Entries from February 2008 ↓

There is nothing I hate more than eating shops that try to pull a fast one or scam or simply CHEAT you! I encountered one today - Tang House of Fishball aka The 60s Teow Cheow Fishball (they can’t seem to make up their mind) aka BIG CHEATS!

I’d seen this restaurant on tv a while back and was fascinated by the idea of eating their green celery noodles. Then, sis paid them a visit and proclaimed that their fishballs were very yummy. She is a fishball connoiseur so I’m not about to argue with her. The best part, according to her, is that they will let you have extra noodles at no charge! No charge? I asked. No Charge! She proclaimed, and J even had 2 heaping bowls of dried noodles which she recommended.

Intriguing.

So, it being February 29th, a day that comes only once every 4 years, I decided to try something new and found my way to Sea Park in PJ. This is not a food review so please look up my forthcoming review in the Pink Parisian. This is a rant about what cheats this restaurant is.

Read this sign on the pillar as you enter the restaurant. It says “Extra Noodles No Charge” does it not? Plain simple English. So, sis wasn’t bluffing!

Then, we sat down and the menu came. Oh lookee! The menu also tells me the same thing - “Extra Noodles No Charge“. Happy happy joy joy! So, we placed our order for 2 bowls of dry noodles and peripherals and waited for the food to arrive.

Lunch Buddy was really hungry at this point as the service is appallingly slow. You could watch paint dry waiting for the food to come. So, Lunch Buddy was really looking forward to having an extra helping of noodles.

This is where the trouble began. When we called the waiter over to order an extra helping of noodles, she told us it would cost RM1.50. Erm… hello? So, we said “Eh, your menu said Extra Noodles No Charge” and the flustered waitress then called someone else over to explain the situation to us.

The second lady (in English) explained that yes, there was no charge for extra noodles PROVIDED YOU ORDERED SOUP OR CURRY NOODLES ONLY.

Hello?

Lady: No charge only if you order soup or curry mee
Us: Doesn’t it say in your menu Extra Noodles No Charge?
Lady: Yes, but only for soup or curry.
Us: Does it say so in your menu?
Lady: No but my boss say one.
Us: Where is your boss? We’d like to talk to him.
Lady: Boss is not here.
Us: Your menu doesn’t say it is limited.
Lady: Correct correct correct (did she learn from Lingam?). You are correct. It is not in the menu but my boss say it is only for soup and curry not dry.
Us: Where does it say soup and curry???
Lady: There is a sign at the noodle counter.
Us: My sister came and ordered dry noodles and you gave extra helping at no charge. When did you change your policy?
Lady: That is always the policy. You must check with my boss.
Us: But he is not here and your menu doesn’t say so. So you are bluffing.
Lady: I can give you extra anyway if you want.
Us: But you said there is a charge and it is only for soup or curry noodles.
Lady: Nevermind lah…
Us: Don’t bother.

Now this is why I call these people daylight robbers and cheats:

• They plaster up signs in the shop as you enter clearly proclaiming that there is no charge for extra helping of noodles.
• They proudly proclaim in their menu that there is no charge for extra helpings of noodles.
• Nowhere in the shop or in the menu does it say “Terms and Conditions apply” or “For limited selections only” or at the very least “Only for Curry and Soup noodles”
• There is no sign anywhere near the noodles that extra helpings are only for soup and curry noodles - I checked and the lady lied through her teeth

The issue here is not whether I could afford the extra RM1.50 for noodles or not. After all, I was already going to pay an astronomical sum of RM6.50 for a bowl of celery noodles. The issue here is that the restaurant had refused to honor what they were advertising.

So, here’s presenting 60s Teow Cheow Fishball aka Tang House of Fishball the inaugural Paris B #1 Cheat award.

Tell your friends. Spread the word. There’s an “Email this post” link somewhere at the bottom isn’t there? Don’t let cheaters get away with false advertising. I’m going to take the issue up with the relevant consumer body for the false advertising bit.

Grr……..

I had marked Feb 27th on my calendar ever since I received the mailer telling me there was an MPH sale with extra discounts for members on Feb 27-29; which means 20% off all books! There were a bunch of books I felt I HAD to get because my collection isn’t complete without them; and because try as I might, I cannot find them at any of the book warehouse sales. So, pricey or no, I was going to get them.

When 5.30pm finally came around, I hurriedly said my goodbyes to my sis (on GMail) and Beetrice (on MSN) - don’t you love IM-ing at work? - and went to hit the bookstore. But not before popping by to try Carl’s Jr. for dinner.

A food review will follow if ever I get around to editing the photos. Suffice now to say that everything in this burger joint is large (don’t go Rinnah if you are still on a diet ).

The burgers are so huge the filling is practically falling out of the bun; the Medium combo set is equivalent to a large set at other fastfood restaurants - huge fries and a huge drink; and if you are wondering, yes, even the prices are huge. A burger costs anywhere from RM15 to RM18. ONE BURGER! And combo sets (burger, fries and drink) cost from RM20 upwards. They are tasty and super filling, but the wallet hurt like crazy after the meal.

Actually, the wallet didn’t hurt so much as when I whipped out my plastic to pay for this eclectic haul of books:

A Jamie Oliver cookbook - Cook with Jamie; Bill Bryson - The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid; and 4 Terry Pratchett books to partially complete my collection.

I am a great fan of Terry Pratchett and am on a mission to collect every one of the Discworld novels. I’ve actually met the man while he was on a book tour in Australia and have a signed copy addressed to moi! *giggle giggle preen preen*

Anyway, there are something like 26 books so far and I have most of them except some earlier ones and some that have gone on a walkabout and forgotten to come back. Thing is, I’m really picky as I like the older colourful cartoon covers as opposed to the new publisher’s boring plain covers, so I don’t buy titles by the new publisher unless I can’t help it. There are a couple more to go before my collection is complete but MPH in Midvalley did not have them - maybe at the next sale then?

Ooh new books! What fun!!

Aren’t these the most adorable name cards ever?

I received them this morning from Foodbuzz an online food and restaurant review resource online, which I have signed up with. Together with my personalized name cards came the signed agreement which I had faxed to them earlier. Yes, you need to sign an agreement and all - very formal, very serious stuff.

But coming back to the name cards. I absolutely loved them! They are mini cards from Moo Cards and after I went to check out the site, I wanted to make even more cards! Sigh… That’s the trick to sending out freebies isn’t it?

Anyway, I would love to hand out my beautiful foodie namecards but here’s the snag - they used my real name on them! Boohoo…. that explains the smudge you see in the picture. Sigh… Still, they’ll make pretty book marks… or I might glue them back to back and give them out as bookmarks.

Anyone want one?

See.. see… my new header!

Thanks so much to Beetrice for taking the trouble. I lurve it!

Mwaks! 

Erm… Actually, I’m 6 months too early for the Beijing Olympic Games. I’m still holding out hope that someone somewhere will find it in their pockets to sponsor a trip for me to Beijing for the Summer Olympics this August. I don’t have to be there for the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on 8-8-08. I don’t even have to be there for the finals of the 100m sprint event or for the 100m swimming event. Heck! I’ll even take a lawn bowls ticket if it means I can say I was there at the Beijing Olympics. Anyone?

Anyway, closer to home, the Nomination Day for the 12th General Election was yesterday and I, being a kaypoh, was there right in the thick of the action. I was only there at the nomination centre for the fun of watching the 2 parties shout and wave banners and flags at each other over a few metres of no man’s land. I couldn’t get too close because I was not toting a big ass SLR camera and wearing a vest with many pockets as the reporters were doing. Next time, I know how to dress to impress!

With the naming of the candidates out of the day, the race is officially on. In the next couple of days, expect to see strings of party symbols hung from street lights and trees and soon, faces of your candidate will appear. Look closely for this is about the closest you’ll  get to them and the most you’ll see of them for the next 4 years after they are elected.

And that is about all I have to say about the Elections.