Video
Read full review
2012-09-05
373 views
Have ever had this experience of passing by a bakery shop or a restaurant and thinking you ought to try it someday and that day never comes.... Well this is the DAY we decided to try "The MET..."basically, here is a place that everyone pass by and never really stop there. It is apparently managed by Dan's Ryan group which is for me a good sign, or so i thought....Where to start? it is exactly the question you might sk yourself when entering the Metropolitan restaurant. Because everything is ther
basically, here is a place that everyone pass by and never really stop there. It is apparently managed by Dan's Ryan group which is for me a good sign, or so i thought....
Where to start? it is exactly the question you might sk yourself when entering the Metropolitan restaurant. Because everything is there, Noodle (like in the street of Mongkok except for the price), sandwiches, salads, Chicken dish, pasta, etc... etc... etc... and it goes on and on and on, even what they call a pizzette, and this is nothing more than a look alike of a smaller version of a pizza, but looking more like a sad version of the italian favorite coming out of the freezer and blast in the microwave for few minutes, yawk!!!!!
And you see this is something I learn very young, you need to be careful going into a restaurant with too much offering, it can't be all good. and thinking of it, if you have so much choice, are selling everything everyday or is there items leftover on the side of your stove service after service? well you decide... for me it was already late, we were hungry and just wanted to eat quickly, the restaurant was empty which meant fast service, we thought. here we are entering the mystical world of the Metropolitan cafe, and after standing for few minutes in front of what looks like the place to order, we finally had someone asking us (actually my girlfriend being annoyed, asked her to serve us!!!) what we wanted. but this is only the place to order panini or sandwiches.... not main dish we needed to move forward, where to pass in front of the not so good looking noodles, then the salads then the drinks and then finally the cashier where someone will take your order. so not practical and surely they could have someone telling you how it works, but that would have meant actually thinking the whole process through which they apparently did not do.
so we ordered and we got serve pretty quickly of course, nothing exceptional on the food front but at that point I had no expectation anymore. the food was decent though but nothing that i would come back for.
However, there is a little surprise in that mediocre restaurant, which is a disappointment for Dan Ryan's is one of the good place to get comfort food in a very good surrounding and atmosphere usually (well they miss in that operation but its ok we are not going to be upset at them for that). but the surprised came from the most unexpected place, as i was excited at their beverage choice (yes i know it is weird, but any place that do homemade ice tea is a good place for me) and they do have homemade ice tea with no syrup or sugar of any sorts. So here I am getting excited about it and this older woman which seems to be taking care of cleaning the dining room area, come to me and ask me in English if I want some ice in it.... What a shock.... Yes in English, and she was smiling, polite, and offering me ice... this was a nice surprise. Few minutes later as I put my straw into the Ice tea cup, the lead was not closed properly and I drop some on the table and on me, and you know in such circumstances I would or could get upset but the same lady noticed it and brings me paper napkins before i even ask for it.... Now... I am IMPRESSED, I would never expect this from this lady, but to be honest if I owned a coffee shop or restaurant in Hong Kong, I would offer her good money to work with me, because that is exactly what Hong Kong food service is missing. People that care for their job and understand service.
So if you go to the Metropolitan cafe, you are not going to get exceptional food, but it is decent, you are not going experience great service nor see a clean kitchen counter or chefs willing to help you more than necessary, but if you are lucky to go the day this lady is working I promise you are in for a treat because she never stops. she is making sure everything is always clean, tables, chairs, floor, she refill the small counter of napkins and straws to make sure you do not need to look for it anywhere else.. She is by herself a good enough reason to go eat there.
Post