CARAMBS

Teriyaki Boy = Bad Service

I forgot where I got the news, but I heard that the Lorenzo Group (Pancake House, Dencio’s…) has acquired Teriyaki Boy. It made a lot of sense – don’t you just feel that there are so many Teriyaki Boy branches sprouting left and right? That’s what happened to Dencio’s after it was acquired by the same group. Anyway, this fast expansion seems like something they can’t handle because of the poor service. I had dinner at Teriyaki Boy Galleria a while ago with Lawrence (welcome back to the Philippine Lawrence!), Lester, Margaret, and another friend of Lester. I had my mind set on Gyoza, and was very disappointed when the waiter told me that it wasn’t available anymore. I ordered Pork Ribs Teriyaki instead, and was also told that it was still frozen. Lester and company also ordered 2 viands that were not available. Did they run out of food right away? It was only 8:30PM, and it was a Saturday night – shouldn’t they make sure that there was enough food? The same thing happened to us at Teriyaki Boy Eastwood – it was around 9PM and there was no more Salmon. Granted, they want to make sure they have fresh food daily. They should still plan better – they should order more on fridays, especially during payday fridays.

Since I was really hungry, I ordered Miso Soup – something I could take while waiting for the food. The food arrived, with no Miso Soup in sight. We actually forgot about it, until we heard the lady beside our table complaining and bitching about how late their food arrived. She refused the viand that was being served, because they already finished eating. I think it was a tofu side dish. We remembered our Miso Soup, which we cancelled – no use for soup anymore. We continued eating, then later on, the lady started bitching and complaining again. Apparently, they were about to pay, and the bill still included the viand that they refused to accept. She mentioned that this was the second time this happened to her.

Is it too much to ask that if there are a lot of viands not available, the waiters should already ‘warn’ the customers before they order? I hope this is just temporary – I hope they can do something about it soon. Their food is really good but a great restaurant isn’t just about the food, it’s also about the service.

On Green Tomato and Favorite Restaurants

I have a new favorite restaurant – Green Tomato at Shangri-la Mall. So far, all the dishes I’ve tasted are yummy! I was able to taste Arrabiata, Amatriciana, Chicken Fingers, and Chicken Chunk Pizza. The prices are reasonable, and the service is okay. The only negative thing I can think of is that the area is almost always full, because of Mongkok. But that’s okay with me!

Speaking of favorite restaurants, I was devastated (yes, it’s not an exaggeration) when I found out that Sushi Mart was gone!!! Sushi Mart, though not a full-pledged restaurant, is one of my favorite restos ever. For me, they have the best kani sushi! The tempura is good, and the gyudon is even better! 80% of the time I’m in Megamall, I have lunch/dinner there. I was a frequent visitor over the years. It’s gone now. Sigh.

I have another favorite restaurant in Megamall – Krua Thai, along the Megamall Strip. I order the same thing every time we go there – Chicken Pandan and Krua Thai fried rice. I’m not confident that it will stay long, so I’ll enjoy it while I can.