Shanghai ONE Fine Dining 外滩壹号 — Restaurant in Ottawa

Edit—Reply to the merchant: Congratulations on this masterpiece of customer service. 'Making a note on your website' replaces basic communication? Your staff's 'good behavior' included demanding tips and storming into rooms without any notice . You've perfectly proven every word of my review.

Original review: I am utterly disgusted and deeply disappointed by the treatment we received at this restaurant. What was supposed to be a joyful celebration of our wedding turned into one of the worst dining experiences of our lives.

We used to visit this restaurant for a celebratory lunch hosted by a friend and had a pleasant time, which is why we decided to host our wedding lunch here for some close friends. However, the moment we stepped into the private room, a staff member wearing glasses confronted us aggressively about bringing our own wine. She spoke in a mix of Cantonese and English, making it difficult to understand, but we gathered that their alcohol license was "temporary" and only valid in the evening.

I tried to explain that we had brought wine during a previous lunch event without any issue, but she dismissively blamed us, asking why we hadn’t mentioned it while booking. One of my friends, rightfully upset, pointed out that if there were rules, the restaurant should have informed us in advance—especially for an occasion like a wedding, where bringing drinks is common sense. We made two phone reservations, yet no one ever mentioned any alcohol policy.

When we asked to speak to a manager, the staff member claimed none was available and walked away. She later returned and bring some glasses, but still rude and unapologetic. Shortly after, a man from the front desk stormed into our room, visibly angry and clearly not there to help. He pointed at our wedding favors—small tubes of hand cream for our guests—and accused us of bringing outside food. Even after we explained, he sarcastically warned us that the restaurant wouldn’t be responsible if anyone got sick from "outside items." His tone and attitude were shockingly disrespectful—I’ve never encountered anyone in customer service who behaved so unprofessionally.

Although the basic service during the meal was acceptable (e.g., refilling tea and water), it did nothing to make up for the earlier hostility. Then came the final insult: when we paid the bill, which already had a $400 minimum charge for the private room, we left a 10% tip given the terrible service. The server had the audacity to come back and say, "The tip is not enough." She told us private room guests "usually" tip 13–15%, with no attempt to understand our perspective—just a demand for more money. On our wedding day, we had to endure this humiliation.

The food was no saving grace either—overly greasy, poorly seasoned, and largely untouched. We ended up taking most of it home. I’d rate it 3/10 at best.

This restaurant destroyed what should have been a beautiful memory. I will never return, and I strongly advise others to avoid this place unless you enjoy being mistreated, insulted, and...

Edit:

Let's dissect your "truth": On "Having a Great Time": To claim that duration equals satisfaction is logic so poor it's almost admirable. Our guests were wonderful; your service was not. We were celebrating a wedding, not your policies. The fact we stayed reflects on our loved ones, not on your venue's quality. On "Common Sense": This is the last refuge of a service industry that has failed. Professionalism is about proactive communication, not passive-aggressive assumptions. We hired a private room for a wedding, not a seat in a lecture hall where we'd be tested on your unstated rules. Your job was to inform us; our job was to show up and celebrate. You failed at yours, then blamed us for it. On the "Liquor License": Your point is self-incriminating. Precisely because it's a crucial and variable piece of information, any competent establishment would plaster it everywhere during the booking process. To hide behind "common sense" after the fact is not just unprofessional-it's a trap.

Your reply was a missed opportunity to demonstrate professionalism. Instead, it stands as a perfect testament to our experience. We will be keeping it alongside our review as a definitive guide to your establishment's standards for all to see.

Original review: I'm writing this after our wedding celebration turned into one big disappointment. We hoped for a smooth, joyful day - but from start to finish, it felt like we were being set up to fail.

Here's what went wrong: First off - we told them it was a wedding when we booked. But nobody thought to mention their "no outside drinks" rule until we showed up with wine for our guests. It threw off our whole plan and started the day on a sour note. Saying "it's on the website" afterward just feels like a cheap excuse - who reads the whole website when you're told everything's confirmed? Then things got weirder. We asked to speak to a manager, but were told none was around. Instead, some guy came over and started questioning us about our wedding favors like we were doing something wrong. He only backed off when we showed him it was just hand soap and lotion. It was awkward and totally unnecessary. And finally - the tip moment. Look, service was rough, so we left 10%. One of the servers actually had the nerve to complain to our faces that it wasn't enough. Since when is tipping supposed to be mandatory?

The real kicker? Seeing the owner's reply to our first review. No "sorry," no "we'll look into it" - just them doubling down and blaming us. It says everything about how much they value their customers. Save yourself the stress - especially if you're planning something important. This place isn't worth the risk. Really hope no one else has to go...

My first dinner out since COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. I feel bad for all the restaurant owners.

Every staff in the restaurant wore masks. The restroom was super clean. The floor was not sticky, very clean. The air was also clean.

With food cost increase and inflation, I understand that it is not easy to run a restaurant nowadays, especially during the pandemic time. So, I won't complain about the food portion any more. Each dish we ordered tasted very good. We felt comfortable sitting in the dining room.

We ordered: B03 - Crab meat and sea foam soup C01 - Seafood with seasonal vegetables C05 - Shrimps with pepper salt C14 - Braised sweet sour fish (portion is smaller than the one we tried before) D06 - Deep fried crispy chicken D23 - Salt and pepper pork chops G01 - Tofu with mixed seafood hot pot J07 - Braised mushroom & green vegetables

We were happy with the dishes we ordered although the dish portion has been significantly reduced. I wouldn't complain at all. We are happy that this restaurant survives the pandemic and we still have a good Chinese restaurant in Ottawa. Keep up the good work!

Another update (from another dinner on Oct. 14, 2021): We found the dishes we ordered were quite salty this time. Don't know if the food we got were cooked by a different chef since the taste were not the same as the previous visit. The soup (crab meat and sea foam soup) we ordered was good. But the other 4 dishes (C15 - Stir fried jumbo shrimps with salted egg yolk, G01 Tofu with mixed seafood hot pot, D06 Deep fried crispy chicken, and E07 Stir fried beef with green vegetable) were very salty! We told our server and hope that our message got delivered to the kitchen. Otherwise, it would be hard to get me back to this restaurant since I can't eat food with too much salt...