Donna Chang — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Review of 23 March 2024 A disappointing Birthday

A disappointing evening. Arrived for our 8pm booking, behind a long queue of people and told our table was being made ready and to wait off in the side sitting room until they came for us. Nearly 30 minutes later, we realised we'd been forgotten, so went back to reception to no apology. Now seated at our table for four, my side of the table was a bench, but set so low that at 5'7" I found myself sitting looking up at my guests, with the table top at chest height, much like I was a small child barely able to reach the table. Wait staff asked if we'd like flat or sparkling water, but then we seemed to be abandoned. No food or drink menus were given and no water. Neighbouring tables were being attended to but not us. After 30 mins now 9pm, water arrived with menus. We ordered drinks, which took some time to arrive. Eventually wait staff explained the menu and banquet which said required two. With one of our party with food allergies we were told two could not order the banquet, it must be the whole table. When the restaurant indicated they can modify the banquet to accommodate our guest's food allergies, we went with the banquet. My son was now very hungry, as it was now 9.30pm and still no food, yet the neighbouring table who'd arrived much later than us had drinks and food long before us. By now we were wanting water, yet the wait staff just seemed to miss our table completely. There were some time gaps between dishes, which now dragged out our time there. For an 8pm booking we were still eating after 10.30pm. When we arrived the restaurant was full, yet the result of poor service, being left for long periods without service resulted in our table being the second last table left in the entire restaurant. It was 3hrs later at 11pm when we finally left after downing our dessert. Why the booking required details of whether anyone is celebrating a special occasion, is a mystery. It was my birthday dinner and I'd stated this in my booking and ticked the Birthday box. But not a single mention, sparkler, candle or happy birthday was delivered by Donna Chang. The large present and card on the table was a further give away it was a special event, yet from the moment we arrived, I found the service to be lacking. Food was nice. But at $457.88 for Chinese meals for four people, I was expecting something really "Special", with excellent attentive service. It was a disappointing experience for all four of us, especially myself the birthday girl.

Review below some years ago. The banquet for two was delicious. The atmosphere and decor breathtaking. Sadly service let down our experience, hence three stars. Service staff should know their menu backwards, yet the first dishes were delivered with no explanation and when asked about the dishes, the waiter said he didn't know and returned to read out the menu. When the next dishes arrived, again we had to prompt for an explanation and the same happened when our deserts were presented, this time by a female. She didn't enquire if we wished something else, instead turning to walk off, we were forced to raise our voices to get attention to place our coffee order. The restaurant was not busy, so no reason for below...

We had read some great things about Donna Chang restaurant and as great adventurers to the latest in Brisbane we were excited about another new venue to visit and enjoy. The entrance and internal architecture and interior are certainly splendid. The welcome was great into the restaurant that was not a busy Sunday lunch- perhaps a quarter full.

Well it was all downhill from there. This was mostly due to the lack of service. As I was sitting in a bench seat I asked if I could have a cushion.. (most restaurants have them on request). It was forgotten and three waiters, much time and requests later I was kindly obliged. We sat for an excessive amount of time waiting to order our meals while desperately wanting a refill of the initially meagrely filled sparkling water and awaiting the cocktails we ordered immediately when we had sat down. It is our way to celebrate. We had a lot to catch up on after some trips away and keen to try the best on offer and relax with a long lunch so we ordered the $90pp banquet after checking that the couple of dishes featuring chili were done on the side. Without going into a long diatribe of all the problems I can just say the irregularities in service made our lunch a difficult one to enjoy. We were forever chasing cutlery, plates, a napkin and even sat after being delivered main course with no plates or bowls. It didn't seem to register that most occasions we couldn't eat without some chopsticks or bowl to eat from! What's more the time we spent 'chasing attention ' of a waiter was excessive and meant we were continually 'working' and disrupted from any flow of allowing continued conservation or enjoyment of the food. And the food..disappointing.. nothing of the expected 'wow' factor. The first four dishes were simply over run by chili.. same,same not much in individual flavour. Nothing particularly exciting about steamed rice or the greens, which were presented nicely but very awkward to serve or eat due to the nature of size and of course, no serving spoons provided. Wontons were plump but again not unique. House pickles were colourful but texture lacking and chunky. The kingfish sashimi was sparse-two small slithers and dessert was yummy but a very small (about the size of a coffee cup rim) glass container put by hand on the marble table-no base plate (health?). We ordered coffee to fill up. The coffee cup was dumped with handles ascew spoon at cross purposes with a packet sugar. See photos. You would get better at a cafe! Yes the venue is Szechwan style but we are in a venue promoting its sophistication through it's pricing and location. The side containers of chili oil sat on our table many courses after the dishes they accompanied had gone. (Remember the chili allergy) I was asked if dishes of food could be cleared while still eating -utensils in hand, food in mouth). All very uncomfortable to say the least. There is a good wine list featuring regional styles. We were told after by the maitre d if we came back he would see that it didn't happen next time...Next time?? Mmm.. So much great choice in Brisbane we will be looking forward to our next adventure somewhere else and my colleague another venue for his frequent corporate...

Given the menu and largely positive reviews, I expected much more from this place.

Food: For a venue in this price category, the food was decidedly sub-par. The fried eggplant was the only dish with notable flavour; the rest were largely bland. The Cooling cucumber + mint salad lacked the refreshing “zing” it should have had, with overly thick slices that muted any spice. The raw kingfish with chilli + finger lime was unevenly cut—nearly 1 cm thick on one side and just 2 mm on the other of the same slice of fish. I could detect no finger lime in the dressing, and the chilli was essentially absent. A touch of acidity from the finger lime or a lemon could have elevated the dish, but the presentation was also uninspired.

The pork xiao long bao were average at best; finely sliced ginger would have lifted them. They were nowhere near the quality of those served in Taiwan. The crispy roasted pork belly with mustard pickled wombok was a major let-down: although the crust was crisp, the dish was lukewarm and flavourless—one of the worst pork belly dishes I’ve had. The mustard pickled wombok was the highlight, but that’s a low bar here. The Moreton Bay bug with fermented chilli, garlic butter, and smoked roe was equally disappointing—not unpleasant, but devoid of much flavour beyond a faint smokiness. After such lacklustre starters and mains, we decided to skip dessert.

Service: While friendly, the service left much to be desired. It was difficult to get the staff’s attention, and my water was never refilled. Overall, while all of these dishes provide ample opportunity to play with spices, flavours and provide a unique dinning experience, they are largely a let down.

Drinks: The wine list looked promising, but the Parker Terra Rossa Merlot (note: there’s a spelling error in the menu) didn’t inspire me to order a second glass—though that may be down to the specific vintage and variety. Beer and other drinks were fine.

Ambience: The space is attractive, but not ideal for a romantic dinner due to the close proximity of tables and high noise levels once full. The echo from the room’s structure only amplified the problem.

Overall: Based on this single visit, I left disappointed. For a restaurant in this price range, I expected much more. From my experience, it’s hard to give more...