Having eaten at this restaurant before, I was keen to go back for some more of their rendang and roti.
A free-standing sign outside the entrance read "please wait to be seated". Dutifully, I stood by the sign and waited.
A middle-aged, English looking and speaking man in a white shirt (which I later found out from a member of the waiting staff was the manager) shouted across to me (he was leaning on a chair at the time by one of the outside tables); he had evidently assumed I was not hearing impaired and was English speaking. However, with the noise of the rush hour traffic (it was approximately 5.15pm), I miss heard him and thought he said to wait (apparently he had said "go ahead in", or something similar.
He then spoke again, this time louder, with no attempt to come closer, and with an expression that came across as one of annoyance, saying "do you want to sit inside or outside" , to which I replied "inside".
He then led me to a table saying "you can sit here", and left me.
Shortly after, a young asian member of staff in a black shirt took my order; thankfully, he was very pleasant and attentive.
While eating, the manager in the white shirt reappeared and gathered the waiters and waitresses together and spoke to them at considerable length and loud enough that it was impossible for me to ignore. Fortunately, I was eating alone and not trying to have a conversation with a dinner date.
Sadly, although the rendang is good, it is not good enough to make me want to go back to this restaurant again. I do not appreciate being shouted at from across a restaurant so that I have to strain my ears to hear and raise my voice in response so as to be heard.
Perhaps the sign "please wait to be seated" should be changed to "please wait to be shouted at". read more