Culture Shock After Moving To Subang From KL

Ever since I moved to Subang Jaya 3 weeks ago, I rarely had a good experience dining in Subang, except this afternoon when aunty Collene brought me to USJ for Yong Tau Foo in a restaurant she frequents.

The hawkers' attitude in preparing the food is very disappointing. I am not making fuss just to show that Penangites are used to being served with good food or we have very delicate taste buds that are only pleased by real good food. Because I never have this problem when I was in KL for 5 years or more. If there's anything, I'd say KL food is acceptable, while Penang food is delicious. Here in Subang, the food merely pass the edible standard.

In fact, I am more pissed by the way food are served. I feel like the hawkers (including mamak store) cook just to prepare something that is edible. There is not spirit to woo customer, and they don't care if the customers will complain. Because you know what? I think one of the reasons is, the customers just don't complain! The customers here eat just to fill their stomachs and they are not particular about good dining experience even from a hawker! Food is not just about the consumption part. But it's also about the relationship between the cook and the consumer.

First incident that irked me was when I found cucumber slices were not peeled off their skins when served with chicken rice. Maybe it's normal for most of you. But it's annoying for me to find it served in this manner, not to mention the cucumbers were bitter. The first thing that came to my mind was: How could they serve this kind of food? That day was my first time trying out hawker food in Subang. Many people told me I am lucky to stay in SS15 because there are a lot of hawker centers around for good food. What a disappointment. There are a lot of dining outlet alright, but they are not necessarily "good" food. To be fair, after I went back and thought about it, I reckoned that maybe I've over-reacted over the small slices of cucumber.

Second incident was at this huge mamak restaurant. Their fried rice was so salty that I couldn't remember if I finished it. And I don't usually doubt if I finish food, because I usually do. Just when I've forgotten about this incident, I went there again, ordered different type of fried rice. It , too, was too salty, and it reminded me to learn from my past experience and not to order any of their fried rice again. Not to mention the price here is much higher than those in KL.

The mamak restaurant my colleagues and I frequent during our lunch time is actually much better. At least their food is at the acceptable category. But I just hope Subway restaurant could be nearer to me. I'd rather (or have the choice to) eat their Sub-of-the-day everyday than eating mamak food during every lunch. At least the former is healthier. We go to the same mamak restaurant during every lunch break because the food isn't that bad and it's the only few options around the hospital and they give discounts to hospital staff. And they have friendly waiters. That is the good dining experience I am talking about. Not just the high end restaurants have to give good service. But every restaurants which wants to keep customers, they have to bother to give this level of service.

The incident which prompted me to write this post happened just now. It's the same mamak restaurant which serves me fried rice that was too salty. I still visit that restaurant because it is on my way back home from gym after kick-boxing session. I ordered Claypot Sweet&Sour Fish Rice.

Their service tonight was slower than usual. But that's not the main issue. When the food was served, it was in a claypot alright. The fish pieces tasted sweet and sour as promised, with white rice. But the instant I scooped up the rice, I noticed the rice did not stick to the base of  the claypot like they usually would as a claypot dish. Suspiciously I touched the base of the claypot from outside, and it was warm, not boiling hot. Then it hit me that they didn't cook the dish in the claypot. They cooked it separately and then put it in the claypot. And they have the guts to call it CLAYPOT rice. What..? *slap forehead* If they cook the rice in the claypot on stove, the pot would be so hot that even the hawker has to carry the pot with a holder when serving it on the table. And some of the rice at the base will be burnt and stick to the base, and they have this special smell that can only come from claypot dish.

I felt cheated and disappointed. I ate my dinner sorrowfully.

I guess most people in Subang eat home cook food. Or because they are rich people, they eat in high end restaurants which give good service and dining experience. They eat real claypot rice dishes. And poor people are not suppose to be picky about what we eat and should just be satisfied with what is served.

I am shocked that this is the culture widely accepted and practised around my area.