Stephanie S.
Yelp
My partner and I have made a ritual of coming here once a week. Typically, the service is fast, the staff is friendly, and the food is good. We come here so frequently, in fact, that on several occasions we have turned various friends on to the place. The bartender is super sweet and always acknowledges our returning visits. Our order usually consists of hot pot x2 and alcoholic beverages, so a respectable bill. However, we had an experience this past Friday which really turned me off of returning.
For my birthday, we decided to do something a bit more intimate and the two of us, along with a friend, arrived for dinner. It should be noted I saw on their Instagram that they advertise in their profile "Free meal on your birthday!" (more on this later) Anyway, our friend had never experienced hotpot before, and when he sat down, upon looking at the menu and seeing the available options for BBQ, he decided he wanted to do the BBQ instead. My partner and I chose to still have hot pot and I ordered alcohol. One of the staff members came by and assured us that would be okay, but that there was no sharing (obviously because of the price difference.) We're all adults, and I respect the honor system in that request because obviously we don't want to screw anyone over.
I didn't realize agreeing to this would have the staff suddenly become so much more attentive to our table than usual. Every time I looked over our friend's shoulder they were watching us eat. A couple of the staff stood by the partition near our table and would surveil the table while some of the bus boys would come and collect the plates and bring by new dishes. It was so frustrating because we are loyal customers and we clearly were not being given the benefit of the doubt in this situation. To the surprise of no one, we didn't break any rules despite their need to lord over our table the entire visit.
At the end of the meal, I noted the check also mentioned the same "free meal on your birthday!" There was no small print and it was plainly stated, once again. My partner took my ID up to the counter and asked about the free birthday meal for me, and was told we did not qualify because while we had three people, the requirement is actually 4 people. Honestly, I couldn't believe the response because it sounded like something that was made up on the spot just to avoid the compensation. This was especially frustrating because I was ordering alcohol anyway which ranges from $12-$14 dollars and is more than half the cost of a meal anyway per cocktail. The whole experience just showed me there is no value for returning customers who introduce new patrons.
One other aside during this particular visit, was that the frozen rolled meat for hot pot usually comes out on these long white plates, and i noticed two ants on one of the plates this time where I never have before.
Anyway, I wanted to save someone the frustration of dealing with the "birthday meal" drama because they advertise this loud and proud on social media with no stipulation. There is another hot pot place on the island, and one opening up at the mall, so we do have options. It was nice while it lasted.