The Look of Publicly Accessible Loos

For many years now, if one finds the standard of uncleanliness in most public toilets in Sydney unpalatable, you can go rely on those available for shoppers at the David Jones department store.


No longer it seems that you can do that.  A visit to the city centre's flagship store on the level with Christmas food goodies gave me a most unpleasant experience with its men's toilets, especially in the booths.    The polar bears on display outside the women's store may have snow white bears but this cannot be said of the shocking lack of maintenance for the washrooms.


What has become of the higher standards of hygiene for the public washrooms  across the greater Sydney area these days?   Have we lost our sense of community pride and well being in ensuring a decent level of maintenance for those toilets provided in restaurants, shopping centres and more?  


Increasingly in many places around the world, washroom standards are a serious matter of public and government concern.  One gets to rate the state of toilets in Singapore after using them.    We do not want to go over board with feedback  ("How was your experience?" can get to be an irritable hassle for customers after buying online, getting routine transactions done and especially after bad consumer service.)    However it takes political will, group education and staff re-training to help get Sydney region washrooms back to standards of acceptable cleanliness.


Australia does not see itself as a third world country  (haha, imagine the shock and horror to first time international visitors at Sydney Airport Terminal One, where no clear queue lines are helped formed after claiming your bags for checking by the Border Control.)    Toilet maintenance conditions in the capital cities are deteriorating.   I have visited ethnic  run restaurants and find conditions deplorable  - and that may pushing the boundaries of tolerance.    Where are the health inspectors and what are they doing to help?   We should not be just proud of our sporting traditions but also of how we pee and clean up afterwards.


The long running bane and fear of using our washed hands to open toilet doors has been reduced with newly designed washroom layouts (that first began in renovated airports) that have doorless entry.    The utilisation of air dryers to wash hands without accumulating paper garbage can be a good step, but then there are reports that such air dryers contain more bacteria than ever thought.    The start of bigger rooms for parents who bring in children of the opposite gender is also helpful.    All these can be small steps to start changing the attitude, habits and mindset of a member of the public who can unnecessarily dirty up the floor, toilet seat and handles of a booth.   


It can be sad for society anywhere when falling standards in concern, care and cleanliness leave toilet booths in conditions unacceptable for the next user.   One may initially think of whether hired cleaners are doing their cleaning jobs with sufficient regularity, care and emphasis.    Are some of them just giving a cursory clean rub of such publicly accessible toilets?   Or are they facing an avalanche of bad habitual users who have no sense of personal responsibility?


I have witnessed staff cleaning toilets on trains or aircraft twice in an hour, but again that may not be comparable, as those are part of payable commercial fares to experience such good service.    Why do each of us put up with such bad standards of cleanliness in Australia's biggest metropolitan region?   Well, we may never want to visit such places again  - and the list of acceptable alternatives may gradually become smaller or disappear  if nothing effective is implemented to improve conditions.


We have to celebrate and congratulate public places which take pride in washroom cleanliness and with no clutter of paper or unnecessary wetness.    I can think of specific cafes  whose management take the effort to place potted plants,  aromatic environments and environmentally friendly facilities inside their washrooms, no matter how small or large they are.   Each of us are affected by this matter, unless you are one of the increasing number of people I come across these days who are defiant in not wanting to use public toilets.   (The last time I came across such abhorrence of the uncleanliness of public facilities was about the cleanliness level of train seats.)

2016 in Review

If I may indulge, the following are what I consider as striking developments on the world scene in 2016.

1)   THE HEARTLAND strikes back on the socio-political landscape in two major Anglo- Celtic nations, the UK and the USA.

2)  Where countries sufficiently ignore governance, ethics, morals and adopt extremism, racial narrow mindedness and political manipulation, the writing is on the wall - eventually.

3)  Never assume that the spectre of hyper inflation, unemployment and recession has been tucked away  - it is always at some hidden corners waiting to resurface, helped by people in power who prioritise themselves now over the interests of their country, their citizens and the future generations.

4)   Increasing mobility, not just in physical travel but in cyberspace and frontiers in communication, does not mean individuals become more social and interactive or get in touch more often.

5) More consumers change their smart phones more regularly than their wardrobe, bad habits and their mindset.

6) In the realm of protecting personal security for their citizens, why do most nations continue to be more reactive than pro-active?

7)  Despite claiming civilised behaviour and values, some things from history never change.

My own personal notables for 2016:

1)  Riding the High Speed Trains in southern China.   More nations should invest in such innovative and beneficial technology.

2)  I realised there are at least a million people sitting on passenger aircraft at any one moment in the sky around the Earth.  Why are there no innovative improvements in bettering the passenger embarkation and disembarkation experience - and why are most airports not better managed?

3)  The strong advent of streaming for home and personal entertainment heralds another example of disruptive technology on business.

4)   Central banks, mainstream media, politicians, embedded established wealth - are their connections stronger then ever?

5)   Processed foods, groceries and stuff look even more menacing as time goes by.

Eastwood Peking Seafood Restaurant Eastwood NSW

The Eastwood Peking has been around for many years.  Located at a corner of Rowe Street, near the famously busy crossing to the pedestrian mall,  it has a narrow frontage, a deep inside and a narrow place for customers to queue up, but under cover.   On a recent visit, I find the staff are well trained,  well costumed and with smiling faces for guests.   We commenced at 6pm for our table meal but there was the expected queue by 7pm.   The street outside can be busy with people and vehicles but one does not sense it.   It is worth reserving a table here instead of just walking in, especially at the usual meal times on busy nights.


Two years ago, this restaurant went so called green in the selection of electrical generation choices.  It also renovated by converting to LED lighting.

Beijing duck is what many come here for and it does not disappoint.    The roast skin is not over oily but firm and crispy.    One gets the usual shallot slices, Hoi Sin sauce, finely cut cucumber strips and the rather thin pancakes.   The staff do not serve the pancakes so we had to help ourselves.   We had the usual stir fried noodles with the duck meat left over after the skin has been sliced off.


I did find the pork belly that evening to have more than the expected layer of fat.  Moderate consumption of fat is now believed in certain circles to be good for the human body, in that it does help lower the risks of inflammation at various critical parts of the human body.   Fat does enhance taste in a way that other specific ingredients do not.   A person who does not consume any fat at all in his or her diet or nutrition intake may miss something.  

Interesting dishes to try include:

-  Snow Crab, essentially shredded crab meat mixed with egg white;
-  the assorted cold meat platter;
- braised duck meat soup with mushrooms; 
- braised chicken with snow peas and XO sauce;
- braised bean curd with chicken and slated fish;
- fried spare pork ribs with honey and pepper sauce; and
- braised sea cucumber with mushrooms.






My impressions of the Peking Seafood Restaurant visited in Eastwood NSW are:
Ambiance:   3 out of 5
Staff Engagement: 3.5 out of 5
Culinary Delight:  3.75 out of 5
X Factor:  3.25 out of 5
Overall Score:  13.5 /4 out of 5




The Eastwood Peking Seafood Restaurant is located at  167 Rowe Street, Eastwood NSW.
Opening hours are from 11am to 12 midnight every day.
Contact +61 2  9804 1289








 

Chef's Palette Eastwood NSW

I had gone over board on cheesecakes, inadvertently ordering two for a shared bite after dinner.     The situation was salvaged when the cheesecakes were different, both in flavour and bite.


Welcome to the branch of Chef's Palate, located near Jong Jip, in north western Sydney suburbs, that hub of business, dining and shopping called Eastwood.    This section of Rowe Street, where many Korean shops congregate, has now taken on a new level of activity and buzz.   You can have authentic and Aussie modified Korean cooking here.   There are two large groceries that remind you of being in a Seoul suburb.   Aldi is housed in a small shopping centre that has more restaurants than other businesses.    Whilst Aldi closes early for its supermarket operations, the other retail places open till late.

Staff were engaging and friendly and they are young and bright eyed.    The barista that evening invited us in and his work counter is at street frontage.   Saturday evening meant many couples and youngster groups out to make the most of a weekend.   There is ample seating as the shop goes a deep way in and I reckon there is also a stairs to the first level. 
Service is fast and we did not have to wait long.    Coffee is not overly strong, has flavour and served hot enough.

Next I aim to try their water melon cakes......


Chef's Palate is also found in Strathfield, NSW.

Si Ji Min Fu Restaurant Qianmen Beijing

Mung Bean snacks.

Thinly sliced pig's ears in a refreshing light savoury mix.

The branch of Si Ji Min Fu here in Qianmen runs on a unique profit sharing arrangement between owners, management and staff.    It is reported that this  Qianmen branch made a profit of 3 million Yuan in 2015.   

The service for my group of ten was impeccable.   The staff made sure of our dish orders and then they came out fast, delightfully filling up the table.   Being seated upstairs meant we could look at the upper floors of neighbouring houses, which remained low key, retro and had sounds echoing the street life below.

There was emphasis and care in preparing sauces, ensuring the texture of food and in the harmonisation of overall flavours.   One way I noted in ensuring the desired texture was in the careful slicing and presentation of meat.

There was a family enjoying their food on the next table - the atmosphere was like being invited to a good mate's home.   We were careful with the stair case in this narrow spaced shop but it was worth the effort, even if we could have sat on the street level.   There are other branches of Si Ji Min Fu elsewhere in the Beijing metropolitan area, but this was one that looked and was authentic, chosen by us on gut feel and offered an excellent meal between shopping, walking the lanes and taking it easy.

My impressions of the Si Ji Min Fu Restaurant in Qianmen, Beijing are:


Ambiance:  3 out of 5
Staff Engagement:  4 out of 5
Culinary Delight:  4 out of 5
X Factor:  4 out of 5  (the Beijing Duck)
Overall Score:   3.75 out of 5