Whenever Marilyn (my spouse) and I have the urge to unwind post hectic grind at the office, we ONLY have 4 choices of eatery to choose from.

One of them is my very own fave, Gloria Maris at Greenhills. While cross-overs are welcome, the site is gigantic divided into different dining sections (dimsum & dumpling, “shabu-shabu” (cook yourself) and fine dining).
Their Chinese lines of cuisines are superb that each time I had my 2 bottles of ultra cold beer plus the array of dimsum, dumpling, dry or wet noodles or their other Chinese chefs’ concoctions, we head home truly filled, full and satisfied. But not yesterday.
We ordered the usual as in this tablet-taken shot (for I left my DSLR at home).
We noticed:
1. busboys & servers were few. Majority of tables were still with dirt & leftovers of the previous patrons.
2. it took them 15 minutes before they can attend to us. Swiftness and attention to details in serving were nil that we conclude personnel are evidently tyros.
3. The former cozy rectangle tables by the glass-wall side where we love to dine due to high banquette head restrains were replaced by rounded ones. Quite uneasy to dine sideways.
4. Beef noodle soup was awful. Beef was old stock that I tasted mold in them.
5. My favorite Bean Curd Roll was tough. Needed a little more heating to soften
its “Kikiam” wrapper (note the brown roll in the pic).
But then, wifey and I just rationalized: busboys & servers could have been absent since it was raining hard
that afternoon till evening due to typhoon. Also, the reason for the delay in service.
Rectangle tables could have been used elsewhere in a function.
The beef’s “moldiness” and “Kikiam” wrappers’ toughness are non-negotiables.
Chefs’, no matter how busy they may be, MUST check, double check each and every dispatch from the kitchen.
That’s how to assure management of “consistent quality” products.
And so…no matter what…we will still come back. I know there were valid reasons for those “bruhaha”.
Amen.