The Good Customer

WHAT? : Japanese-style prawn curry.  (Confession: This dish is actually served with 5 prawns, not 4, as shown in the above picture. I was so hungry that day that I had a prawn before remembering to take this shot. OOOPPS!)

WHY? : Entree was part of a “lunch set”. Served with coffee or tea. Delicious and well prepared with little extras such as almond silvers and pickled ginger.

HOW MUCH? : $11.99 for the set. An excellent deal!

WHERE? :

MORE: Formerly known as UCC Cafe Plaza, Aoyama Cafe is renowned for their UCC coffee blends – a brand that has been developed over the past 70 years. Choose your own individually “siphoned coffee” from a variety of coffee blends such as No. 1 Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaii Kona, and Sumiyaki (charcoal roast). Food is a fusion of Japanese and European - pastas, rice dishes, sandwiches, and desserts.

NOTES:  Had a wonderful experience at this location. Staff were exceptionally attentive and gracious.  Restaurant is divided into 2 sections – dining room and cafe. There is a minimum charge of $10 per person in the dining room. The airy and comfortable dining section is decorated with sleek, modern furniture. A lovely environment indeed!

Popularity: 19% [?]

“Oh look …. a castle!”  

In the midst of newly constructed high rises, hotels, and shopping centres lies this beautiful “castle”. What used to be a predominantly residential area is now awakened with the boom of commercialism. And with that the Khaisilk Corporation has added another restaurant to their list – Cham Charm Gallery Cuisine. As noted in it’s name, the establishment is both a restaurant and gallery. From what I know, a great deal of attention was put into designing the building and its interior.

Cham Charmis almost a miniature museum of artifacts and sculptural works from the culturally rich “Champa” period (2nd to 12th century). A period that played a significant role in shaping the political and cultural history of South East Asia.

With over 16,000 square feet, this multi level restaurant boasts an open air terrace with 360 degree view, cigar & cognac lounge, and over 1,300 bottles of select wine.

Offering fine dining, private dining, specialty buffets, and champagne brunches, this restaurant is indeed a destination. Oh, and the food! A well appointed menu with selections from all over the world.

Upon entering this colossal building, you are immediately transformed into another era. Working personnel are a plenty and are always on hand to assist. Customer service is absolutely divine. You can’t help but feel like royalty, dining in your own majestic palace. 

Cham Charm is a truly lavish dining experience that will tantalize all your senses!

Located in District 7 in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. 02 Phan Van  Chuong Street,   Phu My Hung New Urban             Tel: (08) 5410 9999        Cham Charm website

Popularity: 100% [?]

~Great Food Better Lives~

About 20 years ago, a local Seattle chef/entrepreneur embarked on a journey to give back to the community. He started Common Meals, an organization to provide meals to disadvantaged individuals in the city. 4 years later, this community service program transformed into Farestart – a program designed not only to feed these individuals but also enable them to help themselves. Today, Farestart is a 16 week job training program for the food services industry. The students are disadvantaged individuals, many who are homeless. By offering both hands-on and classroom training, the program provides opportunities that may not be readily available to these students.

In 2007, Farestart Restaurant opened it’s doors. Not only is it a restaurant, but also a training facility for its students. All of the proceeds from the restaurant go directly back into the training program. Patrons can show their support by dining with the restaurant Monday to Friday 11am – 2pm or on Thursday evenings 6pm – 8pm, when they host special chef nights.

I had the pleasure to enjoy a wonderful lunch here on a Monday afternoon. The restaurant is housed in a corner building with floor to ceiling windows on 2 sides of the restaurant. Coupled with the high ceilings, the restaurant is inundated with natural light. In addition to regular tables, there is one enormous community table in the centre of the restaurant. Towards the back of the restaurant, the glass wall window reveals the entire kitchen – a true glimpse into the whole operation.

Upon our arrival we were greeted warmly by the hostess. After being seated out server came by to run through the specials of the day. In anticipation for my visit, I had already perused their menu online and knew that I would have difficulty in choosing from the delectable items listed. This became more of a feat after hearing the specials. But alas, I had to go with the signature “field roast” sandwich – can’t go wrong with anything “signature”. Food was professionally presented and served. And most importantly, delicious!

The service was top notch. Both genuine and gracious, our server was readily available and offered excellent suggestions.  Being the observant person that I am, I am always aware of my surroundings and noted that the service was consistent throughout the restaurant.

An amazing concept, a well-run operation, and wonderful food. With a stomach warm with food, I couldn’t help but feel a warming in my heart. A truly unique experience for the good customer!

www.farestart.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

When one thinks of a “pub”… Irish and English are immediately brought to mind. But a Canadian pub? Yes, there is such a thing and it is fittingly named The Flying Beaver.

The Flying Beaver is part of the Mark James Group of Vancouver. Mark James Group is renowned for their clothing store – an institution in the Kitslano neighbourhood. But they also own a chain of pubs and brewhouses throughout the lower mainland.

Since this restaurant is housed in the Harbour Air Terminal, every seat comes with a view! Whether you are seated inside or on the patio you can enjoy the views of the Fraser river and witness the float planes coming in for landing on the water out front.

As with most pubs, this one operates on the “seat-yourself” protocol, which quickly transpires to “first-come-first-seat” on busy nights. It can get quite hectic but everyone seems to be pretty good natured about the whole process.

The wait staff consistently offer great service. Rain or shine, breakfast, lunch or dinner…  I am always in awe of how the staff handle themselves in the “thick” of restaurant rush. On weekend nights, this bar can be somewhat chaotic. As soon as I seat myself, a server always arrives promptly. Somehow within the chaotic environment, you are made to feel like you are the only customer in the restaurant. And I must say that this phenomenon occurs all the time, regardless of time of day, or the server. Pat on the back to the management for having such a dynamic team of personnel.

Plus, the food is excellent! Tasty and generous in portion. Great drink specials – $5.00 martinis on Tuesdays. Plus daily dinner specials. 30 cent “Wing Wednesday” and $10.00″Flat Iron Steak Dinner Thursdays” are locals’ favourites.

Wonderful environment, excellent staff, and delicious food… a good customer experience indeed.

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Beecher's~

WHAT? : Beechers Handmade Cheese. An artisan cheese shop specializing in their own line of handcrafted cheeses.

WHY? : Uses all natural ingredients and milk from local single-herd dairies in the production of their cheeses. What does this mean? No artificial preservatives. No bovine growth hormones. Greater control over quality and purity of milk.

A neat little shop where you can witness the process of cheese-making. Then head on over to the food counter to try their famous “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese, grilled-to-order sandwiches, or homemade soup. On your way out don’t forget to pick up some of their “flagship reserve cheese”, named America’s Best Cheddar (2007) by the American Cheese Society. Lots of souvenirs, cheese supplies, and cookbooks to choose from as well.

WHERE? : 1600 Pike Place,  Seattle, WA,  USA   (206) 956-1964       www.beechershandmadecheese.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

~Matt's In The Market~

Nestled in Pike Place  – Seattle’s historic waterfront public market, is Matt’s In The Market. A casual fine dining establishment in a quaint setting on the 3rd floor of the Corner Market building. The inviting space boasts high arched windows allowing for natural light and a tremendous view of the market and parts of Elliot Bay.

The minute we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by one of the staff members. We were lead to a table in the middle of restaurant. I then noticed a corner table by the window and asked if we could be seated there. The host sincerely apologized and informed me that the table was specifically requested by another reservation. Often times when I make a table change request at a restaurant I am given attitude or I am not offered any explanation or apology as to why my request cannot be obliged.

Service throughout lunch was gracious and consistent. We felt fully catered to from the moment we sat down to the time of our departure. I noticed that the restaurant was busy at about 90% capacity, but all of the service personnel seemed cool, calm, and collected.  Oh, did I mention happy too? Nice to see employees actually enjoying their job. Makes for a pleasant environment. Less chaos is a good thing!

Upon our departure, we needed to make a stop at the “facilities”. The location of the washrooms were outside of the restaurant. Instead of giving us directions, the host actually walked us out to its location. What service!

As we made out way out, we were asked how we enjoyed our dining experience. It’s such a simple question but I don’t hear it often enough. It’s not unusual for the server to ask how your food is after you have been served. But I cherish the times when I am asked about my experience at the end of my visit. So often restaurants lose sight of the big picture – sometimes its not just about the food. One’s dining experience encompasses many aspects such as service and atmosphere.

Popularity: 5% [?]

WHAT? : $10 for Pasta Dishes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. 10 varieties to choose from!

WHY? : Because it’s a wonderful deal from a fabulous Italian restaurant – renowned for their pasta

WHERE? : Quattro’s On Fourth; 2611 4th Avenue, Vancouver BC; 604-734-4444

~ check out their website for their pasta menu  -  www.q4restaurant.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

~Classified~

After my visit to this cute eatery – an off shoot of it’s parent restaurant The Press Room, I am disappointed in myself. How did I not know about this place???

Due to it’s location on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, there is definitely less traffic here than Central. Thus the several tables outside has a perfect “sidewalk cafe” feel. When you enter the restaurant you are confronted with the large deli counter encasing their charcuterie meats, sandwiches, salads, and even desserts. You will notice the daily specials on the chalkboard which usually consist of soups, pastas, and sandwiches.

My visit on a weekend night found the patio area full and “happening”,  despite the heat and humidity. We took a seat inside at the large square communal table. Menu was tres cute being that it was in the form of a newspaper. I noticed that there was a staircase that lead to what looked a like a loft area. Most notably, I saw a glass room overlooking from above – full of cheese!

Not being able to find the cheese selections from the menu we asked one the servers. She informed us that there were platters that could be put together. Prices depended on how many types of cheese you chose. A small platter with 3 selections (approx 100 grams each) served with quince paste and a basket of bread – $155 HKD.

The real experience was when our server brought us upstairs to Asia’s first walk-in temperature and humidity controlled cheese room. Instead of choosing your selection from a menu or a deli counter, you are invited to personally taste and choose your cheese. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and are eager to offer suggestions. A wonderful experience and lesson!

After exiting the cheese room, we decided to seat ourselves at the enormous communal table upstairs in the wine room. Surrounded by 3 walls of wines and the cheese room, it is indeed a cozy atmosphere. Love the idea that you can make your drink selection by picking a bottle of wine off the shelf.

All of the staff and extremely friendly and very attentive. They don’t usually stay around upstairs but check back quite often to make sure you are doing alright. In the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong city, it’s a treasure to find a place to enjoy a casual but intimate meal with personable service.

I was most impressed with this way of consuming. A hands on approach that is user friendly for all – especially for those who are not all that familiar with the products.

~The Cheese Room~

~The Wine Room~

Popularity: 4% [?]

~SML Hong Kong~

Concept: Customize your dining experience by choosing your portion size for anything on the menu. I was immediately intrigued by this novel approach to dining. Taking a friend as a test partner, we embarked on a mission to test the feasibility of this concept.

Located in the Times Square Food Forum of Causeway Bay, Hong Kong is SML. Where are the vowels? No it’s not a spelling mistake. It’s an acronym for Small Medium Large. Some would consider this as a tapas type of restaurant, but I beg to differ. Upon opening the menu, you will find it resembles a classic menu. There are clearly defined sections – appetizers, mains, desserts, drinks. However, after each menu item there are 3 different prices under the 3 columns of small, medium, large. This was the theme throughout the whole menu. You could even order drinks in 3 different sizes.  Great way to try different cocktails or sample different wines without becoming utterly “sloshed”.

A truly fabulous and diverse dining experience. We must have ordered 4-5 different mains (small, of course); ordered 2-3 different “carbs”; and even some large portions of appetizers. Why? Because we could! A perfect place for the “indecisive one”, the “picky one”, the “peckish one” or the “hungry one”.

The possibilities are limitless. A truly customizable dining experience. The Good Customer likes this!

Bonus feature: There are a LOT of personnel working at this establishment. The ratio of server to patron was unbelievable! Thus, customer service was remarkable! Quick, efficient, and friendly staff. Can’t ask for anything more.

Popularity: 1% [?]

~Deconstructing The Crabs~

~Hairy Crab Deconstructed~

~Xiefen (crabmeat+crab roe sauce) Over Peashoots~

What? : Hairy Crab ( Da Zha Xie) aka “Chinese Mitten Crab”. Referred as such because of its dense patch of dark hair on it’s claws. Can be found in lakes across Jiangsu province which borders on Shanghai, China.

Why? : Between the months of September to November – the season to sample this delicacy coined “asian foie gras”. Can be prepared various ways, but the most popular and simplest is steamed with ginger to preserve it’s “fresh” taste.  Not a “meaty” crab, it is prized for it’s “roe” and “sweet tasting flesh” which can be enhanced by dipping into malt vinegar. Doesn’t sound appetizing? Dining on hairy crabs is an experience in itself! Who doesn’t want to use utensils specifically manufactured for these these tasty crustaceans?

Where? : These photos were taken from our dining escapade at Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant. Alpha House Basement, 27-33 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong   2366-7244

Popularity: 1% [?]