Cabalen chain of restaurants takes extra steps on food etiquette

The Cabalen chain of restaurants has taken the extra steps on food safety and etiquette to protect the customers and employees from the spread of viruses.

Restaurants under the Cabalen chain are: Cabalen Plus, Mangan, Tsurumaru Udon x Tempura, Suki-Ya (eat all you can sukiyaki and shabu shabu), Soi (eat Thai, love Thai), Eats Pinoy, and BKK Express.

Cabalen, the pioneer in buffet-styled restaurant, has introduced health campaign ads that will remind food lovers on the importance of proper hygiene before eating.

"Ito si Maria. Si Maria ay kalmado at maingat. Si Maria ay sumusunod sa alituntunin tungkol sa food safety at buffet etiquette. Si Maria ay naghuhugas ng kamay bago kumain. Si Maria ay kumakain sa Cabalen. Tularan si Maria," read one of the health campaign ads for Cabalen.

Here's Cabalen Restaurant's 10 food safety and buffet etiquette reminders:

1) Wash your hands or sanitize with alcohol.

2) If you have to talk, sneeze or cough, please step back away from the buffet line.

3) Please do not dip your fingers to taste the food on the buffet.

4) Do no use your hands to get food from the buffet.

5) Be sure to take what you touch.

6) Please use the serving utensils provided for each specific food item. Do not use your eating spoon or fork to get food from the buffet.

7) Use a clean plate when going back to get additional servings.

8) Do not eat in the buffet line.

9) If you have long sleeves that may dangle or touch the food, please roll them up if possible.

10) Please get food for small children and refrain from bringing them to the buffet station.

Other restos under Cabalen have also taken safety measures:

1) Staff and customers are encouraged to frequently sanitize hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap or water.

2) Employees are required to wear mouthguards all the time when serving/touching food.

3) Cooks handle raw meat materials with care to prevent cross-contamination.

4) Customers are encouraged to use tissue or handkerchief to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.

"We teach our customers a do-it-yourself mouth cover if they forgot to bring a face mask," said Mary Anne Villamater, LSM Field Manager, Cabalen Group of Companies, during an interview.

Villamater said that the customers are satisfied with the safety measures of their restaurants.

One of the customers at the Cabalen SM Southmall commented: "Wala po akong pics...pero I want to commend Cabalen sa Southmall. They go the extra mile to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. They blocked the entrance sa resto. So bago pumasok they require everyone to sanitize their hands. Sa buffet nila may cord din para isa lang yung point of entry ng kukuha sa buffet area. Then they spray alcohol sa lahat ng papasok and remind them not to talk to each other para walang tatalsik na saliva sa food." 

Now on its 34th year, Cabalen started out as a resto that serves a la carte on West Avenue in Quezon City. It was in 1992 when they finally introduced the buffet set-up in Makati City. These days, Cabalen's biggest branch is located at the Mall of Asia compound in Pasay City. It has also opened in SM Baguio. - Robert Requintina