Video
Read full review
2016-02-25
2534 views
My friend and I were long due for a catch up after having babies. She booked a table for Moonshine & The Po'Boys and I was excited. I saw the cocktails menu and was determined to make it before Happy Hour ended (new mummies need alcohol). I got online to see what goodies we could order beforehand, the menu looked pretty good but I was disappointed po'boy sandwiches were nowhere to be found. Isn't this a restaurant named after it??I got there around 7:15pm, the place was small and almost empty. I
I got there around 7:15pm, the place was small and almost empty. I was shown to our table, which was no bigger than your average dining table for 4 at home, with someone (not my friend) already on it. I was reluctant to sit with her, and I asked if there were other tables, I was told it was fully booked and table-sharing was communicated over the phone, I was like oh ok, so I sat with a complete stranger just across the table (imagine tea restaurant at busy hour). At this point I definitely needed a drink so I ordered Blush, a cocktail made of 'Vodka, caramelised apple, fresh strawberry, apple, fresh lemon'. It was fruity and pretty yummy, though I couldn't taste the caramelised apples at all.
We ordered Pernod Clam Party ($120), DIY Blackened Catfish Tacos ($180), Croque Monsieur ($120), Lobster Gumbo Gravy & Mozzarella on French fries ($180). The clams were so-so, they were mixed clams, the large one I had was good, but the rest were overcooked and tasteless. It was almost like they were first boiled and dumped on the hotplate (hence all the clam juice flavour was elsewhere). The baguette that came with it was not good quality either, it was one of those pasty white ones.
The fish tacos came next, sizzling on a hot plate. It was the most anticipated dish and it didn't disappoint. Crispy fried fish, with rice and beans, sauteed veggies, condiments on the side. There's something about assembling things yourself (eg. Peking duck pancakes) that adds to the experience and taste! We loved this.
Fish Taco
$180
110 views
1 likes
0 comments
Lobster Gumbo fries were the most disappointing of all for me. The gumbo on it was really salty, and it became stodgy and unappetising once it was cooled. We barely finished half.
We were told, at some point between the Croque Monsieur and fries, that it was the last order. I was slightly taken aback, thinking all this catching up must have made time flown by. I hadn't looked at the clock so I assumed it was late. My friend ordered another cocktail, we were still chatting, and then the bill was thrown on the table for us. We were a little confused, but paid it anyway.
Then, the waitress came over and said, sorry we need the table now. I looked at my phone and it was only 9pm!! Our dinner bill was over $1200, we were not at a tea restaurant!!! (even though we were sitting like it was) They came and cleared our table, and made sure we felt rushed to get out, when my friend still had her drink full! The already small dining space was crammed with people waiting for their tables, making it even more uncomfortable. The new party of 4 just sat by us, giving us the evils. My friend took her time because it was frankly rude of the restaurant to kick us out like that, but I just wanted to get out.
Yes, I'm aware rent is high in Hong Kong, and yes, if you do table turnarounds you can make more money, which is what a lot of cheap Chinese places do to compensate for the (relatively) cheap food, but this is hardly a no-frills place. Admittedly our food bill was quite cheap because we didn't order the mains. The waitstaff had OK attitude overall but the restaurant practice in place is completely unacceptable.
PS. As I was writing this, I was thinking about the bill amount, because the food prices didn't seem to add up so I double-checked. We ordered 4 Blush ($135) in total, 2 of them I ordered before 7:30pm (Happy Hour end time), one I was having, and I said I will order another one now, but can it be brought later when my friend arrives. Somehow they got confused and only took order for 1. So even though technically I should have 2 drinks at HH rate, I can semi-understand if only 1 was charged at HH price. It turns out they charged all 4 at normal rate! That's so cheeky! 30% off $135 is not a substantial amount extra, but it's the principle. This really just gets worse every time I think about it.
Other Info. :
I guess birds of a feather really do flock together, because the 3 girls next to us were really inconsiderate as well. In the already cramped environment we were in, my neighbour, who was pretty much just 5 inches away from me, was laughing hysterically and slapped the table really hard, startling us. OK, I get that it happens when you're catching up with your girlfriends, but she didn't even apologise and carried on business as usual. She was talking so loudly my friend and I could hardly hear ourselves. The worst part was when they decided to take selfies, she shoved her phone right by my face without an apology not once, but twice! Seriously!!! Definitely made the whole ordeal even worse.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
