Saturday, October 3, 2009

A Yakiniku & Shabu-shabu restaurant

Last Tuesday, I had lunch with my ex-colleagues at a buffet Yakiniku (grilled meat) & Shabu - shabu (hot pot) restaurant in Central Jakarta.

While I was taking pictures of the food, suddenly from behind me there's a man voice,

" HEY!!! MISS... MISS...!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES FOR?"

I turned my head to the man and figured out that the man is probably the manager of the restaurant. I answered him, "For my blog."

Then the man said with still his high tone of voice, "NO! You can not take any pictures in here!"

I showed a surprised face and asked, "Oh... Why?" Followed directly with an explanation to him, "This can be a promotion for your restaurant."

But the man insisted and said, "No, it's not allow!"

So, I said back to him, "Ok, then... I wont take pictures anymore."

I turned my camera off and walked away from that man. And yes, I kept my words, no more taking pictures in the restaurant, BUT, psssstttt.... I didn't say that I will not blog and post about this restaurant, right? *wink* Anyway, since they don't want any promotion (even it's a free one) for their restaurant so I definitely will not reveal the name of the restaurant nor give my review.

Hope you all will enjoy the pictures that I managed to capture :)

A grill built into the table and also a hot pot.
An array of raw meats, seafood and also raw vegetables.
Restaurant,japanese food
Special grill sauces
Desserts
at

42 comments:

  1. chow and chatterOctober 3, 2009 at 10:03 PM

    what a silly man! love your new header

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  2. FaithOctober 3, 2009 at 10:08 PM

    I'm glad you managed to take some pictures, the spread looks incredible!

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  3. Food For TotsOctober 3, 2009 at 11:36 PM

    By right he should thank you for promoting his restaurant thru your food blog.

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  4. PalidorOctober 3, 2009 at 11:52 PM

    Huh, that wasn't very polite of that man! Maybe he thought you were from the competition, or that you might write a bad review. Anyway, the pictures you captured are nice. What an incredible variety of food!

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  5. pisang goreng 115,NFOctober 4, 2009 at 12:32 AM

    you no need a picture to write bad or good about that or this restaurant.....
    just put the address.
    like; location beside ...... , behind......
    at bla bla bla
    serve a good food but very bad service....

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  6. ~~louise~~October 4, 2009 at 1:53 AM

    I've often wondered about "proper etiquette" when taking pictures in a restaurant. I haven't been able to bring myself to take pictures because I'm just not sure it's acceptable. Although, a good review from you, Selba may have made his day!!!

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  7. Sam Hoffer / My Carolina KitchenOctober 4, 2009 at 4:54 AM

    Selby, Diane Jacob who wrote "Will Write for Food" has a blog and she just recently wrote about photographing in restaurants. Google her and you'll find her blog. It's interesting. She writes about exactly what you're saying. I've only had the nerve to photograph food in a restaurant once and I asked first. I'm very shy when it comes to photographing in restaurants and I have a lot to learn about it. I'm staying tuned to see what others have to say here. Very, very interesting subject you've brought up.
    Sam

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  8. Cooking GalleryOctober 4, 2009 at 5:05 AM

    At least you managed to take quite some pictures...! I am always rather on the shy side when it comes to taking pictures in restaurants, because I am never sure whether it's allowed or not. When I do take pictures I always try not to be too obvious... I often feel awkward and uncomfortable when I do - that's why I don't usually take pictures when I eat out - which is a pity... Maybe I should just learn to be more indifferent about it.

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  9. Wilson NgOctober 4, 2009 at 6:32 AM

    Like your new header.

    Anyways! I've link ur blog to mine. Could you do the same?

    :)

    Wilson Ng - PlacesAndFoods.com

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  10. Donna-FFWOctober 4, 2009 at 9:27 AM

    LOVELY new header.
    That man in the restaurant.. give me a break. Make the customer happy. Loved the shots you managed to get!

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  11. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 9:40 AM

    chow & chatter: Hehehe.. yeah, a silly man! Thanks for your compliment :)

    faith: Yup, at least a few pictures being captured before I got the warning :)

    FFT: Supposedly yes... anyway, it's his lost, hehehe

    palidor: Hehehe.... probably, or he might even don't know what a blog means? ;)

    PG 115: I think pictures are important, people tend to be attracted more with visual than just words ;)

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  12. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    louise: I'm also not so sure about the etiquette but sometimes, I would ask permission or explain that I'm taking pictures for my blog, well, it depends on the situation or the restaurants or the food street vendors.

    MCK: Thanks for sharing the blog, Sam! I went to her blog and also put a comment there :) I actually wrote a little bit of how challenging to take food pictures in my "about" link. Let's see what the other will say here :)

    C-G: Same thing with me, frankly speaking, even until today I still working on with my shy feeling and sometimes also the uncomfortable feeling for taking food pictures in restaurants or on the street but then if I don't fight my feeling then this blog will be empty and I do love food pictures! Hehehe....

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  13. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 9:53 AM

    W & R: Thanks! Sure, I'll add you in my blogroll links :)

    donna: Thank you, Donna! So glad that you like my new header :) Which one is nicer, this one or the one with my puppy?

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  14. Foodie with Little Thyme!October 4, 2009 at 9:56 AM

    I love that you still posted the pictures. You go girl! It does look like it was a great restaurant.

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  15. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 10:22 AM

    FwLT: Oh yes, definitely it's a "must" to post the pictures, don't want to waste those taken pictures, hehehe.... No comment about the restaurant coz' my mouth is sealed! LOL

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  16. UnknownOctober 4, 2009 at 10:58 AM

    haha, he stopped you from snapping yet you managed to snap so many? hahaha..not bad eh.

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  17. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 11:02 AM

    j2kfm: hehehe... actually, when I snap pictures, I try my best not to look too obvious :) But I guess this time because it's a buffet place, so the manager could easily see me taking pictures.

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  18. ai weiOctober 4, 2009 at 11:35 AM

    i love ur new header!!!

    aiks, i faced a few restaurant ppl like this before. photos not allowed. really no no no fun after being stopped :(

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  19. Monica HOctober 4, 2009 at 12:09 PM

    Looks like he missed out on a great opportunity!

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  20. EatTravelEatOctober 4, 2009 at 12:41 PM

    Well, you already pretty much finished taking the photos needed for a good post! He found you too late. This happened to me too two weeks ago. I was at a bakery and then a lady who was already multitasking at the cashier desk (line was out of the door) said no photos. I clicked the button right when she started to say the words.

    BTW the spread looks fabulous! The hot dogs are interesting though. Like the new header too :).

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  21. debra@dustjacketOctober 4, 2009 at 1:05 PM

    Oh he obviously doesn't realise the important world of blogging .. he he.

    I love the photo's you managed to take, the grill is fab. The food looks good.
    xxx

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  22. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM

    ai wei: thanks, Ai Wei :) Oh yeah... it actually also ruins the mood of eating, hehehe...

    monica: Yup, so true! :)

    ETE: good thing that he found me too late! LOL Did the lady say why you can't take pics? Glad that you like the new header :)

    DA: Yup, and I assumed that he has never heard about what is a blog, hehehe...

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  23. CRIZ LAIOctober 4, 2009 at 7:05 PM

    I wondered if many of such restaurants are aware of the power of blogging. Maybe some are still not too confident with their food standard and quality yet or they are still "under the shell" in the IT world. But for a franchised business as this one?? That's weird! It's still the risk factor for them. Either they make it or break it. Towards the end of the day, they would still need to understand the customers' satisfaction level for further improvement in their businesses. Luckily I did not have many of this type of rejection yet. :P

    http://crizfood.com/

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  24. AdamOctober 4, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    Wow, what an uptight dude. Well, if he doesn't want the publicity, so be it. I guess he was afraid you'd make fun of his food. I couldn't see why though, it looks really well done :)

    Beautiful job on your new look and blog header. I just noticed it. I need an upgrade too :)

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  25. MicaOctober 4, 2009 at 7:11 PM

    Hahaha, you're a food spy! That's weird that the people wouldn't want free press for their restaurant. Now, I can't visit it if I come to Jakarta!

    I like your new header image, by the way!

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  26. Little InboxOctober 4, 2009 at 7:35 PM

    I like to have shabu-shabu. I can end up eating a lot. :)

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  27. AnonymousOctober 4, 2009 at 7:41 PM

    yea, wat a stupid manager, does it written outside the restaurant no photo taking is allowed? free promo also dont want...lol

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  28. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 8:45 PM

    criz: Luckily you that you don't get many rejections :) Well, frankly speaking this is not my first time experience but usually the other restaurant would give me a permission after I told them that the purpose of taking the pictures is for my food blog.

    adam: Yeah.. I think is not that he is afraid that I might make fun of his food but instead that I would steal the concept of the restaurant, hehehe... thanks for your compliments on my new look of blog and header :)

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  29. SelbaOctober 4, 2009 at 8:48 PM

    mica: Hehehe.. yup, too bad for them that they didn't get free promotion from me. Glad you like my new header :)

    LI: Shabu-shabu is much healthier than yakiniku ;)

    SG: Nope, there's no sign at all that customers can not take pictures in the restaurant. It's their lost, hehehe...

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  30. AngeleOctober 4, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    You managed to get quite a lot of pics before that man asked you to stop taking pictures :P

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  31. lisa is cookingOctober 4, 2009 at 10:12 PM

    Interesting. He must have thought you were taking photos to steal ideas or something. Crazy!

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  32. Mary BergfeldOctober 5, 2009 at 12:35 AM

    What lovely photos. It's a shame we won't be able to eat in his restaurant because we don't know its name :-). It looks like a much larger version of a Mongolian Grill type restaurant, although they didn't have hot pots on the table. Have a great day.

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  33. foodbinOctober 5, 2009 at 9:31 AM

    a great spread of visually tasting food.

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  34. SelbaOctober 5, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    angele: Hehehe... yup :)

    lisa: I think so too, hahaha...

    mary: Yeah, too bad that the restaurant doesn't want free promotion. Ah.. I love Mongolian Grill, I haven't eaten it for such a long time. Have a great day too, Mary :)

    foodbin: yes, indeed :)

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  35. CikiOctober 5, 2009 at 2:06 PM

    wa, u keep changing ur layout.. me blur oredi! nice pix!

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  36. TutyOctober 7, 2009 at 9:16 AM

    Why don't you create a biz card with your blog address on it and give it to the person in charge? Who knows.. they may be more open to your request? That's just my 2 cents.

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  37. SelbaOctober 7, 2009 at 10:06 AM

    cumi&ciki: Hahahaha... don't worry... not going to change it very soon ;)

    tuty: I actually have "business cards" with my blog address on it but the man was so impatient and didn't give me a chance to give out my card. Too bad...

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  38. CLOctober 14, 2011 at 2:10 AM

    Hmm I think I've been here before :p

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  39. SelbaOctober 14, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    CL: Ah.. then you know what's the name of this restaurant plus the location? :P

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  40. L XtilaJune 26, 2012 at 12:09 PM

    I like eating at this restaurant (it starts with P, isn't it the name of the restaurant?) however since I am not in Indo and just found out about the arrogance from the man inside the restaurant, I am pretty sure I will look for other place to dine yakiniku and shabu2. for fact, it is not really cheap after all. :D

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  41. L XtilaJune 26, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    I like this restaurant, I used to dine here a lot (starts with P, the name right?) however I don't think i will dine there again when I am back in Indo. lol. such arrogance from the man. :P

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  42. SelbaJune 26, 2012 at 10:20 PM

    l xtila: Yup, you are right! The restaurant's name starts with P :) Well, actually this restaurant is one of the good restaurants serving yakiniku and shabu-shabu. I don't mind to go back there for a nice buffet yakiniku ;)

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