More cheese please

This month, among other words of wisdom, we’ve advised you to protect your brand, we’ve suggested you invest in interior design and we’ve criticised some of you for misleading marketing campaigns. Today, however, I simply want to say well done.

Everybody loves to complain.  When things go wrong, somebody or something disappoints us, we’ll remember it. We’ll tell our friends and their friends. We may even go to the trouble of writing a letter of complaint.

On the other hand, if everything’s hunky dory, events run smoothly, service is great, staff do a good job; nobody utters a word.

Last week, I went to On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina on Jumeirah Walk for dinner; possibly not the wisest choice for a cheese hater and my story could’ve been very different if it wasn’t for the excellent staff. 

First of all, well done to the waiter who impeccably disguised his horror when I ordered the Ultimate Loaded Queso (loaded with ‘Jack cheese’) without cheese.

And a big thumbs up to the chef who subsequently rushed to the table to discuss the best way to massacre the dish - a job made particularly difficult by the fact that I was sharing with a cheese-loving friend, who didn’t take my suggestion to remove the slimy, orange stuff as well as the waiter.

So, after much deliberation – the Ultimate Loaded Queso was served half loaded and half, well, unloaded. Smiles all round (until it came to dessert – the Dulce de Leche Cheesecake proved more difficult).

While I’m at it, I’d also like to give a little praise to the Renaissance Dubai Hotel in Deira. Having spent several hours driving on the wrong side of the road, the wrong way down one-way streets in the maze that is Deira, I finally rocked up at the hotel’s ‘Black and White Party’ 90 minutes late.

I’m still not sure what the party was in aid of, but if you need an excuse, Renaissance, why not celebrate the incredible turnout for a Monday evening - more than 150 people showed up. Unfortunately for me, this meant by the time I found it, with six friends in tow, there were no tables free.

Before we could let loose a grumble, or even shake our heads in disappointment, we all had glass in left hand, bread knife in right, serviette on knee and were seated at a fully-set dinner table just carried in by four knight-in-shining-armour-like waiters.

The amazing standard of service continued through to the polite goodbyes from staff as we left in the early hours. Well done Renaissance.

To avoid overdoing it, going against human nature and breaking the age-old tendency to focus on the negative – I’ll leave my praise-giving there for now.

Besides, I have to go – this cushy press room I’m reporting from at The Hotel Show, with its high-speed internet and comfy chairs has run out of tea and biscuits again! Where’s the organiser?