When I'm looking to try a new restaurant in NY, I usually find the best information in places like menupages.com and chowhound.com. People provide unsolicited and anonymous reviews of their experiences there and it's hugely helpful in deciding where to spend our hard earned money.
While I read the reviews, I've never actually posted one until Mike and I went to a place near me that actually prompted me to give my opinion. Here's what I posted on menupages regarding Tokyo Pop:
I wish this were a more glowing review, as the food really deserves it. Unfortunately the service detracts from any positive marks the food earned.
We've visited Tokyo Pop twice. The first time we noticed that while the sushi chefs were of the Asian persuasion (which is comforting in a sushi place), the entire waitstaff spoke French. We overheard one of the waiters explain to another customer that they were all from French-speaking countries, but not France (Cameroon, Algeria, etc). Seemed an odd coincidencein a Japanese place, but not bothersome. We did also notice, however, that certain customers got extensive attention, while my boyfriend and I were only briefly acknowledged and served. It didn't matter, as it was raining outside and the food was good, filling, and reasonably priced.
The second time we went to Tokyo Pop was on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted at the entrance by one of the waiters we recognized from before, seated, and then promptly ignored for 10 minutes. To be precise - we were seated and never even given a menu, while the original waiter was busy chatting to a family that had already paid their bill and were heading out the door. The only other waiter was running around trying to deliver food to the other (few) tables that had already ordered. While at first we patiently waited for a menu, we slowly realized that we wouldn't get one without having to say something. And having to ask for a menu after sitting around really kills the appetite.
The original waiter continued to chat to the family (now in their coats) and the other frazzled waiter passed our table about 8 separate times, yet never even acknowledged us. No water, no nothing.
We finally decided to leave and find somewhere else (the new Sookk Thai place just down the block - excellent!) where we wouldn't have to ASK for our menus. When we headed to the door, the original chatty waiter chirped, "Thank you! Bye-bye!" as if we had actually dined there. We had to turn around and explain to him that we didn't actually EAT because we never got a menu, even though we had been sitting there for ten minutes...to which he merely nodded. No apology, no acknowledgment, nothing. It's a pity that we couldn't enjoy the food we were looking forward to due to shabby and unprofessional service. While I appreciate gregarious, informal, and conversational establishments, I don't appreciate being ignored - particularly when I'll be paying you shortly.
While I read the reviews, I've never actually posted one until Mike and I went to a place near me that actually prompted me to give my opinion. Here's what I posted on menupages regarding Tokyo Pop:
I wish this were a more glowing review, as the food really deserves it. Unfortunately the service detracts from any positive marks the food earned.
We've visited Tokyo Pop twice. The first time we noticed that while the sushi chefs were of the Asian persuasion (which is comforting in a sushi place), the entire waitstaff spoke French. We overheard one of the waiters explain to another customer that they were all from French-speaking countries, but not France (Cameroon, Algeria, etc). Seemed an odd coincidencein a Japanese place, but not bothersome. We did also notice, however, that certain customers got extensive attention, while my boyfriend and I were only briefly acknowledged and served. It didn't matter, as it was raining outside and the food was good, filling, and reasonably priced.
The second time we went to Tokyo Pop was on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted at the entrance by one of the waiters we recognized from before, seated, and then promptly ignored for 10 minutes. To be precise - we were seated and never even given a menu, while the original waiter was busy chatting to a family that had already paid their bill and were heading out the door. The only other waiter was running around trying to deliver food to the other (few) tables that had already ordered. While at first we patiently waited for a menu, we slowly realized that we wouldn't get one without having to say something. And having to ask for a menu after sitting around really kills the appetite.
The original waiter continued to chat to the family (now in their coats) and the other frazzled waiter passed our table about 8 separate times, yet never even acknowledged us. No water, no nothing.
We finally decided to leave and find somewhere else (the new Sookk Thai place just down the block - excellent!) where we wouldn't have to ASK for our menus. When we headed to the door, the original chatty waiter chirped, "Thank you! Bye-bye!" as if we had actually dined there. We had to turn around and explain to him that we didn't actually EAT because we never got a menu, even though we had been sitting there for ten minutes...to which he merely nodded. No apology, no acknowledgment, nothing. It's a pity that we couldn't enjoy the food we were looking forward to due to shabby and unprofessional service. While I appreciate gregarious, informal, and conversational establishments, I don't appreciate being ignored - particularly when I'll be paying you shortly.
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