Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-11-30
HonoIuim Restaurants.

EpfroR DAILY HONOLULU PRESS
--.Sf A little observation clearly de-
monstrates that a large proportion Of
Honolulu citizens live in restaurants,
aud this number is inevitably found to
Increase with the growth Of the city
and the steadily increasing influx OF
the foreign element In view Of this
fact would it not be landable scheme
for some of our restaurant men to show
little enterprise in this matter by
carrying on the business on slightly
improval plan, instead of following in
the old rut of the numerous Chinese
dens and cofe saloons at the present
time existing in our city? 1t is a fact
beyond dispute, that there is not a
restaurant in Honolulu, strictly speaking,
deserving of white mans patronage
and why2 the answers would be
legion. The fact is that too much
regard is paid to quantity, and none at
all to the quality, of the food and the
manner in which it is served. Better
expend less money in viands, have one
or two dishes less in variety and invest
this saving in few extra table clothes,
napkins, knives, forks and spoons and
a little additional help so that time may
be found to occasionally "shine up"
the casters, extract flies and refill the
cruets, which are sadly neglected in all
ofourrestaurants. Many ofthe mustard,
pepper and pickle jars are becoming so
completely dried up. that unless they
received inmediatete attention, sponta-
neous CONFUSION will be the inevita-
BILE result The silver, (if indeed that
term would be applicable to the tin and
IRON knives, forks and spoons used),
has the appearance Of having done
service ever since Captain Cook first
set foot upon these islands in 1878.
In the average Honolulu restaurant
half dozen napkins suffice, or at
least are made to serve fifty or hundred
guests before going to the laundry.
The table clothes, where thev exist,
are often SO completely matted with
a general mixture Of coffee, hash and
mutton stew as to be hardly recogniza-
BILE. Now let us follow one of our
business men, or respectable visiting
strangers into one these so-called res
taurants; instead Of being served by
a tidy waiter, with a dinner that can
be relished, heis approachedby a China
man whose only apparel consists of
a pair of blue trousers, and striped
cotton shirt, supplemented by
stamped and lettered -four sack
as an apology for an apron, For a
hand towel, in cases where the shirt
sleeve is not used, a slop rag or sugar
sack is pressed into service which is
unceremoniously tapped across the
marble slap in front of the guest about
fourteen times by actual count before
time sufficient is allowed to order
dinner. Realize then if you can, the
suspense of the delay. If there is any
one thing on earth more exasperaling
than another it is for a hungry guest
to sit cycling the swinging rick doors
for fifteen or twenty minutes, every
moment expecting the reappeared Of
the missing coffee splasher, who has
evidently turned in" to give the dish
washer "boust" SO as to 'rush OUT
dishes upon which to serve the wait
ing order; but finally when least ex-
pected, our soup-spiller reappears on
the scene and bears down upon the
impatient guest with cup Of native
coffee, heaplng saucer of pudding
and plate of mutton stew overruning
with gravey sufficient to grease an or
dinary spring wagon for six months.
Now, contrast this condition of things
with the restaurant business as carried
on in American cities, San Francisco
for instance. You sit down to table
upon which is spread a clean white
cloth, with casters shining and every
cruet filled to the brim. The waiter
who steps up to spread before you a
morning paper and take your order
is neatly attired in blue or white