Food is delicious, service is terrible. Manager and wait staff were very inefficient (although apologetic).
We were there on father's day and the inefficient service was very frustrating. They were they were not understaffed, they had enough people but the manager seemed lost and wasn't properly directing/organizing her team.
We arrived, willing to wait to be seated, as we really love their shrimp salted egg (i would have given them a one if not for the delicious food). We went to the front desk, which wasn't manned, and told one of the waiters the number of seats we needed. Two other parties that came AFTER us were seated ahead, even when we had the same count of members in our party.
After 40 minutes of waiting to be seated, I went to the counter to talk to the manager, she couldn't attend to us immediately as two other groups were complaining about how long they have been waiting to pay the bill. We continued to wait patiently and spotted a table that would fit us. We took over the table without the wait staff assisting us. When we placed our order, we were told there was a 30-min wait time for food to be served and we agreed with the time set.
An hour and 15 minutes passed (we followed up after 30 mins) and we still haven't been served our food. I asked where the manager was and she was doing individual tasks instead of managing her wait team. At one point, she was manning the cash register, scooping ice, doing what the wait staff was supposed to do while other wait staff shuffled around. I asked for the list of our orders and informed the manager that three other tables that ordered after us have been served while we still don't have our food.
They served us one of our orders (salted egg shrimp) shortly after I complained but didn't immediately serve the rice. So, we were just staring at the shrimp. I had to remind them about the rice twice.
There were periods where 4 waiters were just standing by the kitchen window, waiting for the food to come out. There was a waitress who just kept wiping the table behind us over and over (which was needless). There was another guy waiter who just kept pacing around, as if he was in a state of panic but not really accomplishing anything. The manager should have assigned these people tasks and directed them properly instead of focusing on filling ice buckets (which her staff can do).
We requested for our bill while we were still eating as the counter had plenty of complaints on the time it took to process payment. After 30 mins of eating and providing our card, the bill was still not ready! The waitress even looked very ashamed of the service delivered that she declined the tip. The staff was apologetic and nice, they just need to have a system in place and train their manager to manage her staff.
Suggestions:
1. As there are two doors, have the waiters assist the people entering the back door to register at the front and wait to be seated so they won't just take any seat and bump off those that have been waiting. Assign 1 person to welcome guests and manage the seat assignment and turning of tables.
2. Make sure you deliver on your committed time. We had no problems waiting, what was frustrating is that we were told to wait 30 mins yet food arrived an hour and 15 mins after, and after we had to complain.
3. Assign areas to your wait staff so they are not confused on whom to assist.
4. Organize payment system so it won't take long. I don't know the reason why paying the bill can take over 30 mins but I observed at least 4 families complain and get upset that day (I was beside the cash register)
We really like the food in choobi choobi so we hope you can improve on your service next time.
Suggested dishes to try: Steamed shrimp with salted egg, grilled pompano, choobi pata, bamboo clam read more
