Scanning the menu to find the exact flavours you’re craving today, having someone serve you knowing you won’t have to do the washing up, discovering new dishes and having a professional chef whip them up for you… You’ve missed dining out, haven’t you?

After a long time away from your favourite restaurants and eateries, it is time we get back to one of our favourite Malaysian pastimes: gathering over food! As the economy slowly reopens with the rising vaccination rates, you may still have concerns about being in public spaces and dining out.

However, it is so important that we not only support local food businesses, but also that we allow ourselves a return to normalcy. Follow our handy guide below on how to fully enjoy your dining out experiences with minimal risk and worry.

Update your MySejahtera app

Have you received both your vaccine doses? If you have, congratulations! If you haven’t yet completed both shots or you are still within the 14-day period of your second dose, you will have to wait just a tiny bit longer before you are able to dine out.

Make sure your MySejahtera app is up-to-date, and that you are not marked as a high-risk individual (for example, if you have just completed a quarantine period) to dine out with your mind at ease.

Always have your Covid-19 protective necessities

Having your own hygiene kit with you at all times, such as a pack of masks and a travel bottle (or two) of hand sanitiser, has now become a lifestyle essential.

While every eatery should have a sanitiser gel dispenser at its entrance, sometimes dispensers run out. And while you might have left home with a mask on your face, by now everyone has experienced the snapping of a mask strap or the incidence of not having a fresh mask when you most need one. Always have extras with you whether in your car or in your handbag, and get yourself to your favourite restaurants pronto.

On the premises

MySejahtera at the ready, remember to do the necessary scan and check-in at the entrance of the restaurant. This is not just for you and the community good for contact tracing purposes, but also to avoid your favourite eateries from any possible trouble.

Next, for the safety of yourself and others around you, keep your mask on until you are seated at your table. Need to use the restroom, or you want to pay the bill at the cashier counter? Make sure to place your mask back on before you get up from your table.

Bonus tip: You may have unknowingly touched various surfaces while walking to your restaurant, from escalator rails to elevator buttons. While hand sanitiser is always handy, consider also washing your hands at the restroom sink, especially if you’re eating foods that you handle with your fingers like pizza slices, French fries and fried chicken.

Book your table in advance

With capped operating hours and with restaurants rearranging their tables to allow for safe distance between groups of people, you may not be able to get a table as easily as pre-pandemic times.
Use the GemSpot app to reserve your table in advance, which not only ensures that you will get service when you arrive at the restaurant hungry, but also so that the restaurant staff can anticipate your arrival and make sure to clean your table and be ready to serve your party.

By making meal reservations, you won’t have to miss out on the experience of dining out, and by knowing how many people they will be serving in advance, restaurants and responsible diners can maintain hygiene SOPs for the safety of everyone around them.

Missed making a table reservation but still craving food from your favourite resto? Order on GemSpot this October and enjoy absolutely FREE delivery, with no minimum spend for distances of up to 25km!