KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — With the new year, one is hopeful that it marks a fresh chapter for the food and beverage industry.
No system is perfect but in our hearts, we wish that what is flawed can be rectified.
Who knows... we may find that all of our wishes are fulfilled when we meet again at the end of 2025.
Better customer service and better behaviour from customers
What I wish for this year is better customer service at restaurants and cafés - and better behaviour from customers too.
We have all observed subpar and harried service at establishments where we pay a pretty penny to dine at. Partly it’s lack of manpower but sometimes it’s also the lack of proper training.
On the flipside, ugly customers are a perennial problem: this is why, amongst other maladies, signs reminding customers that no outside food or drinks are allowed on the premises are still required.
Consider that neither the customer nor the food service personnel is always right.
The former can appreciate the hard work and craft put into making their food and drinks; the latter must understand that, especially in the current economy, dining out is a luxury.
Sometimes we forget that both the customers and the restaurateurs are people too. We all have our bad days.
Perhaps if everyone could take a deep breath, be more patient and listen to each other. We all want to be heard and seen.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking — but change begins with dreams followed by action. — KENNY MAH
Better wine
The explosion of wine bars and natural wine this year brought the inevitable problem of bad wines flooding the market. And I do mean flood.
The first part of the problem is that there’s no standard definition of "natural" wine: most are produced with little to no sulphites (a preservative) and limited filtration or fining, leading to plenty of room for error and inconsistency.
In their eagerness to ride the natural wine wave, many wine bars here are stocking and selling a product they have little control over — the shelf life of most natural wines is notoriously short, and the logistics behind shipping wine to Malaysia don’t help — to consumers who are also rarely well informed about said product.
On multiple occasions, I have been served wine that had clearly gone off, oxidised and tasted like kombucha, only to be told that this is "how natural wine is" and "it’s just funky".
I’m starting to hate that word, which is a real problem for me as a big fan of Parliament-Funkadelic’s music.
The second part of the problem is that consumers now associate natural wines with the "fun, easy drinking" image that has been marketed to them — zany labels and all — even though a large majority of these are just poorly made, essentially flawed wines hiding behind fancy marketing.
I hope that in 2025 we can take off the natural wine glasses a bit, see through the marketing and just have better wine — natural or otherwise. — ETHAN LAU
Better food reviews
Before I visit a place marked for a write-up, I tend to research extensively and this means reading whatever I can get on the place, whether it’s reviews from mainstream media or social media.
Most times, one realises it doesn’t paint a proper picture.
Details are left out. For instance, one reviewer didn’t state the right opening time for the restaurant and clarify that their signature item is only available from a certain period.
This led to unfair reviews left on Google that marked down the restaurant’s ratings.
Or worse, if they are not happy about an incident, snarky reviews are left without any clarification from the eatery about what happened.
There’s always two sides to a story so it’s only fair to give them a chance to explain rather than hide behind the keyboard to vent.
It’s an injustice to those who operate these eateries as it’s their "rice bowl" that sustains their lives.
Hopefully reviewers on whichever platform they use will recognise that, "with great power comes great responsibility", as seen in the Spider-Man movie. — LEE KHANG YI
Special dining experiences that break the wallet
The high point for everyone is a celebration meal. Whether it’s a birthday or anniversary, a memorable dining experience makes it even more special.
Usually one would splurge but nowadays with prices rocketing sky high, maybe it is time for restaurants to rethink the roll out of menus to appeal to a wider audience.
A few years ago, an omakase at a Japanese sushi restaurant was the default choice for celebrations. This fueled the opening of many Japanese restaurants, which seems to have paused the past year.
Now, flexibility to select what you want, based on the budget and time, makes better sense.
While the vibe is casual, the food isn’t. It’s well prepared with techniques like dry ageing, careful selection of ingredients and so forth.
Once the shackle of tasting menus is released where diners need to sit through a few hours to consume what the chef decides is the best, this means the diner can make their own choices.
Whether it’s just sticking to a basic meal or peppering it with luxurious items like truffle or sea urchin, it’s their call. — LEE KHANG YI
A relevant Michelin guide
Since the Michelin guide landed in Malaysia, it’s been nothing short of controversial.
Like an annual festival, everyone gathers around to discuss the horror of the choices and the glaring omissions.
Sadly, it does affect those who rightfully deserve a coveted entry into the guide.
Jokes emerge like maybe the Michelin inspectors are secret members of the claypot chicken rice fan club since there’s always a new entry annually.
Maybe that’s how they work... by creating a buzz with their puzzling selection.
The playbook is simple.
There are categories of local food which have been ignored, making proud Malaysian foodies irate. Till today, nasi kandar and KL Hokkien mee are not red bookworthy.
Even homegrown talent is being sidelined for others who have played the Michelin game well in their own countries.
Whatever the rules are with the guide, if their choices don’t resonate with diners, isn’t it time for the guide to have a makeover? — LEE KHANG YI
