April 27, 2024
Retail & Consumer
Conrad hotel buffet accused of sanitary faux-pas
[THE INVESTOR] Zest, a buffet restaurant located at the five-star Conrad Seoul hotel, has been accused of restocking chilled steamed crabs that had already been placed in the buffet display, a move widely considered to be a faux pas in the industry.
A customer, who recently visited the buffet for dinner, lodged a complaint with the hotel for allegedly stocking chilled steamed crabs that had already been displayed, then were brought it out again when requested by the customer.
Storing chilled steamed crab in the refrigerator to maintain freshness does not go against relevant sanitary guidelines by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The ministry officials noted that food placed at the buffet should be considered as having been served to customers for hygienic and quality reasons. “It is not directly against regulations, but not in accordance either,” a ministry official said.
A nutritionist at Wonkwang University voiced concern that any cooked food that has been in the fridge is prone to food poisoning.
“Whether it is redisplaying food from the fridge or the steamer, the act of redisplaying is considered reuse. Germs are highly likely to spread in refrigerated food, ultimately increasing the possibility of food poisoning,” the nutritionist said.
The customer, speaking to The Korea Herald, said she saw a handful of cooled steamed crabs on the buffet display, but saw only a few pieces left when she approached the display table a few minutes later. When she asked for more, she said the chef pulled out a glass container filled with crab pieces from a refrigerator and put them on the buffet table. But 10 minutes later, most of the crabs were gone again, she said, adding there were five to six tables of other customers at the time.
The customer later filed a complaint to a hotel manager about the freshness of the crab.
The hotel, meanwhile, gave mixed responses.
One manager told the customer via email they were stored in a “steamer,” as there weren’t many customers at the time.
“We did not redisplay or recycle food leftover by customers, so it cannot be said that we reused food. But the chef who has shown poor service will undergo food safety and customer service education,” the email read, including an apology for inconvenience.
When approached by The Korea Herald, the spokesperson of Conrad Seoul explained that there must have been a misunderstanding and that the handful of crab pieces the customer initially saw were pieces the chef was preparing to display.
According to three five-star hotels in Seoul that also offer cold crab, they do not restock any food previously placed on a buffet under any circumstances. Any food that had once been on display is immediately disposed, they added.
“A chef of a recognized restaurant should be able to manage the amount of food needed based on the number of customers in order to guarantee the highest quality, which is included in the pricey bill,” said a former head chef of a Michelin restaurant in the US.
On weekends, the Zest charges 88,000 won ($77) for lunch and 98,000 won for dinner.
By Kim Bo-gyung/The Korea Herald (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)
A customer, who recently visited the buffet for dinner, lodged a complaint with the hotel for allegedly stocking chilled steamed crabs that had already been displayed, then were brought it out again when requested by the customer.
Storing chilled steamed crab in the refrigerator to maintain freshness does not go against relevant sanitary guidelines by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The ministry officials noted that food placed at the buffet should be considered as having been served to customers for hygienic and quality reasons. “It is not directly against regulations, but not in accordance either,” a ministry official said.
A nutritionist at Wonkwang University voiced concern that any cooked food that has been in the fridge is prone to food poisoning.
“Whether it is redisplaying food from the fridge or the steamer, the act of redisplaying is considered reuse. Germs are highly likely to spread in refrigerated food, ultimately increasing the possibility of food poisoning,” the nutritionist said.
The customer, speaking to The Korea Herald, said she saw a handful of cooled steamed crabs on the buffet display, but saw only a few pieces left when she approached the display table a few minutes later. When she asked for more, she said the chef pulled out a glass container filled with crab pieces from a refrigerator and put them on the buffet table. But 10 minutes later, most of the crabs were gone again, she said, adding there were five to six tables of other customers at the time.
The customer later filed a complaint to a hotel manager about the freshness of the crab.
The hotel, meanwhile, gave mixed responses.
One manager told the customer via email they were stored in a “steamer,” as there weren’t many customers at the time.
“We did not redisplay or recycle food leftover by customers, so it cannot be said that we reused food. But the chef who has shown poor service will undergo food safety and customer service education,” the email read, including an apology for inconvenience.
When approached by The Korea Herald, the spokesperson of Conrad Seoul explained that there must have been a misunderstanding and that the handful of crab pieces the customer initially saw were pieces the chef was preparing to display.
According to three five-star hotels in Seoul that also offer cold crab, they do not restock any food previously placed on a buffet under any circumstances. Any food that had once been on display is immediately disposed, they added.
“A chef of a recognized restaurant should be able to manage the amount of food needed based on the number of customers in order to guarantee the highest quality, which is included in the pricey bill,” said a former head chef of a Michelin restaurant in the US.
On weekends, the Zest charges 88,000 won ($77) for lunch and 98,000 won for dinner.
By Kim Bo-gyung/The Korea Herald (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)
