like to defroze the frozen fish (or chicken) just out there in the warm room temperature for the whole morning or whole afternoon, I used to see my maternal side aunts soaked the meat and fish in hot water and recently I saw my mother-in-law left the frozen chicken under the sun but I didn't dare to voice out. I would like to advise ones to defroze the meat or fish in cold refrigerator (or defroze it quickly by microwave oven) and leave those fresh meats or fish in the cold refrigerator ONLY temporary.
I always remember many years ago, there was a very outstanding F & B manager in Miri Marriot, I remember his name is called Steve, he could speak perfect American English and good Mandarin too. I ate there often all because of him, under his management, the waiters and waitresses were so polite and thoughtful. I noticed that the busier they became, but their services never got tangled or in a chaos. Steve was looking like a happy host, “gracing” table to table greeting and talking to his guests, he treated the busy situation at ease as it a happy blissful special occasion of many guests coming to his family party.
When I mentioned to him when I was in Texas, the Marriot’s Brownies was always my favorite especially after concerts, few minutes later he came to me with a piece of Marriot brownies. Any guest would be delighted with such a special surprising treat, you think I would spend my money anymore from that onwards in other in town hotels’ restaurant?
Very soon Steve’s shadow disappeared from the restaurant then I asked one of the waiters and he told me Steve got posted to Singapore. I then saw the obvious mood changed to the restaurant, the Marriot’s Brownies also became a history there and I didn’t see any trace of it being served during buffet.
The picture of Steve’s restaurant management spirit, skills, hospitality and thoughtfulness always would emerge on my mind whenever I encountered either pleasant or unpleasant eat-out experience.
Buffet served in Miri Marriot, 2007
Drool.......
ReplyDeleteIt look yummy and rich.
Many years ago history! These days I watch out for my diet or else my young kids will be motherless soon!
ReplyDelete