The politics should remain here......

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=184

networkn:

 

I was responding directly to questions asked. My comment wasn't meant as anything more than 1 comment hardly a rant. Calm yourself. 

 

It was libelous / defamatory - politically motivated - and inappropriate.  I'm telling you that calmly.

I remember being pilloried once for commenting on Gerry Brownlee's love of sandwiches and his complaint at having to actually get out of his car and walk in order to enjoy one in Christchurch. Apparently I was 'fat shaming' . I have to wonder how this compares.

Good God. I couldn't disagree more, but I have removed the "offending" statement to please fred99 and rikkitic. Hopefully, you can all be calm again now. 

Can we get back to restaurants now. sheesh.

Went to a well known Wellington cafe/restaurant on Sunday morning for breaksfast. It was 8am, pretty much empty with at least four FOH staff I could see.

Not one of them greeted us as we walked in, not one pointed us to the end of the counter so we could order but we worked it out in the end. We ordered and were told to wait at the counter for our coffee's but I thought bugger that, you're all standing around doing sod all so I went and sat down.

The coffee arrived, it was cold. Our meals then arrived, mine was nothing like the menu and my wife's portion can only be described as measly. We asked for more coffee's. Hot this time with less milk, they arrived (exactly the same as before) and an eftpos terminal was thrust at me with a demand of payment whilst I had my mouth full of food.

So it was the best part of $60 for two average breakfasts and four coffees with side plate of attitude from the staff. 

I don't have as much time for this anymore but I do like to leave reviews. Sometimes if an experience was on the extreme I would contact the manager afterward. I don't usually want my meal spoilt more by having a confrontation during or immediately after a meal, though if I have a serious issue with the food I would raise it when they have a chance to rectify it. 

We have had a few situations where meals have taken a long time to come out and then been substandard, the thought of waiting for them to make it again was too much, so we have raised it the following day.

I consider it a poor showing to get luke warm to cold hot chocolate, or searingly too hot is also an issue.

I do like it when restaurants have warm towels, I don't like it when they are chilled, even in summer. I do worry about how well they are cleaned sometimes. Not for a specific reason, just the idea of reuseable things. 

So last night I had a few very odd things happen when dining. 

Firstly, our first main arrived before our three entrees, then our entrees arrived, then a few minutes later our second main. All our food was on the table within 15 minutes of each other. A mixup in the kitchen of epic proportions. It happens I guess sometimes. Was very odd. 

The other thing that drives me crazy, is taking a classic dish and taking creative license in such a way as the dish couldn't really be called that dish anymore other than the one key ingredient being in a specific state. ie Ceviche with Chipotle cream and edamame beans!

Having said that, I have seen some takes on dishes which have significant enhanced a dish. For example, fresh baby coconut flesh in fresh vietnamese summer rolls.  Amazing!

Jesus there are some absolute duds on the Metro Top 50 list this year. We went to the 1947 Eatery a few weeks ago and it's completely beyond me how they made the Top 50. In a restaurant with relatively average ambiance and decor, they were trying to sell mocktails costing $15 each and cocktails costing up to $25. The food was mostly nice enough but hardly memorable, with most of its appeal being the low cost. Set next to Cassia, it's basically night and day.

Amano continues to disappoint. Unless you like your food drenched with olive oil (and they are happy to give you free reign with a bottle if the soaking they deliver isn't good enough), it's hard to see the appeal especially since you are mostly forced into eating on bar stools. Cotto was basically bar-level food. Han was the only newbie on the list that I have tried so far that was worth it. It's like they are trying so hard to go out of the ordinary and to dismiss some of the tried and true that you wonder what Top 50 in their eyes in meant to be.

MikeB4:...dinning out in Wellington over the World of wearable arts season can be particularly annoying as the loud shrill  laughter and loud talking seem to be worse.

 

And that's just the 'men'.