Lichi Restaurant & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Port Douglas

Our experience at this restaurant was incredibly disappointing and frustrating. We ordered two massaman curries, both of which came with undercooked, crunchy rice that was simply not edible. When we brought this issue to their attention, they offered a minimal discount from $39 to $30, which did not address the fact that we couldn't even eat the meals. Replacements were not offered.

Despite sending back two untouched dishes, we accepted that the pumpkin risotto was edible, which we ordered alongside the curries. Surprisingly, the risotto was satisfactory. However, when we mentioned the rice problem, at the check out, Carlos, the host, claimed it was the same rice used for all dishes, implying that one was cooked and 2 weren’t was impossible. Which was blatantly untrue and insulting given my background in food.

We were not offered a replacement for the undercooked dishes, nor were we satisfied with the taste of any of the sauces for all three dishes. Feeling frustrated and misled by Carlos's attitude, we chose to stop eating altogether and left the restaurant. When we went to pay he did not accept our complaint, and included the massaman curries on the final bill. We accepted all other dishes and beverages and had no issues paying for what we actually consumed.

While the wait staff were courteous and apologetic, their efforts were overshadowed by the poor management and lack of accountability from Carlos. This experience highlighted the restaurant's disregard for quality and customer satisfaction. They need to take a course in customer service.

In conclusion, I would strongly advise against dining at this establishment if you expect decent food but more importantly...

We looked forward to a good dining experience here as the restaurant came well recommended. Unfortunately the experience was not that great. The starter the duck and pork spri g rolls were excellent as was the service. We had a cocktail and some wine. The main was a shocker. We both ordered the reef fish. My wife was the first to encounter a bone ND then twice more. I Unfortunately got three large bones and some scales. I am a fisherman and an excellent cook as is my wife. It is a serious issue to encounter fish bones when eating as they can get stuck I your throat as a close friend have happen and needed surgery to remove. Our thinking was we did not want other patrons to encounter the same experience. The way the maitre de dealt with it was excruciating. After a lot of insistence they removed the main dishes from the meal as they were inedible. They blamed the inexperienced apprentice which was ridiculous as this is not a cheap meal $50 each main. Surely whoever was fileting the fish on premises would know how to do this properly. Seek other better nearby...

The food was interesting. Really well made and mostly fresh ingredients that were cooked well, just the recipies are quite peculiar. Eg. Asian glazed bugs and gnocchi, or the whole fried fish with green papaya salad(which was soggy and seemed old) with potatoes (beautifully cooked) and a aoili. It's like a bit of a mismatch of cuisines that don't quite work. Still we enjoyed the food, despite it not quite working.

The service. Wow. "222" you could not look any less interested if you tried. You would make Melania Trump seem friendly and inviting. She should definitely not be anywhere near front of house. The other wait staff were nicer but not much more efficient, except for the Japanese girl who was lovely and was the only one that seemed to enjoy what she was doing.

Also the cocktails were very mediocre and not convinced they were made fresh or contained more than a half shot of...