Restaurant Reunion Dinner for 2011 Leaves a Bad Taste

[Abel-ity]

Just thought I'd share my bad reuninon dinner experience at Paradise Inn at City Square Mall.
Our extended family is about 16 including children and we thought we'd try having reunion dinner at a restaurant this year.
So Paradise Inn was packed to the brim with hardly any walking space. From the beginning, we had trouble with the restaurant.
First we were made to wait half an hour for our table, although we had booked it prior and then instead of having the original 8 and 8 table combination, they gave us a 10 and 6 table combination.
And the service was just attrocious as we had trouble getting the waiters' attention and eventually we had to literally go up to the counter to carry our own drinks.
The trouble continued when the food came and although there were two tables, they only had one set of food. When we requested to help us apportion the food to two tables, they replied it was a standard one set for one table. So for some of the family members who were seated on the smaller table, they had to bring their utensils over to pick the food from the bigger table....
I'm not sure if this is their normal level of service as this is my first time at that restaurant. To be fair, the food was edible and our total bill came up to about SGD960 and for that price tag, I'd rather take my business elsewhere.
Are all other restaurants like this as this is our first time eating at a restaurant for Renion Dinner, where they want to maximise their revenue as much as possible while sacrificing service quality?

 

[Equalisation]

....wah .... your 16 pax already called extended family ??

Mine is 50 to 60 that came to my house yesterday afternoon ...... until someone nearly tripped into the pond after drinking too much heineken and chivas ......

 

[aangsc]

....wah .... your 16 pax already called extended family ??

Mine is 50 to 60 that came to my house yesterday afternoon ...... until someone nearly tripped into the pond after drinking too much heineken and chivas ......

Wah, you even have space for pond, so obviously can take up 50 ppl at home, Most of the HDB dwellers do not have much choice when the family size increases. I have been taking reunion in restaurants in the past few years and it lost that festive feel totally and it is just like another dinner. I really dislike going to such reunion when you are quite certain to experience low service and high charges .

 

[Varuna]

....wah .... your 16 pax already called extended family ??

Mine is 50 to 60 that came to my house yesterday afternoon ...... until someone nearly tripped into the pond after drinking too much heineken and chivas ......

Wah! Your's got pond to trip over. Possibly a wet body and some scratches at most. For HDB flat dwellers, tripping over will end up a few floors downstairs.

 

[kingrant]

Here's why I think you screwed up! Yr experience fell way short of yr high expectations.

1. It will be fucking crowded for sure and you were right.
2. The restaurant staff (kicthen & those waiting on tables) will surely be stretched out
3. Don't expect the restaurant to hold yr table(s) at such times - if you are not there earlier by half hr, and you only arrive in time or worse late, dont blame them. What if you never turn up? You think only you have $$$ to eat out?
4. Everybody iwill be expecting prompt service and quality food when the exact opposite will happen.
5. On top of that, you will be paying exhorbitant markup charges for yr food and drinks because of the occasion. same everywhere.
6. Make things simple - have the same set menu for both tables. Dont know what you did - were you cheapo or somethhing - like 1 set menu shared by 2 tables? Then I dont blame the restaurant.

So you must be a masochist.

PS. You shld have gone to an Indian or Malay restaurant!

 

[cass888]

....wah .... your 16 pax already called extended family ??

Mine is 50 to 60 that came to my house yesterday afternoon ...... until someone nearly tripped into the pond after drinking too much heineken and chivas ......

You must be crazy having a pond and letting 50-60 people get sloshed on Chivas. Probably killed all your Koi

 

[myo539]

Bad service indeed. Should have specified clearly with the manager during booking. Make sure manager is there while having your meal. Call up the manager later and see whether they make any amend. Otherwise it's the last you ever step into the restaurant.

Mine was excellent - private room somemore (book early) - the waitresses deserved a special angpow. Both parties very happy for the new year!

 

[middaydog]

....wah .... your 16 pax already called extended family ??eek:

this is the result of ' two is enuff '

 

[halsey02]

You must be crazy having a pond and letting 50-60 people get sloshed on Chivas. Probably killed all your Koi

What KOI, 'long kang' fishes...

 

[halsey02]

Bad service indeed. Should have specified clearly with the manager during booking. Make sure manager is there while having your meal. Call up the manager later and see whether they make any amend. Otherwise it's the last you ever step into the restaurant.

Mine was excellent - private room somemore (book early) - the waitresses deserved a special angpow. Both parties very happy for the new year!

Waitress dress as bunnies, with see through...you know what!

 

[LeeLaoPeh]

Reunions dinner better eat at home . 16 peoples not alot , so easy can cooking about 10 dishs at home .

 

[glockman]

Reunions dinner better eat at home . 16 peoples not alot , so easy can cooking about 10 dishs at home .

I agree. It should be held at home or a relative's home to preserve the meaning of a reunion dinner. Whoever's home is big enough to accommodate the rest should offer to host it. Can always have a pot luck dinner.

 

[scroobal]

It is not unexpected as it is the worst day to organise dinner. The bosses who would have been running the restaurant are probably home having their own reunion with their families. The standard of supervision would have dropped. To pay staff for the OT on such day, they would have to recover cost and therefore had back to back bookings with no leeway.

Its the same with Xmas dinners in many places where the standard would drop predictably. You would find additonal tables and chairs and the ambience is gone.

I think that the concept of reunion is also lost if held in the presence of strangers and outside a home.

This is not an excuse for the bad service that you encountered but it should not have been a surprise.

 

[Leongsam]

Are all other restaurants like this as this is our first time eating at a restaurant for Renion Dinner, where they want to maximise their revenue as much as possible while sacrificing service quality?

Serves you right for being too damned lazy to prepare your own reunion dinner at home.

 

[Meltdown]

This shows that CNY is just another commercialized holiday being taken advantaged by businesses to maximize their profits. This is also true with Christmas, Western New Year, and Valentine's Day which is only 10 days away. These holidays are also very stressful, both physically and psychologically, to individuals in our society.

 

[Leongsam]

This shows that CNY is just another commercialized holiday being taken advantaged by businesses to maximize their profits.

If everyone stuck to the tradition of preparing meals at home, commercialisation wouldn't be possible in the first place. Businesses are doing nothing more than meeting a demand and high prices are simply a response to high demand from lazy good for nothing families.

Nobody has forced these idiots to eat out on the eve of CNY. Everything used to be CLOSED for 2½ days straight and I don't recall anyone starving to death.

 

[NoelVermillion]

Reunion dinner is meant to be eaten at home with loved ones.

 

[theblackhole]

reunion dinner means dinner, however simple and frugal, at home - home-prepared and home-cooked...

simple as that...

what's the point of having a reunion at a restaurant? bloody cut throat price...bloody lousy food...bloody lousy service...and all stomach ache after eating...lausia here and lausia there....what a memorable reunion!!!!

and the stressed up staff will drive you to the wall...and you pay a bomb for it!!!!!!!

so next time, have your reunion dinner at home...no space, always can use the corridor...still not enough...the staircase...still not enough...the void deck...reunion dinner means dinner at home. and not in some fanciful paradise or nirvana restaurant....

boss is right..............kheongheewhatchye!!!!!!!!

 

[Glaringly]

Otherwise, if every one of the relative's pigeon hole is not big enough.

Can consider holding their re-union dinner at one of their HDB void deck.

I agree. It should be held at home or a relative's home to preserve the meaning of a reunion dinner. Whoever's home is big enough to accommodate the rest should offer to host it. Can always have a pot luck dinner.

 

[Conan the Barbarian]

Reunion dinner is meant for the extended family, not only to eat and FO,
but also gather and prepare together foster family ties. The adults prepare,
chitchat while the children play with one another.

Whats the point of going to a restaurant where it is so noisy with noises from
all over the place and you only talk to the person on your left and right.

I find Paradise Inn's food overprice, overrated and under sized. Once I passed by
and thought I try their menu for a change. Ordered a set menu for 6, we had 4 adults
and 2 children. It wasn't enough for everyone and I had to order a few more sides to
compliment the meal as the portions were very small. I was the only guy and the rest
were moderate eaters. For the price I paid, I get better value and service at Imperial Treasure.

No point complaining. that was the first and last time they will earn my money.