Sompop C.
Yelp
Food: Though there are hundreds of Chinese restaurants from LA to OC, we don't mind driving for almost an hour to come here again for the second time, which will also be our last. The food itself is good, from porridge and Chinese donuts to pork chop and even American breakfast. I would have given 5 stars if an issue hadn't occurred today.
Ambience: It's not too old classic style, but not modern either. It's typical for regular Chinese restaurants. We like the food, and the price is more reasonable than in OC. We happened to try this one first before others from Yelp on our initial visit, and we liked it enough to bring our friend with us today.
Service at the parking: Exceptional, and this is the ONLY reason I provided two stars instead of one. Though the staff member couldn't speak English well (which we don't mind as we've been to many Chinese restaurants), he had a service-oriented mindset and tried his best to answer our questions and ensure we didn't have to worry about anything. With the few sentences we exchanged, he earned a $5 tip and helped this review avoid getting 1 star.
Service from server(s) and/or cashier: This is where I have problems and decided that this is our second and last visit. The special menu today showed that the dish was served with pork and shrimp. When the food came, I didn't see shrimp on the plate. First, when a server was passing by and I raised my hand to ask a question, that server gave me a look and didn't say anything. I waited for a while, and I'm not sure if it was her or another server who came, but when I asked why there was no shrimp, the server said something in Chinese, didn't give any explanation, and left right away.
To be frank, the absence of shrimp wouldn't have been a major issue if they had explained the situation politely. What truly infuriated me was their dismissive attitude and unprofessional behavior, coupled with their audacity to still expect a tip. Their blatant disregard for customer service, followed by their demand for gratuity, was particularly galling.
This poor treatment led me to decide not to leave a tip. What's ironic is that when I walked out of the restaurant, another server or cashier came outside and asked in English why there was no tip. I was surprised they could suddenly speak English. I wanted to say something rude, but I didn't.
I hope that non-Chinese visitors who read this comment are aware not to expect much if they want to come here. If they serve you poorly, you're expected to accept it. As for Chinese customers, you probably already know how this restaurant works and may accept it as part of the culture, as mentioned in another comment I read. However, tips are for good service, and I even give tips to okay servers, but not for poor service or treatment.