I won't lie, the food was good, but the service completely ruined my experience. The waitress seemed more focused on getting us to spend as much money as possible than providing respectful service.
First, she judged my order, snidely remarking that it was too little food even though I knew it was enough for my party. I understand when waitstaff express concern and want to make sure that you've ordered enough, but her tone was rude and condescending. Then, when asked how many bowls of rice I'd like, I responded "one", yet she brought out two and charged me for both. If you're going to ask what I want, why not listen to me, the customer, instead of doing what you want? I also paid with cash because of a sign on the table that read, "Get a free appetizer when [you] check out with cash". When I went to settle the bill, the waitress acted as though I had inconvenienced her by not informing her the moment I walked in that I planned to pay with cash. Considering it was my first time at Nai Brother, I wasn't aware of this requirement. Nonetheless, it doesn't excuse her rude behavior. To top it off, she didn't apply the advertised discount for the free appetizer. Instead, she gave me her own special discount that saved me $1, even though I should have saved $6 for the appetizer. She acted as if I should be grateful for her "benevolence." My frustration stems from the fact that I paid in cash expecting a free appetizer, but the only ones who benefited were the restaurant. They save on processing fees that customers have to cover if paying with a credit card and then use cash payments to boost their profits under the pretense of offering "discounts", yet not applying those said "discounts" when it's time to pay. From my experience, this is common among Chinese restaurants and while I get that they're just trying to maximize their earnings, it's still frustrating.
What I want to drive home is that the issue wasn't about the money, the food, or the ambiance; it was the attitude of the waitress. Despite the good food, I won't be returning to a place where customer service is clearly not a priority and where the staff seem more interested in being greedy than welcoming. I always leave a tip, but this time the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. To no one's surprise, the waitress chased after me, demanding a tip for her poor service. Here's a reality check: customers are not obligated to leave a tip. Unfortunately, it seems that nowadays people have forgotten this and will guilt-trip you into tipping, claiming it's illegal not to and calling you a bad person, even though the only reason I chose not to tip to begin with was because of her terrible service. I ended up tipping because she wouldn't let me leave otherwise. The essence of tipping culture has long been lost, with people feeling entitled to a tip regardless of their behavior. Needless to say, I won't be coming back. However, if you enjoy the food here then by all means, come and try it yourself. Hopefully your experience is better than mine. read more