How many times have you over-ordered at a restaurant and you can't tuck in all the food?
Many of such situations happen because you were very hungry when you sauntered in, or cajoled by an enterprising waitress or attracted by the menu's glossy pictures.
Under such circumstances, we'd usually tapau, which in the Cantonese dialect means pack away. And, many restaurants would gladly do that at no extra charge.
Recently, someone I knew went to a restaurant-cum-pub chain quite well-known in the Klang Valley and was surprised that he had to pay an extra ringgit for the unfinished pizza to be packed in a box.
Not wanting to make a fuss, he paid up but upon checking the bill, he was tickled as the item was listed as "open drink", probably to denote a glass of water.
"Why don't you call a spade a spade?" he asked if the joint actually wanted to defray its packaging costs.
Making that extra ringgit brings to mind a kopitiam in Penang that charged patrons RM1 for not ordering drinks but only food from the hawkers.
Its owner reckoned that they were using chairs and tables he provided. A lawyer did say that the kopitiam had every right to charge as it's a private place.
When this practice was revealed and circulated on social media, the kopitiam's business even soared because people wanted to "be in a famous place".
Perhaps, it had flourished under one of Steven Covey's management principles — what you do has far greater impact than what you say. It's debatable whether the two examples above had right or wrong answers.
But it boils down to service or certain acts that are bound to make people feel good like what two noted philosophers said: "Great acts are made up of small deeds" by Lao Tzu and "Goodness is the only investment that never fails" by Henry David Thoreau.
I thought it wouldn't be out of place to mention Rashidin Abd Rashid, or better known as Chef Mamu, who provided great service and exuded charm wherever he went.
I met Mamu from Seberang Prai some 10 years ago at a swanky restaurant near the Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. Mamu wowed the jet-set crowd there with his Pan-Asian cuisine.
I actually admired his creative description of our popular curry noodles as Kamchatka Crab Noodles! Kamchatka crabs, as we know, are also known as Alaskan or Red King Crabs. Their leg span can reach 1.8m.
My guess is that the inventive labelling may have lulled diners into thinking that a big bowl of giant crabs may come their way with some noodles.
What they got was crab meat on top of noodles, in a mildly spicy broth of coconut milk, milk and fresh vegetables. The cost? RM50 per bowl then.
But scores of the well-to-do were prepared to pay that kind of money for that "every bit of Asia" the young man from Penang was promoting.
By then, he had also earned a reputation for being an occasional private chef to former Russian president and prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who'd even take him on overseas trips to wow guests at private functions!
As Mamu's reputation soared, diners didn't bat an eyelid over his prices because they, too, wanted a piece of the action as he was "Medvedev's private chef".
But Mamu didn't let his popularity go to his head. He became even more popular when he found time to get feedback from those who came to dine.
He'd give patrons his calling card and tell them to call ahead next time, and also inform him of their preferences.
Wouldn't you be delighted when a top chef tells you that? The latest I heard is that this forty-something culinary artist is now making waves in Washington.
Service does matter in the food and beverage sector.
The writer is a former Bernama chief executive officer and editor-in-chief
