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2012-03-13
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Reason for visit: by chanceI happen to chance upon this place last Sunday night. Felt like having something off the regular ritual of western and canto food. My friend had suggested going to Chili Fagara as we were just a stone's throw away and "lucky" for us, there was one last table of 2 available in this unbelievably miniature restaurant.Ambiance: cute decorations but everything is so small! (6/10)I finally realized what Yao Ming feels like on an everyday basis. We basically had to shuff
I happen to chance upon this place last Sunday night. Felt like having something off the regular ritual of western and canto food. My friend had suggested going to Chili Fagara as we were just a stone's throw away and "lucky" for us, there was one last table of 2 available in this unbelievably miniature restaurant.
Ambiance: cute decorations but everything is so small! (6/10)
I finally realized what Yao Ming feels like on an everyday basis. We basically had to shuffle in sideways to avoid bumping into people, the spaces between table was no better than a thin slither such that water spilt would fall through but not so sure about a broccoli would make it through. Tables and chairs also felt like a badly made t shirt that shrunk in the dryer - few sizes too small. The interior designer I would certainly hire though.. because everything was precision (for example, the toilet door just missed the urinal, i just managed to fit in, and somehow got out without touching the bowl). I hate to imagine if a 180lb guy came in what they would go through... On the bright side, it is quite cutely decorated, simple, elegant and seemingly clean.
Service: can't say it was bad but certainly not good (6/10)
I feel like the overarching core to the server's mind is not being hospitable but that they have a target to reach. Granted this might be what the owner told them, this should not be felt by the customer. So this goes right back to how the manager / owner is training their staff. Everything was rushed, stuffed on table, and trying to get that extra beverage or food sales. The 1 Michelin star and also the menu really started my experience giving me an expectation of quality and ordinance (they stress serving food from savory, to numb, to spicy), yet the food came out in such order and when asked, they said they forgot to explain to us, "a certain dish takes longer to make". That is no excuse - even if the waitress is new, the kitchen should have picked up on this and double checked the customer wanted it in this particular order. This is where I think the owner / chef once had a vision to do things right but then lost track because of making an extra buck. I was ticked off at things as such which were casually ignored... no attempt to turn me around... almost like they get this reaction everyday anyways. If I wasn't picky and stuck with the generic requests (water, bill, faster food etc.), I think my thoughts on the service would be quite good though so I gave them 6 points.
Food: good but the rice is $15?? (8/10)
Overall, the food is good. I haven't ventured much into sichuan food but this is definitely better than your average place. First came the snacks... braised cabbage / numbing turnip bits / spicy tofu skin... all really unique and well made with sauces that rounded out and complimented the ingredients. We also had the 24 herb chicken which was a tad dry but sauce and taste was pretty good. Mapo tofu was too spicy for us but probably enjoyed by others. Hongyou Chaoshou (spicy red oil dumplings) was definitely a mouthful and gourmet like, also pretty good. Sunla Tang (spicy and sour soup) was average... presentation was nice with the stewed soup urn. So how do I fault a generally good meal? When I ordered the rice, it was so small... probably < 1/5 of an average bowl. The biggest problem is this small bowl was $15? Comeon! Don't make me do the math on your ridiculous margins! Just outright ruined the image of this restaurant. Then the bill came and they even charged us for those snacks we didn't order? Just makes you think how much they must have ripped you off with the other items.
Overall: good food but owner needs to question his/her strategy (6/10)
You have good food but you somehow created a negative sentiment. Some key questions for the owner:
1) Do you want to rip off your customers? Be fair with your prices and you make more if they return
2) I understand you are limited by your space and costly rents.... but again, doing one less table's worth of business might help your business in the long run
3) Start training your staff to handle the trickier situations
I will return if all of these points are fixed. But certainly not until they are.
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