“We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.” - William Somerset Maugham
New Year,new resolution.This year,muslim calendar sets an earlier date to a vibrant new year.While everyone is rejoicing at the oncoming festivities and new resolutions,we are ahead.Our new year is at the corner.Resolutions are already listed waiting to be carried out in just a matter of days.
When one looked back in the past, one will be bamboozled by the contrast of changes that one had gone in life with or without us knowing,we CHANGE.For good or better,that depends on you,the author of ur own life.
We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.” -Charles R. Swindoll
Everything change.Even when u think u are not changing,u are changing, the earth is changing.Sometimes, we dont approve of these changes but it had to happen.Everything happen for a reason.And every cloud DO have a silver lining.Keep a positive mind.Even when things dont go ur way,embrace it positively.Sometimes the goodness are not seen now but insya-Allah later.In order to change,one will have to let go of fear.One has to adapt to the lil discomforts that often come with it.
Alhamdulillah,I looked back and am still not able to believe what I had gone thru in the last 12 months but Im thankful for the opportunities rises, the chances given,the wonderful people that I met from beautiful colours of the world and lastly the chance to voice out and share with you what I had learnt.My journeys,my travels,food delights,happyness, tearyness,tiredness,awesomeness and loads more.Thank you for joining me in my quest and for all the valuable comments,tips and recommendations and not forgetting endless motivational comments and queries received thru emails and blogs.Thank you from the heart.
“We must become the change we want to see.” - Mahatma Gandhi
If you want to see a change,it must start from yourself,from within.Dont wait for others.Dont wait for someone to start the ball rolling.You got the key.You can start rolling the ball now.Dont push anything that is good to later.Do it NOW.
Next year insya-Allah, we will try to find more HEALTHY alternatives e.g Vegetarian or Organic and all that,insya-Allah.I try not to ignore those HALAL certified vegetarian stalls and vegetarian restaurants (cos Im a meat eater,steak kinda gal).And if there are ORGANIC HALAL theme eateries, I gladly embraced them.Do inform me of such pleasures.
Anyone worldwide who wish to showcase their delicious gastronomical food in the local country, feel free to join us and share with us ur lovely thoughts and creative funky food pictures in http://www.tinyurl.com/putrifacebook and do keep a tab on my tweets ( http://www.twitter.com/putriberendam ) cos that is the most updated info on new halal eateries which I chanced upon in my daily routine.
Do continue giving me your support and prayers.Hopefully,this blog will be recognised worldwide and insya-Allah hopefully,I can cover the HALAL food of the world of various countries and touch upon their beautiful cultures and way of living.insya-Allah amin.Keep me in ur prayers,always as you will always be in mine,insya-Allah amin.
Happy New Year,everyone!
Embrace the change and lead a healthier life physically,spiritually and emotionally.
Thank you.
Love,
luv,
lief,
Putri
Friday
Meet,Eat and Burp 3 (High School Reunion Special)
I had the pleasure of hosting my high school reunion this year,Alhamdulilah.There were many places to host such events/gatherings (e.g Badoque,Asian Bistro, Bottle Tree, New Hawa..).But after much consideration,Sofra Turkish Restaurant was chosen ..
The reason I have this gathering is because I miss those ZANY crazy high school years.Those were one of the best moments in my life and I believe most would agree. Those were the years where all the changing and raging hormones and pimples breakouts are the most common. Those were the years that we learnt to be more independent and in touch with our inner voice and selfless disciplines and coping with peer pressures.
If u wanna know what are the recommended places for gatherings/reunions/events, head on to my page: www.tinyurl.com/putrifacebook
Ok, at 8pm, the stipulated time, few had arrived early.The restaurant was 3 quarter full. I had already anticipated it cos its a Friday night and its in December..festivities season.Lots of companies are having their Xmas gatherings during this period.
It was quite a heart pounding moment because it felt like a blind date.I had not met 90% of the old schoolmates for more than a decade.So I wonder whether I can still recognise them.
I reached early to get acquainted with the staff, owner and the venue.I had requested the seating arrangements to be nearest to the windows.At first they wanted to put us near the Xmas tree near the door (yikes!Cos we are a big bunch and one long table need much space,that is the only largest space available)
But,I prefer the window sides at one corner, in case that we became too noisy chirping our happyness of meeting old friends thus might be annoyance to others.Thus, as suggested by the staff, I get one long and half table (2 rows).
While waiting for the rest to arrive, I had the chance to redeem the first virgin chocolate pudding from the wholesome display of desserts in the restaurant.I wanted to taste it first and also to avoid being under many watchful eyes or perhaps Im just being stingy, I wanna eat my dessert ALONE!(hee!)
I've heard a lot about this dessert.Hmm, for amonth now, I had been salivating at its online menu. Now is the chance to prove its worth.Is it worth it? I wonder...but I fear those waiting moments might have escalate my expectations a tad higher.
While waiting for the rest to arrive, I had the chance to redeem the first virgin chocolate pudding from the wholesome display of desserts in the restaurant.I wanted to taste it first and also to avoid being under many watchful eyes or perhaps Im just being stingy, I wanna eat my dessert ALONE!(hee!)
I've heard a lot about this dessert.Hmm, for amonth now, I had been salivating at its online menu. Now is the chance to prove its worth.Is it worth it? I wonder...but I fear those waiting moments might have escalate my expectations a tad higher.
Ok...Im gonna take a spoonful, watch me and salivate...here it goes...I scoop one spoonful of dark brown chocolate jello-like custard pudding.beneath it there are somewhat nuts of choclate bits, I did not notice much.It was alright.Not so sweet.It was a semi pudding.It became a bit chewy like later on (as I tasted someone else's chocolate pudding again?!)
Verdict: Not bad. There are some white foamy thingy cream,dessicated coconut and some pistachio bits.As u head lower and lower into the chocolate pudding,it became thicker and chewy.hmm..interesting.Soon,the table was filled with familiar faces from all over.Some came with families.Beautiful exchanges of greetings and love surrounds.It was feel good atmosphere.Hugs and handshakes are exchanged.U can see almost immediately the latest range of handphones ringing and tweeting and texting exchanging contact info.
It was smackingly yummy to meet my old friends.Smiles,questions arised and answered.Lots of eyes contact and body languages,loads of conversations.Most are professional working people.They took the time to meet up in this spur-of-the moment gathering (It took me about 1-2month to gather them up thru facebook).Alhamdulillah, thank you y'all for this opportunity and for supporting this event with ur graceful presence.As for those who cannot make it, insya-Allah we will meet again,someday.
Im sorry if y'all cannot get enough of me.Normally,if Im the host,u can hardly catch me breathe.I will zoom in and about. I keep moving up and down in and out and if possible I wanted to enter the kitchen too (luckily the owner stop me hehe!)
Tip: If you want some staff to take care of your group personally, inform the management and the staff.For me, I had no qualms going to and fro the counter telling them what my group needs and what orders have not arrived.Cos it felt like family.Furthermore,its on Friday night, thus I can understand the chaotic environement and customer demands especially when the restaurant is almost full.
Ok after taking quite a long time to settle down cos all of us are excited...Suddden pang of hunger brought us back to reality.Its time for CHOW DOWN! And so what did we order?
U can check out the menu here: http://www.sofra.com.sg/menu.htm
Hummus was alright..Im not sure whether this is Turkish bread or sesame bread (above)? Hmm...
I think this is Doner Kebap Rice...
Egg plant salad-moist grilled eggplant..not bad.I was expecting Baba Ghanoush.
Shish Kebap-chicken
This is Chef Plate- a bit of everything on a plate.If u are unsure what to order and u love meat, then this is the answer.
Last but not least, thank you to the hardworking people of Sofra Turkish Restaurant: Mr Sulayman,Chefs and Dal and other staff for a wonderful evening...Thank you for working hand in hand with me for such an event.
Insya-Allah this is one place that one can come often cos it felt like family.The environment and ambience is nice and cosy too.
Sofra - Turkish Cafe & Restaurant
100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Tower
Shaw Leisure Gallery
Singapore 189702
Tel: (65) 6291 1433
Fax: (65) 6291 1983
For Reservation:
Tel (65) 6291 1433
View Larger Map
It was smackingly yummy to meet my old friends.Smiles,questions arised and answered.Lots of eyes contact and body languages,loads of conversations.Most are professional working people.They took the time to meet up in this spur-of-the moment gathering (It took me about 1-2month to gather them up thru facebook).Alhamdulillah, thank you y'all for this opportunity and for supporting this event with ur graceful presence.As for those who cannot make it, insya-Allah we will meet again,someday.
Im sorry if y'all cannot get enough of me.Normally,if Im the host,u can hardly catch me breathe.I will zoom in and about. I keep moving up and down in and out and if possible I wanted to enter the kitchen too (luckily the owner stop me hehe!)
Tip: If you want some staff to take care of your group personally, inform the management and the staff.For me, I had no qualms going to and fro the counter telling them what my group needs and what orders have not arrived.Cos it felt like family.Furthermore,its on Friday night, thus I can understand the chaotic environement and customer demands especially when the restaurant is almost full.
Ok after taking quite a long time to settle down cos all of us are excited...Suddden pang of hunger brought us back to reality.Its time for CHOW DOWN! And so what did we order?
U can check out the menu here: http://www.sofra.com.sg/menu.htm
Hummus was alright..Im not sure whether this is Turkish bread or sesame bread (above)? Hmm...
I think this is Doner Kebap Rice...
Egg plant salad-moist grilled eggplant..not bad.I was expecting Baba Ghanoush.
Shish Kebap-chicken
This is Chef Plate- a bit of everything on a plate.If u are unsure what to order and u love meat, then this is the answer.
I think this is Sofra Yaprak Tavuk-Chicken meat stuffed with veggies and mushroom.
Verdict:Ok.The food is ok. Im not gonna touch on others, but only my food and those that I had the opportunity to taste.Actually I tasted al ot to such extend that I did not touch my own food till half an hour later or is it an hour? Overall comment on my part -the rice and grilled meats are dry.
I think this is Chicken Kebab...
Verdict:Ok.The food is ok. Im not gonna touch on others, but only my food and those that I had the opportunity to taste.Actually I tasted al ot to such extend that I did not touch my own food till half an hour later or is it an hour? Overall comment on my part -the rice and grilled meats are dry.
Hmm....The Eggpplant kebap.
I had tasted this about 9-10 years ago when it first open its doors.It was quite nice back then.
This time, it was thoroughly marinated with spices and all that(pros) but its kinda saltish.In fact my food and drink (the yoghurt drink) are both saltish.Perhaps when eaten with the bread,or rice,it might ward off some saltishness.The rice is a bit dry almost uncooked.And so are the eggplants...a bit raw..although partial grilled. Hmm...
Musakka
Sultan Kebab
I like the Musakka and Sultan Kebab,both are either beef or mixed with lamb .The meat are quite moisty and juicy and it complements well with the oven baked melted cheese.All food are best eaten immediately, cos once its cold, it loses its yummy factor.
Sultan Kebab
I like the Musakka and Sultan Kebab,both are either beef or mixed with lamb .The meat are quite moisty and juicy and it complements well with the oven baked melted cheese.All food are best eaten immediately, cos once its cold, it loses its yummy factor.
Confession: In my busiest moment...Erm, I forgot to take the Pide pic..(YIKES?!Im so sorry) Pide is somewhat like a pizza which uses Pita bread that are split open to hold a filling.
Anyway, I did take a bite from it..Verdict: I've just stuffed myself silly with Turkish pizza in Rotterdam,(previously in July-Aug) thus that enriching spices experience kinda make this pide tasted average to me.And their servings are quite huge.so before u order any appetizer ensure that u are really HUNGRY...
So what do u think,lil princess? Are u enjoying ur time here? Ok,omit the part where they turn off the air-con nearing closing time (cos we are the only ones left), cos perhaps the airconditioned is centralised. But overall, u had fun, didnt u?
So what do u think,lil princess? Are u enjoying ur time here? Ok,omit the part where they turn off the air-con nearing closing time (cos we are the only ones left), cos perhaps the airconditioned is centralised. But overall, u had fun, didnt u?
Alhamdulillah,the event was a success.Thus I thank u all from the bottom of my heart for taking the time from ur busy schedule to be meet,eat and burp together.It was fun! And looking at old photos and laughing at old school stories. And how we changed tremendously over the years....Wow! Thank you...insya-Allah...Till next time...
Insya-Allah this is one place that one can come often cos it felt like family.The environment and ambience is nice and cosy too.
Sofra - Turkish Cafe & Restaurant
100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Tower
Shaw Leisure Gallery
Singapore 189702
Tel: (65) 6291 1433
Fax: (65) 6291 1983
For Reservation:
Tel (65) 6291 1433
View Larger Map
Road trip part 12-The finale at Senibong & Pandan
Beautiful scenery (across is Singapore) and sea breeze can lull u to sleep....
View Larger Map
Ok,where is my favourite SATAY stall?Here it is...
Mr Esa is a friendly man.He told us stories and how he was one of the first man to sell satay at Senibong when the kampung is still a mangrove swamp.And he has been selling satay for 28 years!! And there was a Singaporean businessman/women who wanted him so badly to teach his staff on how to cook his satay that his work permit, lodging, salary are all taken care of.But he refused to be bought over...
He said if you want ,just asked me and I will tell you the recipe....I am not a selfish person.To me Satay recipe is like a knowledge,spread it around...but then what I told you might taste different because it depends on the hand....(which is true-"air tangan" is powerful)He said even his wife who knew his recipe by hard are not able to make satay taste the way he does...Hmmm....
Come let's take a closer look at the satays...We had to wait about 20minutes thus we chat and laughed.Mr Esa further commented that the neighbouring seafood restaurant are all family owned and proudly showed us his sons who are the chefs.
As I watched him lovingly cooked the satays...my endless droolz have filled up dozens of buckets...
Overall verdict: What can I say...this is the best satay that I ever tasted.Even Kajang does not measure up.I was told that Satay batang pinang (beef) is the meat near the ribs/neck area ...thus its quite soft.And as usual,the satay will melt in ur mouth....MAMAMIA!
They do cater.....I was also told that they are closed on TUESDAY (which is today) but cos there is a family wedding on Sunday thus he has to replaced that off day with today.Alhamdulillah.Or else it will be a wasted trip if I cannot get to taste my favourite melt in the mouth satay...
U have to wait about 1o-15minutes before the staff take ur orders especially on weekends.
Twitter
Come let's take a closer look at the satays...We had to wait about 20minutes thus we chat and laughed.Mr Esa further commented that the neighbouring seafood restaurant are all family owned and proudly showed us his sons who are the chefs.
As I watched him lovingly cooked the satays...my endless droolz have filled up dozens of buckets...
Overall verdict: What can I say...this is the best satay that I ever tasted.Even Kajang does not measure up.I was told that Satay batang pinang (beef) is the meat near the ribs/neck area ...thus its quite soft.And as usual,the satay will melt in ur mouth....MAMAMIA!
They do cater.....I was also told that they are closed on TUESDAY (which is today) but cos there is a family wedding on Sunday thus he has to replaced that off day with today.Alhamdulillah.Or else it will be a wasted trip if I cannot get to taste my favourite melt in the mouth satay... REMEMBER: This satay stall only start at 6.30pm, not earlier than that.Closed on Tuesdays.Mutton satays are only available on Fridays.Do call him for further info.(below)
In my previous visit here, I failed to try their nasi lemak cos I do not know where it was.
But in actual fact,the signage was right in front of my face...heheh!
But in actual fact,the signage was right in front of my face...heheh!
This nasi lemak has many raving reviews on it.And so I decided to give it a try....
U have to wait about 1o-15minutes before the staff take ur orders especially on weekends. Take note that: Senibong food stalls only open from 6pm onwards till 12am...
DIY washing hand corner...YIKES!If u dont mind the cleanliness factor, its ok to eat it here...Its like a floating restaurant kinda like a kelong.But the food....
We asked what is popular here.The staff said Nasi lemak with fried chicken or chicken rendang.We chose chicken rendang.
is indeed DELICIOUS! hi-5! It tasted like what authentic nasi lemak should be.Like homecooked kampung kind of nasi lemak ...so shiok!!And look at the halba seeds...My mama told me that to make nasi lemak much yummier, add those halba seeds...in the rice...
The rendang is nice too,complement the nasi lemak even further.And the weird thing is they serve nasi lemak with indian pappadam crackers....and stir fried...long beans.The sambal is sweet.But the yummyness factor comes from the rice and chicken.POWER!
There's a mosque nearby-3 mins away so dont worry....
Previous post on Senibong:
http://www.putriberendam.com/food-network/satay-batang-pinang-at-senibong/
Let's head to SMART Pandan wholesale market which normally operates evening onwards till 2am daily.Its a huge place with many goodies from food to clothes,bags and they have tents that hold many pasar malam (cheap bazaar stuff)products....
View Larger Map
What are gear box soup?
Its just the mutton legs soup...and this broth aint the thick spicy indian ones but healthy clear broth...and for that spicy-kick add the black chilli paste in moderation. SPICYly delicious!Dont fotget to use the straw to suck out the bone marrow goodness...
One of my favourite porridge stall below....
We ordered the fried Quail in spices(berempah) without any rice..its GOOD! 
This kopitiam sells some goat's milk ice-cream.... Will there be any unwanted (bandut)smell?
I find this advertisement kinda corny....
After this,we head back home....Aah..its good to be home...alhamdulillah...Time to knit some sweet dreams....from the beautiful memories of this journey...
View Larger Map
Alhamdulillah....There is a butcher cum restaurant shop which I had always visualised Singapore halal meat butchers should have (how about it Zac meat?)
Ok before I start,this is one of the many dilemmas that I faced when food blogging. I try to staty true to what I feel and taste but sometimes, I do not want that comments to be a setback but instead use it as a constructive criticism to improve,ok?
U can say ..who am I to criticize food,right? I am not a chef nor I am a food connoisseur.Im just like everyone,a customer with irregular mood swings,sometimes fussy kind of tastebuds.But the fact is that everyone is a CRITIC.Its innate.So many times, when we are not satisfied with the product/service,we say it out to our friends, our family...somehow these comments get spread out like wild fire just thru a word of mouth.Even if we are the silent type, we either voice it out in twitter/blogs or we silently avoid that shop at all cost...and so silently the shop will lose its customer and closed without knowing their mistakes and how to improved..
So reader, read this with an open mind and do give these HALAL eateries that are featured ur utmost support irregardless what I say...cos who knows they might improve and prove me wrong? My so-called "job" is to push their limits to higher standards so that they can soar to greater heights and succeed...
As I enter, I was greeted warmly that I was surprised by the chirpy greetings from the owner...and I thought that its gonna be a good service with friendly and positive vibes,insya-Allah...
Then we sat...
The butcher cum restaurant is nicely decorated.Simple.
fyi-The shop also sells ribs, meat balls and many other types of meat e.g cold cuts and all that...
I didnt give up....I decided to approach the male boss.But he was busy with a customer.I stood near them for a good 5-10 minutes and no one not even the boss can sense that I am waiting to talk to him.At least,the staff should asked me what I want.
After that, my face kinda show its disappointment and I looked at the waitress helplessly.She showed me a blank look....
And then, as I sat down and forgot about it, the male boss goes out of sight.And the waitress knowingly that I wanted to talk to the boss (and to pass him my name card to explain what Im doing cos Im excited about this new butcher restaurant thingy)..did nothing...
As a restaurant ,it lack a certain communication between customers and staff and attentiveness to cater to customer needs.Irregardless of whether there is a service charge,there must always be an open communication and attentiveness (customer service) between us.
The only chirpy moments were the greetings and that stop there.Thruout our meal,there isnt anyone to check whether we need anything at all...there was a time, no one was even there...I wondered where everyone go....
I am seriously excited about this shop and wanted to share my excitement with the owner and the world.Cos the westerners have it in major countries,its time we have our own too...but I cannot seem to be able to talk to anyone about it here.The waitress often shrugged as I tried to show what Im trying to do....
fyi-We are the only dine-in customers at that moment...and the shop is not busy...Staff should be attentive to customer needs.And they saw us taking shots with all that flash and all that but they were not the least intrigued or asked us ,create some conversations...at least have that "I-am- interested" kind of attitude.... but instead we got the nonchalant kind of attitude...
As for the food..we paid a good price for it and expect it to be good.Furthermore,its supposed to be a quality cut. I can forgive all the lacking services if the food is good.But again, I was disappointed. Some parts of the meat are kinda chewy and I felt (although I have no idea how a wagyu should tasted like) that it can be greatly improved.
Wagyu steak- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu
The succulent fats...
Angus beef- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_cattle
Quite tasty with its charbroiled taste lingers as u take a second bite...
The wagyu tasted ok..not as expected, I felt that some steaks back home are much better and its not even premium steak/wagyu....I felt very disappointed with the Wagyu steak.
As for the Angus,it is much better tasting than Wagyu...Delicious.But again, it can be improved...I dont feel the 5 stars yummy factor in the meat cooked...neither is the service...
The salad is just the typical greenies and overwhelming taste of thousand island sauce on it..nothing special...
But since its a newbie thus it deserves a second chance....
Why dont u read about them (unbiasedly) here:
http://www.friedchillies.com/index.php/site/detail/las-vacas/
p.s: I realised that the nonchalant attitude is the same here in Singapore in some Malay eateries when I told them what I was doing.Some even told me "No needlah take photos, we just had our interviews with the major media reporters recently.."
But if I tell the Chinese eateries, they will treat you like a VIP (Dont worry, I have not been bought over, as usual I did not reveal myself until I finished the meal)
Ok,I admit, Im a small fry but then the internet is a powerful medium to gain more customers worldwide.And to me,when doing business and when someone is promoting u for FREE,grab it...dont asked questions or be negative about it/worse say remarks to prevent it from happening,"jangan tolak rezeki" (dont push an impending wealth away)-as my grandaddy used to say...
Hmm....
DIY washing hand corner...YIKES!If u dont mind the cleanliness factor, its ok to eat it here...Its like a floating restaurant kinda like a kelong.But the food....
We asked what is popular here.The staff said Nasi lemak with fried chicken or chicken rendang.We chose chicken rendang.
is indeed DELICIOUS! hi-5! It tasted like what authentic nasi lemak should be.Like homecooked kampung kind of nasi lemak ...so shiok!!And look at the halba seeds...My mama told me that to make nasi lemak much yummier, add those halba seeds...in the rice...
The rendang is nice too,complement the nasi lemak even further.And the weird thing is they serve nasi lemak with indian pappadam crackers....and stir fried...long beans.The sambal is sweet.But the yummyness factor comes from the rice and chicken.POWER!
Coconut jelly is like a cold slimy sweet savoury jelly with strands of coconut flesh.I think they used the pulp and coconut juice to make it into a jelly.One of the MBs said that he has tasted better ones in KL (near some stadium) and the jelly is inside a real coconut fruit.Cool...
the green apple juice is not bad too...
There's a mosque nearby-3 mins away so dont worry....
Previous post on Senibong:
http://www.putriberendam.com/food-network/satay-batang-pinang-at-senibong/
Let's head to SMART Pandan wholesale market which normally operates evening onwards till 2am daily.Its a huge place with many goodies from food to clothes,bags and they have tents that hold many pasar malam (cheap bazaar stuff)products....
View Larger Map
What are gear box soup?
Its just the mutton legs soup...and this broth aint the thick spicy indian ones but healthy clear broth...and for that spicy-kick add the black chilli paste in moderation. SPICYly delicious!Dont fotget to use the straw to suck out the bone marrow goodness...
One of my favourite porridge stall below....
We ordered the fried Quail in spices(berempah) without any rice..its GOOD!
This kopitiam sells some goat's milk ice-cream.... Will there be any unwanted (bandut)smell?
I find this advertisement kinda corny....
After this,we head back home....Aah..its good to be home...alhamdulillah...Time to knit some sweet dreams....from the beautiful memories of this journey...
Road Trip part 11-Angus and Wagyu steak!!
View Larger Map
Alhamdulillah....There is a butcher cum restaurant shop which I had always visualised Singapore halal meat butchers should have (how about it Zac meat?)
Ok before I start,this is one of the many dilemmas that I faced when food blogging. I try to staty true to what I feel and taste but sometimes, I do not want that comments to be a setback but instead use it as a constructive criticism to improve,ok?
U can say ..who am I to criticize food,right? I am not a chef nor I am a food connoisseur.Im just like everyone,a customer with irregular mood swings,sometimes fussy kind of tastebuds.But the fact is that everyone is a CRITIC.Its innate.So many times, when we are not satisfied with the product/service,we say it out to our friends, our family...somehow these comments get spread out like wild fire just thru a word of mouth.Even if we are the silent type, we either voice it out in twitter/blogs or we silently avoid that shop at all cost...and so silently the shop will lose its customer and closed without knowing their mistakes and how to improved..
So reader, read this with an open mind and do give these HALAL eateries that are featured ur utmost support irregardless what I say...cos who knows they might improve and prove me wrong? My so-called "job" is to push their limits to higher standards so that they can soar to greater heights and succeed...
As I enter, I was greeted warmly that I was surprised by the chirpy greetings from the owner...and I thought that its gonna be a good service with friendly and positive vibes,insya-Allah...
Then we sat...
The butcher cum restaurant is nicely decorated.Simple.Unsure what to order I asked the waitress to help me.I saw WAGYU steak.My heart leapt with joy.I asked the waitress to explain to me more about WAGYU since Ive heard about the cows being smoothered in sake/alcoholic beverages on its fur and made to drink them...something like that...but the waitress patiently explained that this is a HALAL butcher and the cows used are just like those pampered cows with good life and getting all those massages and good food but no alcohol/sake is used in their rearing to ensure its HALAL ness.
After a satisfactory reply, I proceed to order.We were quite full.And so the steaks that I chose are the smallest ones...
And then I saw ANGUS..angus beef refer to its breed....its top notch quality breed...and we order that too....
The waitress proceed with the order.She saw us bringing in our water bottles filled with plain water (yeah we bring our own water bottles everywhere)and when we did not want any drinks,she asked "How about iced water?" I was busy deep in thoughts and just nod my head....
After a satisfactory reply, I proceed to order.We were quite full.And so the steaks that I chose are the smallest ones...
And then I saw ANGUS..angus beef refer to its breed....its top notch quality breed...and we order that too....
The waitress proceed with the order.She saw us bringing in our water bottles filled with plain water (yeah we bring our own water bottles everywhere)and when we did not want any drinks,she asked "How about iced water?" I was busy deep in thoughts and just nod my head....
And to my horror, we were billed for the water.I am not "Kiam-kana" (stingy) but please...at least,have the initiative to inform us that we will be charged...
Then as the waitress told the chef about my order and how I want it to be done-mediumwell,the boss shouted to the chef"Ensure that both sides are cooked exactly 2 minutes"...
I was like.. Hmm...why didnt the owner cooked the food himself...Is that an untrained chef or what?Ok, I should give everyone a chance... *muttering silently to myself
After that, I asked the waitress permission to take pictures of the meat display.She said No.
Then as the waitress told the chef about my order and how I want it to be done-mediumwell,the boss shouted to the chef"Ensure that both sides are cooked exactly 2 minutes"...
I was like.. Hmm...why didnt the owner cooked the food himself...Is that an untrained chef or what?Ok, I should give everyone a chance... *muttering silently to myself
After that, I asked the waitress permission to take pictures of the meat display.She said No.
fyi-The shop also sells ribs, meat balls and many other types of meat e.g cold cuts and all that...
I didnt give up....I decided to approach the male boss.But he was busy with a customer.I stood near them for a good 5-10 minutes and no one not even the boss can sense that I am waiting to talk to him.At least,the staff should asked me what I want.
After that, my face kinda show its disappointment and I looked at the waitress helplessly.She showed me a blank look....
And then, as I sat down and forgot about it, the male boss goes out of sight.And the waitress knowingly that I wanted to talk to the boss (and to pass him my name card to explain what Im doing cos Im excited about this new butcher restaurant thingy)..did nothing...
As a restaurant ,it lack a certain communication between customers and staff and attentiveness to cater to customer needs.Irregardless of whether there is a service charge,there must always be an open communication and attentiveness (customer service) between us.
The only chirpy moments were the greetings and that stop there.Thruout our meal,there isnt anyone to check whether we need anything at all...there was a time, no one was even there...I wondered where everyone go....
I am seriously excited about this shop and wanted to share my excitement with the owner and the world.Cos the westerners have it in major countries,its time we have our own too...but I cannot seem to be able to talk to anyone about it here.The waitress often shrugged as I tried to show what Im trying to do....
fyi-We are the only dine-in customers at that moment...and the shop is not busy...Staff should be attentive to customer needs.And they saw us taking shots with all that flash and all that but they were not the least intrigued or asked us ,create some conversations...at least have that "I-am- interested" kind of attitude.... but instead we got the nonchalant kind of attitude...
As for the food..we paid a good price for it and expect it to be good.Furthermore,its supposed to be a quality cut. I can forgive all the lacking services if the food is good.But again, I was disappointed. Some parts of the meat are kinda chewy and I felt (although I have no idea how a wagyu should tasted like) that it can be greatly improved.
Wagyu steak- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu
The succulent fats...
Angus beef- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_cattle
Quite tasty with its charbroiled taste lingers as u take a second bite...
The wagyu tasted ok..not as expected, I felt that some steaks back home are much better and its not even premium steak/wagyu....I felt very disappointed with the Wagyu steak.As for the Angus,it is much better tasting than Wagyu...Delicious.But again, it can be improved...I dont feel the 5 stars yummy factor in the meat cooked...neither is the service...
The salad is just the typical greenies and overwhelming taste of thousand island sauce on it..nothing special...
Perhaps our sloppy appearance with ruffled messy hairdo and clothings plus flips flops...did not do justice to our seriousness in taking our food blogging seriously and attract that attention that we crave.If that is so, I need a MAKEOVER,anyone care to help me with that? Hmm...
But since its a newbie thus it deserves a second chance....
http://www.friedchillies.com/index.php/site/detail/las-vacas/
p.s: I realised that the nonchalant attitude is the same here in Singapore in some Malay eateries when I told them what I was doing.Some even told me "No needlah take photos, we just had our interviews with the major media reporters recently.."
But if I tell the Chinese eateries, they will treat you like a VIP (Dont worry, I have not been bought over, as usual I did not reveal myself until I finished the meal)
Ok,I admit, Im a small fry but then the internet is a powerful medium to gain more customers worldwide.And to me,when doing business and when someone is promoting u for FREE,grab it...dont asked questions or be negative about it/worse say remarks to prevent it from happening,"jangan tolak rezeki" (dont push an impending wealth away)-as my grandaddy used to say...
Hmm....
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