Some of the Malaysian/Singaporean restaurants in London which have suspended their business for the time being.
- Rasa Sayang
- Melur
- C&R
- Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar
- Satay House
- Malaysia Hall Canteen
With all restaurants across the country now closed, I think we’ll quickly see how many feel they can keep going just doing takeaway/delivery food.
I emailed a favourite place near home to give them best wishes. Owner replied saying they had done some business over the weekend but would probably close completely last night.
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Challenging times indeed - those restaurants which remained open and offered takeaways still had to face tremendous pressure from the disruptions to their supply chain, and a client base who’d not gotten used to paying for takeaways in lieu of “eating out”.
Look at what Mandy Yin of Sambal Shiok shared - it’s very sad.
I’ve heard that one of the catering supply companies are to start selling to the public, delivering to their restaurant customers which are remaining open for takeaway/delivery. I’m going to try and track down details later.
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Indeed. She had just opened the economy rice place next door to the laksa place as well.
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There is a South London supply company doing this at the moment. Mainly fruit, veg and dairy.
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It was just very, very bad timing for her. Wishing them all the best, and hope they can ride through this storm.
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Dapur at Bayswater has called it quits for good. I guess it had been struggling, and the COVID-19 crisis was the final straw. It hopes to re-open its new Holborn outlet when things get better.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurants:
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Peter - the Ottolenghi story is now “old hat”. All restaurants in the UK are now closed. In my part of the world, even many of those who, at first, had tried to keep going on takeaway and home delivery are now fully closing.
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Oh yes, I just remembered reading about the JD Wetherspoon saga a couple of days ago.
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There are a number of things I could write about the owner of Wetherspoons. Most of them would cross the forum’s “no politics” rule so I’ll just restrict the comment to saying I generally regard him as an arsewipe.
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Point taken. 
Pity, though, I did like some of their pubs!
I think you and I are of the same opinion regarding the bloke. Our local Wetherspoons made the nationals yesterday. Now I’m not condoning graffiti but you can’t argue with the sentiment.
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Peter - the student nephew and his mates regularly visit a Wetherspoons. Cheap beer and food.
Good that they will pay their staff. Pay their suppliers as well - they’ve kept their part of the contract.
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We are. Thanks, prima. Hope all is well with you.
I think we’re adjusting to the lockdown quite well, although we have concerns about the lack of supplies. We’re told by the government to stay at home and use home delivery for food - but it’s impossible to get a delivery slot. It’s unsettling but, I suppose, we’ll adjust to the “new normal”.
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I take it that Harters has noted that the apparent collapse of The Restaurant Group is under way.
Two of their more egregious brands are closing down.
The rest of the outfit cannot be far behind. Virtually zero income and continuing substantial expenses. Whilst I cannot find sufficiently recent data, it seems highly likely to me that they have insufficient cash to survive for more than a month or two. Their prospects of getting refinanced via debt are very limited. An emergency rights issue might do it but I see little market appetite for that.
And this is the outfit that attracted almost universal disdain last year by buying Wagamama for something approaching ÂŁ3M per site. Seems rather a lot to pay for an opportunity to attract a negative review by Harters.
I hadnt. A quick Google though indicates the two brands you hint at would be Chiquito and Frankie & Benny, neither of which I’d miss. I would miss the Brunning & Price pubs which, to my mind, have retained their original style from when they were just a large handful of places in the Northwest and North Wales.
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