We've come to RS many times and liked it as an alternative to Burma Superstar, with reservations, good food, and a more relaxed atmosphere. We had no issues with the restaurant until our final visit several weeks ago. I waited to write this review to be more objective, in case I'd feel differently. Nope, still bad. Here goes.
Pros: The food. The great waiter (Lin), who managed to eclipse the bad at various points. We pulled him aside as we left to thank him and inform him that should a negative review be written, it wouldn't be due to any fault on his part. Again, Lin was awesome and tried his best to make us feel welcome despite the bad. I'm actually glad we were a large group and had to pay a set gratuity, since we would've been really torn about the tip otherwise and Lin didn't deserve to get docked.
Cons: The hostess (presumably one of the managers), who managed to demonstrate poor service beyond our wildest expectations, despite our familiarity with various hole-in-the-wall Asian eateries you go to for the food and not the service.
We were a party of 13, including children. Knowing it'd be a busy time, I made the reservation about a month in advance for 12-13, then re-confirmed the reservation a week in advance for 13 since our party was finalized. During these conversations, RS never indicated that there was an issue with accommodating a party of our size or that there'd be time limits.
We arrived in separate groups, and we the organizers arrived later. The first party to arrive was apparently asked by the hostess if we could try to finish in 1.5 hours. Not knowing what to say to a request to have a party of 13 finish dinner in 1.5 hours, they said they could try. This request was not reiterated when the rest of the party arrived until the very end, when it was communicated in a very different way.
Once we the organizers arrived, they asked if we're actually going to be a party of 14. I'd made the reservation for 13, so I was confused, but I recounted numbers in my head and said we were 13. We were shown to tables along the main hallway next to the entrance, a high-traffic area. The hostess demanded that we sit from one end, and said that if we were wrong about having 13 people, they'll take a table away. We reiterated that we were 13, but the hostess brushed us off. The tone with which the request was communicated made us feel like we were actively lying about our party numbers just to have a spare table.
When everyone arrived, we attempted to ensure that everyone was seated in a sensible way because there were children. The hostess began pushing past my guests, demanding in an irritated voice that we "get out of the way" and sit down. Functionally, we understood that guests needed to get through the hallway. However, the tone of the request made us feel we were entirely at fault for being a large group seated in a high-traffic area. When we voiced our concerns about the situation and explained why we needed some time to situate our party, the hostess brushed us off.
We were not in our best mood as Lin arrived, but he was great and defused our group's mood considerably. We continued to observe the hostess directing other staff in an irritated manner, and we talked about whether she was having a bad day. We were starting to feel okay about it all thanks to Lin and the food, but then we paid the check.
As soon as the check was paid, the hostess arrived at our table with two staff members, and loudly proclaimed "'You paid the check, you have to leave now." We weren't intending to dally since we saw that there were people waiting, but many couldn't help but stare at her at that point. Perhaps in an attempt to explain, the hostess then said, "I told you, you have to leave in an hour and a half. I told you, okay?" At this point, I couldn't help but to retort that we were never in fact told that we'd have to leave, but the hostess shook her head and started to clear the table around us. We left, since we could tell that further attempts to communicate would be unproductive.
I've worked in the food service industry before. If you're having a bad day and you can't control your mood in front of guests, it is a bad idea to work as the face of the restaurant. If your establishment cannot in fact handle a large group for a given time period, they should not accept the reservation. If your establishment needs to set time limits for reservations during a busy period, that restriction should be communicated at the time of the reservation, or prior to the visit (that's why phone numbers are requested when people make reservations). If it's an unforeseen predicament due to accidental double-bookings or whatnot, there are ways to communicate ad hoc requests for accommodation to guests without making them feel like they are the ones at fault.
That's basically it. We regret not being able to return to RS on account of this experience. The food's good, but it's best to avoid if you are a large party. read more