(由 Google 翻译)一顿特别的晚餐,有一些服务问题
在伦敦看完蒂姆·伯顿的展览后,我和我的朋友想去一个特别的地方吃晚饭。一时兴起,我们决定去一家日本餐厅Sumi,没有预约。
走进去,开放式厨房里的厨师们用传统的“Irasshaimase!”迎接我们,这立刻就营造出了良好的氛围。我们很幸运地找到了一张桌子,尽管我们被告知我们必须在晚上 7:15 之前离开——有足够的时间轻松地用餐。
我们首先在浏览鸡尾酒和清酒菜单时点了自来水。尽管我非常喜欢清酒,但我无法证明花 60 多英镑买一瓶 330 毫升的清酒是合理的,所以我选择了鸡尾酒。这些饮料以日语数字命名——Ichi、Ni、San——所以我选择了 Ichi,它与清酒和 Haku 伏特加搭配效果非常好,而我的朋友则选择了 San,一种清爽的柑橘芒果鸡尾酒。
首先,我点了扇贝手卷,我的朋友点了鲑鱼版。他们还提供不同等级的多脂金枪鱼,所以我们分享了一份中等级(chūtoro)的部分(两片 17 英镑)。我们还点了三种生鱼片:三文鱼、金枪鱼和鲈鱼。
对于主菜,我们询问了当天的鱼,结果发现是鲷鱼。朋友点了一份,我说我也一份,分一份米饭。食物送达时摆盘精美,采用优质食材制成。手卷是开放式的,几乎像炸玉米饼,而不是通常的锥形。我们还收到了免费的毛豆,感觉很不错。
然而,当鲷鱼到达时,只端出了一道菜。我们询问第二份,服务员坚称我们只点了一份,但事实并非如此。幸运的是,第二份很快就到了,所以我们在等待的时候分享了第一份。鱼本身很美味——皮脆,煮得恰到好处,配上柚子柑橘酱。
吃完主菜后,我们决定再点一杯饮料。我的朋友以前从未尝试过梅酒,所以我们每人喝了一杯(每杯 17 英镑)。这是一份丰盛的倒酒,绝对美味。同时,我们还点了抹茶甜点,分层的蛋挞,精致而复杂,几乎就像武士刀的精细工艺。然而,同样,只送了一份甜点而不是两份,所以我们不得不等待第二份。
服务体验
虽然食物很棒,但点菜时缺乏清晰度令人沮丧。这条鱼的价格从未被提及,结果是每份27英镑,这对于鲷鱼来说感觉有点贵。此外,有两次,当我们明确点了两道菜时,我们只得到了一道菜——简单的确认或回放我们的订单就可以避免这些混淆。
此外,我们觉得有点被迫点更多的饮料。鸡尾酒和梅酒很浓而且很贵,两轮之后我们就很满足了。然而,即使在多次拒绝之后,同一个服务员仍然不断询问我们是否需要另一个。感觉有点推销,尤其是考虑到已经很高的服务费。
也就是说,在用餐结束时,服务员在看到我手机上的照片后放松下来并提到了我的猫,这是一种很好的个人风格。整个晚上他看起来有点紧张,这可能影响了整体服务。
最后的想法
我会推荐苏米吗?是的!食物很棒,食材新鲜,摆盘也很漂亮。然而,服务清晰度和透明度(尤其是价格)的小幅改进将使体验变得更好。
我会回来吗?可能吧,不过下次一定要预约!
(原文)
A Special Dinner with a Few Service Hiccups
After seeing the Tim Burton exhibition in London, my friend and I wanted to go somewhere special for dinner. On a whim, we decided to visit Sumi, a Japanese restaurant, without a reservation.
Walking in, we were greeted by the chefs in the open kitchen with a traditional "Irasshaimase!", which immediately set the right mood. We were lucky to get a table, though we were informed we had to leave by 7:15 PM—plenty of time for a relaxed meal.
We started by ordering tap water while browsing the cocktail and sake menu. As much as I love sake, I couldn’t justify spending £60+ for a 330ml flask, so I opted for a cocktail instead. The drinks were named in Japanese numbers—Ichi, Ni, San—so I chose Ichi, which was incredibly potent with sake and Haku vodka, while my friend had San, a refreshing citrusy mango-based cocktail.
For starters, I had the scallop temaki, and my friend went for the salmon version. They also offered different grades of fatty tuna, so we shared a medium-grade (chūtoro) portion (£17 for two pieces). We also ordered a three-type sashimi selection: salmon, tuna, and sea bass.
For the main, we asked about the fish of the day, which turned out to be sea bream. My friend ordered one, and I said I'd have one too, sharing a portion of rice. The food arrived beautifully presented, made with high-quality ingredients. The temaki was served open-style, almost like a taco rather than the usual cone shape. We also received complimentary edamame beans, which was a nice touch.
However, when the sea bream arrived, only one dish was brought out. We asked about the second, and the waiter insisted we had only ordered one, which wasn’t the case. Fortunately, the second portion arrived fairly quickly, so we shared the first while waiting. The fish itself was delicious—crispy skin, perfectly cooked, and complemented by a yuzu citrus sauce.
After our mains, we decided to order another drink. My friend had never tried umeshu before, so we got a glass each (£17 per glass). It was a generous pour and absolutely delicious. At the same time, we also ordered the matcha dessert, a layered tart that was delicate and intricate—almost like the fine craftsmanship of a samurai sword. Again, however, only one dessert was delivered instead of two, so we had to wait for the second.
The Service Experience
While the food was fantastic, the lack of clarity when ordering was frustrating. The price of the fish was never mentioned, and it turned out to be £27 per portion, which felt a little steep for sea bream. Also, twice we were served only one dish when we had clearly ordered two—a simple confirmation or playback of our order could have avoided these mix-ups.
Additionally, we felt a bit pushed into ordering more drinks. The cocktails and umeshu were strong and expensive, and after two rounds, we were content. However, the same waiter kept asking if we wanted another, even after declining multiple times. It felt a little salesy, especially considering the already high service charge.
That said, by the end of the meal, the waiter loosened up and mentioned hus cat after seeing a picture of mine on my phone, which was a nice personal touch. He seemed a bit tense throughout the evening, which perhaps affected the overall service.
Final Thoughts
Would I recommend Sumi? Yes! The food was outstanding, the ingredients were fresh, and the presentation was beautiful. However, small improvements in service clarity and transparency (especially with prices) would make the experience even better.
Would I return? Possibly, but with a reservation next time!