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| - This was my second time here, but considering how things went, it may be my last. The last time I was here, customer service was lacking, but at least the food was good. Customer service was roughly the same and unchanged this time, but at least my reservation details were correct and we were quickly seated without much dispute. The waiters and waitresses also made a decent effort at accommodating our food allergies and dietary restrictions (e.g., one of us was allergic to shellfish and shrimp, while the other two of us don't eat meat).
I didn't particularly like that they handed out a drink menu beforehand, and personally asked each individual what they wanted to drink before serving the food. When I came last time, bottled water was free; as such, I was a little surprised to see them now charging $1 for it. The mango nectars that my friends ordered cost $2 for a tiny thin short can.
The place is as cramped as ever, and was boiling hot - the steam from the kitchen, coupled with the humidity outside, made the confined space quite unbearable. That said, the washrooms and place downstairs are quite cool and modestly clean.
The feast was served, starting with a bed of their fragrant garlic fried rice. However, I was a little disappointed to see that the portions have shrunk significantly - the squid was extremely tiny, with only roughly 8 portions of squid rings. There were no tentacles nor head served. The fish was okay - but the smoked milkfish wasn't as fragrant nor rich as before, while the grilled fish was smaller and underseasoned. It was also heavily charred, but surprisingly not crispy. In fact, I daresay it was on the wet side. The boiled shrimps were also not deveined, and stuck quite closely to their shells, making them difficult to peel.
The first time I came, it was an interesting experience. However, it's sad to see that they haven't been able to keep the quality of food, and are now charging the same for less and lower quality food.
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