Restaurants or cafes you've never forgiven...

[pinkmonkey]

I've only ever been to Wagamama once, and it was appalling - like a really bad Chinese takeaway, full of grease and salt.

I don't find it greasy or salty - if anything it can be a bit bland. (apart from the orange teriyaki nightmare).

I remember an awful Chinese takeaway in Kentish town, me and the ex were driving home too knackered to cook, we'd never been there before. We ordered two different dishes but they both came with exactly the same bland sauce, only his was dyed red and mine was dyed yellow. They must have a big pot of it on the go in the back with a load of food colourings waiting to go. Rank. There are very very few Chinese takeaways I'll go to, they can be so rubbish.

 

[vauxhallmum]

Yep. Festival food - it tends to be on a par with Camden Market food, but it's twice the price. I reserve special hatred for the noodles stalls that serve those yellow egg noodles. Tastless and vile.

The very worst festival food being that Lava Bread thing at that stall in Endorset. Some horrible green jellified phelgm.
Mr VM has never forgiven me for that, let alone the Welsh breakfast people.

 

[pinkmonkey]

The worst thing about festival food is you constantly keep getting reminded about your dissappointing meal coz you keep seeing it again and again for days, trod into the grass on different parts of the site. It's like a flashback from a bad trip.

 

[gaijingirl]

the caff!

It's because you called it Boddington's when actually it's called Bonnington's that he's made that remark.


My experience there is hit and miss but we've had some fun evenings there... probably more because of the BYOB policy than the actual quality of food though...

 

[Part 2]

I've not had many bad experiences with food even though most places I've been to eat I think I could do better.

In Sri Lanka we'd been eating from beach and street vendors loads then were told to go to the 'best restaurant on the island'. Me and the Mrs both got horrific food poisoning, hallucinating and the lot, thought we were both going to die leaving the 5 year old in a dingy hotel room.

As for veggie food on planes, it's not so long ago that the veggie meal would be cold rice with some nuts and raisins in, or a pre-packed butty. I've had some right shit veggie food on planes.

 

[story]

As for veggie food on planes, it's not so long ago that the veggie meal would be cold rice with some nuts and raisins in, or a pre-packed butty. I've had some right shit veggie food on planes.

When I flew to the US last year, the veggie offering was the same horrid rice and steamed veg out and back. Since I left it untouched on the way out, it may indeed have been the very same dish that was served to me on the way back.

Even the air hostess was apologetic and offered me pretzels to go with the mushy broccoli and steamed tomatoes and hard white rice.

 

[Blagsta]

Oh yeah, I've just remembered a time I went to Pizza Hut and ordered a pizza with green chillies on. When it came, the chillies were so burnt that they were black. When I complained, I was told "that's what they look like when they are cooked".

I went to a Pizza Hut for the first time ever on Sunday. My god, it was rank. Expensive too. £8 for a medium margarita, was supposed to be a crispy Italian base, but was doughy and thick, the tomato sauce had half a ton of sugar in it and the cheese half a ton of salt. Foul.

 

[Thora]

Everyone knows you only go to Pizza Hut for the Icecream Factory.

 

[Santino]

Pizza Hut used to be nice. Have they cut corners to maximise profit, or do I just have higher standards?

 

[pinkmonkey]

I can't eat that crap, it gives me enormous blisters in my mouth and ulcers..

 

[spanglechick]

Pizza Hut used to be nice. Have they cut corners to maximise profit, or do I just have higher standards?

it's same as it ever was. You just have a more sophisticated palette.

 

[Santino]

it's same as it ever was. You just have a more sophisticated palette.

It definitely seemed to be less... greasy when I was smaller. I don't mean the food, I mean the general ambience.

 

[story]

I can't eat that crap, it gives me enormous blisters in my mouth and ulcers..

Blisters on yer ulcers... nasty...

It definitely seemed to be less... greasy when I was smaller. I don't mean the food, I mean the general ambience.

Your missus is a foodie, so perhaps she has trained you up a bit? Or hypnotised you.

 

[strung out]

I can't eat that crap, it gives me enormous blisters in my mouth and ulcers..

are you sure you're not just allergic to something in the food?

 

[pinkmonkey]

Nope, it happens with some junk food. If I eat pizzas, chips, crisps, burgers alot then I get mouth ulcers, I think its the salt, I don't really cook with it at home. If I make this kind of food at home, I don't get it either. My gran is the same. But give me a proper Turkish shish kebab in flat bread and all the trimmings yum, that's proper fast food.

ETA you've never heard of pizza blisters from the hot cheese? Horrendous.

 

[pinkmonkey]

It definitely seemed to be less... greasy when I was smaller. I don't mean the food, I mean the general ambience.

It is - everything has got thicker and fattier, I used to work in Perfect Pizza, if we'd made anything like what you get in Pizza Hut back then, my boss would've accused us of making pies. We used to make the dough from scratch in the back of the shop, not anymore, it now comes as prepacked frozen dough balls full of additives.

 

[Santino]

I knew it!

 

[Steel Icarus]

Le Hollandais, Amsterdam. Phenomenal food, especially the lobster gnocchi, attentive but subtly unobtrusive staff, great atmosphere.

 

[strung out]

Le Hollandais, Amsterdam. Phenomenal food, especially the lobster gnocchi, attentive but subtly unobtrusive staff, great atmosphere.

how come you've never forgiven them?

 

[Steel Icarus]

how come you've never forgiven them?

(a) They have the colossal gall to be based in Amsterdam, several hundred miles from my house

and

(b) I read the last word in the thread title as "forgotten".

 

[rubbershoes]

The Tate Modern once served me this pitiful slither of cake for £2.40.

I complained by email and they never bothered replying - so I've never returned since.

Are you harbouring any similar long term grudges? Or are you the forgiving sort?

that's about the size of the piece of cheescake i had at Blushes on the Kings Road. It cost £3.75. In 1994

it was cheapo crappy sara lee frozen cheesecake as well

i wasnt much surprised when they were busted for knocking out coke a few months later

 

[moonsi til]

Everyone knows you only go to Pizza Hut for the Icecream Factory.

So true... Last outing to Pizza Hut was with a 50% off voucher with my Bfs son on a visit to Bristol. Overall the pizza was quite tasty (ordered the Italian) and we were all happy (4 adults, 1 child) sharing a 9yr olds ice cream factory takings.

 

[longdog]

Reading the airline food incidents calls to mind the first and only time I've ever flown anywhere... Well, there and back.

T'was a KLM Fokker 50 from Humberside to Schipol and on the way out I wasn't really interested in the food as I was busy being fucking terrified but I took it anyway. I asked what it was and the awesome stewardess (seventy years old if she was a day) said 'I've no idea duck. I don't think anybody's ever eaten enough to find out'

 

[longdog]

One of my friends was in hospital for a few weeks when she had her youngest child due to complications, and she found out that they only put one veggie meal on the trolley - and if someone else had it before the trolley reached her, it was tough luck and she had to go without!

She was lucky.

When I was in the loony-bin the vegetarian option was a cheese salad, a cheese salad or a cheese salad. Don't get me wrong, I like a cheese salad now and again but not at every meal every day and not when the cheese is that horrible soapy shite you can buy for 50p per kilo.

Eggs weren't allowed apparently due to the risk of salmonella.

 

[Schmetterling]

It is - everything has got thicker and fattier, I used to work in Perfect Pizza, if we'd made anything like what you get in Pizza Hut back then, my boss would've accused us of making pies. We used to make the dough from scratch in the back of the shop, not anymore, it now comes as prepacked frozen dough balls full of additives.

Oh my god; I worked at PP for a short while when I was an Au Pair in 86 (1986 that is... not 1886). Anyway, did you use to sell that scrummy garlic-bread-cake-thingy? That was delicious.

 

[pinkmonkey]

Yes we did - baked in the deep pan dish, some customers didn 't like it though. I liked our pizzas back then. I worked there 89-90. Whilst I was there things started getting more processed and less fresh. (Such as the dough)

 

[Dr. Furface]

I thought this was going to turn into that joke review about the man who took his wife up the oxo tower.

I dont think I've ever really complained about a meal out...... that i remember anyway.

Yes I thought about that when I wrote it! It's been a long time since me and her did anything like that though!

As for complaining about a meal, I don't remember ever doing that either, so i guess I've been lucky. It's shit service, especially having to wait ages to be served or get the bill, that really annoys me. It actually puts me off ordering food here in the UK - I'm always thinking how long it's gonna take to get served, especially in pubs. I start getting pissed off if I'm waiting longer that 15 mins, and if I have to wait longer than 30 mins I'm so angry that it ruins the meal for me, no matter how good the food is. (Yeah I know - it's usually not a good idea to eat out with me!). The last instance I remember was at my local the Dartmouth Arms (NW5) when we had to wait about 50 mins for a breakfast - the girl who served us did at least apologise but then she added insult to injury when she asked 'did you move tables?' - kind of implying that it was our fault it had taken so long, when we'd been sitting at the same table all the time! (and she damn well knew it too). So that's another place I've never forgiven and haven't eaten in since.

By complete contrast I love eating out in the US where I can't remember ever having to wait more that about 15 mins to get served anywhere. It always amazes me how fast (and usually pleasant) the service is over there. It really shouldn't do - it's just that I'm so used to poor quality service because I'm British!

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Yes I thought about that when I wrote it! It's been a long time since me and her did anything like that though!

As for complaining about a meal, I don't remember ever doing that either, so i guess I've been lucky. It's shit service, especially having to wait ages to be served or get the bill, that really annoys me. It actually puts me off ordering food here in the UK - I'm always thinking how long it's gonna take to get served, especially in pubs. I start getting pissed off if I'm waiting longer that 15 mins, and if I have to wait longer than 30 mins I'm so angry that it ruins the meal for me, no matter how good the food is. (Yeah I know - it's usually not a good idea to eat out with me!). The last instance I remember was at my local the Dartmouth Arms (NW5) when we had to wait about 50 mins for a breakfast - the girl who served us did at least apologise but then she added insult to injury when she asked 'did you move tables?' - kind of implying that it was our fault it had taken so long, when we'd been sitting at the same table all the time! (and she damn well knew it too). So that's another place I've never forgiven and haven't eaten in since.

By complete contrast I love eating out in the US where I can't remember ever having to wait more that about 15 mins to get served anywhere. It always amazes me how fast (and usually pleasant) the service is over there. It really shouldn't do - it's just that I'm so used to poor quality service because I'm British!

I would expect to wait at least 15 to 30 minutes to get freshly cooked/made food regardless of where I was, 50 minutes is excessive though.

 

[1927]

Folks you all need to complain more often. I make a point of complaining whenever I get bad service, not to the staff at the time tho for two reasons. Firstly I dont want to casue a scene and ruin a night out etc., and secoindly I think its unfair to complain to a 17yr old waitress on minimum wage just because she happens to work for a crap company/chef etc.
I have a stash of emails in my inbox foe free meals in various establishments that I haven't used yet, free bottles of wine and champers waiting for me etc. Tbf usually when the area manager or whoever rings you up they are in many cases genuinely pleased you have complained, they actually prefer that to people who walk away dissatisfied and boyvott the palce and slag them off to all their mates.

 

[pinkmonkey]

Oh no , I just remembered when we went to a gastropub in Walton on Thames in the summer - we ordered sausage and mash - the mash was 'vanilla mash' as in, it was flavoured with vanilla. More caff food fucked about with it for the sake of arty fartiness. And they fucked our orders up, one main didn't arrive.