Lunch-Jing Dian Seafood Restaurant, Sungei Kadut-6 August 2009

Thinking hard for a lunch place today. Suddenly recalled a recent TV food programme in which two celebrities drive around Singapore to review food. One of the restaurants featured is a newly opened seafood restaurant in Sungei Kadut. Sungei Kadut??!!!! That area is like “ulu” with lots of furniture factories and people like us on the street only go there infrequently on weekends to look at furniture. Nevertheless, without actually knowing where the restaurant location is, William and I decided to try our luck. TV programme introduced one must be good, right?! WHAT A MISTAKE, WHAT A MISTAKE, BIG BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!

At first, we could not find the place so we stopped the car to ask a lady and she pointed us towards the newly opened International Furniture Centre (IFC). She guessed that the restaurant must be there. Turned out to be right.

When we stepped into the restaurant, there was just maybe about 5 tables of patrons. We were given the menu which looks similar to that of House of Lobsters. But we do not think they are related to the House of Lobsters. We ordered the set for two which includes lobsters porridge and a vegetable dish. The Chinese waitress (nowadays nearly all waitresses come from China) recommended their so called signature chicken dish which looks like miniature chicken drum sticks. The restaurant began to fill up and it was downhill all the way until we stepped out of it.
First, I don’t like the tables and chairs. Either the table is too high or the chair too low, I find it difficult to place my hands on the table. The seat of the chair is too deep. I have difficulty leaning back. If Jo comes along, my bet is that she will feel very uncomfortable since she is short.
Second, they have this device on the table that one can press the small buttons to call for the waitress to order, make payment etc. This is actually the same device that they have at the Thai Shark Fin Restaurant over at Goodwood Park Hotel but with one major difference. You see, whenever, you press a button, a series of jingles that last for nearly 20 seconds will sound out from a speaker in the dining area of the restaurant. And the sound is irritating loud!!! And we had to sit just a metre away from the freaking speaker hanging over us! We complained to the waitress several times about the noise but to no avail.

Second, the waiting time for the three dishes was simply way too long! We nearly finished half the teapot of Pu’er before the lobster porridge came. And the porridge was nowhere near that of House of Lobsters which is much tastier and comes at the right sizzling hot temperature! It could have been better if Jing Dian porridge is a tad hotter. I think they used a lower grade of rice than that of House of Lobsters to make the porridge.

We finished our porridge but the signature chicken dish and the vegetable dish were nowhere to be seen! Each of us took about 3 bowls of porridge and the other dishes were not served!!! We were not the only one impatiently waiting for the food. Pity our nearest table of 6 who came in about 10 minutes later than us. They did not even have any dish on their table even after we footed the bill and left the restaurant. This was like more than 45 minutes after they placed their orders. If I was in their shoes, I would have walked out of the restaurant.
I shall not comment further on the so-called signature dish or the vegetable dish except to say that I cannot understand how they could call it “signature dish”.

And this is not the end. We went to the cashier counter to make payment thinking that it could save us some time as we already spent nearly an hour and a half waiting for 3 simple dishes. Guess what; we have to wait 6-7 minutes for someone to appear at the counter. There was also another customer waiting there but he was trying to tell them to serve the rest of the dishes. The waiter brought up a list of the dishes he ordered and asked him what had been served!!!! Goodness!!!

And guess what again, we were told by the waitress that the boss is also lunching with some guests at one of the tables. Gosh, he cannot see with his own eyes what is happening at the restaurant and that his customers that day are most likely not to come back again???? I did not see any captain around to manage the restaurant and I think he better go and find a good one. Even though the food is so-so but the place has potential as it is the only restaurant around there but if the service continues to be what it is today, then good luck. I am definitely not going back again if not for a long while. I am still wondering how come there is a TV programme on the place!

After today’s lobster porridge lunch, I really miss House of Lobsters which has closed its Republic Polytechnic branch. They have good food but it is not the right location for them.