SOME people might find dining out a hassle under new normal conditions – the queuing, temperature checks, writing down your phone number or scanning a QR code, and sanitising hands for what seems like the 50th time that day.

However, Francis Deluke and his friend Joseph have missed eating banana leaf rice, and also felt that it was time to get used to life under new conditions.

They were among the short lunch-time queue waiting to enter Sri Seenu (formerly known as Sri Paandi) on Jalan Dato Mahmud in Section 11, Petaling Jaya.

Each customer has to wait their turn for gloved and masked staff to record their temperatures and squirt sanitiser onto their hands.

“We haven’t been out for banana leaf since the movement control order (MCO) and thought it’s about time to try it out again,” said the 50-year-old Deluke.

Although there are several other banana leaf rice restaurants in the area, the two decided on Sri Seenu because of the social distancing.

“I’m pleasantly surprised to see that each table only serves two people,” said Joseph.

“This feels safer compared to the roadside banana leaf stalls.”

Joseph washed his freshly sanitised hands at the diners’ sink, as it is customary – and some would say, more enjoyable – to eat banana leaf rice with your hands only.

Sri Seenu’s third generation owner Sinnaiah Alagan said each table is placed 3.5m apart in the two-shoplot Indian restaurant.

“We have cut down a lot of tables because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the 55-year-old proprietor.

He said the outlet used to have 55 tables for up to 220 customers but now only has 26 tables.

“Each table is only allowed to have two people,” said Sinnaiah, who reopened his restaurant on May 26.

As a result of the MCO and the pandemic, Sinnaiah had to close five of his 11 restaurants – in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Subang, Balakong, Brickfields and Jalan Pasar Pudu – and lay off more than half his employees.

He said this was by far the worst crisis he has seen in 40 years of business.

Comparing it to the economic crisis of 1997, Sinnaiah said business was slow then but not as bad as it is now.

“Many people are still afraid to come out to restaurants despite the measures we have taken.”

“In the past, we could continue to do business at a slower pace but this time, the government stepped in to tell us to close. Other measures, such as the one person to a car policy, has also deterred people,” he added.

However, Sinnaiah is thankful that business is slowly recovering for his chain of restaurants.

“I don’t think we can earn as much as we used to but my staff can start working again and I don’t have to lay anyone off or close any more restaurants.”

He said that small Indian restaurants and roadside stalls have it tougher as they don’t have the space for social distancing or enough money to put in more safety measures.

“After distancing the tables, we can still have around 50 people at any one time, but how can the small outlets survive if the whole restaurant or stall can only take three or four tables?

“Here, I have sent all my staff for Covid-19 tests in private clinics but can the small restaurants afford it?” he added.

Since reopening, Sinnaiah said they are now only earning around 30% of pre-MCO revenues.

At 2.30pm, the lunch “crowd” has disappeared, leaving the odd person at a table here or there, enjoying a late lunch or lingering over a teh tarik alone.

Bellies full, Francis and Joseph have also finished their lunch and are paying the bill.

“This was great,” said Joseph. “We’ll be back again”. – June 7, 2020.