New Indonesian Restaurant now Open

[Gaybutton]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. If dorayme says they added a 10% surcharge to his bill, I have no reason to doubt him. If that's what they really did, I don't care how good the food is or how amiable the boss might be, I'm not going to eat there. If the costs went up, then either raise the menu prices or absorb the cost, but don't start sticking my bill with a surcharge because I'll be goddamned if I'll pay it. If they don't let customers know about this surcharge before they order, they wouldn't get one baht of it out of me. If they do let me know before I order, I have the option of ordering or getting up and walking out. Guess which I'll do.

Since some seem to be questioning dorayme's veracity, before implying that he's making it up, all anyone has to do is eat there and then let us know what you see for yourself.

[lvdkeyes]

I think there is just some confusion. I don't doubt the 10% added to the bill, but it probably is service charge. Many restaurants add service charge and we don't blink an eye about it.

[Gaybutton]

Many restaurants add service charge and we don't blink an eye about it.

For me, that's only if I know about it at the time I order. If I'm surprised with it when the bill comes, that's when my eyes definitely start to blink.

[TheCornerBar]

I for one like the 10% service charge added in, as I usually tip more than 10%, adding it saves me money.

[2lz2p]

I don't recall if a service charge was added the few times I have eaten there. I haven't been for a while, but I and a friend with our bf plan to eat there next Saturday. So, I will post my experience as to food quality (my opinion anyway as such opinions are always subjective) and whether there is a service/surcharge.

Every time I have eaten there it has been good - the service was slow the first time but they had just recently opened. The service has been good since then. The last time was with the bf and we had the 15 dish rice bowl - we ordered spicy and found only 3 or 4 to be fairly spicy (but everyone's tolerance can vary, what is spicy to some may not be to others). A couple of the dishes were not to my liking - the spring roll being one of them - but the sate was very good. The desserts we ordered as part of the rice bowl were great, large, and came within a reasonable period of time (on the first visit, one of our group ordered a dessert and after a very long wait, he told them to cancel it). The Dutch gentleman wasn't there the first visit, but has always stopped by on my subsequent visits.

I will avoid the rice bowl on the next trip as I want to order 3 or 4 dishes to share that I and the bf both like, 2 of which are not on the rice bowl, one being one of my favorite Indonesian dishes - gado gado (it was great the other times I had it).

[Gaybutton]

I for one like the 10% service charge added in

Not me. I've always resented it. I prefer to decide for myself how much of a tip to give, or how much not to give if the service is no good. I don't like having a tip amount imposed upon me. I'd like it much better if either on the menu or on the bill, or both, a prominently displayed message that says something to the effect of "We suggest a 10% gratuity for our staff." For me, a suggestion would be far more acceptable than an imposition.

By the way, at Corner Bar I've always left a 30% tip every time I've been there.

Meanwhile, my issue with Bali Breeze is not the tip, but - assuming it exists - a surcharge because their expenses increased. As I said in an earlier post on this thread, if they really are doing that, they're the only restaurant in town that I know of doing such a thing.

[dorayme]

Gentlemen: My sincere apoligies to the owner and moderator of this website. I posted what I though was an honest evaluation of my experience with Bali Breeze. I believe it has been blown out of proportion. I'm not likely to do it again.

[Gaybutton]

Gentlemen: My sincere apoligies to the owner and moderator of this website. I posted what I though was an honest evaluation of my experience with Bali Breeze. I believe it has been blown out of proportion. I'm not likely to do it again.

No apology necessary.

[2lz2p]

Okay, I did go to Bali Breeze yesterday evening and as promised, here is my report -

My bf and I were joined by a farang friend and his bf. They had the 12 dish rice bowl. We had ala carte - 2 orders of sate, gado gado, rendeng gadeng (slowly cooked with coconut milk and spices), pickled veggies (goes well with the gadeng), pork ribs in black bean sauce (cooked in black bean sauce but no sauce left when served). All of us found the food to be of excellent quality and very tasty (that type of judgment is always subjective - but for us, that was our unanimous opinion).

My friend's Thai bf had never eaten Indonesian food before - he really liked it and said he wanted to come back again in the future.

The service was good and the Dutch owner was there and stopped by the table a few times inquiring as to our satisfaction and answered a few questions about the dishes.

The menu made no reference to either a service charge or surcharge -- AND THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES ON THE BILL -- only the price for each dish and drink we had ordered.

All in all, it was a pleasant evening enjoying a good meal with friends (yes, the drive bisecting the eating places can be a nuisance, but last night, there wasn't much traffic on the drive while we were there - for good Indonesian food on occasion, I can put up with the detraction).

[Gaybutton]

THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES ON THE BILL -- only the price for each dish and drink we had ordered.

That's good enough for me. I think what probably happened in dorayme's case is he fell for a trick by an unscrupulous, but clever waiter who came up with a con job to "supplement" his income. As I said, I've never heard of any other restaurant doing anything like that and as far as I know, not a single restaurant in all of Pattaya ever had any supply problems due to the floods. All I know is if a waiter ever tries that with me, I would ask to see the owner. If I am told "Owner not here," and if I didn't know about a "surcharge" at the time I ordered, I would refuse to pay it. If they threaten to call the police, I would tell them I'll save them the trouble, take out my phone, and call them myself. Why do I have a feeling the waiter would decide the call isn't necessary after all? And the waiter also wouldn't get a tip either.