Mary Rosa
Google
Visited for the first time on Tuesday, and the restaurant is nice looking i side, can’t tell from the outside, but was quite empty, with only 3 men in one corner and a couple at another table, so it wasn't very busy. Initially, no one greeted us, no one was around, which left us unsure whether to sit on our own or wait to be seated, so we just stood there. Our first impression was not good.
When we finally sat down, the only waiter didn’t really say anything, only saying he would come back when we looked at him. As for the food, it was a mixed experience. Some dishes were too spicy, but no flavor, (samosas and veggie lunchbox), while the other one was completely bland, (noodles). The veggie lunchbox was barely warm; it would have been better if it had been served hot. The samosas arrived almost immediately after we ordered, but they were not even room temperature—just something that had been sitting out. For $6 for two samosas, I expected them to be hot, fresh, and served with the green sauce, not ketchup.
I was disappointed that one dish (the street-style chicken noodles). Although the dish was hotter than all the other meals, the chicken seemed old/stale, very oily and there was barely any of it.
I also think it’s bad for one person to eat while the other waits for their meal. This happened because one meal was being prepared fresh, while the other served from the buffet sitting there. We prefer all meals at the same time if possible. I’m debating whether to give the restaurant another chance, but most importantly, the customer service was lacking. We were only asked what we wanted and had our food brought to the table. With only two other tables occupied, it was disappointing that no one checked on us or ensured we needed anything else after the food was brought to us. Additionally, several tables were left dirty with dishes, which should have been cleaned up during our visit, since it wasn’t busy and they had time.
Another concern was regarding the Halal status of the food. We were told that everything is Halal, but there were no visible certificates or signage to confirm this, which raises doubts. We’ve been to restaurants claiming to be Halal only to find out they weren’t, so it’s important for Halal certification to be clearly displayed for customers. I knew of a restaurant that closed and was sued for misleading people think it was Halal, when the restaurant lied about that information.
Cleanliness is very important.
The mango lassi was brought right after we ordered, but it was prepackaged, it was nice packaging, but I’m unsure where it was sourced from, in house or made elsewhere.
I encourage the staff to be more attentive and prioritize customer service. It's important for them to avoid distractions, such as being on their phones or away from the entrance, so they can notice and acknowledge customers as they enter.
Greeting customers and making them feel welcome is essential, as first impressions are everything. Additionally, it’s important to serve hot, fresh food rather than items that have been sitting in the buffet.
The desert experience was just ok, nothing special; one half was moist while the other half was extremely dry.
When you go to a restaurant, you would expect good service and fresh food, not leftovers or old food.
I keep thinking we went on a day that maybe they were having a bad day, but it's no excuse for the lack of customer service and fresh food.
Our main concerns are the Halal certification, the quality of the food, and the overall service.
