Our Place - A Dining Experience

[Paul 55,113]

Um, he is a member of the site, and you can PM him.

[Spango58 44]

Both Mae and I have had breakfast,lunch and dinner at Our Place and never had a bad dining experience, when in Cebu City we go there often.

 

Cheers

Mark

[Kim_ 957]

I also have had only good experiences in Our Place, when I was visiting i January this year.....

I know it's a new management now and hope they are keeping the same or better standard....

Just wish I would have known about the place when I lived in Cebu 10 years ago...

[Stranded Shipscook 2,856]

One word from my very own perspective. It is very hard to run a Restaurant, and one can not make everything correct. The same reason why i decided to stand in the kitchen myself instead of hiring more or less reliable people.

 

The worst scenario is an unsatisfied customer and the very worst is, when he don' tell me, but other people.

 

Please- if you have a complaint (at least in the fellow expats places ) try to talk to the owners, WE work very hard and we do not play around just for fun.

 

We will do everything to try to make you happy and answer any complaint as good as we can.

 

It is very very hard to get supplies, to keep the equipment running, to have the staff up-to-date (they seldom stay long anywhere, so its always training situation)

 

Then then paperwork and other things.

 

We manage this somehow, and then come all the other problem YOU have also. family, wife, friends. If we ever got time for that.

Reminder, a Restaurant stays open for many hours, most of them 7 days a week, they close way after dark to entertain you guys. We got no real life.

 

Now we somehow live with this and manage also our private life and then....

 

We hear or read somewhere that someone said...

 

And we don't even know about it. because nobody told us.

 

Some of the accusations even happen and are planted by competitors or other people which try to help them.Or people which don't like us or our wifes or the waitress. Envy, Jealousy, General ugly gossip... and all that.

I myself had that a lot in Cebu City and even in Balamban.

 

Now some customers are very nice, they tell me immediately and i can make immediate adjustments. Some even go a step further and write me a note with their cellphone number. So i can make later adjustments.

 

this is probably the best thing to do, if an owner isn't there. Write a small note, and folow up, if you don't hear anything. because most likely you will.

 

But please, do not post negative experiences in an open forum where people all over the World can read it when they google it.

 

Thanks for considering

Edited September 15, 2011 by CATMAN

[Headshot 29,178]

I hope that, if I ever have a bar / restaurant in Cebu, that you never frequent it and have a bad experience, then.

 

I am an American who will let the owner / manager know if I have a bad experience. How else are they going to know to fix it?

Ummm...Paul, I just stated what MOST Americans do...NOT what I do. I am big on bringing my complaints directly to management...just like you are. Having been a quality manager, I am fully aware that a business probably won't improve unless you tell them what is wrong.

 

However...MOST Americans won't do that. They do exactly what I said. At ISO, several studies were run that showed exactly that. And...unfortunately...it isn't just Americans that do that. Every business should be aware that many customers won't complain if the service is bad...they just won't return and will tell their friends about the bad experience.

 

I am actually surprised in the Philippines how often there is no manager (or in-charge) available to speak to. It seems they often don't want to hear any bad news. It is their loss when they avoid complaints and fail to satisfy a customer.

[KennyF 3,855]

I have heard it said that for every one person who complains to your face, 10 others with a gripe simply don't com back.

So complaints should be taken very seriously.

 

KonGC

[billy 1,691]

Having heard a lot about the food, we decided to eat at Our Place last Sunday, Sep. 11th. I ordered the Fish and Chips and my GF ordered the Adobo Combo Plate, Chicken and Pork.

My fish & chips were excellant. Cooked to perfection.

Both means were served at the same time. Something that rarely happens here in even the most expensive restaurants.

My GF seemed to dabble with her meal and finally I ask why and she said she was full. I did not believe this.

Arriving home I ask her what was wrong. She said the taste was good but the 2 chicken pieces were one part of a neck and a small piece of back. The 4 pieces of pork were 80% fat. Said something about what she would feed a dog. End of that conversation.

Now I am apologizing and will take her to dinner somewhere else. For her, that will never be Our Place again.

i have to say the people at our place are great. the food is excellent. please give them another chance. tell them your problem you had they will surely correct it. your gf should have told you when you were there so you could tell them and they would surely of corrected it. they are nice people trying very hard. every resteraunt can make a mistake but give them a chance to correct it. they are very nice people.

[A_Simple_Man 6,189]

But please, do not post negative experiences in an open forum where people all over the World can read it when they google it.

 

Good generalized advice, but isn't that part of the reason for this forum? I see this topic hits close to home because you have a restaurant, but when a filipina gets on here and posts negative experiences with her husband, do 'we' tell her to go talk to her husband and not post negative experiences? When a member posts negative experiences with government corruption do 'we' tell the member to go talk to management and not post negative experiences? Would you like me to give more examples or is the point taken?

 

I see nothing wrong with a person giving a less than gleaming review of a place. On the other hand I cannot see why the same person would take offense when every other poster says their experiences were much more positive than that and he should try again.

[Headshot 29,178]

I have heard it said that for every one person who complains to your face, 10 others with a gripe simply don't com back.

So complaints should be taken very seriously.

 

KonGC

THAT is absolutely correct.

[Easyrider 75]

i have to say the people at our place are great. the food is excellent. please give them another chance. tell them your problem you had they will surely correct it. your gf should have told you when you were there so you could tell them and they would surely of corrected it. they are nice people trying very hard. every resteraunt can make a mistake but give them a chance to correct it. they are very nice people.

 

Most of the problem lies with your gf not telling you or the waitress when her food was served. A problem cannot be corrected if they don't know there is a problem. You should be blaming your gf, not Our Place.

[John B 325]

You have a very unusual perspective, I do believe. How can you possibly say my GF is at fault because Our Place served less than a satisfactory meal?????

Our Place is owned and operated by a person from a 1st world country. Their customer base is about 95% or more people from 1st world countrys. I doubt that any of them go there for poor provincial Filipino food.

Are you suggesting that a Filipino should be served food not up to 1st world standards? Food you would not eat? Are you saying that it is OK with you if you have a nice satisfactory meal and your GF or wife eat something you would not touch?

If I had been served that food, s----t would have hit the fan immediately, but then I am not as polite as my GF.

It is not relevant what a POOR Filipino is brought up on, what a street food vendor serves, what a caranderia around colon market sells or what is available in some poor restaurant in the provinces.

I HAVE NOT taken offense at any of the posters here who said their dining experience was good. Read my post. I did say my food was very good.

Posters who have said it is my GF fault because the food was not very good do baffle and bemuse me as I certainly do not understand their reasoning. My GF had no say in how the food was cooked, what was in it or the quality therein. Never actually heard of a customer in a restaurant that dictated to the owner and cook how to prepare a meal.

Edited September 18, 2011 by John B

[Headshot 29,178]

My GF had no say in how the food was cooked, what was in it or the quality therein. Never actually heard of a customer in a restaurant that dictated to the owner and cook how to prepare a meal.

Really? I always have a say in how my meal is cooked if I want it a certain way. Haven't you ever ordered a steak and told them how to cook it? Do you think the adobo would have been cooked any differently if it had been YOU who had ordered it? I doubt it. The point isn't that your GF was at fault for the way the food was prepared. However, if it wasn't what she wanted, she could have sent it back and asked for something else. Have you never done that in your life? I'm sure the management would have happily replaced the meal, and everybody would have been happier.

[caloy 74]

Yeah, I'd go with Chicken Chester!

[Ricky 395]

The truth is, Our Place serves your basic run of the mill Pub Grub for expats and tourists, it's a little relaxed place with cheap beer and comfort food. The place doesn't pretend to be anything else, you know when you arrive downtown, and walk in the door what kind of place it is.

I'm not saying its an excuse, but the place doesn't oversell itself, it is what is it is.

 

If we are downtown, we occasinally drop by because the wife and kids enjoy eating there, It's not my kind of food, but I've always found it alright for what it is.

[Rogersea 17]

My only lesson from the thread is to never post a Semi-critical review of a place owned and operated and frequented by westerners and board members .

Having never been to Our Place, I may drop by sometime to check them out. Living in Moalboal our time in the city is limited.

 

We have a pretty hard and fast rule to never order anything off the menu(here in the Philippines) which my wife or I am able to make well(except at fast food places), because it usually disappoints..

 

Cheers,

Roger

Edited September 27, 2011 by Rogersea

[sperry 557]

 

Most of the problem lies with your gf not telling you or the waitress when her food was served. A problem cannot be corrected if they don't know there is a problem. You should be blaming your gf, not Our Place.

 

You are joking aren't you?

 

Here's my take.

 

When I go to a restaurant its because I want to eat some food well cooked and well presented.

 

It certainly is not so that the restaurant can use me as unpaid quality control staff. Funnily enough, I consider that is the restaurant's job, and to have completed the job before I even arrive.

 

If I a place wants me to test their food, they can either pay me or accept the consequences.

 

FWIW I have been to Our Place. Im not going back.

[shadow 18,481]

 

You are joking aren't you?

 

Here's my take.

 

When I go to a restaurant its because I want to eat some food well cooked and well presented.

 

It certainly is not so that the restaurant can use me as unpaid quality control staff. Funnily enough, I consider that is the restaurant's job, and to have completed the job before I even arrive.

 

If I a place wants me to test their food, they can either pay me or accept the consequences.

 

FWIW I have been to Our Place. Im not going back.

 

I'm just guessing you have a lot of problems in Philippine restaurants, and find few that you give regular business to?

 

Larry in Dumaguete

[sperry 557]

 

I'm just guessing you have a lot of problems in Philippine restaurants, and find few that you give regular business to?

 

Larry in Dumaguete

 

Well you guessed wrong. There are many places I go to frequently.

 

But I give very short thrift indeed to western owned and run premises that deliver "local" services at expat prices.

 

The whole "tone" of this thread sucks imho. OP gives a frank opinion of Our Place, says 50% of dishes were excellent, other 50% was poor, and service was very good. The most jump on him, saying it was his fault. Crazy.

 

Its really very simple.

 

I have time and money to spend when I go out to eat. There are many places I can choose from, so I juggle many parameters in a complex and informal decision process which I dont have to justify to anyone before deciding where to go.

 

Our Place never arrives on the list of possibles and/or short list.

 

My own experience there was quality poor, service worse.

 

They had their chance. They blew it. Nuff said.

Edited September 27, 2011 by sperry

[shadow 18,481]

 

 

But I give very short thrift indeed to western owned and run premises that deliver "local" services at expat prices.

 

 

 

Well for us we usually find the food quality, quantity, and price acceptable. No, it has not been perfect every time, few places are. When we are in Cebu it is usually on business, and we have a limited budget on which to eat three meals a day for several days. We do not have a food budget of P2000/day to eat on. I have been eating at Our Place for numerous years through several management teams, and it has most always been good in terms of value, even if not up to the standards of some.

 

If we lived in Cebu and were looking for a once a week night out where price was not a problem, Our Place would probably not be on the list.

 

Larry in Dumaguete

Edited September 27, 2011 by shadow

[pattycakes 4]

 

Well you guessed wrong. There are many places I go to frequently.

 

But I give very short thrift indeed to western owned and run premises that deliver "local" services at expat prices.

 

The whole "tone" of this thread sucks imho. OP gives a frank opinion of Our Place, says 50% of dishes were excellent, other 50% was poor, and service was very good. The most jump on him, saying it was his fault. Crazy.

 

Its really very simple.

 

I have time and money to spend when I go out to eat. There are many places I can choose from, so I juggle many parameters in a complex and informal decision process which I dont have to justify to anyone before deciding where to go.

 

Our Place never arrives on the list of possibles and/or short list.

 

My own experience there was quality poor, service worse.

 

They had their chance. They blew it. Nuff said.

Have you been there since the new owner? He seems to try very hard and the girls working there have gotten much better.

[spooks 1,729]

"But I give very short thrift indeed to western owned and run premises that deliver "local" services at expat prices."

 

I would like to know what you consider to be expat prices? most places on the Terraces are far more expensive even by expat price standards and some are woeful on quality and service.

 

"I have time and money to spend when I go out to eat. There are many places I can choose from, so I juggle many parameters in a complex and informal decision process which I don't have to justify to anyone before deciding where to go."

 

just begs the obvious , why bother posting your justifications?

 

Feedback is the life blood of any customer centered business. Negative criticisms are an invitation to improve. Just wonder if you let those that meet your standards on any given day know this?

 

I am pretty free with both positive and negatives and expected my customers to do the same. Why? because its the catalyst for progress

[sperry 557]

"But I give very short thrift indeed to western owned and run premises that deliver "local" services at expat prices."

 

I would like to know what you consider to be expat prices? most places on the Terraces are far more expensive even by expat price standards and some are woeful on quality and service.

 

"I have time and money to spend when I go out to eat. There are many places I can choose from, so I juggle many parameters in a complex and informal decision process which I don't have to justify to anyone before deciding where to go."

 

just begs the obvious , why bother posting your justifications?

 

Feedback is the life blood of any customer centered business. Negative criticisms are an invitation to improve. Just wonder if you let those that meet your standards on any given day know this?

 

I am pretty free with both positive and negatives and expected my customers to do the same. Why? because its the catalyst for progress

 

In answer to questions:

 

1: above aa bbq

2: i didn't

3: yes; if they can be bothered running a bit of analysis on credit card numbers and/or a white face they would know I am a return visitor.

 

Criticism maybe a catalyst for progress. But from my days of working in the catering trade when I was a student, criticism is an excellent way of ensuring a dip around on a later course or subsequent visit.

 

Have you been there since the new owner? He seems to try very hard and the girls working there have gotten much better.

 

Probably not, but I do not really know.

Edited September 27, 2011 by sperry

[spooks 1,729]

1/ do not understand

2/ read your post again, it looks like you did , I do not have a dog in any fight and that is how I read it

3/ Not sure prying into CC details is ethical we were told not to refer to them as part of CC merchandising unless it was for billing inquiries. Not sure if you wrote on your CC slips what you did and did not like. Also the pace has changed hands, perhaps the new people do not know you?

 

I never stopped being a student, so perhaps I have benefited form more modern catering practices and business school developments.

 

Thanks for responding it has helped me understand.

Edited September 27, 2011 by spooks

[Alfred E. Neuman 5,791]

Always wanted to try "Our Place" but i don't know where to park my car!

[caloy 74]

At the back. There's an open parking space. That lot is also used as parking lot for Sogo clients.