Awana Restaurant

Kate (25 April 2009)

I booked a table at Awana for 7.30 pm last Saturday. In addition to this I also ordered a birthday cake for my father’s 65th birthday by email. This was not acknowledged by any of the staff. When we first arrived we were early and sat at the bar. We were then promptly seated right at the front entrance. This table was in a poor location as people and the waiters and waitress were constantly walking past our table. Furthermore it was extremely cramped as people were continuously brushing past me. On the whole the food was fine; however the seafood batter was too oily and had not been drained properly. The ayam berisi – chicken with prawn was a strange combination and did not seem to work. The stuffed prawns inside the chicken were overcooked. I was extremely unhappy with the service and atmosphere. I felt that we had the worst table. The service was also rushed and somewhat clumsy, as plates and cutlery were dropped near us. I felt that I could not celebrate my father’s birthday in that sort of atmosphere. I do realise that Saturday is a busy day – but when people are within touching distance of you whilst eating it is very unpleasant.

In addition, when the food arrived it was lukewarm. I felt that it had been left standing for a while. It would have been nice if the waitress had made a note of who ordered what dishes and placed them accordingly, rather than placing them anywhere on the table. I had to rearrange the plates of food again. I felt extremely disappointed by the service based on what I had read from the reviews. The atmosphere of the restaurant was stressful and cramped; it reminded me a Malaysian Café, only that it was more expensive. At the end of the meal, the waitress asked me if I enjoyed myself and was surprised when I said I was not happy. She quickly processed our bill and did not ask me why I was unhappy. I felt that this was not appropriate and did not demonstrate good customer service. One of the waitresses, I found to be extremely patronising. She did not wear a name badge so I did not get her name. When explaining to her that I requested a birthday cake by email, she replied, 'You should have said so on the phone'. She sought to justify the problem rather than resolve it. Only till after we paid, then she reluctantly said, 'I can get a cake for you', which is pointless as I was very unhappy and distressed. We paid £140 for three people, which seemed excessive for the level of customer service. The overall experience has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. I could not enjoy myself at all and was very unhappy.

Ale (25 September 2008)

I went to Awana a few days ago for a friend's birthday and I have to say the food was phenomenal. As I am from Asia it’s always hard to find something overseas that even compares to the food we have back home, but at Awana it was exactly like eating in Asia. The roti canai was the best I'd ever had, the red snapper curry had generous portions and was delicious, and for dessert the sago melaka recommended to us deserves to be commended for the perfect consistency. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and the members of staff were friendly, polite and efficient when serving us the dishes. I can't wait to go back!

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