Mr Stonebowl — Restaurant in Sydney

Ok I'm a foodie and you work hard for 5 stars, however despite the hideous tables and chairs clashing with interesting concrete industrial decor, I'm going to let it slide as an anomaly of the surprise that awaits.

Initial impressions of the service was confronting as I was stopped at door by what seemed an apparatchik of the communist public sevice ordering me to stop with a hand applied to my shoulder.

They marched us to our table and provided us with what could only be described as an application form for our impending dining experience. Lack of any semblance of English comprehension would later reveal trademark Asian efficiency that would facilitate an accurate and indisputable bill.

Firstly, amidst one of the most thriving contemporary and regionally authentic food strips in Sydney, Mr Stone bowl manage to stand out as "different"

The menu provided some bold choices that I can only describe as Modern Asian fusion. Fusion food always pushes the boundaries of pretentious and innovative. Often challenging good taste to be different, this place is clever and understated.

Lightly battered delicately fried small chicken pieces, reminiscent of a Japanese soda batter, served on a bed of salad greens finished with a boisterous honey, passion fruit chilli sauce. Delightful, clever and delicious.

A delicious take on pork ribs in a sweet, sour sauce with water chestnut and salad greens. Rich, hearty and bold without being fatty.

A hearty friend rice with plentiful vegetables cooked in a flavoursome stock was a perfect commitment.

Presentation was exceptional and service was great (despite the poor English).

Portions were generous and pricing was great at $48 for 3 exceptional dishes that could have fed three people. (AS 2 we took some home)

Decor and ambience was great aside from the grotesque 70"s tables with green trim chairs.

All in all this is a destination restaurant. Bad tables,...

Last night, my family and I had an extremely disappointing experience at the Mr. Stonebowl restaurant in Hurstville. This visit was meant to be a special family dinner, as my disabled dad had just arrived in Australia for the first time.

We typically dine at Mr. Stonebowl in Burwood or Parramatta, but we decided to try the Hurstville branch since it's closer to our home. Around 8:30 pm, as we were looking for parking nearby, we called the restaurant to confirm if they were still open for dine-in customers. They assured us they were, but mentioned that their kitchen would be closing in 30 minutes.

My missus entered the restaurant around 8:34 pm, and when I joined her just two minutes later, we were surprised to find that they had only offered us a small table for four, despite other available bigger tables that could fit our group consisting of seven people: five adults, one toddler, and a newborn in a pram. When I inquired about a larger table, they explained that they wanted to clean the area but reluctantly provided us with one upon my request.

We were rushed to place our order, and when we requested to order manually, the staff insisted that we use a QR code to order via our phones instead of assisting us with the order. Unfortunately, navigating the menu in Chinese was challenging for us, and when we finally managed to select our items, we were abruptly informed around 8.48 that the kitchen was already closed and we were told to leave.

This experience wasted our time and completely ruined our family outing. The staff members were unhelpful and rude, even speaking disparagingly about us in Chinese, assuming we wouldn't understand. Overall, it was an extremely disappointing and...

The food here is undeniably good, which is why we’ve frequented this spot up to three times a week, often bringing friends along. However, the service leaves much to be desired, and our most recent visit was disappointing enough to make us question returning.

At the register, we encountered a staff member with a noticeably bad attitude. She came across as arrogant and rude, showing no respect to customers who were in the process of paying—not just us, but others as well. Her demeanour suggested a deep unhappiness with her role, and she would benefit greatly from serious customer service training.

Similarly, the staff member serving with short hair displayed a short temper. Simple requests for assistance were met with an attitude that seemed to suggest, "How dare you ask me, can’t you see I’m busy?" This approach made interactions unnecessarily unpleasant.

On a positive note, the team members who brought out the food were kind and approachable, as was the gentleman managing the queue at the door. Their politeness stood in stark contrast to the rest of the staff and offered a glimpse of what good service could look like here.

To the owner: Your food is excellent, but the service quality undermines the entire experience. It’s embarrassing to bring friends to a place where we feel disrespected. If the service doesn’t improve, we’ll likely look elsewhere despite how much we...