Sanoya’s say Sorry

I would be willing to wager that this next establishment is a lot of people’s top late night eating spots (besides Zippy’s). Sanoya’s restaurant located on King St. one block after Zippy’s seems to get busier as the night goes on. Open til 2 AM, many late night hungry people find their way to this ramen restaurant. I would have to say that regardless of the dirty and unfortunately very visible kitchen, I frequented this restaurant for dinner and for late night hunger cravings.


This picture must have been after a rare cleaning but as you can see, it is not what you want to look at while slurping down ramen or scarfing down curry.

Even with the unsanitary kitchen Sanoya’s is on Jordan’s List for something much more important, service. I know that a restaurant full of drunk guys and aunties at 1:30 AM shouldn’t expect service with a smile but this incident happen at 8:00 PM.
A friend and I couldn’t decide on what to eat so we went to a place that offered some comfort food. As we entered Sanoya’s from the parking lot side of the restaurant we saw the kitchen looking a charming as can be. Looking past that sight we sat ourselves on a table where we didn’t have to look at it while we dine. My friend ordered a ramen set and I ordered probably the most common thing you can order at Sanoya’s, curry katsu. (There’s something about the curry making the katsu soggy so that feels good while I am eating it. Not necessarily after.) A few minutes pass and my friend gets his ramen, then his gyoza, then his fried rice. I on the other hand must be waiting for the new batch of curry to be made because I just have to sit there watching my friend eat his dinner. There were three times when the waiter carrying a katsu curry plate came close to our table but every time I got passed by. By this time my friend’s food was nothing but crumbs and my empty stomach made me go into a rage. The waiter came and slapped the check on the edge of the table. Before I could even say anything to him he looked at the check, then grabbed it and ran to the kitchen to talk to the chef (are these guys chefs or cooks? I think they are cooks.) I stood up and walked over the waiter and asked, “Did you just put my order in to the cook?” He answered, “Oh, yes. The cook forgot the order.” As my face was probably red I said in a clam voice, “Does this mean you want me to wait for my meal, then have my friend sit there watching me eat it, just like I watched him for the last twenty five minutes?” He answered, “Ah, does that mean you want me to cancel my order?” I looked at him for a few second and with disgust I walked out of the restaurant.
A word to the wise about the being a waiter, it’s your fault. Even if the chef forgets something, even if the customer changes his order even if some kids trips you making you drop plates and food onto the floor it is the waiters fault. That’s the unfortunate part of the customer service industry. Is it right, NO, but if that’s the job that you got then either changes professions or deal with it. It would have taken two words to solve this whole problem. “I’m sorry.” If the waiter has said those two words my hunger induced rage would have gone away. I am an elementary teacher and I try to teach my students to apologize when they are wrong. I do it. I guess not all teachers teach this, or wait, isn’t that the parent’s job? (Lets not get into what the parent’s job should be. My rage will return fosho.) Anyway to make a long story short Sanoya is on Jordan’s List for poor service. If you have ever seen their kitchen you would agree that if that didn’t put them on Jordan’s List, then you have to mess up pretty bad in order to be on the list. Please remember to take you business else ware.

On Jordan's List

With all the many “good eats” in Hawaii, there are an equal amount of places that deserve to be on a list of “don’t ever go there.” On Jordan’s List shares restaurant establishments, some of them local favorites, that need to be avoided at all cost. I know some of them may be right next to your house or work place but it is worth you while to give your business to other businesses.

Living in Manoa, one of your only options to eat out is Manoa Marketplace. Although some restaurants are good, there are some that need to be On Jordan’s List.

There is no L&L in Manoa so Manoa BBQ may be your only option to get a local style plate lunch. When you first enter there are numerous selections handwritten on the wall and on the crowded menu. The menu flows from mixed plate to katsu, however this is Manoa BBQ's reasons for being on the list. The closest table to the register is always piled up with the employee's newspaper, magazine and leftover food. Not to mention the right side of the eating area is jammed with boxes almost touching the brown but once white ceiling. I will admit the food is OK using normal greasy plate lunch standards and the portions and price is fair. The main reason for the list is the very poor customer service. I eat at hole in the wall places that make this place look like a John Dominis, but the food and service is good. That combination is lacking here. If you have ever been here before you might recall an Asian woman working the register with short straight bangs. If she is not checking her cell phone while you wait she is giving you the mean stink eye.

There she is.

My last experience came on my way home from grad school at UH. (Don’t even get me started on the Educational Technology program at UH. I don’t have enough memory on my computer to write about all the times they cut corners.) It was 8:45 and I knew I have only 15 minutes until all eateries closed at the Marketplace. I walk in to Manoa BBQ only to find my favorite worker at the register. As she checked her phone I looked over the menu for at least a minute looking for something haven’t eaten before. Not finding anything appealing I just went with the usual, "May I have a curry katsu plate." I would have to guess that I awakened her from her cell phone trance only to replay to me, “We closed.” A little confused I looked behind me to see a rather dirty but well it "OPEN" sign shining in the window. I asked her, “What time do you close?” Her repose was, “nine.” I then asked if you were closed why you didn’t tell me you were closed when I walked in to your store two minutes ago. With a simple shrug of her shoulders, I thought it would be best to just leave and try to go someplace else. I got back in my car and drove around to the front entrance only to the Pearl and Ramen workers turning of their OPEN signs in what seemed to be unison.

To sum things up, my top ramen dinner that night did not fulfill the hunger that was building from teaching 6th graders all day and listening to a professor giving a 97 slide PowerPoint about how she is great at what she does. Manoa BBQ Deserves to be On Jordan’s List. What do you think?