Madam Kwan's • 1 Utama — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

– A Lesson in Patience and Disappointment

If you’re looking for an unforgettable experience at Madam Kwan in One Utama Mall, prepare for a masterclass in waiting—because that’s about all you’ll get. My recent visit was less of a dining experience and more of an exercise in endurance, and frankly, I lost my appetite long before the food ever arrived.

Let’s start with the drinks. After what felt like an eternity of staring at the bartender, who appeared to be in a trance, I had to remind the waiter that I even existed. A simple drink order turned into a quest worthy of a mythical hero—only, instead of a triumphant moment of refreshment, I was left feeling like a forgotten relic.

Now, on to the main event: the food. I ordered an easy fried noodle dish, a seemingly straightforward choice. Little did I know, I had unwittingly signed up for a culinary version of “Survivor.” As I sat there, watching tables around me complain about their own long waits, a strange sense of solidarity formed among us. We all just wanted to eat, and yet we were united in our shared plight of eternal hunger.

The real kicker? I noticed a few tables receiving their food after I placed my order. Yes, you read that right—tables that came in after me were enjoying their meals while I sat there, growing increasingly frustrated. It was like watching a slow-motion train wreck; I couldn’t look away, but I also couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.

In a moment of desperation, I approached two different waiters to cancel my order. The first one pulled a disappearing act worthy of a magician, vanishing without a word. The second was too busy taking orders from other customers to even acknowledge my request. It was 3-4 PM, mind you—prime time for a leisurely meal, yet somehow, the restaurant was more interested in their takeout orders. Prioritization? What a quaint concept!

When I finally reached the cashier to request the cancellation of my order, I was met with a nonchalant shrug and a vague excuse about being overwhelmed with takeout. Really? You’re telling me that a few paper bags of food are more important than the diners who chose to sit down and enjoy a meal?

To top it all off, both waiters shot me bewildered looks when I mentioned canceling my order. Instead of an apology or at least a hint of empathy, I received expressions that screamed, “How dare you disrupt our flow!” A simple “sorry” would have sufficed, but evidently, that’s too much to ask for.

By the time I decided to cut my losses and leave, my appetite had completely vanished—thanks to the prolonged wait and lackluster service. If you enjoy waiting indefinitely for mediocre food while being treated like an afterthought, then Madam Kwan is the perfect place for you. Otherwise, I recommend seeking out a restaurant that values its dine-in customers and understands the meaning of hospitality. Because, honestly, who wants to lose their appetite waiting for what should be a...

Old review (don't remember the date, sorry)-

I've eaten here many times, and I have mix feelings about it. The service is good when there are not many customers. You will be served, your food and drinks will come fast, etc. But if there are many customers, it's best to avoid eating here. You won't be served, your menu will come late, and your food and drinks will come late as well. The first time I ate here was during ramadhan, and it was a full house. My sister ordered a fried egg and it didn't come until we all were done with our meal, which took us at least 30 minutes. Imagine waiting 30 minutes for a fried egg and does not come up at all. Last week, we came here again and it was semi-packed. Our food came in late, like 20-30 minutes late. Even our drinks were late. I ordered the sweet&sour chicken, and I had to cancel it because we waited like almost an hour for it, only for the chef to forget about it. Eventually, after we were done, the manager brought us the chicken, despite us already cancelled it, and he just said 'okay' and then left without apologising, acting like we were the problem. Overall, I still would come back since the kuey teow there is good and the banana fritters is good too. But maybe not in the next few months. We learnt our lesson, which is to go there when it's not packed.

Update 8/9/24: Went there again today for lunch with my family and the same thing happened. My dad's food arrived about 15 minutes after we ordered our food. Then 20 minutes later, mine arrived but my dad had finish his meal. My mom and my sister were sharing, and their food came around 10-15 minutes after I got mine (we had to call for the servers on it, twice). My mom and my sister both waited for almost an hour just for one dish which they shared.

At this point, I think someone in the kitchen has something against my family, because we ALWAYS receive our food late as hell, but I've never seen other customers experiencing the same problem as us. It's always either we get our food after 30-40 minutes, or we don't get our food at all and have to call the servers a couple of times to check on our food, sometimes it's even both. This review has literally become my diary. You know your management sucks when your regular customer is writing a whole diary about you in the customer's review page. Well, I hope we will finally have a positive experience the next time we decide...

Dear Madam Kwan’s,

I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration regarding the recent experience I had at one of your branches located at One Utama. Unfortunately, my visit was marred by exceptionally slow service and a noticeable lack of training among the staff.

As a loyal customer of Madam Kwan’s, I have always held your brand in high regard for its quality food and efficient service. However, my recent visit to One Utama left me deeply disappointed. Despite arriving during what seemed to be a moderately busy period(2PM+), the wait time for our food was unreasonably long. It took nearly 40minutes and my food is not yet to be served, which is unacceptable by any standard.

Moreover, the quality of service provided by the staff was subpar. It was evident that many of the employees were not adequately trained to handle the demands of a busy restaurant environment. They appeared flustered and disorganized, resulting in further delays and confusion among customers. For example, the first foreign waiter I approach didn't speak Malay, and when I asked him to check my order, he just nodded and walked away without any feedback after that. After a while I approached another waitress, this one even worse, when I asked her to check my order, she walked away. A few minutes later, I decided not to wait any longer, paid for the drinks and left.

This experience not only tarnished my impression of the branch in One Utama but also reflects poorly on the reputation of Madam Kwan’s as a whole. As a customer who values prompt service and professionalism, I expect better from a renowned restaurant chain like yours.

I understand that managing a franchise network comes with its challenges, but it is imperative that all franchise locations uphold the same standards of excellence that your brand promises. Therefore, I urge you to address these issues promptly and take the necessary steps to improve the service quality and staff training at One Utama.

In conclusion, I sincerely hope that my feedback will be taken seriously, and appropriate measures will be implemented to ensure that such lapses in service do not occur in the future. Thank you for your attention to this...