Shady Advertising By Restaurant

[fattylurch]

Unfortunately, Mr. Zuchini, you are wrong again. My real name is not Fattylurch. But good try.

I was indeed near the carving station when you approached. There was chicken. I know this because I had just had some. On occasions, some food has been known to be eaten and therefore is replaced within a minute or two. Perhaps you went to the carvery station just after the chicken was finished and before it had been replaced. I don't know why any restaurant/pub would set out empty chaffing dishes. In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away (we served turkey for a short time).

Another issue that was mentioned by another poster was that the cheeses were limited to two. Again, perhaps they had just been eaten because I regularly checked the buffet, so did the Exectuive Sous Chef and also a number of other cooks. I remember seeing a few varieties of cheese. We do try to check things as regularly as possible and top up as necessary.

Mr. Zuchini, you are right in the fact that I have an interest in presenting the pub in the best possible light, but I am pretty sure that my responses on Thai Visa have been quite forthcoming and perhaps a little firm, surely indicating that I am not your typical "yes sir, you are right sir, sorry sir" type of manager. I tell it like it is.

As I said in my previous post, I doubt you will find anywhere that says anything other than the price is 490. There may be some advertising that lists gammon but as this is not now available, the advertising is being redone. I hope this will be completed within a month or so.

Yes you did ask the staff why drinks were listed. They were listed because you ordered them...It does not say anywhere that soft drinks are included. Coffe or tea is, however, included in the 490 price.

Prices of drinks are always a sensitive topic. The price of soft drinks on Sunday are the same as the rest of the week. There is no increasing prices to cover costs of the buffet. In fact we offer longer happy hours on alcoholic drinks on Sundays. The price reflects the nature of the Huntsman....it is a hotel pub/restaurant, with hotel quality food and service. There are many places where one can buy cheap drinks...but I would assume that many things are compromised on, such as cable TV from a number of countries, hygiene standards, comfort levels, in addition to live music and many other things. There are many roadside bars that offer low-priced drinks. Personally, I don't like choking on exhaust fumes and balancing atop a plastic chair whilst trying to enjoy a beer.

As I said, I am always available for a chat with any customer and I do my best to explain clearly but also to listen to customers' comments and issues.

[bendix]

Unfortunately, Mr. Zuchini, you are wrong again. My real name is not Fattylurch. But good try.

I was indeed near the carving station when you approached. There was chicken. I know this because I had just had some. On occasions, some food has been known to be eaten and therefore is replaced within a minute or two. Perhaps you went to the carvery station just after the chicken was finished and before it had been replaced. I don't know why any restaurant/pub would set out empty chaffing dishes. In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away (we served turkey for a short time).

Another issue that was mentioned by another poster was that the cheeses were limited to two. Again, perhaps they had just been eaten because I regularly checked the buffet, so did the Exectuive Sous Chef and also a number of other cooks. I remember seeing a few varieties of cheese. We do try to check things as regularly as possible and top up as necessary.

Mr. Zuchini, you are right in the fact that I have an interest in presenting the pub in the best possible light, but I am pretty sure that my responses on Thai Visa have been quite forthcoming and perhaps a little firm, surely indicating that I am not your typical "yes sir, you are right sir, sorry sir" type of manager. I tell it like it is.

As I said in my previous post, I doubt you will find anywhere that says anything other than the price is 490. There may be some advertising that lists gammon but as this is not now available, the advertising is being redone. I hope this will be completed within a month or so.

Yes you did ask the staff why drinks were listed. They were listed because you ordered them...It does not say anywhere that soft drinks are included. Coffe or tea is, however, included in the 490 price.

Prices of drinks are always a sensitive topic. The price of soft drinks on Sunday are the same as the rest of the week. There is no increasing prices to cover costs of the buffet. In fact we offer longer happy hours on alcoholic drinks on Sundays. The price reflects the nature of the Huntsman....it is a hotel pub/restaurant, with hotel quality food and service. There are many places where one can buy cheap drinks...but I would assume that many things are compromised on, such as cable TV from a number of countries, hygiene standards, comfort levels, in addition to live music and many other things. There are many roadside bars that offer low-priced drinks. Personally, I don't like choking on exhaust fumes and balancing atop a plastic chair whilst trying to enjoy a beer.

As I said, I am always available for a chat with any customer and I do my best to explain clearly but also to listen to customers' comments and issues.

You, sir, have the patience of a saint. Particularly for a big fella.

I applaud you.

[Shot]

In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away.

Ahhh, I love taking the train on holiday. Where did the chicken go? I hear Rome is lovely this time of year.

[Shot]

In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away.

Ahhh, I love taking the train on holiday. Where did the chicken go? I hear Rome is lovely this time of year.

Mr. Chicken. If you decide to travel to the US, please avoid Springdale, Arkansas and the Tyson Factory tour. Happy trails. Or should I say, happy entrails?

Edited May 30, 2012 by Shot

[samran]

This scene keeps coming to mind:

Lionel Hutz: Now, Mrs. Simpson, tell the court in your own words what happened after you and your husband were ejected out of the restaurant.

Marge: Well, we pretty much went straight home.

Lionel Hutz: Mrs. Simpson, remember that you are under oath.

Marge: We drove around until three in the morning looking for another open all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant.

Lionel Hutz: And when you couldn't find one?

Marge: [crying] We... went... fishing.

Lionel Hutz: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do these sound like the actions of a man whose had ALL he could eat?

[the jury is made up of fat, obese people]

Jury: No, no.

Jury Man: No, that couldn't 've been me.

http://mcooki.es/64822

[transam]

Wonder what the price was in ... let's say 2004?

With or without roast spuds sir ?

[luckizuchinni]

Unfortunately, Mr. Zuchini, you are wrong again. My real name is not Fattylurch. But good try.

I was indeed near the carving station when you approached. There was chicken. I know this because I had just had some. On occasions, some food has been known to be eaten and therefore is replaced within a minute or two. Perhaps you went to the carvery station just after the chicken was finished and before it had been replaced. I don't know why any restaurant/pub would set out empty chaffing dishes. In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away (we served turkey for a short time).

Another issue that was mentioned by another poster was that the cheeses were limited to two. Again, perhaps they had just been eaten because I regularly checked the buffet, so did the Exectuive Sous Chef and also a number of other cooks. I remember seeing a few varieties of cheese. We do try to check things as regularly as possible and top up as necessary.

Mr. Zuchini, you are right in the fact that I have an interest in presenting the pub in the best possible light, but I am pretty sure that my responses on Thai Visa have been quite forthcoming and perhaps a little firm, surely indicating that I am not your typical "yes sir, you are right sir, sorry sir" type of manager. I tell it like it is.

As I said in my previous post, I doubt you will find anywhere that says anything other than the price is 490. There may be some advertising that lists gammon but as this is not now available, the advertising is being redone. I hope this will be completed within a month or so.

Yes you did ask the staff why drinks were listed. They were listed because you ordered them...It does not say anywhere that soft drinks are included. Coffe or tea is, however, included in the 490 price.

Prices of drinks are always a sensitive topic. The price of soft drinks on Sunday are the same as the rest of the week. There is no increasing prices to cover costs of the buffet. In fact we offer longer happy hours on alcoholic drinks on Sundays. The price reflects the nature of the Huntsman....it is a hotel pub/restaurant, with hotel quality food and service. There are many places where one can buy cheap drinks...but I would assume that many things are compromised on, such as cable TV from a number of countries, hygiene standards, comfort levels, in addition to live music and many other things. There are many roadside bars that offer low-priced drinks. Personally, I don't like choking on exhaust fumes and balancing atop a plastic chair whilst trying to enjoy a beer.

As I said, I am always available for a chat with any customer and I do my best to explain clearly but also to listen to customers' comments and issues.

Goodness gracious! I guess I am pretty poor at humor as my Mr. Fattylurch comment was in response to you informing the forum that my name isn't really Zuchinni. Of course, I paid with cash, so I guess my name could have been Zuchinni, for all you knew.

And now you are putting words into my post. I never wrote that the price was anything other than 490 baht. I even clarified that in a subsequent post.

Bottom line is that I think 125 baht is excessive for a Pepsi (you don't, and that is OK, except that as a paying customer, I will vote with my feet on that. I think I pay less upstairs at the Rib Room) and that there was only lamb and beef while we were there. Your chef confirmed this and your assistant manager confirmed this.

Whether there was chicken and you ate the last bit or whether there was chicken after we left, the fact of the matter is that there was none during the 45 minutes or so that we were there. And you now admit that you are trying to get all the advertising which lists ham on them removed, so at least you are acknowledging it.

So, I think the price for Pepsi (and water) is too high and there was no carvery chicken nor ham while we were there despite existing advertising which says you have it. That is all. An opinion and a fact.

Edited May 30, 2012 by luckizuchinni

[dantilley]

The Pepsi thing is probably neither here nor there. I could also agree that it's a bit pricey, but not ridiculous - I've known it be similar prices in similar establishments. But that's surely not a deal breaker for whether or not to go to a fairly up-market all you can eat Sunday buffet?

The main sticking point seems to be on the chicken issue. Fattylurch (not his real name - I'm pretty sure he was joking back with you BTW) says it was there, and that he ate some; you say it wasn't, and you also say it was confirmed as not being there by 2 other members of staff. I think the only way to resolve it (if you don't have photographic evidence) is to go back again on Sunday and post on this thread while sitting in the Huntsman to report on the presence of chicken or lack thereof.

[jjcf]

luckizuchinni, I was at the Huntsman last Sunday from 2.30pm till later in the evening as I was watching F1,

and I was picking at the buffet from when i got there. I had chicken and lamb (beef was also available),

and there was definitely chicken there the whole time as the rest of my table ate chicken throughout

the day...we were definitely getting our Thb490 worth of buffet!

There may have been a few minutes here and there when they had to replenish the roast chicken station.

But really, a couple of minutes waiting won't hurt you.

If you don't like it, don't go back, but they must be doing something right coz they have a regular crowd

every Sunday.

Making up stories that there was no chicken is a bit desperate.

Cheers!

[barefoot1988]

ok, this is getting interesting.

i wouldn't call it as a shady advertising, its understandable that sometimes the restaurant fails to provide what its advertised. calling it shady is a little over but i could understand the disappointing especially with a upsetting wife.

but now its a whole different matter, words against words. and heck whats up with the single poster appearing out of nowhere?

[luckizuchinni]

OK, this is my last post (unless something new comes up, I guess.)

For the sake of arguement, let's say there was chicken there. It was not available to us, and two stff members told us it was not there, but let's say it was available. Fattylurch has admitted that there was no ham, and he has admitted that there is advertising which states there is ham. And that is the crux of my OP. Advertising something which isn't there.

Forget the chicken, forget the125 baht Pepsi. Forget that I complimented some of the dishes. Forget that fattylurch made up conversations I supposedly had. Forget previous prices.

When you boil it down to false advertising, by fattylurch's own posts, you will see that I am correct. And fattylurch is trying to rectify that situation, as is the correct thing to do.

This thread could have died a slow death quite some time ago with only a few people figuring out which pub was the subject. But now, this has been drawn out, and people such as jjcf are being recruited to chime in. This is all too much and is bringing the establishment bad publicity as others have also chimmed in now with their dissatisfaction.

[YipYipYa123]

. and heck whats up with the single poster appearing out of nowhere?

the plot thickens .........I suspect fowl play

Edited May 31, 2012 by YipYipYa123

[nocturn]

Unfortunately, Mr. Zuchini, you are wrong again. My real name is not Fattylurch. But good try.

I was indeed near the carving station when you approached. There was chicken. I know this because I had just had some.

i love it, the 170kg manager ate the chicken. classic.

[saengsureeya]

Cheap buffet makes it's money on drinks shocker !

Not necessarily, APEX in Pattaya offers a diner-buffet for (I think) THB 225.

Drinks: water THB 25, soft drinks THB 40, beers THB 60-75

OK, the quality of the food can be doubted, but the link between buffet and high prices is herewith undermined.

The drinks prices you quoted have a good mark up on wholesale prices : water 400% of wholesale price, soft drinks 500% and beer 200-300%.

Compare the drink prices with the prices mentioned in the OP.

[Payboy]

Unfortunately, Mr. Zuchini, you are wrong again. My real name is not Fattylurch. But good try.

I was indeed near the carving station when you approached. There was chicken. I know this because I had just had some.

i love it, the 170kg manager ate the chicken. classic.

No wonder they stopped serving turkey. :rolleyes;

[bendix]

. and heck whats up with the single poster appearing out of nowhere?

the plot thickens .........I suspect fowl play

I'm more interested to hear the testimony of the [sic] "two stff members"

I'm also curious as to something that hasn't been properly explained yet: Was there any zucchini on offer, and was it advertised?

Edited May 31, 2012 by bendix

[YipYipYa123]

. and heck whats up with the single poster appearing out of nowhere?

the plot thickens .........I suspect fowl play

I'm more interested to hear the testimony of the [sic] "two stff members"

I'm also curious as to something that hasn't been properly explained yet: Was there any zucchini on offer, and was it advertised?

its important we dont overlook the details ..........did the 170 KG manager really eat the chicken before the OP arrived or was there no chicken ever there to be eaten ?

I wonder if we could call upon the CCTV that overlooks the platters to see if there was in fact some chicken at any stage on sunday ?

if indeed there was chicken ,the staff were maybe just slow in realising it had been eaten ,and putting some more in its place ..........

but then we have the matter of the cheese ......

[BookMan]

In fact, the chicken had only just returned to that station after three weeks away.

Ahhh, I love taking the train on holiday. Where did the chicken go? I hear Rome is lovely this time of year.

(no Likes left to give)

[BookMan]

. and heck whats up with the single poster appearing out of nowhere?

the plot thickens .........I suspect fowl play

I'm more interested to hear the testimony of the [sic] "two stff members"

I'm also curious as to something that hasn't been properly explained yet: Was there any zucchini on offer, and was it advertised?

its important we dont overlook the details ..........did the 170 KG manager really eat the chicken before the OP arrived or was there no chicken ever there to be eaten ?

I wonder if we could call upon the CCTV that overlooks the platters to see if there was in fact some chicken at any stage on sunday ?

if indeed there was chicken ,the staff were maybe just slow in realising it had been eaten ,and putting some more in its place ..........

but then we have the matter of the cheese ......

[nocturn]

[

its important we dont overlook the details ..........did the 170 KG manager really eat the chicken before the OP arrived or was there no chicken ever there to be eaten ?

I wonder if we could call upon the CCTV that overlooks the platters to see if there was in fact some chicken at any stage on sunday ?

if indeed there was chicken ,the staff were maybe just slow in realising it had been eaten ,and putting some more in its place ..........

but then we have the matter of the cheese ......

i suspect all the cctv would show is the 170kg manager.

all joking aside, i would approach any buffet with a 170kg individual lurking over it with extreme caution, if at all.

anyways, i doubt the misrepresentation was intentional, perhaps just a matter of overlooking some of the advertising.

As we say in the buffet business -- no ham, no fowl.

Edited May 31, 2012 by nocturn

[Payboy]

if indeed there was chicken

There should be feathers and bones. This one's for Khunying Pornthip.

[transam]

[

its important we dont overlook the details ..........did the 170 KG manager really eat the chicken before the OP arrived or was there no chicken ever there to be eaten ?

I wonder if we could call upon the CCTV that overlooks the platters to see if there was in fact some chicken at any stage on sunday ?

if indeed there was chicken ,the staff were maybe just slow in realising it had been eaten ,and putting some more in its place ..........

but then we have the matter of the cheese ......

i suspect all the cctv would show is the 170kg manager.

all joking aside, i would approach any buffet with a 170kg individual lurking over it with extreme caution, if at all.

anyways, i doubt the misrepresentation was intentional, perhaps just a matter of overlooking some of the advertising.

As we say in the buffet business -- no ham, no fowl.

170kgs, thats eeeeeeeeeer, nearly 400lbs, sounds like he eats all the crap left overs.