Su-Lin- I'm grateful, thank you. I shall pile 'em on.
mee- Likewise. Don't rest to much hope on MAS, the food is pants. Gawd three hours at KL airport, oh most of the staff there are wearing masks as well...what with swine flu from Blighty and so on!
Paulmano- I will do and thank you. Your comment on the climate change made me contemplative about the whole issue. My heart did sink when the plane took off at Heathrow at ten in the night and the astonishing sight of London lit from 4K feet was a wake-up call. The amount of energy needed to keep the motorways, streets, buildings, etc illuminated was nothing short of afflictive and of course there was the plane itself.
Manometrosexual- Don your Daliesque tache and bask yourself happy at The Counter. I've only decided recently that it's all too surreal as well as brilliant.
I have just stumbled across your blog and have been mightily impressed by your passion for and knowledge of food. Having read your comments on our restaurant (Blueprint Cafe) and noted your love of game, Jeremy & I would like to invite you (and indeed a guest if you would like)for a brace of snipe (or even a woodcock)upon your return from KL. Please feel free to contact me directly at the restaurant (02073787031) or by email williamm@danddlondon.com.
Perhaps you will all get offered a window seat more easily this time if you are eating with Will.
I do love these classic stories of the English customer service culture and your response at the time was perfect!
We do like to antagonise rather than worship our customers in this country don't we? I suspect it's a remnant of our class system and keeping customers in their lowly place below waiters in the important pecking order.
If you really like eel, put Ransomes Dock restaurant on your list as they serve Lincolnshire eel and have a superb wine list. The staff are rather friendly too which is one reason I go back there and recommend them, but don't tell D&D that.
As mentioned we also serve delicious eel from Lincolnshire (probably the same supplier) from the Dutch Eel Company. I will go as far as to state that it is the best smoked eel around...they are a husband & wife team and great people to boot. If I may, in response to the above, rather than antagonise or worshhip, we prefer to champion mutual respect. We do try to accommodate any request, be it positional or dietary (as demonstrated). Of course when dealing with large numbers of different characters (both guests and staff), mistakes and misinterpretation can occur. I have never worked in a restaurant which has embraced the class system described and can only apologise if the service was even 1% close to being so. I extend my invitation to Mr Manometrosexual to join Mr Bellaphon...in the nicest way possible, perhaps we can help you eat your words from a D&D London plate?
Thank-you for your offer Will, relax though as I am just playing with the idea of a near empty restaurant without window tables!
It reminds me of the 'Major Major' mindset described in Catch-22.
I am a big fan of D&D's Skylon, my favourite cocktail bar and I have enjoyed eating there. The staff are friendly too and several times have gone the extra yard for me which keeps me going back time and again.
I no longer go to my local bar at Bluebird, which was once a great cocktail bar.
On a serious point, I am a Senior Director specialising in customer service and we British just cannot internalise, say, the American way of customer service where they are delighted to serve, make you feel good and take your dollar.
The Brits look for, as you say here, at best a "mutual" relationship rather than treating the customer as a scarce, valuable but ephemeral resource.
Will- What a pleasure to have you commenting on this blog. And of course I'm grateful for the invite from Jeremy and yourself as well. Much as I love game unfortunately I'll have to turn down your offer as my thick-skinned philosophy dissuades anything that tantamounts to being gratis. I belong to the school of food bloggers who adhere to eating out what the budget permit and also quite simply I don't suscribe to being an untouchable celebrity dork of a blogger. I shall indeed revisit Blueprint soon, Jeremy's unpretentious cooking and ideals should be respected and applied by all the other chefs.
Manometrosexual- Why I never, a purveyor of liturgy. I've been involved with retail sales for a long time now, I think I need some kind of refreshers' course to rid myself of the Victor Meldrew mould.
I'm partial to good manners and smiles. A genuine smile makes a big difference to any industry.
Have fun in KL - if fun can be had there! :P Just kidding lah. I was there a couple of weekends ago and ate way too much. I don't think you can find a decent Western-style coffee there though.
I've just returned from a culinary roadtrip across the states. American inguinity for maximising calories and minimising nutritional value is truly a sight to behold.
LMR- Hey gorgeous...a Sporean in KL! I thought you guys only go to resorts in Penang or Langkawi; your watch must have stopped in KL ;)
Ben- I flew by Malaysian, unfortunately they've kind of accepted that they'll always be second fiddle to Singapore Airlines or others for that matter. Any aspirations in progress were stalled a long time ago. The food was unclassifiable and the service, apathetic.
You beat me to the road trip across the pond. I'm seriously looking forward to scoffing myself silly there and at the same time rebelling against the slow food movement!
I've been abstaining from ground meat since my return.
Philly Cheesesteaks in Philly
Hotdogs @ Ben's Chilli Bowl in DC
Lots of steak, burgers and authentic Barbecue in Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. Grits, biscuits, hush pupplies, slaw, gumbo ,waffles, red velvet cake, pancakes...
Erm... I was supposed to go to Penang actually, but we couldn't get flights. Heh.
That being said, I was in KL for char siu and the world's best cake aka Zang Toi's chocolate banana cake. Wunderbar. ZT's cafe is called West 57th Street cafe and is found somewhere in Bukit Bintang if you haven't stumbled upon it yet.
Taken at 30,000 feet. London to Kuala Lumpur.
Taken at 30,000 feet. London to Kuala Lumpur.
Have a great trip! Looking forward to seeing all the food...
ReplyDeleteHave a wicked time! I'm going back to Burma in November via Malaysian Airlines so will be stopping in Kuala Lumpur for about three hours :)
ReplyDeleteSu-Lin- I'm grateful, thank you. I shall pile 'em on.
ReplyDeletemee- Likewise. Don't rest to much hope on MAS, the food is pants. Gawd three hours at KL airport, oh most of the staff there are wearing masks as well...what with swine flu from Blighty and so on!
Have a great trip - eat lots and have a fabulous holiday! Will miss your posts though
ReplyDeleteIHC- Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHappy holiday! Let's do that dinner when you get back.
ReplyDeleteH Blonde- Indeed we shall and thank you.
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip and looking forward to more reviews when you get back.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you will sign up to www.1010uk.org (which has just launched) when you return as it's 87 days to Copenhagen.
Off to LJs this Saturday for morning coffee.
Paulmano- I will do and thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour comment on the climate change made me contemplative about the whole issue. My heart did sink when the plane took off at Heathrow at ten in the night and the astonishing sight of London lit from 4K feet was a wake-up call. The amount of energy needed to keep the motorways, streets, buildings, etc illuminated was nothing short of afflictive and of course there was the plane itself.
Enjoy LJ's.
For minutes of fun post your blog url into http://www.wordle.net/create to see the word cloud.
ReplyDeleteGood morning at LJs this morning, next trip has to be to Hackney Wick to see what the heck The Counter is!
Manometrosexual- Don your Daliesque tache and bask yourself happy at The Counter. I've only decided recently that it's all too surreal as well as brilliant.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr Bellaphon,
ReplyDeleteI have just stumbled across your blog and have been mightily impressed by your passion for and knowledge of food.
Having read your comments on our restaurant (Blueprint Cafe) and noted your love of game, Jeremy & I would like to invite you (and indeed a guest if you would like)for a brace of snipe (or even a woodcock)upon your return from KL.
Please feel free to contact me directly at the restaurant (02073787031) or by email williamm@danddlondon.com.
Kind Regards,
Will McKechnie
Perhaps you will all get offered a window seat more easily this time if you are eating with Will.
ReplyDeleteI do love these classic stories of the English customer service culture and your response at the time was perfect!
We do like to antagonise rather than worship our customers in this country don't we? I suspect it's a remnant of our class system and keeping customers in their lowly place below waiters in the important pecking order.
If you really like eel, put Ransomes Dock restaurant on your list as they serve Lincolnshire eel and have a superb wine list. The staff are rather friendly too which is one reason I go back there and recommend them, but don't tell D&D that.
As mentioned we also serve delicious eel from Lincolnshire (probably the same supplier) from the Dutch Eel Company. I will go as far as to state that it is the best smoked eel around...they are a husband & wife team and great people to boot.
ReplyDeleteIf I may, in response to the above, rather than antagonise or worshhip, we prefer to champion mutual respect. We do try to accommodate any request, be it positional or dietary (as demonstrated). Of course when dealing with large numbers of different characters (both guests and staff), mistakes and misinterpretation can occur.
I have never worked in a restaurant which has embraced the class system described and can only apologise if the service was even 1% close to being so.
I extend my invitation to Mr Manometrosexual to join Mr Bellaphon...in the nicest way possible, perhaps we can help you eat your words from a D&D London plate?
Thanks,
Will
Thank-you for your offer Will, relax though as I am just playing with the idea of a near empty restaurant without window tables!
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the 'Major Major' mindset described in Catch-22.
I am a big fan of D&D's Skylon, my favourite cocktail bar and I have enjoyed eating there. The staff are friendly too and several times have gone the extra yard for me which keeps me going back time and again.
I no longer go to my local bar at Bluebird, which was once a great cocktail bar.
On a serious point, I am a Senior Director specialising in customer service and we British just cannot internalise, say, the American way of customer service where they are delighted to serve, make you feel good and take your dollar.
The Brits look for, as you say here, at best a "mutual" relationship rather than treating the customer as a scarce, valuable but ephemeral resource.
Will- What a pleasure to have you commenting on this blog. And of course I'm grateful for the invite from Jeremy and yourself as well. Much as I love game unfortunately I'll have to turn down your offer as my thick-skinned philosophy dissuades anything that tantamounts to being gratis. I belong to the school of food bloggers who adhere to eating out what the budget permit and also quite simply I don't suscribe to being an untouchable celebrity dork of a blogger. I shall indeed revisit Blueprint soon, Jeremy's unpretentious cooking and ideals should be respected and applied by all the other chefs.
ReplyDeleteManometrosexual- Why I never, a purveyor of liturgy. I've been involved with retail sales for a long time now, I think I need some kind of refreshers' course to rid myself of the Victor Meldrew mould.
I'm partial to good manners and smiles. A genuine smile makes a big difference to any industry.
Have fun in KL - if fun can be had there! :P Just kidding lah. I was there a couple of weekends ago and ate way too much. I don't think you can find a decent Western-style coffee there though.
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Will you be reviewing the in-flight meal? :)
ReplyDeleteI've just returned from a culinary roadtrip across the states. American inguinity for maximising calories and minimising nutritional value is truly a sight to behold.
I have had some very good food though.
LMR- Hey gorgeous...a Sporean in KL! I thought you guys only go to resorts in Penang or Langkawi; your watch must have stopped in KL ;)
ReplyDeleteBen- I flew by Malaysian, unfortunately they've kind of accepted that they'll always be second fiddle to Singapore Airlines or others for that matter. Any aspirations in progress were stalled a long time ago. The food was unclassifiable and the service, apathetic.
You beat me to the road trip across the pond. I'm seriously looking forward to scoffing myself silly there and at the same time rebelling against the slow food movement!
I've been abstaining from ground meat since my return.
ReplyDeletePhilly Cheesesteaks in Philly
Hotdogs @ Ben's Chilli Bowl in DC
Lots of steak, burgers and authentic Barbecue in Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. Grits, biscuits, hush pupplies, slaw, gumbo ,waffles, red velvet cake, pancakes...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jun/27/north-carolina-barbecue-joints
I'm a bit fatter, but I didn't go overboard...
...and get the unlimited fries when offered
Erm... I was supposed to go to Penang actually, but we couldn't get flights. Heh.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I was in KL for char siu and the world's best cake aka Zang Toi's chocolate banana cake. Wunderbar. ZT's cafe is called West 57th Street cafe and is found somewhere in Bukit Bintang if you haven't stumbled upon it yet.
When are you back? looking forward to hearing of your travels.
ReplyDelete