I just came back from dinner, and I’m feeling my blood boil in anger. I feel like my heart has solar storms the size of Jupiter. You would see all the dark-side Force powers gathering intensity. My razor hawk eyebrows is making my face all wrinkly.
We went to a restaurant in Paramount Garden, I don’t know the name but it’s the corner shop facing the type repair shop. The specialty is roasted duck. Any of you PJ people know the name?
(Update: The restaurant’s name is Restoran Loong Fong)
When we sat down, we waited almost five minutes before we could order.
A waitress (from China, based on her accent) came over and I asked for a vegetable of my choice. She just shrugged and said not available, then looked away.
I waited for her to offer alternatives and when she remained silent I ordered another vegetable. Again she shrugged, this time saying impatiently that both those vegetables were not available (in the tone you would use to tell your child that no, we’re not there yet).
I asked her then what vegetables she had for sale. She ratted out a list of vegetables in heavily accented Cantonese.
We selected one of the dishes and then we asked what kind of tofu dishes were available. Again a rapid fire list of dishes in a bored monotone.
We selected a tofu dish. “Local tofu or Japanese tofu,” she shot back. I chose Japanese tofu.
Then we asked to order half a duck.
Now let me pause here. If you have been to this restaurant, you will know that the roasted duck is sold from a stall at the front of the restaurant, but in the few years we have visited the restaurant, they always ordered the duck for us.
We assumed a symbiotic partnership between the roasted duck stall bringing customers to the restaurant (whose food is nothing to shout about). Everyone is there for the duck.
You know what? The lady looked at us disdainly (disdainly I tell you!) and told us to “go order it yourself.”
I straight away informed everyone at my table that I did not want to eat there anymore.
Ms. Congeniality just rolled her eyes.
My father told her straight in the face “You go call another captain”
I said, “No, I won’t eat here,” and I got up. The rest of my family were a bit slower behind me as I stormed out of the restaurant.
If I had Force powers I would have done many unspeakable things that would have caused the Jedi Council to send some Jedi knight and his sissy padawan coming after me.
The other captain came over to apologize but we were not going to stay. The damage was done.
I will never patronize that restaurant again, and the main intention of this post is to tell you to do the same. I mean it!
If you don’t believe me, you can go and experience firsthand being treated like crap.
If you are the boss of that restaurant reading this, please make it a point to screen your workers. Those without proper manners should be washing plates, please. Definitely the wrong choice to be front line staff.
And don’t think that one customer doesn’t matter. I’m going to re-tell this experience over, and over, and over, and over again.
We went to a neighbouring restaurant (just a few doors away) who treated us like proper customers.
They served great food at a bargain price (RM59 for a four people, four dishes and tea!) Even their foreign waiters had gentle manners. They actually say please, thank you and even sorry if they bumped into your chair. Best of all the food was served very quickly.
We had their house specialty, the Asam Laksa Fish which was excellent (although it didn’t have the power to cool me down). They served a wonderful Marmite chicken which struck the fine balance between crisping tastiness and sweet saltiness.
As I complete this post, I find my anger dissipating. Writing / blogging therapy has worked wonders for me again.
Quick, someone tell me the name of the shop. I might start www.<restaurantname>sucks.com, and talk about their horrendous service and then promote all their neighboring competitors for free.
For those of you keeping count, there are now two stores that I won’t patronize ever again due to their poor service.
January 13, 2008 at 05:54
Weird, it was like sunny yesterday (remember your Friday post?), and today there were mild showers (this post), metaphorically speaking of course. But I hope you don’t get too fussed over these people - there are meaner people out there.
Adino: I’m over this incident now. But I still won’t go there again.
January 13, 2008 at 10:28
Haha
That shop is Long Fong
I know exactly the lady you talking about
Haha
Don’t worry too much about her
She is always like that
p/s You ACTUALLY have to order the duck yourself ^-^
p/s no2 I have no share or whatever link to that shop
Adino: All these years we go there, we have no problem getting restaurant to order duck for us. Anyway, thanks for the name!
January 13, 2008 at 16:18
It’s a wonder there are still people patronizing that restaurant with a server like that! I haven’t been to this restaurant before, but I’d sure give it a wide berth after this post…
Adino: Yeah, there are better restaurants in the area. About one kilometer away in Sea Park you can find the SunRise restaurant, which serves even better roasted duck
January 13, 2008 at 18:04
come Lord Adino, together we shall use our Force Lightning to strike that waitress till she’s roasted cina girl!
Adino: Yes, master.
January 13, 2008 at 18:58
haha..
chill la..
its only food…
Adino: Actually it’s more about courtesy and manners. I don’t want to eat at a place where they treat me like crap. Waste money. I learned from my fu char (bitter tea) experience already
January 14, 2008 at 06:09
This sort of thing has happened to me before, but I’ve never had the guts to get up and leave!
You did the right thing :o)
Adino: I never had the courage to do this sort of thing either, but once I try it, I feel it’s not that hard
January 14, 2008 at 10:08
I had a similar experience in another restaurant and was amazed that the rude waitress was still there months later, as I knew that many other customers had complained. I found out later that the waitress was also the restaurant boss’s young mistress. Now that sure put things in a new perspective.
Adino: Thanks Ah Chai for visiting my blog. Welcome! I guess sleeping with the boss does have advantages!
January 14, 2008 at 10:20
For what she dished out to you, you did nothing wrong in choosing to leave. Hats off to you. And never shall a blogger be scorned for the whole world shall know
Adino: I think everyone would have done the same. But not everyone will go blogging about it hehe
January 14, 2008 at 10:27
I’d have left too! Kudos to you. Its not about the food, its all about courtesy and service. After all thats what we are paying for too.
Adino: I wasn’t exaggerating about how the waitress treated us. It was really horrible! I agree with you, any good food becomes tasteless when there’s no courtesy and service. Btw I think this is the first time you’re commenting on my blog. A bit shy, you’re so famous hehe. Welcome Paris B!
January 14, 2008 at 10:43
OOo.. Loong Fong ar.. but the roasted duck really famous just the services not that good la..
Adino: I hope that the restaurant will be famous for bad service too
Maybe next time I will just ta pau (pack home) if I really want their roast duck. I won’t patronize the restaurant ever again, not even a cup of chinese tea.
January 14, 2008 at 15:10
you go girl, more power to you!
yes, Sunrise ducks and roasted pork are much better so no need to try this loong fong
Adino: Which part of me looks like a girl? Is it my manly-boobs? Oh no, time to go on a diet!
I agree, Sunrise ducks are much better. Welcome to my blog, and thanks for commenting Kerry!
January 14, 2008 at 16:39
Such a bad attitide! Patrons should certainly not be treated that way. You ought to take a photo of her and put it on your blog…but that would just dirtify your blog, eh?
Adino: Alas, I can’t carry my DSLR around with me everywhere, and I don’t have one of those slim and light point and shoot digital cameras. Anyone want to sponsor?
January 16, 2008 at 14:26
If me I will complain to her boss! Shitty fella indeed!
Adino: Complain to the boss also no use. The boss lady is also quite arrogant.
January 18, 2008 at 08:09
i remember thqat restaurant…….. yah, duck is good… too bad lah now that happened. should just go to mamak next time, or indian rice, at least that one the service will NEVER fail. remeber that guy who sang while he kept serving rice? i think it’s in TAMAN SEA area. hehehehe, and he gave even wothout us asking. now thats service… but i think he was high. and he didn’t even speak english, was all through hand communication.
Adino: Guy singing while serving rice? Don’t remember
January 23, 2008 at 12:47
Next time go to Catherine’s Kitchen, just along the road next to the two barber shops (and opposite back wall the old paramount cinema). It’s air conditioned, clean, no smoking, and you get great service with a big smile. No duck as far as I know but the steamed tilapia fish is good, the 4 vegetable dish cooked in belachan is truly excellent, and get this - upstairs they make their own cheesecakes which they serve in the restaurant. The wife of the owner published a book on making cheesecakes and runs a cheesecake cooking school!
The bill - about 2/3 the price of Restauran Loong Fong…
Adino: Thanks for the wonderful suggestion. I will definitely try it out.
January 25, 2008 at 09:16
I think I will stay in that restaurant and keep frustrating the waitress, make her works more, asking for chopstick, bowl, etc for many times!!! hahaha….. BTW, I also met such waitress and angry, and swear won’t patronize that restaurant anymore!!
Adino: Haha… good idea! I’ll try that next time. But then again, I don’t want to waste my money on a restaurant that doesn’t deserve it!