Estate Agent - 20110406

Somehow, I met two estate agents recently. Their service were quite different.

The first one was a young man, A. As a representative from one of the market leaders, it was expected that A would be formally dressed. Maybe it was a Sunday, so A took a short-sleeve shirt without tucking it into his jeans. He was a rather cool and quiet person, and I guess he could earn much money if his manner could be progressed. For example, A could try to hold door for his clients. No matter his performance, the products introduced were much worse.

Then I came across B, a middle-age man. B was an agent of a small shop. Although he was also causally dressed, with sweater and jeans, like the usual neighbor we could easily imagined, B was a cheerful guy. He seemed to be familiar with the area he was introducing, and was not shy to tell some of the obvious weaknesses of the products. Even so, the things I've seen were far better than Sunday's ones.

The conclusion is, if we want service, we should go for the smaller shops.

吃印象 - 20110404

本地一眾日式連鎖料理集團罕有的連成一線，登報稱，店舖絕大部分食材非來自日本，試圖安食客之心。

核幅射的影響真箇巨大，害得這些一直艱苦經營「和風」的店子，為保人客，寧可把「日本形象」打個粉碎。

撇開甚麼欺騙不談，也要佩服這些料理集團的「媽屐亭」。那個Ricky san，不停上電視，月旦日本食物，說日語，一派和風掌門的身段；後不住競投吞拿魚王，豪奪日本一，屢挫架仔氣焰，耀我中華光輝；近來更時常贊助電視劇集，營造和吃盛世。久而久之，其集團食店俱大排長龍，要親炙一件板長手握壽司，非等上一頭半個小時不可。

我等蟻民，真的能分辨正宗和食與「日式」料理嗎？Ricky san告訴我們，不能。否則，核幅射前，也不會每天都有長長人龍，在等吃那些心目中從築地即日新鮮運港的食材。

事實上，我們吃的，只是印象；整個過程，是self-fulfilling prophecy。