Zaika Bistro — Restaurant in Ellerslie

I hadn't been to zaika for a very long time. I used to get the buffet if eating in the establishment. This time I got take out. I am very disappointed at the food and manager Jody who looks like lied about e transferring the money back to me. I explained I was on that side of town I live on the opposite and got take out. The eggplant dish was $18. It was waaaay over salted and bitter. Called they said the could give a credit I explained if I was driving and paying 15$ in gas to please provide something extra. I had bought that item to eat with the Byriani i got from there. The manager Jody said no when I explained I was far away she said she would email transfer the money. Before the offer of email transfer she offered delivery I said great they could deliver a new one and i could send the bitter salty one back something she initially offered since she said they have to get the bad product back to check.she then took back that offer. She was arguing when i explained my critisism and wouldn't be surprised if she answers with hostility. Not a good look for an establishment. She kept denying the food was salty which is fine but being hostile to critisism and not being genuine defeats the purpose of customer service and care. I have to say although the manager was not nice to deal with, the other staff there was great when I went in, kind and considerate the one great item was the Naan. In this day and age spending so much on an item that's turns out to be inedible is very hard to deal with financially, and one feels taken advantage off since nothing was done to rectify the situation. What can I say i am out the food cause I have to throw it and the money. They have left me in a helpless situation since i cant make them stand by their word nor can i afford to go there just for one item. P.S the reason I can't afford to go back for one item only is because my take out comes from my grocery budget and I usually will eat such items all week as planned meals hence...

Plz note I wasn't the only person in the reviews who said the manager was rude when they...

I sent this message to Zaika privately on Facebook over a year ago with no response. This is exceptionally poor customer service:

I have been to your restaurant to the buffet about 6 times. It was excellent the first five times and I introduced several different people to your establishment.

However, for some reason, the food was not very good the last time I was there. I could not eat it (and I am not picky). I told the waitress and received 20% off my portion of the bill excluding pop. I feel that this is a poor way to treat customers. I accept that food quality may vary and on the night in question the food was just not up to par. I don't know why not, but my taste buds don't lie. I resent paying 80% for food I sent back to the kitchen. I currently do not plan to return to Zaika and I thought you should know that it would have been worthwhile for you to comp the meal because if you had I would happily have returned, assuming anyone can have an off night.

I am very disappointed and have been meaning to tell you so ever since.

I am even more disappointed to have heard nothing back. I do think every establishment makes errors or have an of night. It is how such problems are handled that set a true quality business apart from its peers.

Your first goal should be customer satisfaction. So far, I would have probably come once per month with my boyfriend and recommended it to at least 2 or 3 other people including tweeting about it on @infoedmonton, my twitter handle.

I estimate that you lost about $1000 in business from me so far and counting. Maybe this review will cost you more. It is expensive to treat customers like they are nothing.

Side remark: I am a particularly inexpensive customer because I never like to overeat at buffets and I do not eat meat. Altogether, your decision was stupid. And it makes me sad because the ambiance was nice and the food was usually very good except that one "off" night when you gave me a discount on two bites of terrible tasting food.

What are...

I've been a regular at this restaurant for about five years, drawn by their buffet offerings. While they have a good selection, the vegetarian options are somewhat limited.

The front desk staff, particularly one friendly Filipino server, have always been helpful, smiling, and attentive. However, my experience with the lady owner has been disappointing. One notable incident involved a reservation mix-up. We called ahead to reserve a table, and were told it wasn't necessary. Upon arrival, the owner suggested a table that didn't suit us. When we asked to sit elsewhere, she responded curtly, mentioning that we couldn't change tables later because they had taken reservations – which contradicted what we were told earlier. This inconsistency and lack of professionalism was surprising, given our long history with the restaurant.

Another concern is the handling of vegetarian fried foods. Initially, we were assured that they used a separate fryer for vegetarian items. However, during one of our visits, they suddenly informed us that they actually use the same fryer for all fried foods. This change in information was concerning, especially given their earlier assurance.

Additionally, there's a "No Farmer, No Food" sticker at the entrance, which seems out of place in a Canadian restaurant and may be perceived as promoting specific political views.

Given these issues, I've chosen to stop visiting this restaurant despite their otherwise familiar comfort. Perhaps addressing these concerns could improve the overall experience for patrons...