Sisters of Pearl — Restaurant in Melbourne

Sisters of Pearl - Glen Waverley Review Update 22/4/2021

Another very satisfying dine out at this restaurant.

Unlike my previous visit, the interior is very bright with all the lights turned on. However, it is rather empty with only two other tables occupied.

Rather disappointed that Baked Yellow Skin Chicken is not available, so Concubine Chicken is ordered instead. Unfortunately the dish is nowhere close to authentic, due to lack of flavour and aroma from ginger, spices and Chinese wine. Review 20/1/2021

At least twice I could not join my friends to dine at this restaurant. Their feedback have been good, so I decided to gather some friends to check it out.

When I called to book for a table of 10, the person at the receiving end answered in Cantonese. The name of restaurant sounds like a tongue twister; and I can bet my bottom dollars that most Chinese, including Cantonese speaking callers are unable to repeat the name correctly. Honestly, I do not know the exact meaning of the Chinese name. However, I do know that they bear no resemblance to the English name.

It is hard to believe that this is a tuck away treasure for Cantonese cuisine. Before the restaurant occupied the premises, this double shop front was left vacant for more than a year.

Upon entry, I see a few big tanks of live fish and crustaceans. Most of the tables are on the right side, and fewer on the left. The cashier counter is also on the left, dimly lit.

The final count of attendance is nine. Although seven dishes should be enough for us, we order eight dishes, because seven dishes is associated with a banquet for a wake.

Instead of spending on the more expensive seafood dishes, we decide test out the ordinary "stock run" dishes so that we can compare them with other restaurants.

The restaurant is fully booked. It is rather difficult to observe distancing for Chinese style dining.

I cannot flaw the presentation of the dishes. A couple of them are jazzed up with non-edible decorative ornaments. Personally, I do not like them to be on the same plate with the food for hygiene reason. What goes through my mind is that how these are sanitised or washed.

Time for the taste test. The flavour of the dishes except the Beef Steak with Wasabi sauce are just spot on. The wasabi sauce is more like creamy Mayonnaise; I cannot detect the presence of wasabi, unless my taste buds have gone on strike.

The crispy Taro Duck has good balance of taro and duck meat. The meat is very tender. The Pork Spare Ribs Peking Sauce has the correct colour and flavour, as good as I expect.

The Salt & Pepper Calamari is crispy outside, and tender inside.

The Chicken Spare Ribs with Egg Yolk Sauce is fried to perfection. The chicken meat is juicy, and not overcooked.

Sautéed Bitter Melon with Salted Egg Sauce and Pork Floss is interesting, and it is my first time to eat it that way.

I cannot rave about the Tofu stuffed with Prawn Paste, and Spinach with Sambal Chilli and Sauce by me.

The portion size is not excessive large, and each dish actually caters for 10 people.

For dessert, there is bonus Green Bean "soup/porridge" with Seaweed.

This restaurant is NOT for a romantic dine in. It is not because of the ambience decor or lighting, but the noise level is slightly better than a food market.

My friends and I give a thumbs-up for the food.

There is 1% surcharge for credit...

Since we are in the neighbourhood we thought me and my husband will try this restaurant out. The food was excellent, fresh and delicious. As we came in we were served by an older man. He didn’t speak English well but didn’t matter to us. We didn’t have cutlery or plates so we called him over to ask for some . He pointed at the side plate and asked “can’t you use this “ my husband said we will take a slightly bigger plate if you don’t mind. He then rudely asked us “do you want anything else ?? Water ? Drinks ? So I can just get them all at once ! We don’t have staff ! “ the tone he used was highly unnecessary and VERY rude ! As if he didn’t want us there . We quietly ate the food and asked for the bill from a lady and I asked for the manager . She said that older man was the manager . Which shocked me and my husband. As we told about our experience the lady, She apologised sincerely and said he was stressed . As a manager the way he acted was very bad . As a manager he should be able to handle stress and sending that stress through his customers are unacceptable. Him not having staff for lunch shift is not the customers problem. Please address this matter . He is not fit to be a manager with that tone and rudeness . As a manager he should be able to handle difficult situations and be more hospitable to his customers. We didn’t want to stay in the restaurant because he upset us so much . We asked for some takeaway containers and left. The lady was very thoughtful and tried to ask us to stay and did everything to make up for her managers mistake. She’s a good employee. Everything she did was what a manager is supposed to do. But instead he didn’t even bother to discuss the matter . He...

The staff and waiters at this restaurant seem to judge customers and give preferential treatment. New customers are often seated near the door, while regulars get better spots. The way tables are arranged makes it difficult to get assistance, as waiters rarely pass by certain areas unless you are in a “preferred” spot. I was also charged for tea without being asked if I wanted drinks. Customer service noticeably worsened when our order didn’t meet what the staff seemed to expect for the number of people or total spend. It felt like the staff prioritized customers who ordered more expensive items, while others were ignored or waited much longer. Food also took an unnecessarily long time to be delivered, making it seem like some dishes were left out or served to better customers first. Overall, the waiters and floor managers create a service experience that feels unfair and biased. The restaurant’s decor and pricing suggest a high standard, but the staff clearly do not uphold it, making the dining experience frustrating and...