Justin Flores (Gospel N.
Google
My wife and I chose La Sherpa for our 12th wedding anniversary, expecting the high-end experience La Sherpa Concept is known for. Unfortunately we left disappointed. The ambiance and most of the food were excellent, but a significant misstep with my main course ended the evening on a sour note.
I ordered the seared salmon steak (~5,000 NPR), but it arrived fully cooked through. When I politely mentioned this to our server, she offered to replace it. However, she returned empty-handed with a message from the chef saying I should have specified my preference upfront since "many people complain when it's not fully cooked."
This response misses the point entirely. If the menu describes a dish as "seared," that's a specific preparation method, like ordering eggs "over easy." If customers frequently misunderstand what seared means, the solution is for servers to clarify at ordering, not to change the cooking method and expect customers to know to specify otherwise.
What made this more frustrating: the server had already taken my plate (with about a third remaining) to the kitchen before delivering this message. No adjustment was offered to the bill despite not receiving what was ordered and losing a portion of an expensive dish.
The complimentary anniversary dessert was a thoughtful gesture, but it couldn't quite offset the poor handling of a legitimate concern. At this price point, when there's a disconnect between menu description and execution, the response should lean heavily toward making it right, not defending the kitchen's approach.
I know the team behind La Sherpa runs quality establishments. This felt like an uncharacteristic miss in both execution and service recovery. Hoping this feedback helps them maintain the standards they've built their reputation on.