Bhima's Warung — Restaurant in Waterloo

FINALLY got to go and have a meal at Bhima's Warung on King St N in Waterloo (just north of University Ave)! The limited hours and huge popularity of this place made it a challenge for us. My wife & I have been wanting to go for ages, but found it tough with our wacky work schedules. So when we both had an evening free this past week, I immediately made a call to reserve a table.

Of course, Bhima's is only open 5-9 pm, so when I called in the morning for a reservation, I had no choice but to leave a voicemail. But someone did call me back in mid-afternoon and informed me that it would be tough to get a table that evening unless it was before 6:00 or after 7:30 because that was their crazy busy peak time. So I grabbed a 5:00 slot! Better an early supper at a place like this than to miss it completely!

Bhima's effort to create an Indonesian/Asian atmosphere is outstanding! From the decor to the tables & tableware to the servers (both male & female) wearing ethnic sarongs, the effect was complete. The only oddity was the music. It was (unfortunately in my humble opinion) distinctly North American (Bob Dylan, etc), and was the only thing that served to slightly detract from the atmosphere the restaurant had otherwise obviously worked so hard to create.

One unique feature was a sheet of Indonesian phrases that accompanied the menu. In addition to the things one would normally expect to see ("Good evening", "May I have another drink?", and "The food is delicious"), several of the phrases had us almost howling with laughter: "The waitress is rude!", "The waitress is sexy!", "The chef is rude", "The food is rotten", and "Please bring the bill to my husband." (Sorry that the photo is slightly blurry. Didn't realize it wasn't clear until after we got home!)

Another interesting thing was seeing the chef go outside to the patio and harvest herbs for the kitchen from various pots and plots planted there.

Then there was the food. Oh. My. Goodness! We opted for dishes from their daily specials menu rather than the main menu since we weren't sure we'd ever get a chance to have them again anytime soon. Kathy had pork belly & grilled pork loin with eggplant sambal, peanut sauce, and rice. I went for the tempura-battered perch, mango slaw, potato wedges, and a yogurt-based green curry tartar sauce. Both were so delicious!

Be prepared to spend some time at Bhima's. The service is good and prompt but wait time for the meal was about half an hour or a bit more. Of course, we didn't mind because we appreciated the fact that the food is prepared fresh. And it gave us more time to soak in and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the place.

And be prepared to spend some money. Two drinks and two mains cost us just over $100 with tip. But you don't go to Bhima's Warung just to eat a meal. You go for a dining experience that is unique in Waterloo Region. And that's worth every penny!

Highly recommended!...

Deflated experience:

Let me preface this by saying that I regret to write this review. But, upon sharing my experience with others, there were constant remarks that it’s imperative I do.

Dear Bhimas,

Please take this review as a way to enhance others dining experience. You have a wonderful reputation and I hope that this was just an isolated incident. Your ambiance is still on point and your sangria - the best in town! —————————————————————————

I returned with the expectation of knowledgeable and attentive staff, as previous times before - to feeling shrugged off and unconsidered.

I did not speak up initially, because my evening was focused on spending quality time with my siblings, who were visiting from Europe. I hyped this place up, gave them the credit they once deserved, but was unfortunately very disappointed.

Typically, staff are walking encyclopedias when it comes to the menu. I found myself playing a game of Telephone (without the whispering) when asking the waitress about the dishes. I was the one describing the food and different textures.

I have a cilantro allergy. Waitress assured me that this particular entree does not have cilantro — only to have her come back 20 minutes later to tell me the main ingredient in the curry IS cilantro! We were sharing entrees, so I told her I will just avoid that dish. On her end, no acknowledgment, no apology. She then brings the dish with basically the WHOLE cilantro plant as a garnish - setting it right in front of me. Stunned, I commented: “Wow…. I’m glad I’m not fatally allergic to cilantro” to which she replied: “Right?” and walks away….

Hmmm….

Not acceptable.

Again, I wanted to enjoy the company of my guests - who I very seldom see; not dilute their experience. I had other dishes to enjoy and valuable conversations to continue.

As I reflect on this, this negligence is actually very concerning and cause for awareness.

Please educate your team on the importance of food allergies. Please remind them to be mindful and present with guests. The disregarded “right?!”, response I received, was a result of someone who was too busy in their mind to process my contemptuous reaction to her literally placing a dish (that I made clear I was allergic to) right under my nose.

I’ve had more attention and consideration in ordinary Mexican eateries - to the point where the waitress even asked the extent of my allergy (contact or ingested) I felt valued and heard, most importantly assured I can safely consume my meal.

I hope this finds you well. I always share that dining with you is an incredible fusion food experience — and when I decide to visit again, I truly hope it will...

4 years ago I gave this restaurant 5/5. Unfortunately as time has gone by and countless dinners here at this place and thousands of dollars being spent here the service has continually gotten horrendous and my most recent dinner will be my last at bhimas as well as any other restaurant owned by the owner Paul.

From the servers attitudes being atrocious and rude. Service was not up to par by any means and the food being served both its taste and quality have been declining year by year and this dinner was the last straw - when you lay a bill close to 800$ each time there is a set expectation that should be meet, yet bhimas as a whole has failed on this account several times. Both at the service level and the management level.

The server we had came around to us maybe 4 times over the course of 3 hours ? Okay fine we’ll deal with that, yet the food comes out mediocre from the last times we’ve been - because they were closing ? We made the reservation a few days in advance and they were aware. But the most frustrating thing was at the end of the service we pay our bills, my sisters choose to pay with credit and tip with cash and the waiter looks at just the receipt and YELLS at my sisters about the lack of tip.. but if he took 5 seconds to look at the table he would see his tip there and some. Mind you I personally tipped well above what was expected nonetheless the disrespectful stride persists.

So of course I send an email to the owner, his response: absurd and really “too bad” “pandemic stresses us out”. All I can say is horrible excuse - if anything the pandemic should make you shine in both service and customer relations yet this was not the case. 1/5 if I could give 0 I would. From a gem in the Waterloo...