We've frequented this restaurant on and off for years, and have two recent experiences to report…read moreon.
We attended a matinee performance in downtown Santa Fe on a Sunday with our teenage, twin grand-daughters. They enjoy Asian food, and requested we go to Kohnami. Everyone was happy with their meal choices, though I don't actually remember exactly what I ordered. Our food was delivered in good time, and we mostly caught up on family news while eating. Service was on top of things, as we were out in the main dining area, next to the sushi bar.
A few weeks later, the girls requested we go there for their 16th birthday, a family celebration. We reserved a table for 9, and were seated in the very back of the restaurant, past the tatami rooms. Unfortunately, even though it was a Wednesday evening with not many patrons on hand and a 6:30 reservation, service was glacial.
It was a full fifteen minutes before we were served water, and another ten minutes before anyone came for our orders. The drink orders came out sporadically and incompletely, and then our food started arriving in very unpredictable bursts. My beef teriyaki was served early on, but it was overcooked and difficult to eat with only chopsticks.
The twins ordered noodle soups and sushi, and were very happy with their choices. Their grandfather, visiting from the Midwest, eventually had to get up and go inquire with the kitchen about his missing food order. In all, it took about 40 minutes for everyone to be served. Splitting the bill at the end turned out to be another ordeal, since they don't seem to have trained people on the cash register and we had to wait for a manager to help out.
I know it's very difficult to get good restaurant help in these times. But there are some very basic rules of hospitality, and on this occasion Kohnami didn't manage to adhere to them. We're not writing them off, but we'll think twice about returning since Santa Fe is a gourmand's paradise.
