Restaurants, Bloggers & Opinions
Fireworks has been going off these past 2 days in both F&B and the food bloggers community. Screams of outrage, questionable behavior and disbelief. I am referring to an incident where a particular “well known food blogger” was dining for brunch at a cosy restaurant that goes by the name of Private Affairs.
Please follow the initial story from yahoo to know more; Singaporeans outraged over “Free Meal” blogger
I am a close friend to Paul, the chef of Private Affairs. Having known each other through the years and even worked alongside in a few places together. Knowing him so well, I am almost certain that his level of food and quality of service in his establishment is of the high. Sadly the hype is not about any of those points, but the bad behavior of a “well known food blogger”.
I am not going to harp on the fact that the blogger initially refused to pay for the meal of 4, nor will I be picking on another fact that these incident has shaken the credibility of food bloggers (especially those situated in Singapore). I am not even going to point out that the restaurant will garner more publicity from this incident.
“so what do you want to say then?” you might ask. It can be broken down into 2 parts. Being a chef and a food blogger (if you may call me that), I look at this from 2 angles.
As a chef, if a customer comes into the restaurant and tells me he/she refuses to pay obviously the first emotion I feel is total outrage. And mind you it has happened on a few occasions to me over the years. They come with all kinds of imaginative excuses to refuse payment, till a point that I look on the comical side of it and have a good laugh with my colleagues after. But nevertheless it is wrong. Say what you want, how you want & twist it till it makes a fussili pasta look less twisted it is and will always remain wrong. When you go to any form/level of restaurant, apart from the food & drink, you are paying for the time, commitment and most important of all the experience of not only the chefs but the servers as well. Take my 3 points, is it logical that a parent refuse to pay school fees for that particular month when the child does not do well for a particular examination? (nope! makes no sense) or do you ask for a refund after a movie because you found the movie below your expectations? (nope! makes no sense)I am sure you guys get what I mean.
As a blogger, whenever I go out to eat, I make it a point that the camera’s flash is switched off and i snap away at the decor, dishes and the occasionally myself with my partner in crime. And usually at fine dine/Michelin establishments, the maître d’ would see each table and chat. Then the usual introductions would be made and obviously the points that I also cook professionally and blog amateurishly would come up. I have yet to encounter an establishment that has refused me taking photos (let’s hope it continues … lol ) however there was once in London when the flash went off by mistake (don’t ask .. lol) and one of the servers politely informed me of the no flash policy … i then apologized with a flushed face, however they service after that did not lack and I most certainly did not create a scene stating that I am a food blogger and that I would write a bad post on the service. No no no …. even if you are a “big time” “well known” blogger or writer for a big paper or magazine you don’t do that. Doing something to that extent (in the recent case because he was asked to settle the bill) just embarrasses yourself and makes the pool of people in your trade just look bad. If the server was rude, by all means express, if you were served raw pork of chicken? by all means express yourself. My mrs (who is also my partner in crime) says I am a very opinionated person especially when it comes to going places to eat (and the occasional routine checks at the immigration at any airport .. hahaaa), but it is always due to the fact that the service or quality was poor and I make it a point to highlight, but we still pay for the meal. Taking opportunities for getting a free meal does not come in the form of who you are or what you do. It is out of the goodwill of the establishment you patronize (or the birthday of a good friend ..wink wink ..hahaaa). Even our Ministers of state pay every bill (ok ok.. you might ask how I know, well because I have served many in my time) so what makes humble food bloggers like us exclusive to not pay? well the answer is NOTHING.
That said, I must also point out that whatever the blogger writes on his blog after the meal is entirely up to his/her views on the dining experience. It is the free will of the blogger to express accordingly to the level of food and service of his visit. Because blogs are mainly for self expression is it not?
Let’s all take a little something out of this and learn from it.
till then HAPPY FOODING !!!
