Ivy W.
Yelp
We came here last week for a nice dinner with my fam, and was "welcomed" with the worst service I've encountered in recent years Don't get me wrong, most of their dishes were actually really good, but the server we had completely ruined the special occasion for us . Both of my two stars go to their food, and absolutely nothing for their service.
Food wise:
DUCK CONFIT 10/10
this was phenomenal!! I've had duck confit at many other spots and they always end up a little too salty or overcooked; this was perfection!
BEEF TARTARE 9/10
super impressed with this dish! It tasted just like the beef tartare I had back in France, truly a must-order!
MOULES FRITES 4/10
cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with chorizo, this would have been a WONDERFUL dish had it not been for the mussels' lack of freshness. This dish was also the catalyst to a series of rude af responses (see below)...
We also ordered the coq au vin, brussel sprouts, Les steak frites, and the French onion soup. All of which were really delicious and a solid 7 to 8/10!
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ok if you guys are still with me, here's what happened. Essentially, our server had a RBF since the moment we sat down. Even when we placed our orders, he never bothered to smile once. Now I've worked in restaurants before and I know it's hard to be smiley all day long, so I brushed it off and focused on enjoying the food.
When the mussels arrived, my mom already caught a waft and noted to me that it doesn't smell very fresh. After all of us had a couple pieces to try, we all agreed it tasted off, as if the mussels have been sitting in room temp for quite some time. We then informed our server of the issue, and clearly noted that 1) we're not looking for a replacement and 2) not looking to have it taken off our bill. All we wanted is to let them know, and that they should be more mindful in serving this to the next customer.
The server's immediate response was (in these exact words) "our mussels are all sourced by the same place, from Salt Spring Island, so we ensure that it's very fresh". Mind you he also said it in a very rude and accusatory tone that got me so pissed off BRUH...just because it's sourced from a specific spot, doesn't mean that it will never go bad?!
I then told him "well we're unable to eat this anymore as we're all feeling a little sick. Again, we don't need a replacement but it would be great if you guys can inspect this a little"
He then brought it back to the kitchen and said that "he'll have the chef take a look"
Couple minutes after, he came back out and said "the chef checked it and it's fine. Did you want something else?"
I said "no we don't need a replacement, it just tastes very off-"
"IT'S NOT OFF. We tried it and there's nothing wrong with it. Did you want to replace this with something else?" he cuts me off. No apologies, straight rudeness.
"no thank you." I responded, feeling the most anger I've felt in a restaurant in ages.
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Now I know I may not be a Michelin food reviewer, but I know when seafood doesn't taste fresh. Not to mention my entire family all had a taste and agreed that it tasted...DEAD. If I was paying $10 for a bowl of noodles at an Asian restaurant, I know to not expect the best service, and couple sassy comments here and there. But this is a legitimate french restaurant with entrées priced at $26+, I think it's fair to expect some level of decency in their treatment! Service-wise, I definitely received the faux end of their bourgeoisie.
Oh and to make things interesting, the table next to us (also a table of Asians, not sure if there's anything notable about that) also had some issues where they complained that a dish was too salty, and the same waiter just straight up told them "this is how the dish should be". We all agreed that it will be unlikely for us to come back again, no matter how delicious that duck confit was ...
Vent over :)