Speaking of Garoupa, I wanna share one experience.
Previous week, My family decided to go for seafood and my Dad reccomended this Choon Seng punggol seafood located at ajuinied just directly opposite the Gurka camp. It is situated in the canteen of a compound which was previously a school.
My Dad exclaimed that they were very popular back then in punngol and their mee goreng was solid. Their crabs and such were also tip top. He has yet been to them for quite some time and it would be a good reminenscing trip.
Upon arrival, we asked for any speciality. The lady reccomended a certain type of fried ribs which was their signature. We went ahead with that then. At the same time, we ordered steam crab, Crayfish, Mee goreng, some veggie and other stuffs which I could not recall.
When the reccomended ribs arrived, we saw it was braised and we asked if they send it to the wrong table? The waitress mentioned it's the right dish. When we tried out the signature dish, it actually taste like those meiling canned food ribs. The exact taste. There goes the first impression.
Next was the crab. Nothing much mentionable. Just that the crab meat was quite solid but I do not attribute that to the culinary skill of the chef. Just the ingredient was good. However, the crayfish was not fresh at all. The flesh was soggy and mashy.
The other dishes just passed off as average and my dad mentioned that their standard dropped alot. Well although standard dropped, what sworn us off from going back there again was their integrity doing business.
We ordered a red garoupa. When the fish arrived, my mum being a veteran fish lover immediately spotted that the fish ain't a red garoupa. We asked for the waitress who took down our order to verify the dish. The waitress then keep insisting that, yes, it is red garoupa. Even though the colour of the fish was off red totally, the waitress passed it off as normal.
We tried the fish and it tasted weird. Instead of being delicate and fresh, there's a strong fishy taste and the flesh was abit tough. We did not finish even 2/3 of the fish and leave it lying there. Next we saw the table next to us being served bright red garoupa. We asked another waiter to come forward and asked him how come our fish was of this standard. The waiter just replied, oh, they made reservations. Our fish was not red Garoupa as they run out of it. What being served to us was another type of fish which so called much "premium" than Garoupa which they changed for us without informing us.
Upon hearing this, we were furious. We question the guy how come they serve us other fish without informing and we ordered red garoupa. The guy still went, you ordered garoupa meh?
I went yeah! And when the fish was served, I questioned your waitress whom gave me a whole world of reason insisting that was garoupa. The male waiter then insist he wanted to check the ordering list. He went back to the counter and take the list and saw it was written red garoupa on it. When he was back, instead of apologising, he keep mentioning that the fish that was served to us was better than garoupa.
To hell with the better fish. I don't care even if they served us abalone. It's no longer a matter of what. We were cheated and the fish taste like crap. Then, I requested to speak to the boss. The guy just walk away. Then I called the female waitress who took our orders and crap to us over. Before I finish what I speak, she walked away too. I was on the verge of slaming the table then the boss came. Before I finish speaking, he walked away again. Really dulan.
When we were about to get up to leave, the boss send one of his other staff to refund us 10 bucks off the fish and keep claiming that was a better fish. We told him it's ok. We will not come back again.
Probably it's through such service and integrity, it was a sunday night and the place was not even 50% filled. My Dad mentioned probably the founder hand the business over to the next generation and it's being screwed up, losing their customers liao.
Do consider if you are going there for dinner and beware of the quality of the food being served.