having reservations

i have been noticing more and more tables with reserved signs on them. it seems that all restaurants here were given their reserved signs by visa, because they use the same ones all over town. i walked into a popular dinner place last night and saw half the tables in the place with these signs, this morning it was the same for our coffee place. what is going on here, do we have a new trend going on in KL? this has always been a reserved town, but now more and more of the town has been set aside.

one of the things i have also noticed is that the expat-anglo community eats earlier than the local community. but the strange thing is that tables here are reserved from the start of a shift until the party comes. this translates to early eaters not being given a table because later eaters have called ahead. reservations are not completely unknown here the higher end places have always required them, and with the puasa season coming we will all be seeing more tables that are exclusive.

tables being reserved all night are based on two cultural elements. the first is the malaysian standard of all night lepak, once a group has a table they stay. even if they are not ordering food, they are comfortable to relax, using the table as a public meeting place. the second is that malaysians have trouble getting to meetings on time. this means if they agree to meet for dinner at 7, they might show up at 8 or even later. having restaurants run on western reservations would required people to both get there on time, and leave the table so the next guest can be seated.

when i first got to malaysia, i loved the linger at the table culture. it was nice to not be rushed, but it's not something i need every night. most nights, i would give up the ability to hangout at a table for the chance to be seated in the first place. in the west, you can ask for a table and agree to give it up later. they might tell you, "we need the table in 90 mins, if you can be done by 9, we can give you the table". if this works they squeeze you in.

but with the simple structures here, you are out of luck. the restaurants only have elementary scheduling, and much of the staff would not be able to negotiate or communicate a more flexible set of rules. there are other places to go, but if you really wanted that pesto-chicken sandwich and don't want to tau pow, you are simply out of luck.

why do more people seem to be making reservations? i think it's three-fold:

1. more people are eating beyond the hawker/mamak stalls
2. fewer people are willing to be told they have to wait
3. malaysia has yet to outgrown it's legacy of lepak

the first two points indicate a growing middle class, with the related bourgeoisie expectations. the third point does not mean people just want to hang out, it means restaurant owners are not yet willing to require tables to be turned multiple times a night. this will be coming when staff costs are raised by minimum wage. other changes that are on the way are socially-required tipping, and requiring guests to show up on time for a reservation. all of this is part of the exit from the third world, and the entry into the competitive environment of the first.

this morning, i walked into our favorite coffee place to see all the tables either taken or reserved. we looked at each other and started to discuss other places to go. we had been talking about the grilled blueberry muffins since we woke up but there was always formerly-favorite pancakes if we needed to go there.

the waiter was listening to us discuss options, he had a strange look on his face as he said, "do you want a table?". i said, "sure, if you can find us one". he took us to our favorite table and removed the reserved sign. we sat down and smiled as the owner came over to say hello.

i asked him how far ahead you need to call for reservations, he said, "a day ahead, but you can just come in." i smiled at him and said thanks. it's good to know you are a valued guest. this treatment will not be available everywhere. it was not expected, we saw the signs and prepared to leave. but it is good to make friends, and if they are willing to help you, then enjoy.

how did it happen? it might be related to already working under western rules; while others are acting like the world around them is not changing. moving economically westward puts the more western in a good place. if you treat staff well, leave when you are done and always leave a tip ... it pays off.

sometimes not having reservations about the first world is the best way to go.