Cantonese Soup Kitchen: A sad tale of a take out

My visit: April 22, 2010

This week was such a busy week for me. DH was away for four days and I have to be his mini me in his office. And had to go to his brother's place every after office to eat dinner as I was left to fend for myself haha I usually drop by the restaurants along Banawe St. to take out afternoon snacks for my nephews and nieces before going to my BIL's place. I had been to Causeway's on Monday, Fu Chi Dumpling's on Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday I invited myself over to AC's place for a sumptuous lumpia- thanks AC and finally yesterday, my long horrible wait for dimsum take out at Cantonese Soup Kitchen.

I came to know the owner from a blogger event over a month ago held in his restaurant. The food was great, no doubt and I wrote a thumbs up review about it even before the blogger event but the service I got yesterday was terrible and the staffs offered no apologies and what's worse was the waiter lied in front of my face! The nerve! 

I got to the restaurant before five in the afternoon and was able to avail the buy 1 take 1 dimsum promo. The promo is valid only from 2-5pm price discounted at PhP43 each order. I ordered 2 siopao and 2 Japanese siomai and a century egg with pork porridge.  I asked the waiter how long will it take for the take out and he told me around 10 minutes as dimsum needs to be steamed. I asked for the bill and paid for the order in advance.There were only three other tables occupied, one was a lady eating her order with take out. Next to my table, a couple were eating already and another table, a family, waiting for their order. The lady went out of the restaurant already, the table beside me paid their bill and left, I was looking at the clock, it was already 15 minutes. I looked at the menu again, I opted to order sweet and sour pork rice topping since they have a 20% discount on all rice topping. The order came out in about five minutes. So, what was wrong with my dimsum and porridge? I told the waiter who took my order to follow it up in their kitchen. He said OK but proceeded to clean the table left by the couple beside me. Since nobody, all four personnel, was minding my order, I went to the register and asked politely for refund and to cancel my order if they have forgotten about it- porridge and 4 dimsum. The same waiter ,who took my order, went back up and told me that my orders were already being packed. OK, I said. I was still composed and patiently waited. What irked me was when a girl staff asked the waiter about my order and the waiter motioned about my take out still being prepared, acting it out like forgetting to put inside or something like that. The nerve... he told me they were being packed already. So, that was why  it's taking too long! Another 10 minutes, I got up and told the cashier I am leaving and I want my refund. She asked me what were my orders as she can't find the order form. OMG! I told her to send my money to my car. The take out were supposed to be an afternoon snack and NOT dinner for the kids! The family, the only table left, had already finished eating at this point. I was out of the restaurant when the same waiter handed to me the four dimsum. I said OK refund my money for the porridge then. By this time, this waiter was already scowling at me- who was patiently waiting all 30 minutes for my take out. I was inside my car when he bang the back of my car, this time porridge in his hand. He gave me the porridge and left. Nice touch, eh?

I don't know if I will get the same treatment if their boss was manning the restaurant at that time. With inefficient staff like this, I hope the owner gets to read this post so he can do something about it. 

I went to Ersao after the horrible take out incident. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes! I ordered a pearl milk tea and spicy squid. And yes, The spicy squid needed to be cooked!

So much for an afternoon snack! I got to my BIL's place a little too late!

PostScript:


I got an email today, April 29, 2010, from the wife of the owner and she apologized in behalf of the whole CSK team for her staff's inefficiency. An apology that I accept ; )