CH’NG Poh Tiong
We can, without sounding rude, be utterly disrespectful.
This happened at the bar of the Claridge’s Restaurant in London the Saturday before Christmas.
Propped on the high stool, I asked one of the bartenders if they had “Lagavulin”. I was in luck and went on to enquire “8 or 16?”.
The bottle was not displayed at the bar and the bartender asked one of his colleagues to fetch it from somewhere else.
A few seconds later, the bartender thrust a bottle before me and said, “This is very good”. And asked if I would like to have that instead.
The fresh-faced bartender did not even have the courtesy (to the bottle) to announce it was a “Balvenie”.
Maybe he thought it shouldn’t make any difference to me so long as he proclaimed “This is very good”. Mind you, this was after his customer had specifically asked for Lagavulin and if what they had was 6 or 18 (Years).
I replied, “Yes, Balvenie is very good but I feel like a Lagavulin just now”.
‘Imagine if you had ordered fish for your main course and the waiter/waitress suggests steak instead because “This is very good”.’
The other Indian bartender arrived shortly and showed me the Islay bottle. I was doubly lucky as it was Lagavulin 16. Having said that, Lagavulin 8 Years is also superb, vibrant and fresher if less round and supple.
I asked for the dram to be poured into a white wine glass as rock glasses do very little for the aroma and fragrance of whisky when we want to sniff it before tasting the magic.
DON’T DO THIS
When a customer informs what he/she would like, respect that. Do not suggest something else unless you do not have what the customer wishes. Otherwise, it’s plain disrespectful.
Equivalent to suggesting the customer does not know what he/she wants. Or that you have a better idea what the customer should have instead. And want to impose your will on the customer.
When the bartender suggested I should have had the Balvenie because “This is very good”, it was tantamount to him saying my choice was not a very good one. It was adding insult to showing disrespect.
Imagine if you had ordered fish for your main course and the waiter/waitress suggests steak instead because “This is very good”.
Or, after you had said you would like to have the pasta, you are told “The pizza is very good”. Or to have the Pinot Grigio instead because “This is very good” when you had specifically asked for the Timorasso.
There would just be no end to life.
CH’NG Poh Tiong first visited Scotland more than 30 years ago. In 2012, he was inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich in Blair Castle, the highest honour bestowed by Scotch Whisky.
