Sou, are they real?

I can't help but want to write something here. I posted a bad review of this noodle place near my office early last month and somehow, it started a torrent of comments, of which were mostly extremely positive comments (excluding the 1st comment which was from the shop itself). The emphasis here is on the word "extreme". I proclaim myself to be a noodle person; give me a bowl of rice and a bowl of noodles, I would pick the noodles.
Honestly, I really didn't enjoy my experience there at all. I had gone there with the excitement of trying something new, but was sorely disappointed. For those who know me, judging from the amount of noodles I left behind and the struggle I had with the wantons, it was very telling. And to note too, I often order soup noodles if you want to compare the local vs HK-style noodles. Compare this with the bland noodles I had a few shops down which I still finished. Plus, the smell of the place that lingered on me all day added to my irritation, that when I went home that night, my mum commented on it. Arghh...

Well, after the 1st comment, I pretty much started doubting the authenticity of the rest of the comments, and as a friend said, it was most likely their own people who are posting (ok, she probably put that idea in my mind, but...). My co-editor who initially gave the benefit of the doubt, also started feeling the same. I'm not being subjective on this, but here are some factors that seem to point to that direction:

1) I seem to be the only one who has reviewed the place so far. Try googling the name of the shop. If it's really so good, why aren't there other reviews instead of regularly bombarding my post? Yah, I know it's new, but the only reviews it's getting is from me and these comments.

2) The comments started sounding pretty much the same, making constant reference and exclamations of its comparability to HK. I'm pretty skeptical of that really. And they were getting too defensive.

3) As my co-editor pointed out, the grammatical errors seemed quite consistent.

4) Seriously, bringing the whole family just to eat there? No matter how different the taste I might have, I think I know it isn't that superb to warrant that.

If it's really true that the people posting the comments are from the same gang or the shop, then I think that it's quite bad to badmouth their competitors like that, not that the shop serves exactly the same stuff. (ok ok, maybe I started it *guilty*) Talk about ripoff. This noodle place with its simple set-up is more of a ripoff for a bowl of wanton noodles at $6.50. Are they trying to compare with Mak's Noodles in Hong Kong which is HK$30 and in smaller portions? People find that expensive, but still go. Well, maybe their portions are bigger, but if I can't stomach it, it's still not worth it.

I guess time will tell. My colleagues & I have noticed the dwindling patrons to this place. It happened after a week it was opened which was near end Nov I think (since I reviewed it on 9 Dec). We recall it was overcrowded initially but now there isn't really a need to queue. Well, it could be that last month was the holiday period, so less people, but will check back again soon (am I being mean?). However, I think I really won't be giving them a second chance (I usually do). For one thing, I don't want myself smelling like the place again for a full day.

Shucks, I had meant to forget about the whole experience but these comments seem to come and haunt me. And also, if every other week anyone else comes to make comments in the like of those I've seen, I'm so going to close comments on that post. I tried to be polite as far as I can already leh. Move on.