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Restaurant Critic & Food Blogger
Why are so many restaurants closing?
That is the million dollar questions. Most of the restaurants opened during the Baby Boom generation and frankly, being a Boomer I loved them. But with anything, time is not always favorable in the eyes of these restaurants. They got complacent with their regular baby boom customers coming back over and over again. But eventually, the Boomers are getting older and retiring or finding it better to cook at home or not go out to eat as frequently. We were used to microwave heated foods and never gave it a second thought. The Fast food companies and family style restaurants view is this. If it ain't broken why fix it! That philosophy has hurt the company. Laid back and keeping things the same. Meanwhile, small companies are working their asses off to tap into markets that aren't keep up with the trends relating to different flavors that taint customers curiosity. Management is responsible for creating a business model that casters to the wants and desires of the customer. Whether that is offering a new product or revising an existing product, management must be in tune with the environment is which they are operating their stores in. So, customers visit the competition and like it, then sales volume goes down at the established restaurants and despite discounts, incentives, they lost their steady clientele. Then revenues sink and cut backs are done with staff and supplies are streamlined for cheaper products and poorer quality resulting in cheaper prices and overall quality is poor. Revenues are not enough to upgrade the stores and many places are out of style. Staff is not the best as good staff goes to the newer establishments so filling in staff is, offer the lowest pay to get anyone that can talk and walk. Less effort to properly screen and train employees correctly. Cleanliness is often the key sacrifice to a poor store. It's simply disgusting. Always check the bathroom, it gives you a first hand of what to expect in the dining room or kitchen. Chef Woo Can www.chefwoocan.com YouTube: Chef Woo Can Bamboo Gardens Restaurant
Bel Air, MD Sometimes when are extremely busy, although your stomach is growling, you don't have the opportunity to go for a nice dinner. Fast food will give you indigestion and a sit down restaurant can do the same but there is always a restaurant that can provide a sense of peace and relaxation. Bamboo Gardens is a Chinese restaurant that typically closes at 9 pm, but during the week I was so busy, I didn't feel like cooking. I was tired, hungry and just wanted to chill. I called a buddy to see if he wanted to join me and agreed to meet me there. It was around I guess between 830 and 845 om during a weekday. First, the staff greeted me and never mentioned that they were closing soon, nor told had the attitude of impatience. Our waiter brought the menus and when we were ready, he took our orders. My buddy had the Crab Rangoon and I started off with a Chicken Corn soup, then I ordered a pan fried dumplings and the main course I ordered Tangerine Beef. I was expecting a rushed job but to my amazement I was pleasantly surprised on each of the dishes when it came to our table. The Crab Rangoon was ok from my buddies perspective , Chicken Corn soup was hot and delicious, good bits of corn and chicken. My pan fried dumplings were exceptionally hot and arranged very nice on the plater. The texture of the dough was chewy and delicious and the inside, the pork was fresh and steamed to perfection. and finally the Tangerine Beef was impressive. Chunks of beef with a crunchy texture coating and so tender was the meat with a tangerine sauce that I could die for. The sauce had no resemblance of General Tso's sauce, nor sweet and sour or orange sauce. It was delicious. I figured going to the restaurant so late that everything would be haphazardly put together. I was so wrong, I was impressed and I had the belief that management knows how to take care of their customers no matter what time it is. So on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being excellent, I give Bamboo Garden Restaurant a 100. They were that good. I'll go back again. and I encourage you all to try this place. It might have been a little pricey but the atmosphere was perfect, it was clean and the service was professional and the food was the best. www.chefwoocan.com YouTube: Chef Woo Can Latitudes Seafood Restaurant
Bel Air, MD It's always exciting when a new restaurant comes to town especially when its about 4 miles away. I was looking forward to visiting a seafood restaurant. The days of seafood restaurants in the past was a time of relaxation and enjoyment of the fresh catch of the day from both a appetizer and dinner standpoint. I could go to Yelp to read the reviews but keep in mind that being a food instructor, I know exactly what's going on in the food business. I went with my wife and another couple and once we opened the door, the volume level was overwhelming. It was happy hour and the bar was packed. I couldn't even hear myself talk. I expected a more sedate atmosphere but the layout of the restaurant was open. The hostess brought us to the table and our waitress was friendly and professional. I took a look at the menu and noticed that the appetizers were just ok but the prices were very expensive. I tried the Hellfire Shrimp, fried shrimp made with a spicy aioli sauce. My buddy ordered a Jumbo Bavarian Crab Stuffed Pretzel. When I got the Hellfire Shrimp, the shrimp was literally soaked with the aioli sauce when makes me think that whoever prepared it did it way in advance just to get the dish out to the customers rather waiting for it to be fried and then adding the sauce over it or the sauce was either too watery. I don't know but the dish was sure as HELL from HELLl! It was terrible. As for the Bavarian Crab pretzel, not from Maryland at this might be a Maryland delicacy, the pretzel was huge but cold, wasn't fresh and a gob of this Maryland crab spread was spread on top. Not very impressed. I believe that "Appetizers" are a reflection of the entree to come. My wife ordered the fish and chips and looked nothing like the traditional fish and chips. I ordered the Chilean sea bass, my buddy ordered a fish taco dish and his wife ordered a seafood pasta dish. To my surprise the Chilean sea bass was quite good with a butter lemon sauce and although it wasn't a big piece, it was the right size for the price and completely sufficient enough for my appetite. Dessert was ok, had some vanilla ice cream over a brownie. Here's my take on Latitudes, if you want a social gathering, the happy hour is perfect and take advantage of the price cuts with the appetizers, but if you want a quiet sit down dinner atmosphere, you might not want to go here. The place is similar to Miller's. The prices are high so in this climate of high inflation, what in the world was Latitudes thinking when they opened their restaurant. They are a chain with 2 locations in Virginia, I hope they are doing better. I don't think Latitudes fits into the Bel Air, area. I think we need a more modest restaurant that gives better value for the money. On a scale of 1=10 with 10 being excellent, I give Latitudes a "4" rating www.chefwoocan.com YouTube: Chef Woo Can Menchies of Bel Air
532 Baltimore Pike Bel Air, MD 21014 A funny thing happened on the way to eating lunch after a good workout at the college pool. I went to Pepeye's for some delicious chicken and wanted to have a little dessert. I had gone to Menchies location in Abingdon and love the place but today I saw in the shopping center Menchies. Great!, so I went inside, there was nobody upfront and this gentlemen was sitting in the back and came out. Please note I used the term "Gentlemen" lightly. I started to pull the handle on my favorite flavors. He's the thing, I managed my family's Carvel Ice Cream store a long time ago and to give the customer the best frozen custard, there is a degree on melting of ice cream by the nozzle, so it wasn't unusual that we allow a small smidget to come out to maintain the integrity of the ice cream. Knowing that most frozen desserts soft serv are that was I I didn't want to pay for melted frozen treat. The idiot gentleman lectures to me telling me "You don't have to do that" in a very belittling and rude manner. Who the heck was he, I was a customer. If you didn't want to clean up a customers mess, maybe he shouldn't be the owner. I didn't say anything as I went to the topping area and allow the spoon to scoop my favorite topping fall off the container. Never in my life has an "OWNER" not a worker talk to me in that way. I'm his bread and butter and maybe because I looked like a minority and came to the conclusion that maybe I should get a lesson in how to pour a frozen dessert the correct way. The truth of the matter is on Google Maps I offer my opinion of establishments I go to as well as a restaurant critic and blogger. No One ever talks to me in that manner and surprised as the owner he took that position of talking to me in a very unprofessional manner. I will be contacting Corporate. www.chefwoocan.com |
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