The disorder in order!

It’s always a lot of fun to go to restaurants with your family or a group of friends. However, it’s surely no fun when all the orders of your table don’t come at the same time.

If yours is the first order to come, you have to wait till the other orders come, by when your food might have turned ‘cold turkey’! On the other hand, if yours is the last one to come, then you have to resist all the temptation to dig into your friends’ orders.

But in most hangouts in Bangalore, except probably the fast food chains, this seems to have become a norm.

Besides, it’s common to see various courses being served in a haphazard manner. Metrolife speaks to a few Bangaloreans, who have a lot to say, on this trend.  

Ashish Verma, an online marketing manager, eats out often with friends. “It has happened to me a lot of times,” he notes. He recalls his experience at a popular fast food joint in Koramangala. “They got my main course first followed by the soup and starters,” he laughs. “At another place in the same area, if you go during evening hours, your orders are generally forgotten due to the rush,” he adds.  

Ashish has a piece of advice for the restaurant staff.  “They should intimate the customers about how much time an order is going to take. Also inform them if they are going to take time for an order.

There should be no communication gap between the waiters and the customers,” he feels. Chaitanya Harita, a doctor, has experienced this so many times now that he makes it a point to inform the waiters. “It’s become a habit for me to tell them to bring the orders together. But more often than not, the orders are still brought separately and excuses are given afterwards,” he notes.

Being a vegetarian, Chaitanya says he doesn’t have to wait long for his order.  “Since my friends are non-vegetarians, my order is generally the first one to come unless it’s a sizzler,” he adds.

According to him, “We go to a restaurant with family or friends to basically have a good time. The food is just a part of the experience. In our busy lives, we take time out to go once in a while and it’s the duty of the restaurants to ensure that things go smoothly and that we have a good time.”

Naren Thimmaiah, the executive chef of The Gateway Hotel, feels it’s all about time management. “It’s the basic lesson that we are taught as part of our course. So it’s essential for the waiters and chefs to balance the order. For instance, if a sandwich and a steak are ordered at the same table, they should start working on the steak first and when it’s half done, they should start preparing the sandwich. However, being a part of the industry, I know that it’s easier said than done. So personally, I ensure that all my curries are prepared in advance,” he says. “A good way out is to work on the starters or soups or juices first and keep your guests occupied,” he adds. Another thing he stresses upon is the needs of the kids.

“The hotel staff must really be sensitive to the kids’ orders. Once they are taken care of, you can handle the parents better,” he sums up.