Phoenix Soars is a relatively new restaurant and as it is always packed with locals, I assumed that it must be very good.
One Sunday evening, I could not get a table for just one. I noticed, that the owners could have arranged for the tables differently, to allow for more diners.
The next weekend, I ordered a takeaway crispy-skin pork on rice. I noticed, that the staff seemed overwhelmed with how busy the small restaurant was. It was quite nice but not the best of its kind.
Then, last night, I tried for the third time to eat in before seeing a movie. Big mistake. The place was only half full with two very large tables pre-set. I had to wait a while before someone paid attention to me. I then asked for a table for just one, to dine quickly before a movie. The lead waiter studied some page and then after a while, asked other waiters to help him move the two large tables over. He went out the back to get another small table to put in between and two chairs and the plates. The table had been set up but he disappeared and the other waiters were unclear as to whether that table was to seat me. After some waiting, they went out the back to ask and I was finally seated.
It seemed to me, that many of the waiters were milling around without anything to do and meanwhile I was left waiting. A classy case of management not delegating jobs to staff so that they know what they have to do. I sat down but not before noticing grains of cooked rice in the crease of the chair. Yuk! The table wobbled and so the tea I was poured kept spilling out. I asked for the menu and asked if they had Char Kway Tao. But before I could clarify, the waiter had turned to leave. Then, once I had decided what I wanted, I had to wait quite a while before my order was taken. Again, inattentive service. Waiters were milling around with nothing to do.
While I was waiting for my meal, I was thinking about what could be done better. I realised, that the restaurant had actually become a 'family restaurant' with large Chinese families with children dining. This made the place noisy. Yet the menu, pricing and decor was aiming to be more 'up-market'. So, in essence, for a simple Asian meal, where the 'dinner menu' was more expensive than the 'lunch menu' for exactly the same dish, where the prices were higher than other great value places in the area, I felt I ended up paying too much.
After a long wait, my Char Kway Tao arrived. I was shocked. It was yellow. It had some curry powder all over it and it was not in any way similar to the traditional dish. I started to eat it and I was thoroughly unhappy with it. The squid pieces were tough and with a funny taste. The king prawns were not nice. The noodles clagy. The dry curry powder was horrible and gritty. Not a nice dish at all. I left half of it on the plate when I stood up to pay. That required a wait as well.
I was charged the $18 for the Char Kway Tao, which in other places is around $11. They also charged for the tea. So all up, an uneaten meal was around $20. I left with a horrible taste in my mouth and so I had to go to KFC to get another dinner. What a waste of money! I cannot remember the last time I had such a disappointing meal out. I rarely leave a plate of food, having paid for it but I could not eat this. I rarely go to fast food after eating at a restaurant.
In short, Phoenix Soars is a classic case of Hospitality amateur hour. And I know what I am talking about. read more