Service With A Capital S

Story & Photos: M ISMAIL

WE have not been posting any food reviews of late. My guess is everyone’s been stuffing their face during the Chinese New Year that they forgot to do some work after. But all’s good as we continue to write about the things that make us happy as well as unhappy. And, today’s food review is an unhappy piece.

My friends and I used to hang-out at this food outlet called Asam Pedas at The Curve since it first opened a few years back. Its main hook is its food concept – serious Malaysian food such as my all-time favourite Roti Canai (something akin to chapati) normally served at the Mamak.

Initially the outlet was called by a different name. After a while it changed to the present and has been Asam Pedas ever since. But, again, it remains under the same company, just a name change.

When it was the outlet by the first name, which I can’t remember (and that’s how impressive it is) I hated the Nescafe Panas so much I feel like puking when I first drank it. But Malaysians being Malaysians, none of the wait staff asked if there was anything wrong with the hardly-touched drink when I left after settling the bill. Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.

I still frequent the place now and then despite one or two irritating things that happened whenever I was there (small, annoying service-oriented flaws that I can close my eye to). But the service got worse every day until it became unbearable.

Besides the Roti Canai I also love the Nasi Lemak Rendang Daging. Reason: the outlet serves Rendang Tok, a special traditional meat dish originating from Perak (a state in Malaysia). One day the Rendang Tok was BASI (stale)! Now that was off-putting. When the wait staff was informed, he returned everything to the kitchen and I had to order a different dish.

A highly exasperated, frustrated and speechless hungry customer at an EMPTY table after such a long wait.

Question: If the food is cooked fresh, it will not be basi, right? So what’s your guess?

The incident that made me completely stopped having my meals there was when my friend waited for her food order for nearly 45 minutes and it never came. By the time they reassured us her meal is coming I had (1) finished my meal (2) my friend was starving.

After almost an hour the “missing” food arrived. Well, one part of it – the sauce minus the main dish. We stared at the sauce, then the waiter. We couldn’t speak. Several minutes later the main item arrived. It was cold. We got up; paid for the meal we ate and left, not saying a word. I guess that was for the best because a hungry stomach makes a woman’s mouth seriously celupar (foul-mouthed).

That was somewhere in mid 2010. I’ve been to the mall a few times since but never ever again stopped at Asam Pedas. But one day I saw The Terrace, which is opposite of Asam Pedas and has been given an impressive facelift.

The Terrace looks crisp and clean with its white tables and chairs and open concept, very much like an European al-fresco dining outlet. The outlet covers a big area such that it can afford indoors and outdoors seating. My friend and I sat outside.

The wait staff came with the menu. We ordered our food – one Watermelon drink, one Teh Tarik, one Roti Jala and Roti Canai served with Chicken Curry and Dhall.

We chatted and laughed and chatted and laughed while waiting for the food to arrive. Five minutes passed then 10 then 15. We stopped chatting. Then we stopped laughing. Our faces became grim. My fingers started tapping the table furiously. One sentence came out from my mouth: “We are THE only customer?!”

Here's the bill. Sorry you didn't enjoy the food???

The Watermelon drink came first. Much later I saw the waiter brought a Teh Tarik. Phew, finally. But the waiter took the corner, entered the indoor section and the Teh Tarik was placed at the bar counter. I looked at it puzzled. Minutes later the Teh Tarik, Roti Canai and Roti Jala finally came to our table. And surprise surprise! Everything was either cold or lukewarm.

Then something struck me! DANG!!! Asam Pedas and The Terrace are sister outlets under the Royale Bintang hotel!

Conclusion:
1.    Good food concept but low food quality.
2.    Super crap service, worst than a snail’s pace.
3.    Inefficient and ignorant wait staff that ignores you when you waive to get some service.
4.    Same menu served at both outlets with food coming from the same kitchen – the hotel’s – so why so bad? Answer: my guess is they take the food ordered from the hotel’s buffet line and isn’t cooked fresh.

If a four-star establishment wants to charge me RM14 for a Watermelon drink, RM8 for a Teh Tarik, RM10 for Roti Canai and RM12 for Roti Jala they had better be damn sure they spruce up their act. Otherwise, they can take their 4-star hotel tag down the bin!

ASAM PEDAS & THE TERRACE

G86A & G53 The Curve

Mutiara Damansara

Petaling Jaya

Malaysia