TAO Chinese Restaurant Sydney CBD — Restaurant in Sydney

Bad Dining Experience - A Warning to Others

My group of 11 friends and I were excited to try this Chinese restaurant in the city, but our experience was a complete disaster from start to finish. I'm writing this review to warn others so they don't have to suffer through the same disappointment.

We ordered the $92 Peking Duck Two Ways, expecting a traditional experience. Typically, a whole roasted duck is presented and carved tableside, with the skin and meat served with pancakes, and the remaining will be served later as second dish. What we got was a tiny plate with only 12 pre-cut pieces of duck meat (some were even shredded!) for 11 people. This is an insult to anyone who knows what authentic Peking duck should be. (I’ll attached the picture of that 12 pieces and the authentic roast duck supposed to be.) We waited and waited for the second dish, but it never came until we had almost finished our entire meal and had to remind the staff. They finally brought out a pathetic plate of fried noodles topped with a few tiny shreds of duck meat. At this point, several of my colleagues were already disappointed!

The disappointment didn't stop there. We ordered the pineapple fried rice and Yangzhou fried rice that I couldn't tell the difference between them. Both taste and look the same. The fried beef noodles ($38) were completely lacklustre and they didn't even bother to add chives. The pipi with rice vermicelli ($58) was overpriced, and the vermicelli had an old, oily, and stale taste that my Cantonese colleague and I immediately noticed. To top it all off, the braised pork ($48) was a tiny portion, and we even found a pork hair on the pork skin!!!

The final straw was the bill. They had overcharged us for a dish we ordered but never received! After we pointed it out, the manager came out to apologize, claiming they were too busy and had forgotten. They also tried to make it up with a free fried ice cream for my birthday, but the damage was done. When we looked at the bill more closely after we left, we found a 10% surcharge of $71 for a large group. To make matters worse, this fee was calculated before they removed the dish we never received, and they didn’t adjust the 10% charge total amount and continue to charge us 10% fee on an item we didn't eat. This surcharge was never mentioned when we made the reservation online or when we were seated and ordered. It feels completely dishonest and unregulated. I’ll make this complaint further to fair trading!

I would strongly advise anyone considering this restaurant to save your money and go somewhere else. The food is not as good and the prices are outrageous, and the management is dishonest. We will never...

We came for a night out for my wife’s bday. It was loud, but what can you expect for a bustling dinner on Saturday night. (Mentioning more if you’re after a quiet intimate place, this isn’t it)

There was 17 of us with short notice which was great they could accomodate.

We ordered banquet for 8 people and few servings of dumplings, rice and an extra couple dishes for the kids.

we got the $68pp banquet (8 people) so we spent $544 on food.

There was 6 items on the banquet, of which we got 2 dishes of each. So 8 people sharing 2 plates of each dish. This was slightly ridiculous considering the first dish was 8 spring rolls to which the average cost was $90 we paid… for 8 spring rolls… yeah

We were better just ordering al carte as obviously either the chefs were told not to put any more food or they stuffed up. Initially one plate of food came out to which I spoke up. Not much changed except we got 2 dishes of each.. for 8 people, I was done arguing and tried to just enjoy my night.

Everyone was still hungry so we ordered another 2 dishes which we paid for.

I understand it’s hard to run a business in the city but if logic says we get more food ordering al a carte, then just tell us so. Normally a banquet you leave full with a variety of food.

we also got 6 rice bowls for the kids which were tiny and $4 each.. $24 total..

Our bill came to $1000 and they decided to add 10% because we are a big group. So $1100 for people who were still hungry.

We have been before but this is our last we will be there. It was a memorable night, both for good company and for the terrible amount of food provided.

also no candle or cake for wife’s bday. Just missed the mark on many levels (to which over the phone when I booked said would be done)

I wish Tao all the best, I hope they survive but also in the future consider the customers when they are paying $544 just for a banquet…...

This is my first time leaving a review for a restaurant after I lived in Sydney for 7 years. Before my birthday, I was searching for a restaurant with private rooms and contacted Tao and other restaurants. And TAO assured me they had private rooms available,100%, which I double checked. However, upon arrival, we were seated in the noisy central area, and looks like the only private rooms were given to other customers without prior notice to me……..

Despite this setback, the quality of the dishes was decent. However, the loud atmosphere prevented us from enjoying a leisurely meal, and we couldn't even hear each other speak. We had planned to order drinks before came but ended up quickly finishing our meal and moving elsewhere to continued for celebrate and cut the cake.

Considering the price point of around $80+ per person (excluding drinks) after discount, I would prefer going to Braza or YX, where the service staff does not casually hand over plates and are responsive when my friend repeatedly raised their hand for a minute and called for assistance but was ignored.

In summary, I hope the restaurant can at least inform their customers in advance if they are unable to provide the requested service. When you're in the ct of SYD on a Sunday evening, it's difficult to make a big group alternative reservations, right?and it feels like being cornered into accepting the only option available. I appreciate the quality of the food, even though I'm thanks for the 10% discount, but what can I say on this birthday’s...