Fat Dumpling (Brunswick Street) — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I don’t even know how to begin this review, because the whole experience was just one of those things where you walk away thinking, “What even was that?” And yet, at the same time, I feel like I need to leave a review, because it feels wrong not to, you know? Something about it just didn’t sit right with me, even if I can’t fully explain what exactly it was. It’s kind of like when you have a dream that feels so strange and unsettling, but as soon as you wake up you realize you can’t really explain it to anyone because it just sounds like a bunch of nonsense. That’s the best way to describe what happened: it wasn’t good, it wasn’t memorable in any specific way, but it left me with this lingering sense of “ugh” that I can’t really shake off.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Well, what went wrong? What actually happened?” And the frustrating part is that I don’t even have a proper answer. I could say the service wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t terrible either. The staff weren’t rude, but they also weren’t friendly in a way that made me feel welcome. They were just… there. Doing their job. Existing in the space. It was almost like watching people go through the motions of what service is supposed to look like, but without any real spark or personality. At the same time, it’s not like they made a huge mistake or anything. Nothing was dropped on my table, nobody snapped at me, no one disappeared for half an hour never to return. It just all felt flat, which in its own way made it worse.

Arong even though technically, nothing is wrong. It’s like the volume was set one notch too low, but only in the way that makes you notice it without really being able to complain about it. The lighting was fine, the décor was fine, the seating was fine… and yet somehow none of it felt fine at all.

As for what I ordered, I’d love to tell you it was terrible, but honestly I can’t even go that far. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t anything. The presentation was okay, but not memorable. The taste wasn’t disgusting, but it didn’t stand out in any way. If you asked me now to describe it in detail, I’d probably just stare at you blankly because I genuinely can’t recall a single defining thing about it. And yet, I distinctly remember leaving with the impression that it wasn’t good. How do you explain that? It’s like eating something so neutral that it somehow becomes unpleasant. The kind of food that tastes like it was designed to not offend anyone but ends up making everyone feel vaguely unsatisfied.

And don’t even get me started on the timing. Was the service slow? Not reallytaking forever even though it reallf the whole thing, or maybe it was just me, but I walked away feeling like the entire experience lasted hours longer than it actually did, without anything happening to justify that feeling.

By the time I left, I felt drained, but not in the way you feel drained after something exhausting or chaotic. It was more like being drained by nothing. A vacuum of energy. A sense that I had just spent time and money on something that shouldn’t have been bad but ended up being… well, not good either. I tried to reflect on it afterward, to think about what specifically went wrong so I could write a useful review, but every time I came up with an answer, it slipped away the moment I tried to put it into words.

So here I am, writing the longest non-review of my life. A review that warns you of an awful experience, but not in any way that makes sense. A review that expresses disappointment without being able to provide evidence. A review that tells you to avoid this place, but for reasons that are impossible to define. In fact, maybe that’s the most telling part of all: sometimes the worst experience isn’t when something is obviously wrong, but when everything is just slightly off in ways you can’t pin down, leaving you with the haunting sense that you wasted your time on nothing.

Would I go back? No. But could I tell you...

I would like to comment on the below review (10/01). I was also a customer at Fat Dumpling on Friday evening and was witness to the altercation. Whilst I'm not aware of the circumstances that caused the verbal altercation between customers and staff members I would like to acknowledge that there was poor behaviour between both parties.

The customers involved created quite a scene and impacted on my dining experience so much so that the entire restaurant was in silence watching the incident. The customers showed behaviours of intimidation, verbal aggression and caused a staff member such distress that she left the premises crying. They continued to provoke her outside the restaurant and changed the trading sign to 'closed' as they left, making myself and group of friends feel very uncomfortable.

I have been to this restaurant numerous times and have always enjoyed my experience. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Last night we were accidently given the wrong meal (meant for the table next to us) and this was quickly corrected and apologised for. I find it very difficult to believe that the same staff that served me would have exhibited behaviours of aggression and violence without being significantly provoked.

The food was delicious as always and I will continue to recommend this restaurant to family...

Incredibly disappointed return customer who was verbally and physically assaulted by staff.

Attended the restaurant for a family gathering where children were present. Incorrect dishes were delivered to the table. We attempted to have this amended during the meal however this was never corrected by staff. Inevitably, some of the meals were not received.

Upon leaving, we requested that the meals we did not receive to be deducted from the bill. This lead to a verbal confrontation which escalated to a staff member slapping one of our guests hands, taking their phone and screaming at them in front of numerous patrons. The owner proceeded to laugh over the matter and state that her staff members actions were justified because we said we were unhappy with our meal and the overall experience.

We asked for an apology from the staff member and her name. Both requests were denied. Whilst we did receive the deduction of the items that were not received, physical and verbal abuse are never justifiable actions.

Incredibly disappointed with this experience and frightened that such behaviour can occur in a well respected venue. I have attended this venue 3 times before tonight and had a wonderful dining and culinary experience.

I would urge potential customers to avoid this venue based on the heinous experience we...