Did the chicken come first or the egg?
Similar existential questions were asked in our Food Service Management class
back in college. Will you patronize a restaurant regularly, because the food is good or because the service is good?
There was always a possibility of a good debate when this question was thrown
to us. Since we were in college and since budgets were virtually non-existent,
our arguments had to be largely based on our experience of the college canteen
food or of one of the affordable eateries dotting the road. It’s anyone’s guess
that these places are notorious for repeat visits mainly due to lack of other
options better suited to the pocket and…let’s face it… the rather unique experience.
In other words, the ambiance and the ‘superlative’ service we were accorded.
I can’t forget the number of times we have sat
in the sweltering heat of our college canteen, sharing one Pepsi and soggy
bhelpuri among half a dozen of us. Our taste buds had not yet progressed from
identifying sweet, sour and salty to the many nuances that assault them these
days. The food was not saliva inducing. So repeated visits were not really
because the food was good. It did not matter that the ‘anna’ at the counter did
not even meet your eyes. So much for ’service’. The ‘ambiance’ was rusty, iron
chairs and rickety tables over which we had animated conversation. That’s all.
So, frankly, it was very difficult to be objective about such questions.
In subsequent years though I have
progressed from budget areas to places where they there was better reception to
my ego and stomach, I was too preoccupied with discovering varied tastes than
to ponder over the question posed in college…until recently. My view now is
that we visit restaurants because of their food and not merely for the service.
IF the service was superlative and food poor, my guess it that the
restaurant would still lose its clientele. The opposite is also the true: the
food being very good, but being served by condescending, callous or rude waiters.
But
when the food is average and the service is great, believe me it motivates people to er...write about it. Like I have done here. The last restaurant reviewed is why this blog post exists. That subtle difference for me pushes the argument towards service.
In order of my preference:
From the time I
saw their brightly lit name board ‘Ox and Tomato’ in a fun font with a very
appealing tomato sitting jauntily on top of the words, I was hooked. This tiny
restaurant on Harrington road, had a somewhat cozy feel in spite of the no-nonsense
wooden tables and grey steel chairs placed to achieve a cover of 30. The first
time we went, I would have lost my heart if it was already not in S’s
possession (argh corny, I know). But all was not smooth that evening I must
say. There was a get-together of some a few young parents and their (forgive me
for saying this) banshee children. One was screaming and running around (‘around’
is stretching it a bit since there was no place at all), another was on the
floor and throwing some sort of a tantrum, one had hit his head on the table
and was bawling his head off and the parents were probably catching up so they
turned a deaf ear and probably a blind eye to the scene around them. We
considered leaving the restaurant then, but the owner (I think) appeared at my
elbow and apologized for the din. She promised they were soon leaving and much
to all our relief they left.
To keep our mind
off this din, we had studied the rather small menu studiously and had ordered a
Caeser salad, Chicken lasagna and a pizza. This came on cue, and to say that I
was blown away from the word go, is an understatement. The salad was not
drowned in dressing and didn’t have imposters like carrots or red cabbage in
it, as is seen in some ‘multi’-cuisine restaurants. The lettuce was crunchy and
the salad dressing, light. Then came the next surprise. My earlier indulgence
of lasagna has been of a gooey tomato concoction with delectable, melted cheese
on top. This one had thin lasagna sheets crammed with chicken and with very
little tomato sauce in between. There was hardly any cheese to be seen. Took a
bite and it felt like I had been transported to Italy. The sauce on the sheets
is tangy and flavourful, the minced chicken melts in the mouth along with the
lasagna sheets. And now I can’t seem to enjoy any other type of lasagna. S was not
so lucky with his pizza; though the topping was good he found the pizza to be
hard about the edges. I thought it was fine, but he was hoping for a softer crust.
We avoided the dessert even though they had impressive ones from Sandys next
door.
Incidentally my near gastrorgasmic experience guaranteed a second visit and then a third visit to the place. In
others words, we have become repeat customers. We were touched by the owner’s concern and
had liked the impersonal but efficient service of the staff. But subsequent visits have been because of the food.
Their menu is
fairly simple. There are a few pizza, wrap and sandwich options along with a
competent pasta menu. The starters, salads and desserts give good support to
the simple menu. I wish it remains this way for the time being at least.
I love their:
Caeser salad, Chicken lasagna, chicken shawarma, fish and chips, and almost all
their desserts.
I would rank
their:
Food - ****1/2
Ambience -
***1/2 (the chairs can be a bit uncomfortable)
Service - ****
(efficient)
Budget - ***1/2
(not really pocket friendly, though I didn’t mind shelling out for some good
Italian)
Final verdict: Don’t
go. Yeah. You heard me right. Don’t go. So that this would continue to be my secret,
but that would of course defeat the purpose of this post. Sigh...Go, go,
go.
Parfait 3:
If Ox and Tomato is jaunty and authentic,
Parfait 3 is un-apologetically unauthentic…about at least some of their items.
And they trump at the consistency with which they dish out these lip smacking
fares. I must have visited this small joint on Manickeswari Road, Kilpauk about
ten times now and I am nowhere near ordering half the dishes on their menu. If
Ox and Tomato had a small, controlled menu, Parfait 3 had four pages (or so)
worth of it. In addition to the usual fare of soups, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas,
salads all of which have not more than 3 veg or non-veg options, the main
course boasted of sizzlers, steaks, pastas, Chinese and Indian. Whew. Except to
try the fish and chips because S likes it, I never make it to the main courses.
I find myself ordering and re-ordering their burgers and sandwiches. In other
words, I feel as if I have been transported to my college days, where
sandwiches and burgers were filling meals available for a budget.
This place is light on the pocket and as one of their waiters had told me once, “Ma’am bring sir around whenever you don’t feel like preparing dinner.” Since that doesn't happen pretty often in my house, I couldn't follow his advice. That brings me to the service to expect here. This man, Lincoln, made our visits interesting and personal earlier. Suggesting things, being attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and ensuring that we had a good dining experience. I didn't know that he had left that place, until I saw him at Moti Mahal Delux in Nungambakkam and I immediately felt the restaurant had gained a good maître’ d. I didn't come across such service in their new property which is two buildings down the same road, but at least like Ox and Tomato, Parfait 3 is efficient. And recently, when we were asked by the owner, of how the food was and were suggested their Indian version of alfredo pasta, I grudgingly approved of their ‘personal’ service.
What I’d recommend: Chicken burgers, chicken and mushroom cream soup, the Fat One sandwich, Indian chicken sandwich, vegetable pizza, fish and chips and their chicken alfredo pasta (a delightful indianised version). In other words, almost everything I have eaten there.
I would rank their:
Food - ****
(there is a certain homemade taste to their burgers and sandwiches)
Ambience - ***
(it’s nothing fancy, but the place is clean)
Service - ****
(efficient)
Budget - ****1/2
(at an average cost of Rs. 180, this place is heaven sent for casual dining and
budget dates)
Final Verdict: What are you waiting for?
Above Sea Level:
The only restaurant in this list that would probably win the argument for ‘Service’ is Above Sea Level in The Raintree. S’s birthday warranted a decent dining experience. And though the Leela Palaces and ITC Grand Cholas of Chennai were quite appealing, I knew we wouldn't do justice to the cost. Shelling out INR 2500 per person for eating 25% of the buffet didn't really convince me. That would have to wait for another occasion. I knew the birthday boy would love something different. Dining in a roof top restaurant in April, when the sea breeze still kept its tryst with the city in the evenings, was a good idea. And I was not disappointed. The evening breeze was cool and gentle, the roof top was tastefully furnished with comfortable chairs, subdued lights, a calm swimming pool glowing with recessed lighting, and to give an added air of tranquility, there was a huge statue of a meditating Buddha. Hmmm I could already feel a lazy, warm feeling creep up to my heart from my killer heels clad toes.
The only restaurant in this list that would probably win the argument for ‘Service’ is Above Sea Level in The Raintree. S’s birthday warranted a decent dining experience. And though the Leela Palaces and ITC Grand Cholas of Chennai were quite appealing, I knew we wouldn't do justice to the cost. Shelling out INR 2500 per person for eating 25% of the buffet didn't really convince me. That would have to wait for another occasion. I knew the birthday boy would love something different. Dining in a roof top restaurant in April, when the sea breeze still kept its tryst with the city in the evenings, was a good idea. And I was not disappointed. The evening breeze was cool and gentle, the roof top was tastefully furnished with comfortable chairs, subdued lights, a calm swimming pool glowing with recessed lighting, and to give an added air of tranquility, there was a huge statue of a meditating Buddha. Hmmm I could already feel a lazy, warm feeling creep up to my heart from my killer heels clad toes.
But this blog post is for the guy who took
my call when I booked my table and ensured that I had a good time at the restaurant.
He not only complied with my wishes of sitting at a table overlooking the city,
but also made sure that we got a special platter for the birthday boy. I had
absolutely no complaints about the discreet, yet attentive service we were
subjected to throughout the meal. The food was not something to write home
about. Aside from the non-veg platter, the food was very average. The dal
makhni was not bad, but the flambéed fruits were a shame. They did not flambé
it because they were worried the breeze would blow it off. But wouldn't they
leave it to our discretion instead of deciding for us and denying us the taste.
So food was definitely average, but service was really good. I think I might
visit the place again…just for getting the opportunity to lounge and enjoy the
scenery and service. Of course all good star hotels give us the opportunity to
do just that and that’s included in the cost. And probably I’ll find the
opportunity to compare those hotels too, and then we’ll get better idea of the
service vs food argument.
I would rank their:
Food - *** (that flambeed fruits...)
Ambience - **** (it was a really beautiful
place)
Service - ****1/2 (attentive and efficient)
Budget - ***1/2 (a bit steep for the food
given
Final Verdict: Go if you have an occasion to celebrate and
stick to their kababs and rotis. I had suggested they use a hot plate for their
kababs as they get cold and dry due to the breeze and I have been promised that the
suggestion would be implemented. Fingers crossed.
One could argue that personalized service
is given to repeated customers. But I am not talking about that kind of
service. Merely ensuring that the guest is comfortable with a smile and a
polite word and being knowledgeable about the restaurant can make a difference. They definitely ensure repeat customers, like it did for us in
Lincoln’s case. This is also one of the reasons that star hotels charge
exorbitantly and ask you to demand their services. When it comes to
competitiveness, the edge does come in, in details such as these.
Until the next list comes about…happy chowing!
Comments
liked the rating stars !