[Food] Restaurant 2018

[Goldstone1976]

A Wong, Wilton Street, Pimlico. 1*.

The hardest review I’ve had to give. The food and experience, other than one thing, rates a 9.5 - easily in the top 20 restaurants I’ve eaten in; especially as it was a birthday celebration for my partner.

The one thing? Well, we were sat at the chef’s table, seating only two, directly overlooking the kitchen. Immediately in front of us was the deep fry chef. Four of the other chefs, including Andrew Wong himself, were relentless in giving him grief throughout the evening. It really was bullying.

I know that pro kitchens can be tough, macho work environments, but this was beyond anything I’ve ever seen.

If the chef(s) aren’t good enough:

1 STFU and deal with it privately, or
2 train them to be good enough, accepting their faults in the meantime, or
3 don’t have a chef’s table, exposing your bullying and/or acceptance of bullying to joe public, or
4 fire him/her.

Given the above: food and service 9.5; treatment of staff 0.5. We won’t go back.

 

[Bry Nylon]

A Wong, Wilton Street, Pimlico. 1*.

The hardest review I’ve had to give. The food and experience, other than one thing, rates a 9.5 - easily in the top 20 restaurants I’ve eaten in; especially as it was a birthday celebration for my partner.

The one thing? Well, we were sat at the chef’s table, seating only two, directly overlooking the kitchen. Immediately in front of us was the deep fry chef. Four of the other chefs, including Andrew Wong himself, were relentless in giving him grief throughout the evening. It really was bullying.

I know that pro kitchens can be tough, macho work environments, but this was beyond anything I’ve ever seen.

If the chef(s) aren’t good enough:

1 STFU and deal with it privately, or
2 train them to be good enough, accepting their faults in the meantime, or
3 don’t have a chef’s table, exposing your bullying and/or acceptance of bullying to joe public, or
4 fire him/her.

Given the above: food and service 9.5; treatment of staff 0.5. We won’t go back.

He sounds like A Wong'un.

 

[Goldstone1976]

He sounds like A Wong'un.

Edit: I’d forgotten; I’m not allowed to smile at jokes against SE Asians any more, am I ?

 

[Birdie Boy]

I'm not sure I would have said anything but why didn't you?
Funnily enough, I may have done, I was in a French ski resort once and there was only 2 restaurants in town. I picked one the first night and the fish was so over done I couldn't keep my mouth shut. The chef came out and I left with two days to go and only one restaurant left. Next day was a Sunday and same restaurant open but the other closed!!! Spent half an hour walking around and finally in a back street found a small and I mean small restaurant. Went in and asked for a table for two. Owner, English, said we have one but this is the last time you speak English tonight! What a wonderful evening we had, superb. Last night we went to the third one which was ok. Point is, tell these pretentious chefs they can't cook or are bullies. Especially if they are French![emoji3]

 

[Goldstone1976]

I'm not sure I would have said anything but why didn't you?
Funnily enough, I may have done, I was in a French ski resort once and there was only 2 restaurants in town. I picked one the first night and the fish was so over done I couldn't keep my mouth shut. The chef came out and I left with two days to go and only one restaurant left. Next day was a Sunday and same restaurant open but the other closed!!! Spent half an hour walking around and finally in a back street found a small and I mean small restaurant. Went in and asked for a table for two. Owner, English, said we have one but this is the last time you speak English tonight! What a wonderful evening we had, superb. Last night we went to the third one which was ok. Point is, tell these pretentious chefs they can't cook or are bullies. Especially if they are French![emoji3]

I did.

My partner didn’t want me to - to avoid a “scene”. So, we left - I needed “a wee”, and went back and told the chef what I thought.

 

[Bozza]

I did.

My partner didn’t want me to - to avoid a “scene”. So, we left - I needed “a wee”, and went back and told the chef what I thought.

And what did he say (just intrigued before I point him to your post on twitter)?

 

[Goldstone1976]

And what did he say (just intrigued before I point him to your post on twitter)?

He said that it “wasn’t serious”; it was “meant in the nicest possible way”.

Effectively - it was just bantz.

Edit : wait for my tripadvisor review...

 

[Weststander]

I did.

My partner didn’t want me to - to avoid a “scene”. So, we left - I needed “a wee”, and went back and told the chef what I thought.

Good on you. Can't stand bullying in any sphere.

 

[Weststander]

He said that it “wasn’t serious”; it was “meant in the nicest possible way”.

Effectively - it was just bantz.

Edit : wait for my tripadvisor review...

So predictable, it's funny ..... the modern day excuse used by school bullies.

 

[Goldstone1976]

So predictable, it's funny ..... the modern day excuse used by school bullies.

Such a shame. The food really was truly exquisite. Wine was cheap too (by 1* restaurant standards, ridiculously cheap - nearly everything was under £50),

 

[Bozza]

He said that it “wasn’t serious”; it was “meant in the nicest possible way”.

Effectively - it was just bantz.

Edit : wait for my tripadvisor review...

Unleash hell on the *****.

I say that not because of your experience, but when I went to their website to view the menu, they made me download a Word document. A ****ing Word document. In 2018. **** off.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Unleash hell on the *****.

I say that not because of your experience, but when I went to their website to view the menu, they made me download a Word document. A ****ing Word document. In 2018. **** off.

Ha! Tosser.

Never have I been so conflicted. Well, about a restaurant, I mean. Food, wine, service, price = brilliant. Making a sous chef feel 1” tall, 3 feet away from paying punters = unforgiveable.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Edit: I’d forgotten; I’m not allowed to smile at jokes against SE Asians any more, am I ?

You can, I can't (might have given a sneaky though)

Ha! Tosser.

Never have I been so conflicted. Well, about a restaurant, I mean. Food, wine, service, price = brilliant. Making a sous chef feel 1” tall, 3 feet away from paying punters = unforgiveable.

I really thought we were past this way of treating people in the kitchen. Marco and Gordon throwing boiling water over each other and then having a jolly good laugh about it in an all night bar, junior chefs bullied out of the kitchen on their first day, etc etc. All seems a bit 1990s.

The one thing I've noticed in 64 Degrees and The Set where I've sat near the chefs or on the pass seats is how well the brigade get on. The fact that the 64 Degress guys managed to serve up decent grub while my Mrs wittered on endlessly to them should have earned them a medal.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Champor Champor near London Bridge. Thai/Malay. Mahoosive thumbs up.

 

[Beach Hut]

Le Spice - Worthing

Party of six and this is a very well organised Indian, usual dishes but all excellently cooked and reasonable value.

The only restaurant I have ever been to where is also showed the price per person on the bill.

8/10

 

[Goldstone1976]

I really thought we were past this way of treating people in the kitchen. Marco and Gordon throwing boiling water over each other and then having a jolly good laugh about it in an all night bar, junior chefs bullied out of the kitchen on their first day, etc etc. All seems a bit 1990s.

The one thing I've noticed in 64 Degrees and The Set where I've sat near the chefs or on the pass seats is how well the brigade get on. The fact that the 64 Degress guys managed to serve up decent grub while my Mrs wittered on endlessly to them should have earned them a medal.

If anything, I’m even crosser this morning. At one point, the section head of the wok brigade (now that’s a phrase I’ve never used before) firmly gripped the deep fry chap’s neck from behind and physically manoeuvred his body into the precise position that he wanted the chap to adopt while at his station.

I assume that the justification would be that it’s essential that everyone stands where they are supposed to because the kitchen is pretty tight for space; the more so given there were nine (all male, of course) people working in there. Two things though - he moved him about nine inches in total; and to physically do it is plain unacceptable. To do it three feet in front of sitting paying customers reeks either of stupidity or arrogance.

 

[Machiavelli]

Heading to Coal Shed tomorrow evening.

Any recomendations?

It's a bit late, but if you like wine, go on a Monday, when they do BYO for a fiver.

 

[Machiavelli]

I did.

My partner didn’t want me to - to avoid a “scene”. So, we left - I needed “a wee”, and went back and told the chef what I thought.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It seems to the season of ding-dongs in restaurants. I went to my local cafe this morning, https://m.facebook.com/19grams.Chaussee, for brunch and a table of early twenty somethings next to me asked to change the potato cake in one dish for toast. The waitress said they didn’t do this upon which the seemingly self-appointed spokesman for the group offered her a “Im a regular here and I know the owners” . She then explained they’d actually had a staff meeting about this very item and for various reasons stick to the dishes on the menu. The poor girl was then told to go and talk to whoever was in charge. She came back and told the guy if he wanted toast with his dish he can also order two-poached eggs on toast, as they don’t sell toast on its own....and wouldn’t budge.

Now, whatever your views on the menu are, this guy was quite arrogant, smarmy and very quick to play his card and undermine the girl. I’m glad they stuck to their guns. As it happens Im fine with their policy. They operate a great place, the food and coffee and atmosphere is wonderful and if they need to run their cooking and menu a certain way to keep standards and efficiency then that’s up to them. I had sardines on toast with chipotle mayo and pesto....as I have done for the past few months; I never tire of sardines.

 

[Bakero]

It seems to the season of ding-dongs in restaurants. I went to my local cafe this morning, https://m.facebook.com/19grams.Chaussee, for brunch and a table of early twenty somethings next to me asked to change the potato cake in one dish for toast. The waitress said they didn’t do this upon which the seemingly self-appointed spokesman for the group offered her a “Im a regular here and I know the owners” . She then explained they’d actually had a staff meeting about this very item and for various reasons stick to the dishes on the menu. The poor girl was then told to go and talk to whoever was in charge. She came back and told the guy if he wanted toast with his dish he can also order two-poached eggs on toast, as they don’t sell toast on its own....and wouldn’t budge.

Now, whatever your views on the menu are, this guy was quite arrogant, smarmy and very quick to play his card and undermine the girl. I’m glad they stuck to their guns. As it happens Im fine with their policy. They operate a great place, the food and coffee and atmosphere is wonderful and if they need to run their cooking and menu a certain way to keep standards and efficiency then that’s up to them. I had sardines on toast with chipotle mayo and pesto....as I have done for the past few months; I never tire of sardines.

I love sardines but the idea of oily fish and mayo seems wrong.