1..Hello to everyone! Am BACK! it’s been a minute and much has changed and something’s remain the same (fortunately or unfortunately!).
Of late with our beautiful Country welcoming more eager Emerald Isle enthusiasts traveling here to rest and rejuvenate, we have seen many a food establishment take sprout. Now I do firmly believe in the old adage, “the more the merrier,” when it comes to restaurant choices, but let’s also look at some basics that need to be in place?
Firstly, as a universally accepted requirement is hygiene and food safety. Now again let me reiterate that one can get the “rumbles” from indulging at the most luxurious establishments, so being the “anti-snob” that I am, this has nothing to do with “star ratings” or flashy fabulousness! I personally have eaten from the tiniest way-side shack, as well as some of the Michelin starred spots, and it makes no difference to me as long as I personally enjoy the food.
What I mean by hygiene is simply ensuring that the ingredients and the food preparation are to standards that ensure one is kept sated and most importantly- alive! Horror stories abound of not only vermin infestations, and poor storage but videos exist of a certain Siamese eatery where the Chef was taking food that patrons had left (after eating!) on their plates, washing said items (such as chicken and prawns) and re-using in the next order! Oh, woe unto those who dare venture into these murky palmy places! Another well-known 5 starred spot where the “post party” crowd tend to satiate their insatiable thirst, was seen to serve “finger foods” that had every creature and critter but “fingers”!
What about the much abhorred “racial issues” that rear its ugly head? From mainstream media to the keyboard kaisers, so much documentation on this issue that is basically one of the most intolerable worldwide. From signage that stipulate the acceptable skin colour of the patrons, to service variants based on the same, we all seem to fail as a nation
2.to remember we ARE brown! Come what may and no matter how well-padded one’s wallets maybe let’s try to keep it real? We have so many folks who suffer from the rampant and somewhat infectious “coconut” or “bounty bar” syndrome (brown on the outside and white on the inside!) and this seems to be a calling card of the dazzling albeit dastardly delusional!
We meet (unfortunately) many who think that filling up their dinner tables or events with “imports” from other lands (even though their only contribution to the soiree is that they are white!) make them more socially solvent, when it’s only a clear indicator that their colonial commitments are a throwback to the times when “white was (always!) right!” This permeates the service industries as well where anyone NOT from this beautiful nation, can get better treatment and overall service. Why?
3.Now on to another critically comedic title (in many local cases) - “Fine dining!” Again, this could be a harkening back to the days of colonial grandeur where being “exclusive” equated “excluded!” For some simple clarifications just having pretty table linens and crockery paired with cutlery along with adding a dash of unpronounceable menu items and a dose of snobbery, does NOT “fine dining” make! The Michelin star guide recognized the world over attempts to maintain some standardization and that too can have “snaffus!” In our neck of the woods over-priced items and over-zealous wait staff with over-dressed patrons equates a sense of “luxe” when it’s in reality in many a case, a glossy cover up for lack of substance.
We certainly do have fine establishments for dining which have nothing to do with the gloss of the wood finishes or the crispness of the linens, but to do with authenticity and a dedication to “the best” in all areas of the dining experience. From the ambiance to the menu variations, from the knowledge and training quotient of the staff to the quality of food preparation, “fine” and “dining” could be a “match made in Heaven.” This is all dependent on the priorities of the management to ensure that the guests are treated with value and utmost graciousness.
False advertising, the bane of every smart spending consumer, is another thorn in the proverbial sides of many of us. The images of food items shown in adverts and on social media, look (leave aside taste!) nothing like what we end up receiving. Of course, there could be variables and that is part of life, but one does not order an Airbus A380 aircraft and expect to receive a Cessna! Could
4.it be that in this day and age, a world where “anything goes,” this is just “good PR/advertising?” I personally believe that my dime should be spent on what I want to spend it on to get what I was told (and shown) I would get. Maybe it’s time the powers that be put a little emphasis on consumer guidelines and limitations to the fantastical imagery that is considered “good advertising”.
Last but not least, I am a foodie! Anyone who knows me, knows how much of a love affair I have with food. Always have (shown by me being a rotund Child!) and always will be (thankfully somewhat slim due to the gym and intermittent fasting). Being a vegetarian does not limit my food inclinations geographically. All global cuisines are of interest and if I like it so be it, and if I don’t I move on. The common denominator is I don’t believe in knocking food items based purely on the price and packaging. Unless one is desperately insecure, one would not thrive on putting another person, or their work, down. That to me is just plain sad. We as a society should thrive to improve, make better, offer better, and enjoy life better, while also making it where the food we eat not only nourishes our bodies, but also our spirits hearts and souls!
