Me, my brothers, and friends totalling six person in number went out for dinner on a fine Sunday night. We plan to enjoy ourself after having good fun for the weekend.
So we went to this shopping mall near our place and wanted to have some chinese food. Unfortunately, the queue to get a table is quite long (maybe 45 minutes wait). So we went and look around other makan (eating) places in the mall. We found out that Japanese food have s shorter queue so we decided to have jap food instead. (as it turn out in the end, the short queue is a sign)
We got a table in no time and wanted to order. This is where service standards or rather service substandard showed. For 6 people, only one menu is given and the computer ordering system is not in use (according to the waitress). Well, we thought nothing of it and requested for more menu and we got 4 menu in the end (4 for 6... oh well, we can make do with it).
And the wait for the food starts with me being one of the first to get my food (which seems pitiful compared to the picture, but it is quite normal elsewhere. By no means do I think that it is the alright). Those of us that got our food starting eating ( I know it is polite to wait for all to get food first but we were hungry. It turned out that it is wise to start first).
And we ate and talked and laughed, except for 2 people who ordered the same item. When the rest of us are about to finish, one of their food came (notice that there is only one). At that time, we were still quite cool about it. But after like 15 minutes, our patience ran out. We asked the waitress to check on the food and told her that most of us have already finish our food while the other guy who ordered the same item got his 15 minutes ago. There was no smile, no apology or explaination. Only a sour face that tell us to wait for 30 minutes. How is it possible that two person ordered same item, and one of the item have to arrive 30 minutes later????
If you think that got me mad, you'll be terribly wrong.
After our meal, we went to queue up to pay (yes, unlike in other countries where the waitress or waiter come to you to collect payment, we have to queue up to pay the food). I noticed that a waitress and a manager of the branch (wearing coat, should be manager) are arguing while holding a bill of a customer who was queuing to pay. Well then, misunderstanding occurs sometimes right? So I did not think too much about it.
After some time, it is our turn to pay the bill. So we waited for the items to be keyed in. Surprisingly, 13 items were charged to us which does not make sense. There were 6 of us, so it is normal to assume that there will be at least 6 drinks and at most 6 main meals (side meals aside, which in this case, we did not order any). When the waitress checked our order list before we queue up to pay, we specifically confirmed with her that the order list stated 6 meals. Don't ask me why we didn't check the list. I did not have a chance to look at it and am in no place to put the blame on my brother's going to be wife (signing tomorrow). In the end, we managed to convinced the manager (another one, also waering coat) that one of the item listed was not ordered and not consumed. The bill was paid and we parted ways with the 2 friends.
Did I mentioned that the section that we sat was very stuffy? If not, it is. Whether they are trying to save on air conditioning or it is spoilt, I don't know and I don't care. At this point of time, I am angry at the lousy service and the food. I told myself and them that we should stop coming to this place to eat, ever.
(oh yes, the food. I am not picky or not used to japanese food. It is just the place there has food that leaves much room for improvement. Why did we go there? The queue at the other place was too long. Morever, there is no really nice food near my area.)
Sounds like the end of story? That is not all.
So we walked back home. When we were walking across a turn into carpark, we were nearly rammed down by a motorcycle. A food delivery motorcycle that turned into the lane where it is an exit (meaning in the wrong direction). Of course there is the sour face of the motorcyclist. Guess what food it delivers? BINGO!!!! Sakae Sushi AGAIN!!!!!
I am not trying to pick on Sakae, but all this in a short period of less than 1 hour. Is too much for even a calm person to bear. I say I'll ban all Sakae Sushi from my future makan places.
