Regulars to PJ eateries want hygienic practices in place

Customers at Restoran Station 8 in SS2 stand outside the barrier while waiting for their orders to be prepared.

TAKEAWAY and delivery have become common practice for restaurants, coffeeshops and other food and beverage operators since the conditional movement control order (MCO) came into effect.

While some food and beverage operators and hawkers have adjusted to the conditional MCO and stepped up their hygiene practices, some continue their old habits of unhygienic food preparation.

Restoran Station 8 in SS2, Petaling Jaya, is an example where good practices are adhered to when it comes to food takeaway.

Customers walk in to place their orders after having their temperature taken.

But they have to wait to collect their orders outside the barrier tape that marks at least a 1m distance between the customers and hawker stalls.

“The coffeeshop owner came up with this idea to ensure everyone observed social distancing, ” said Joe Kok of SS2 Fatty Duck Rice, which specialises in Teochew-style stewed duck.

“Because the coffeeshop is packed with some 18 to 20 stalls, it would have been very difficult to control the crowd and practise social distancing. So the placed tape acts as a barrier between hawkers and customers.

“We will pass the food to customers waiting outside the barrier once their orders are ready.”

A restaurant with unhygienic practices in Sunway Mas Commercial Centre, Petaling Jaya.

While some customers grumbled about the move, Joe said they understood the need for such measures and complied with them.

“Most of the stalls here remained in operation since the MCO started on March 18. A few had to close as they said it was difficult for them to get certain ingredients.

“While sales have dropped, we are grateful to still be in business and earn some income, ” he said, adding that some of the other popular stalls included those selling fishball noodles and Penang curry noodles.

Joe, 34, helps his father Kok Hin Keong, 66, with the latter’s 40-year-old business.

“I set up a Facebook page and an online order page for the business.

“Some of our regular customers will call ahead to place their order and let us know their estimated pick-up time so that saves them the hassle of waiting, ” he said.

Meanwhile, a StarMetro reader highlighted a restaurant with unhygienic practices in Sunway Mas Commercial Centre, Petaling Jaya.

“The restaurant sells some nice food, ” said the reader who wanted to be identified as WC Lim.

“But I stopped frequenting the place after discovering that they prepare food in the back lane and that it’s done in a very unhygienic manner.

“I hope the city council will shut the restaurant temporarily so they can do a thorough clean-up and prepare food in a more hygienic way, ” he said.

When contacted, a Petaling Jaya City Council representative said the issue had been highlighted to its Complaints Department which would follow up.