Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

We chose Bamboo House based on the majority 5 star reviews to celebrate our Mother's birthday. What we thought would be a lovely evening was overshadowed by the deplorable service and attitude of Anne, the MANAGER of the restaurant towards our table.

Strike 1 was subtle but noticeable when our order was initially taken by the Manager. Whilst appeared to be friendly and helpful on the surface, had an underlying impatient manner when we were discussing our choice selections. Looking back at her mannerisms and her attitude towards the other patrons on the evening, we felt she was pretentious towards our table. However, we gave her the benefit of the doubt then.

Strike 2 - one of the seats was apparently in the path of foot traffic. The occupant of this seat (A) was instructed very rudely and was forcibly removed from her seat to move to the next seat, as if the person seated was a child behaving in an unruly manner. We initially politely refused to move, based on the delivery of the "request".

Strike 3 was the ultimate 101 act of what nobody in the service industry should do - throw a tantrum, literally huff puff, walk away, swear at your customers (calling A a c**t in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect - note we happen to be the only table and persons in the restaurants of Chinese ethnicity that evening. There is a presumption that the other patrons would not comprehend her swearing), ignored our table the entire evening with no apology whatsoever. Note, she walked away without completing our order and sent a colleague of hers in her stead.

We decided not to walk out on this restaurant as we did want to experience the food here. No issue on the menu and taste but no restaurant is worth their salt if the service is abysmal and unpardonable. We find that this restaurant tends to favour a particular set of customers and if you fall into that category, hurrah to you. There are other chinese restaurants in Melbourne with a better pricing point, taste, ambience and most importantly, service than...

I usually try to find something positive at every restaurant I visit and avoid leaving bad reviews. Unfortunately, this place truly tested my patience and crossed the line.

We arrived around 7pm with a reservation. The restaurant was understandably busy, and we appreciated being seated quickly. A waiter brought us a wine menu, and when he returned, we politely declined as we were all driving. He kindly offered tea and water instead — so far, so good.

Then things took a turn.

A female staff member named Ann came over and asked if we’d ordered any drinks. I told her yes, we’d ordered tea, and returned the wine menu, asking if we could please have the food menu. That’s when the attitude started. She raised her voice, saying “this is just a drink menu.” I explained that I understood, and that’s why I was now asking for the food menu.

She rolled her eyes and sarcastically asked, “Are you sure you ordered or not?” I repeated myself calmly, and then — to my shock — she laughed and told me that usually, “people have to wait for their drinks, take a sip, and then we’ll bring the food menu out.” She went on to ask if I was in a rush or that hungry, implying that unless I was desperate, I should follow their bizarre process.

Honestly — what kind of hospitality is this? At a restaurant, especially during dinner time, customers should be free to see a food menu when they’re ready. If they have such an unusual policy, it should be clearly communicated upfront.

As for the food — it was mediocre at best. Given the price range, there are plenty of other places where you’ll get better food, friendlier service, and a far more professional dining experience.

Final thought: Save your time and money. There are better and more welcoming dining...

Obnoxious Attitude and Horrible Experience

I was in a small family unit of 3 when we visited, with an intent to sample the signature Peking duck. We were not hungry but decided to make a trip to try out the food, recommended by a friend. It was at the end of a day of walking exploration around Melbourne, and my family was dressed casually (not shabbily).

The restaurant was not full. But we were shown to a small table at a deep corner of the room, away from other patrons.

When we placed our order for the Peking duck, soup and some pastries, the waiter said he needed to check with the manager if the orders were sufficient for us to seat. He came back and explained that each person had to order a main course.

I questioned the waiter if the policy of having minimum order was stated anywhere on their website or restaurant. He tried to explain that it was the norm of restaurants. What a load of bull. I refused to over order and walked out instead.

This is the most obnoxious restaurant I have ever been to. It will be the first and last time for me and this episode is an extremely distasteful experience of Melbourne tourism.

I chose not to feel humiliated when I walked out. Instead, I left with disgust and total disrespect for this restaurant and its management.

I would respect the policies if the restaurant stated clearly its dress code or even minimum order. If not stated anywhere, then what right have you got to discriminate against your customers?

Thanks to this obnoxious restaurant, I had the opportunity to experience yet another ugly side...