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Thu | February 01, 2007
Mitsuba annoys me
So I went back there the other day-- was it just yesterday? It was Tuesday. After putting it off for quite some time. Never put things off, not the good things anyway, because they are bound to let you down when you finally do them. I had the house roll, which was good, though it had almost too much sauce. I never order the special rolls on account of the expense so it was fun to do so then. The disappointing part was when I left, I told the owner that she should change their service system. That each waiter should have a certain group of tables. Actually the disappointment began before that; I hadn't been there in nearly a month since the day it opened on Jan 3rd, and I had half hoped that the problem would have fixed itself, i.e., someone else would have convinced her of it.
She pointed to a chart on the wall- a map of the tables with some lines and territories. She had heard this before. And yet they weren't using the system. She explained that when it was busier they would forget who had already ordered drinks or needed the bill, etc., but that she would tell them later. I didn't realize til after I left that she thought of my complaint as a problem on the part of the staff- that they were forgetting whether I had already ordered. Which they were, collectively, because no particular person was assigned to my table, and they would just ask randomly as they walked by, according to what they guessed. It was not the fault of the wait staff, but of the fact that they had absolutely no system or organization. I regretted talking to her about it once I realized that she would probably just tell her lowly paid staff to work harder, when really it was the fault of her non-management. And that of the two "partners" whom I had never seen and in the many times I walked by and glanced in the window.
So anyway I told her that the waiters were disorganized and that the way things were run now, it was impossible for any of them to tell what was going on. "Thank you for the suggestion," she said cheerily. She waved me off. It was clear that she wasn't really going to follow it. I was like, it's not a suggestion. This is the way people expect restaurants to be run. I myself was quite annoyed at having all these waiters running around, none of whom were really mine. I kind of couldn't stand it. I mean, there's something really disruptive and unpeaceful about it; you can't relax because these nervous Asians are hurrying around, being very industrious, but very annoying, because you are trying to think. At least in my case that is what I am trying to do; the other patrons are trying to dine. I can only imagine how they feel, as I am probably the least picky when it comes to service. I am sure others have tried to mention it to her and it just isn't getting through. It's embarrassing. I am embarrassed for them all as Asians.
Asians don't dine out that much. My family hardly ever does, except on holidays. Like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Which is of course not what you are "supposed" to do, on these days when you are supposed to be having a home-cooked meal. Anyway. I dine out often enough to know the basics, but not enough to be a really familiar diner. But I am not opening a restaurant. Why would you open a restaurant if you don't even eat out at restaurants often enough to know how a wait staff works?
So I am trying not to care but I still do, if not because I care about them, which I try not to, but from self-interest (the struggle of my adult life, a matter of survival in an individualist society). Mitsuba is a nice place to sit, or would be if only the wait staff were appropriate. Then again, maybe I can get them to serve me the way I want, to respect my space, and not worry about the others. Sigh. Because right now there's still too many people at lunch. I mean, it's the grand opening and 10% off, and so people are going there in droves and there's no room for me. That's part of the reason why I didn't go back sooner. It was always so crowded and I am a lone diner. Yeah. So there's just one week left in their grand opening and I haven't tasted all the things I wanted to. Whatever. I will just waste more money next month, I guess. I don't think I would have been able to dine alone that often, anyway. It is probably better also because I could not afford it anyway.
In a Parthian shot, I said pleasantly, "please fix it." But still, I was upset, and continue to be, because I think it will not be fixed. I think the time to tell them would have been early on, and now that they have had a successful month, even if their business decreases, they will think it is only due to the fact that the initial buzz has worn off, and not because their service is infuriating.
I am annoyed with myself, of course, for not having the talent to convince her of it. I'm very incapable of everything these days; I can feel my abilities waning in everything. Especially when it comes to talking to people or dealing with things, I feel myself getting unhealthier, it all plummeting. And I am generally despondent these days for that reason. I sense that there was a time when I would have been more convincing; when I would have hit the note at perfect pitch. And when my timing would have been right on; instead I delayed for weeks. Everything is off.
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