A quick update on local Facebook groups I am following.
The much talked about Satay Kingdom Appreciation Group is still gaining momentum. To date, it has 764 members. I have been down to Satay Kingdom three times now to interview the manager, but there seems to be an issue with a random person walking in, not ordering and asking for the manager. Not ordering apparently will not buy me the right to talk to the manager… I need to change my strategy: either buy their food (which, according to at least 764 people is to die for) or get a real customer, preferable a member, to come with me on my quest. Any volunteers? Matthew, Monique, Sarah, anyone?
What I find interesting is that the initiator apparently hasn’t told the restaurant about the group yet (he stated so on 13 September on the group’s wall). So I am even more curious to find out if the restaurant knows about their Facebook fame. And if and how they want to leverage it…
There is another group which also revolves around a restaurant (I wonder if there is a theme here in Wellington, or if it’s just me?): Save the Chocolate Fish Cafe. The Chocolate Fish Cafe is an institution on Wellington’s waterfront – not in the central city but in one of the outskirts. It is a Wellington icon, popular with locals and tourists alike. It’s close proximity to Weta and Stone Street Studios makes it also very popular with the Film Industry and Hollywood stars coming to work on blockbusters. Due to a ridiculously high rent the cafe will not be able to renew it’s contract come 31 December of this year.
I am going down to Chocolate Fish on Saturday for breakfast – not just to find out if they know about their Facebook group – but first and foremost to add yet another wonderful Chocolate Fish morning to my memory. And on the side, I will be talking to them to find out what we can do to prevent it’s closure. That’s what many Facebook groups do: it’s an online forum, which aids people and organizations achieve their offline goals. Let’s see what we can do to save the Chocolate Fish. I’ll keep you posted…
RSS Feed
One Comment
This is a comment I received the “old way” – via email – in regards to the quality of food at Satay Kingdom. Appreciation Group: you have been challenged!
“Iris, I am a curry laksa freak from way back and am sorry to say the the members of their appreciation group have missed the mark.
I have been to the kingdom on many occasions and have witnessed their sad decline into that fetid and overpopulated world of generic asian stodge.
Strangely Wellington has a proud history of quality asian food but Its been a long time since Head Like a Hole sang of the joys of a ‘laksa at Kampong’ and indeed in those heady pre stodge days the Kampong was a very quaint little outfit living under a knock shop on Wakefield St where one could dine away in fine bohemian style under a faded ten foot image of some Bavarian castle, you would have felt right at home.
Nothing though will compare to the thickest and meanest laksa of them all that existed in some [name forgotten] building down on the waterfront near the Wakefield market, it was both a meal and a hangover cure and was frequented on saturday mornings by the most eclectic and amiable bunch of film wankers, bankers, bonkers and barkers you would ever have the pleasure to come across. As an illustration of how times have changed there was a Japanese restaurant in the same building that eventually went broke because people were too scared to eat fish that hadnt seen the bottom of a frying pan or liquified vat of fat.
Perhaps the mis-guided members of the SKAS would be better off simply walking next door to perhaps one of the very finest eateries Wellington has to offer in Aunty Minas Vegitarian Kitchen [thanks to Josh O Neil for the lead] who make a fine Nasi Lemak but whos Gado Gado is to die for and is well worth the twice weekly trip all the way from Island Bay not just for the incredible food but to delight in the vision of Aunty Mina ruling her kitchen with an iron fist [something that no doubt would also make you feel right at home]
I wish you happy hailing”