Mehak-E-Punjab — Restaurant in West Bengal

On 29th March, 2025, Saturday evening I visited Mahek-e-Punjab in the Axis Mall outlet with wife and kid. We ordered a dish named "Fish Butter Fry". It had around 8 pieces of Fish and more than half way, I found some wire like thing in my mouth and I found that there's "STAPLER PIN" in the dish. I showed the same to the waiter serving me and he took that stapler pin to the kitchen came back and said the chef is very sorry and it happened while "unwrapping the Basa fish". I asked him who would have been responsible if something outward incident had happened for this "STAPLER PIN" . The waiter just said we are very sorry sir. How convenient !!!!

There was no offer from your end to either replace the dish or mention anything that this dish will not be billed. I mean how immoral Mahek-e-Punjab restaurant is and this is just getting started.

On presenting of the bill, I was surprised to find that even after reporting a "STAPLER PIN" in the food, you still practice in this age such fraudulent practices. When I informed them that I am not going to pay for this "STAPLER PIN" dish, the waiter told me that sir you didn't ask for it and by the time I took the "STAPLER PIN", you had already consumed 6 pieces of the dish and only 2 pieces were left. I asked so it's my fault that I was blessed with "STAPLER PIN" in the 6th piece - I mean we were going on brilliantly.

Looking at this kind of logic, I asked for the Manager - and response was superb - "Sir, the manager is not there" - I mean we are not talking about a "Nukkad ka cafe". 29th March, 2025 is part of extended Eid weekend Saturday on a premium restaurant in one of the most happening malls of Kolkata and your manager is not there - I mean how could Mahek-e-Punjab restaurant come up with such rostering that there's no manager present in the restaurant on such a busy extended weekend - God only know I guess.

Now, I had no other option but to put my foot down mentioning I am not going to pay for "STAPLER PIN" dish, please change the bill - he pleaded that sir, if you don't pay then the amount will be deducted from my salary. This is such an unethical practice by Mahek-e-Punjab restaurant that these guys deduct from the salary of this poor waiter where under no circumstances he is responsible for this. I mean how much will this person get that day if that amount is deducted from his paltry salary - probably he will get nothing for that day. I felt so bad that I decided to pay the whole bill and leave.

So going by my experience, please stop...

So I plan to hangout at this place with friends.. Being an avid customer of their restaurant at Axis Mall, this time I think of checking out their another outlet at Ecosuite near Akankha more. Just few minutes of us chilling out, I sense some negativity around. I see some guy complaining to the manager for rude behavior of one of the staff.. I ignore and continue chillaxing with my pals.. After we're almost done with aur food and drinks, I see the same guy again in an argument with the manager. After being a little curious and talking to him, I come to know that the staff here is as annoying to him as to us.. Now here goes the incident: At 11pm we are having our last round of drinks. Within a span of 5minutes, 3 of their staff members come to us asking us to finish off our drinks fast, 2 of them being polite and the third one a little rude. We are already annoyed at this and in no time I see an argument happening at the table across.. Of course people on that table are annoyed for similar reasons. Soon I see the argument turning into a brawl. So this guy complains about the rude behavior of the staff, the manager instead of appologizing, asks the guy to make payment and leave, while the food and drinks are still on his table. This guy refuses to pay until he gets an apology from the rude staff. In no time I see the manager along with other staff dragging him outside the restaurant.. I see another person trying to shoot this incident, and the manager snatching away his phone, threatening him to delete the shot video.

I wonder what happened outside the restaurant after that, but such behavior of the staff towards their guest was so not acceptable.. I would not want to visit this place ever again and would not recommend it to anyone either.

#Mehekepunjab #bad #experience #aweful #hospitality #thinkBeforeYouPlanToComeHere...

Last week I visited this restaurant for the sixth time this year. That statement itself speaks volumes about the food here! Whenever we go we order a chicken kebab for sure. Till date no kebab, be it their Reshmi or Malai or Tikka or Kali Mirch Kebab has failed to be perfect. But the Malaysian Murgh Kebab we tried at the recommendation of our server on our last visit was unbelievably good! Juicy, succulent, spicy yet creamy and smokey! Simply amazing! The Chicken Tikka Butter Masala with the Tandoori Roti was also top notch. Perfectly cooked chicken pieces with a gravy that packed a punch of flavours! Too damn good. We ended the meal with a Kulfi Falooda which was pretty perfect too. The ambience was dimly lit and old fashioned and the washroom was as dirty as ever (unusable) but what was distinctly different this time from my earlier visits was definitely the quality of service. There were a lot of old faces and a few new ones but the service was starkly different. Stephen, Sujon and Arup waited on our table and were warm (instead of the aloof I am used to here), made menu suggestions, gave thoughtful inputs, were quick to serve second helpings, asked for feedback, smiled, were patient and even said 'Cheers!' after making our drinks! Definitely the impact of great training! The boys served efficiently and delightfully with a smile! It was pleasantly surprising and will definitely become an USP. Overall unbeatable taste of north Indian food, affordable food and alcohol prices, good portion sizes, wonderful upgraded service and an ambience with an old world charm....