Saturday, September 10, 2005

Modern Pacific - Tao's

I hate to say this but the Tao Restaurant that i raved about previously kinda disappointed me a great deal this time round. Jo-Ann dear and myself went in first. We got a table for 4 and we ordered first coz i had to rush off around 9 odd to meet up with the imperial members.

While we were having our first dish of the bacon and mushroom gratin, this server (i've mentioned about him before, how he's one of the more impolite servers i've come across at Tao) came over asking if we would like him to help us change seats to another table, saying that the other seat would be more comfortable etc (like he meant us well). I declined the offer because i felt ok in the current seat. Also, to make me shift while im halfway through my meal, i would feel even more uncomfortable. I politely declined the offer.

THEN! This server actually said.. " Actually i also need this table ". I was actually abit annoyed. I mean, its so hypocritical. Offering us a change of seat AS IF it was for our benefit when its because he needs the table. If i had rant about Tao's wonderful service previously, den i believe i wana change my statement. Asking a customer to change table while they are halfway thru their meal is so not good service. It causes discomfort and hassel to the customer! I probably wouldn't have been so annoyed if he had directly told me he needed the table instead of trying to act like it was for our good. Also, i probably wouldn't be so annoyed if we were not halfway through our meal.

With such, i replied him, " So you are making us shift? ". Which by now, he tried to say things like " oh no... its up to u. "

In the end, i did agree to a change because i thought that if there are 6 patrons outside the restaurant waiting to come in (coz there's a 2 seater table beside us and our tables can be combined to become a 6 seater), i wouldn't wana make the 6 patrons outside wait for a table. A little shifting on our part to let another 6 enjoy their dinner, why not. And so we shifted over to another seat. Dar dar and Andy zai arrived shortly after.

But u know wat??? U can say im childish, im boliao but yes, i was observing the other table. After we shifted seats, no patrons came in to occupy the seats until 50 mins later!

10 mins later.... the table was still empty.



20 mins later there was still no one! I was getting more annoyed!



Half an hour later there's still no one! WHY THE HELL DID HE MAKE US CHANGE TABLES FOR? VERY FUN AH?



Not even 40 mins later!



it was only by 50 minutes later that patrons came to occupy the table. So he was wat? Making us go through all dat inconvenience of shifting tables for a JUST IN CASE need of table? Infuriating right?



We were pissed but we just let it go at that. Just terribly disapppointed that Tao actually provided such lousy service. Or is it just dat particular server?

Anyway, food wise, they changed their seasonal cocktail to this....



surrounded by a thin layer of radish skin is mashed potato with a layer of egg toufu at the bottom. I really liked the mashed potato with its tinge of peppery taste. Not too spicy, it was just nice.

But i felt so shortchanged at the steak. This is the steak that they are now serving. Its with bones, very thin, rather tough and with lotsa fats by the side!



I retrieved the old pic that i took on our first visit. Just look at the 2 pics and compare! Obviously the before looks better right? Its boneless, thick, tender and juicy!



The steak now is thin, with bones and lotsa fats by the side. I feel so shortchanged. Look at the remains....



Disapppointing!

There was this new dessert on the menu though. Sesame pudding. Which was not bad, quite nice.




Towards the end of our meal, there was this other server who was always very friendly during my previous few visits and he came by to ask if we were satisfied with our dinner tonight. Our awkward expressions obviously gave us away. In the end, dar dar only feedback to him about the steak but we omitted the table shifting annoyance. His response to us was that the recently just changed their steak. It was changed because customers have feedback that the previous steak was too thick (really got people will complain steak too thick one meh??) and this new steak they changed is supposedly more expensive (Zhen de mah?). And we just took it at that. I'm most probably not going back anytime soon.

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