Dining out is a very common practice in our society.

Eating in certain dining environments doesn’t really qualify it to be a “restaurant experience”. Eating at a food court or a fast food establishment is a different style of dining, based around the principles of cost, convenience, and consistency.

Consistency especially applies when it comes to places like McDonalds. Their success is based around a formula. No matter where you are in the world, you know exactly what to expect.

This is always the risk when it comes to a restaurant.

There is nothing in theory to guarantee an experience in a restaurant.

A restaurant provides, for arguments sake, the following:

* A la carte service – that is, someone takes your order
* Food prepared fresh – well, as fresh as the quality controls that exist in a kitchen
* The presentation of a menu, as well as a beverage list

Generally, there is one indisputable fact that defines a restaurant good.

That is, a diner pays for ease and convenience, and to receive an experience that differentiates between eating at home and dining out.

Having said that, a paying customer would expect a certain degree of expectations. Here are some good examples.

When you come into a restaurant, you are greeted in some shape or form. So understated, it should be one of the key aspects of any service environment.

Basics are pointed out to you. Often this could be specials. Sometimes, to break the server/customer relationship ice, you could point out where the facilities are. But essentially, management should work out what might be confusing to a potential guest and explain it to make them comfortable.

A guest does not have to signal for attention. Ever. This is what makes great service. No matter what, there is just the right balance of service that you to be able to get what you want.

Nothing infringes on your experience. For me, one of my pet hates is finishing your meal, and having your dirty plate sit in front of you for more than a couple of minutes.

But most importantly,

If something does go wrong (such as human error) that the restaurant DOES NOT ignore the problem, apologizes, and in some shape or form, fixes the problem.

Also, little pieces of detail help.

You want to hear music that isn’t intruding. As I like to say to team, loud enough to notice, loud enough to muffle the next tables noise, but not so loud as to prevent conversation between a tables conversant.

A clean bathroom. Have team check on this regularly. Nothing is quite as off putting as to going to a toilet with appropriate paper, soap, or the like.

Overall cleanliness. But do it properly. For example, its good to clean tables (in the absence of linen), but advise team not to aim the spray like a gun and shoot the table so the cleaning fluid rebounds and hits other tables – and guests.

But above all, the experience is best when you are looked after.

When you are treated “nice”.

The industry is not called hospitality for nothing….

This is something a little different from my usual rant on food.

I figure … after completing a hundred posts, some changes would be refreshing. I would love to include more articles on food, rather than just sharing opinions on restaurants and food eateries.

And …

Have you ever noticed, my photos feature only food and occasionally … the personnel working in the food outlets. I’ve never posted a photo of my other friends enjoying food together with me. Which is something I would like to incorporate into my blog. Like someone wise who told me … adding a ‘personal touch’ to my blog. Perhaps in my next article ….

For now, let’s talk about one of Asian’s favorite fruit ….the Durian. Yes, I am sure some of you tend to disagree with me for saying that this is Asians favorite fruit. But, look at it this way …. if you live in Malaysia, Singapore or even in the neighboring countries, you are bound to have heard of the Durian. There are only 2 opinions … you either REALLY LOVE it or you REALLY HATE it. There is no such thing is … “Nah … I don’t like it … but I’ll just take some” …. right?

Anyway, what is it about the durian that made it so special?

The durian is a seasonal fruit, unlike some other non-seasonal tropical fruits such as the papaya which are available throughout the year. In Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, the season for durians is typically from June to August, which coincides with that of the mangosteen.

The edible flesh of a Durian emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odour has led to the fruit’s banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.

But odour or not, durian is always welcomed in my home. And if you need some help on how to enjoy this marvelous nature’s creation, here’s a little suggestion that might help. Suggestively ….

Now, a word of caution. Always remember to get the durian seller to ‘crack’ open the durian if you plan to take it home for consumption. Else, it’s going to be a challenging task for your to crack the durian yourself. A certain skill is required for that. Anyway, once you passed that part …. time to enjoy the good stuff !

Here are more steps for your to follow … including drinking water from the durian husk which has ‘cooling’ effect, something which the westerners may not understand.

Customs & Beliefs

Southeast Asian folk beliefs, as well as traditional Chinese medicine, consider the durian fruit to have warming properties liable to cause excessive sweating. The traditional method to counteract this is to pour water into the empty shell of the fruit after the husk has been consumed and drink it. An alternative method is to eat the durian in accompaniment with mangosteen, which is considered to have cooling properties. Pregnant women or people with high blood pressure are traditionally advised not to consume durian.

The Javanese believe durian to have aphrodisiac qualities, and impose a set of rules on what may or may not be consumed with it or shortly thereafter. A saying in Indonesian, durian jatuh sarung naik, meaning “the durians fall and the sarongs come up”, refers to this belief. The warnings against the supposed lecherous quality of this fruit soon spread to the West — the Swedenborgian philosopher Herman Vetterling commented on so-called “erotic properties” of the durian in the early 20th century.

1. SERVICE
2. FOOD
3. AMBIANCE
4. OVERALL EXPERIENCE

Do note that of the lot, “SERVICE” is my topmost priority. Corporations worldwide spend billions of dollars annually to implement and upgrade customer service quality and yet, it saddens me to see companies, especially from the food industry being ignorant about this.

Here’s a typical example of the level of service quality experienced by a young lady recently in an established food outlet, somewhere in Sunway.

My siblings and I visited Shogun in Sunway Pyramid for the first time today. We called on Monday (18 May 2009) to make a reservation for 3 at 1pm for Friday (22 May 2009). However, upon reaching Shogun’s doorstep at 1pm today, we were told TODAY that our reservation was CHANGED to THURSDAY (21 May 2009)!

The doorman in charge at that time, Gibson, insisted that they called us to confirm that the reservation was changed to Thursday. The only phone call we received was at 12.45pm today, but it was missed. We promptly called back several times for the next 15 minutes but there was either no answer, or was engaged.

We explained that we did not change our reservation for Friday at 1pm. Gibson insisted that we called to change and shortly after that raised his voice saying, “IT’S NOT MY FAULT!!”. He then told us to wait and walked away. When he returned, he pretended not to see us waiting and continued with what he was previously doing.

Personally, I think that was very rude.

We approached him again and asked to speak to the manager. He let out a grunt before going inside to call the supervisor, who then looked at the reservation list again, and told us that our reservation was only for 2, meaning if he were to admit us into the restaurant, he can only admit 2. We told him that it was impossible because we clearly made reservations for 3, and told him to check our reservation number which was W14. The supervisor checked the list again and pointed to a column on the list which stated 2pax. Dissatisfied, we cross-referenced that column with the name and phone number recorded and found that it was a reservation under the same name, but different contact number. Even though they had clearly made a mistake, both the supervisor and Gibson did not apologize and asked for our reservation number again. After checking the list again, the right record for our reservation but then said that we did not show up at 12.30 pm, so they gave our table away. But we clearly made a reservation for 3 at 1 pm. Why was it written as 12.30 pm? We insisted that the supervisor check with the person who was in charge of taking reservations on Monday, but they refused and said that it was a miscommunication. Gibson then proceeded to tell us that we would have to wait for our table.

That defeats the whole purpose of making reservation, doesn’t it?

We were only seated after half an hour and we did not even get a word of apology from them at all! It was obviously an internal management error, so shouldn’t they at least apologize?

Before we left, we approached Gibson (we didn’t know his name then) to ask for his name and politely told him that he was very rude to us. He refused to give us his name, and instead he raised his voice again saying, “You all started it first!”. Pardon me, but the last time I checked, restaurant staff are supposed to be well mannered and polite, not this rude! He insisted on not giving us his name, and then turned around to ignore us. We proceeded to ask the other cashier behind the counter, but she too refused to give us his name.

Evidently, the management of Shogun Pyramid does not highly prioritize customers’ satisfaction based on this particular episode. Initially, a simple apology would suffice. However, given that the fact that my siblings and myself were at the receiving end of a ruder treatment, I made a point to personally lodge a direct complain against the staff in Shogun Pyramid.

My friends and I are frequent customers to various Japanese buffets. This is the first time we decided to give Shogun a try, and after such treatment, it just left us with a bitter aftertaste, and full of disappointment. We would definitely not give Shogun a visit anymore, and we would also spread the word around about the horrible customers service that we were given.

*edit*
I forgot to mention above, that Gibson wears a different uniform from the other waiters/waitresses. He wears white shirt and vest as oppose to the other table waiters/waitresses who wears only yellow shirts. So I’m guessing he’s of higher position?

If you’re wondering if I am posting this article because of a friend, the answer is no. Personally I don’t know this young lady but I am merely supporting her because I feel her sentiments. I can imagine if I were in her position, it’s gonna be ALL HELL BREAK LOSE for me. Let’s hope something get’s done by someone …. somehow.

Anyway, if you think this is bad, here’s more by other fellow foodies.

boredworkers.com
Jasonmumbles
Yummy Corner
Angry Young Child
Wantan Productions
My Sweet Diary

Sad? Or angry? Perhaps even both. It’s a painful reality.

Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger.
Every year 15 million children die of hunger.

Does this mean anything to you and me? Statistics do very little in regards to evoking emotion.

Therefore numbers such as ”3 billion people live on less than a dollar a day” or “26,000 thousand children under the age of 5 die everyday to due to poverty” is not going to matter. Nor does 8 billion dollars a year could provide food for everyone in the world, and that Americans spend 14 billion dollars a year on diet products alone. Instead of trying to imagine how others suffer, let’s try something closer to home.

I want you to try this exercise. You can do this anywhere, anytime.

Close your eyes.

Picture a loved one.

How does that person make you feel?

This could be your mom, dad, brother or sister, your son, your daughter or perhaps even your best friend.

I want you to picture the joy and excitement that this person brings you.

Visualize this person’s voice, laughter, smile.

For a moment simply feel.

Now I want you to imagine, this person laying in your arms.

Their stomach bloated from starvation. Looking into your eyes,their body dying for food, they cry “feed me“. You have no food to give them.

You stare back at them hopeless. There’s nothing you can do.

Your loved one soon dies in your arms.

Now if you did this exercise correctly you should be feeling pretty emotional right now. For hundreds of thousands of parents around the world this nightmare isn’t an exercise, it is reality in which they face every single day.

So what are you doing about it? Maybe you might think that your actions are insignificant in a world of billions of others. If you think so, read on ….

Thousands upon thousands of starfish had washed up on the shore. A little boy was throwing one after another back into the ocean. An older man saw the boy and yelled, “Can’t you see what you are doing is not making a difference. There are too many starfish.” The little boy just ignored him. Again the older man said, “Hey little boy, can’t you see what you are doing is not making a difference. You are waisting your time.” The little boy picked up another star fish and threw it into the water and answered, “It made a difference to that one!”

“Why, despite an abundant amount of food, shelter, and water, does poverty continue to exist?” (click here to read more)

• Every year 15 million children die of hunger
• For the price of one missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for 5 years
• Throughout the 1990′s more than 100 million children will die from illness and starvation. Those 100 million deaths could be prevented for the price of ten Stealth bombers, or what the world spends on its military in two days!
• The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is under-fed one-third is starving- Since you’ve entered this site at least 200 people have died of starvation. Over 4 million will die this year.
• One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5.
• Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion – a majority of humanity – live on less than $1 per day, while the world’s 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world’s people.
• 3 billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2/day.
• Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished.
• About 183 million children weigh less than they should for their age.
• To satisfy the world’s sanitation and food requirements would cost only US$13 billion- what the people of the United States and the European Union spend on perfume each year.
• The assets of the world’s three richest men are more than the combined GNP of all the least developed countries on the planet.
• Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger.

Want to help ? All you have to do to help end world hunger is to join thousands of others bloggers on April 29 and write a post about world hunger.

BREAKFAST

A healthy breakfast is a good start to the day. And having something to eat at home is the best way to go. Fruits are good, but avoid eating bananas or pineapples when the stomach is empty. Bananas contain a lot of magnesium which is one of the few elements that will affect the heart. If you eat bananas on an empty stomach, this will lead to a sharp increase in the amount of magnesium in the blood. And blood with a high content of magnesium can harm the heart. And pineapples contain a lot of ferment which can also affect an empty stomach.

If you have leftovers, they’re good to eat in the morning. Just heat it up in the microwave, or even having buttered bread and milk is good.

If you have more time and want to have a freshly-made breakfast, then go to a caf¨¦ where you can sit down and enjoy your breakfast. Most of these eateries feature Chinese food including deep fried twisted dough sticks, soybean milk and dumplings.

But if you have to take long commute in the morning and are short of time, then you can buy take-away snacks at street stalls. Beijing has many of them selling breakfast in the mornings. The stall owners get up quite early and tend to be near bus stops or residential buildings from 7am to 9am. The food can range from western hamburgers and sandwiches, to traditional Chinese preserved eggs, pancakes, porridge, stuffing buns. They also sell various drinks including milk, soybean milk, and bubble tea. And you only need to pay a few yuan for the meal.

LUNCH

Compared to breakfast, time is not the issue with lunch. The problem is finding a diversity of lunch options.

Most office people have their lunches at restaurants near their companies. These places are always crowded at lunchtime and can be expensive. The lucky ones can have their lunch in the company canteens. They cost less than outside restaurants, but just as crowded. One way to enjoy your lunch in a relatively comfortable dining environment is to call ahead for a take-out meal and eat it at the recreational center of your company or in the office if it’s allowed.

DINNER

Experts say 6pm is the best time to have dinner. We should avoid overly spicy food for dinner though green pepper is a vegetable that contains a lot of vitamin C. A glass of wine will also do some good, but too much can affect your sleep.

While it’s nice to have a good dinner, some may worry about gaining too much weight. Here are two weight-loss dinner options you can prepare yourself.

Option 1 : Rice + vegetables + sirloin steak + watermelon

Food materials: sirloin steak (100g), baby cabbage (100g) and garlic.
Seasonings: olive oil, oyster sauce, salt and black pepper Method:
1 Put one spoon of olive oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add garlic and stir it till you smell the garlic fragrance.
2 Add the baby cabbage and add some water. Stir the cabbage until it’s done. Add salt and black pepper for seasoning.
3 Marinate the sirloin steak with salt and black pepper. Add olive oil in a pre-heated pan and sauteed it to the degree doneness you like.

Option 2 : Apple pork loin rolls

Food materials: an apple, pork loin, seaweed, shallots
Seasonings: sauce, salt, sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.
2 Cut apple into sticks. Cut pork loin into thin slices and marinate with seasonings. Cut seaweed into the same size as the pork loin. Dice shallots.
3 Roll pork loin slices, apple sticks, shallots and seaweed pieces into a roll.
4 Put the roll into an oven fastened with an apple slice using a toothpick. Cook the roll for two to three minutes.