Eateries take waste-curbing steps during Ramadhan

RESTAURANTS in Brunei have been implementing measures to curb food waste during Ramadhan amid growing awareness on anti-waste ethics among the public.

For a number of restaurants in the country, a la carte promotions are becoming popular with patrons during Ramadhan.

Restaurants such as Grazie Mauri in Gadong and Manjaro in Kiulap offer eat-all-you-can sungkai (breaking of fast) promotions, which allow customers to order anything on the menu at fixed prices.

"The sky's the limit. Our customers get to order as much as they want, but we will only allow them to order one dish at a time. They must first finish their current dish before ordering their next dish," said Sally, a waitress at Grazie Mauri.

The mechanism allows the restaurant to minimise food wastage, as only the meals ordered will be prepared from the kitchen as opposed to preparing all-out buffet lines.

"The only wastage that would ever occur comes from the customers themselves, and we will charge them at $5 per 100 grammes. But even that is very rare occasion," she added.

New seafood franchise Fish & Co also focuses on a la carte dishes, eliminating its regular menu in favour of its own selection of Ramadhan specials.

"We decided to go for a la carte instead of buffet because it has minimum impact on wastages," said Marzuki Abd Hamid, the Public Relations, Sales & Marketing Controller for RBC, the company that owns and manages the Fish & Co franchise in Brunei.

Among its dishes include the $59.95 'Ocean Feast' set for a serving of four people, which comprises of Portuguese chili crab, grilled king prawn, grilled pollock fillet, grilled calamari, prawn fritters and blue mussels in garlic lemon butter sauce served on a bed of paella rice and chips.

"We believe that we can be creative without having to resort to buffet if we want to the continue operations throughout the month of Ramadhan," added Marzuki.

However, sungkai buffet still remains the most sought after promotions in the country, as a high number of restaurants continue to offer Sungkai buffet promotions each year.

But in light of the growing public awareness, many of these restaurants have started practicing tactics to curb food wastages in their establishments.

One of the most popular targets for sungkai buffet in the Sultanate, Goldiana Cafe and Lounge at the Orchid Garden Hotel, adheres to the no-waste policy by ensuring that leftovers are distributed among its staff at the end of the sungkai session.

"We always monitor the buffet table to ensure that the amount of food is controlled. We would refill our empty warmers but we also have some form of control in how much food is prepared based on the demand of each dishes," said Aztie, the food and beverage manager at Goldiana Cafe and Lounge.

The restaurant is confident that the public is now more aware of the importance of not wasting food at sungkai buffet over the recent years, she said.

"We trust that our customers are well aware of the ethics. We don't tell our customers to limit their portions, since we are offering an all-you-can-eat buffet. It's our promise to our customers, and we know that they are making the right choices," she said.

Another restaurant, All Seasons, has also taken measures to ensure food waste is under control.

"We always keep an eye on how much we prepare for the buffet. We do measurements. Although we do refills, we are certain that nothing is wasted," said Wong, the head chef of the restaurant.

"So far we have been very successful with this strategy. Since the first day of Ramadhan, we manage to avoid high amount of wastages," he added.

The restaurant, located at Times Square, offers a complete buffet experience from appetisers right down to desserts, with more than 18 different dishes daily to choose from, varied from day to day.

I-Lotus Restaurant, located off the Jerudong link highway, has taken the anti-waste policy a step further by imposing fines on customers who waste.

"We charge our customers for any wastages they made from their meal, at $3 per 100 grammes," said a waitress at I-Lotus, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The restaurant offers a range of steamboat and grill buffet for both sungkai and sahur (the meal consumed early in the morning before fasting) patrons.

"So far we are able to prevent wastages through this method. Our customers are more observant when dining here," she added.

At smaller eateries where budget buffets are commonly served, signs labeled 'observe wastage' are seen on the walls of some premises.

"The cooperation of our customers is important to ensure that waste is minimised," said Hetti, a waitress at Seri Murni Restaurant in Kiarong.

With such signs posted on the wall, customers have become more mindful when consuming their food, said Hetti.

The Brunei Times