My family and I had Eden dim sum at the beginning of the month. We went to Eden primarily because of their Merdeka promotion which offered 50% off on all dim sum between 10.00am to 4.00pm on weekends. It sounded like a real good bargain so we wanted to try it out.
We arrived at Eden around 12.15pm on a Saturday and were told that we would have to wait for about 15 – 20 minutes for a table. We weren’t that hungry, so we agreed to wait. Minutes passed by as we chatted and then we saw two tables of people finish and come out to pay. Great, I thought. We’d be able to get our place soon. But this is where the service culture of Eden fails.
Even as customers who had finished dining came out table after table, we (the new customers) were left to wait and were not seated as the Eden staff scrambled to let the exiting customers pay the bill first before they left. I don’t understand why it takes a minimum of two staff to man the cashier counter. And these were not trainee staff, mind you. At one point, four staff surrounded the cash register – three watching while one attempted to work both the cash machine and the credit card terminal. And all this while the customers continued to pile up and the line grew longer.
By then we had been waiting for 15 minutes and we could see four empty tables inside the restaurant. This was not only remarked upon by us but also by the customers who had arrived after us. When one lady asked the staff why we were not seated despite the empty table inside, the girl at the counter brusquely replied: “Even if I let you sit at the table, you will still have to wait for the dim sum as it is finished. So you have to wait out here.” ??? What kind of logic is this? You could have let us know that there would be a short wait for the dim sum but let your customers sit down at the tables first, order their drinks, look at the menu, etc.
After another five minutes, we were finally seated at the table, but not before we had to tell the waitress we wanted to sit at the table that was already laid with cutlery and not the hastily half cleaned table she directed us to. And we didn't have to wait for the dim sum as the waitress claimed earlier because the moment we were seated, the trolley of steamed stuff arrived.
But enough about the service. On to the food! The range of dim sum did not impress. There was a limited range of steamed/fried/dessert-type dim sum available. And because Eden is a certified halal restaurant, I’m sure pork-lovers would say that it’s not authentic enough. *grin* We had most of whatever was available, like the ubiquitous siew mai, har kau, char siu pao. We also had the phoenix claws (chicken feet), chee cheong fun, porridge and egg tarts amongst others. The portions were very small - so small that each dim sum was no more than a bite (or two for those with small mouths). Some of the dim sum was also hastily prepared, because the steamed stuff "stuck" to the paper.
Ordering is a bit of a hassle because there isn't a proper dim sum menu, just a badly photocopied piece of paper to indicate which types of dim sum you've consumed. If the dim sum on the trolley has run out, you wouldn't know which types were missing. Another case of really bad planning and service was when we were told at 1.00pm (three quarters into our meal) that they had run out of dim sum and would NOT be replenishing it. The promotion which had been advertised stated that this would be available between 10.00am till 4.00pm, and did not say "while stocks last". We saw a number of disappointed patrons turned away and you can bet that it doesn't enhance Eden's reputation.
The branch at the Curve which we went to is rather small and cramped - the dim sum trolleys were manuveured with great difficulty to avoid bumping into patrons' chairs and the tables were messily cleaned without much attention to cleaniness. But if you can look past that, the ambience is alright and a plus point in their favour is that they provide free wifi. LOL!
In short, the food was alright, but the promotion was rather deceiving and the service sucked. Not likely to return again.
**********
rinnah's makan hut rating: * 1/2 * - I'm not exactly jumping up and down about it
We arrived at Eden around 12.15pm on a Saturday and were told that we would have to wait for about 15 – 20 minutes for a table. We weren’t that hungry, so we agreed to wait. Minutes passed by as we chatted and then we saw two tables of people finish and come out to pay. Great, I thought. We’d be able to get our place soon. But this is where the service culture of Eden fails.
Even as customers who had finished dining came out table after table, we (the new customers) were left to wait and were not seated as the Eden staff scrambled to let the exiting customers pay the bill first before they left. I don’t understand why it takes a minimum of two staff to man the cashier counter. And these were not trainee staff, mind you. At one point, four staff surrounded the cash register – three watching while one attempted to work both the cash machine and the credit card terminal. And all this while the customers continued to pile up and the line grew longer.
By then we had been waiting for 15 minutes and we could see four empty tables inside the restaurant. This was not only remarked upon by us but also by the customers who had arrived after us. When one lady asked the staff why we were not seated despite the empty table inside, the girl at the counter brusquely replied: “Even if I let you sit at the table, you will still have to wait for the dim sum as it is finished. So you have to wait out here.” ??? What kind of logic is this? You could have let us know that there would be a short wait for the dim sum but let your customers sit down at the tables first, order their drinks, look at the menu, etc.
After another five minutes, we were finally seated at the table, but not before we had to tell the waitress we wanted to sit at the table that was already laid with cutlery and not the hastily half cleaned table she directed us to. And we didn't have to wait for the dim sum as the waitress claimed earlier because the moment we were seated, the trolley of steamed stuff arrived.
But enough about the service. On to the food! The range of dim sum did not impress. There was a limited range of steamed/fried/dessert-type dim sum available. And because Eden is a certified halal restaurant, I’m sure pork-lovers would say that it’s not authentic enough. *grin* We had most of whatever was available, like the ubiquitous siew mai, har kau, char siu pao. We also had the phoenix claws (chicken feet), chee cheong fun, porridge and egg tarts amongst others. The portions were very small - so small that each dim sum was no more than a bite (or two for those with small mouths). Some of the dim sum was also hastily prepared, because the steamed stuff "stuck" to the paper.
Ordering is a bit of a hassle because there isn't a proper dim sum menu, just a badly photocopied piece of paper to indicate which types of dim sum you've consumed. If the dim sum on the trolley has run out, you wouldn't know which types were missing. Another case of really bad planning and service was when we were told at 1.00pm (three quarters into our meal) that they had run out of dim sum and would NOT be replenishing it. The promotion which had been advertised stated that this would be available between 10.00am till 4.00pm, and did not say "while stocks last". We saw a number of disappointed patrons turned away and you can bet that it doesn't enhance Eden's reputation.
The branch at the Curve which we went to is rather small and cramped - the dim sum trolleys were manuveured with great difficulty to avoid bumping into patrons' chairs and the tables were messily cleaned without much attention to cleaniness. But if you can look past that, the ambience is alright and a plus point in their favour is that they provide free wifi. LOL!
In short, the food was alright, but the promotion was rather deceiving and the service sucked. Not likely to return again.
**********
rinnah's makan hut rating: * 1/2 * - I'm not exactly jumping up and down about it
6 comments:
Doesn't sound good to me at all!
My brother took me to a buffet dim sum in KL, I think it was called Janbo, and it was good!
boohoo....never eat HALAL dimsum.. coz its alwiz good with pork only!!! i feel upset when the service is bad!
Oh this will be a good blog. You eat. I learn. And thus my travel will pick better eateries. :)
giddy tiger: Yeah, it wasn't exactly a fantastic place to eat so don't go there if you're coming down to KL!
Janbo restaurant? The Chinese restaurant chain? I think I know if it's the same. But I didn't know they had a buffet dim sum.
**********
jackson: Hi and thanks for dropping by my foodie blog! I have to say that yours is much, much better. *grin*
Heh, I can only eat pork-free dim sum, so I have to look out for the places that are halal. But to-date can't find a really good halal restaurant.
The service was one of the worst I've encountered so far.
**********
simple american: Yeah! I eat and when you come we go eat together, okie?
Of course you come along. Otherwise I will be so lost.
simple american: Deal! *slaps hands*
Post a Comment