Shichirin Japanese Restaurant Ubud by Wonderspace — Restaurant in Bali

So… went there tonight. Had high expectations following great reviews. We travel a lot and have been exposed to culinary experiences in various countries, including Japan (based in Dubai). Entered the restaurant, and were told that Teppanyaki bar is fully booked so we have to sit at the table, which is obviously a different experience. Btw booking has been made in advance by Ritz Carlton Mandapa as we were staying there. Ok. We sat down and wanted to order drinks, my partner took Gin Tonic, and I asked for a glass of red wine. Since there were only one option of red wine by glass, I reconfirmed that I wish to try it first. We had also ordered food (Tuna sashimi, miso soup and scallops as starters and wagyu beef cubes plus another wagye beef for main course. After long time of waiting the waiter arrived with full glass of red wine and glass of gin, no tonic. We told her that we wanted to try the wine first, she gets all confused and leaves. She comes back with a SHOT of wine (see pic) 🥲 anyways, I tried the wine which was obviously not good, and you will understand why it was not good in few moments. So we wait till she comes back for a loooong time. And by the way apart from welcoming you they just pay zero attention at you once you are at the table, so until you ask them to come they just pass by your table poker faced. And please consider the fact that we were only 8 guests in total, half of the restaurant was EMPTY, and the staff looked all lost. So our waiter comes back finally and I tell her that I would like to have sake instead of wine, and since there are two types only, and I didn’t know any of them, I would like to know what’s the difference, to which she replied “I don’t know, I will call my senior”. OK, we wait. After like 15 minutes she comes back with wagyu meat 😳 no starters, no drink yet. I tell her: but where are the starters? And she goes: “oh, so you wanted the starters first?? (I mean… kind of common sense, no?!?!) so she is like “Ok, I will bring the starters”. And she takes the meat from our table and puts it on the bar counter (later she brought us back the same meat, which was just there the whole time while we were having the starters). Then she brings the starters, and still no one came back for my drink! So we finish the starters, she brings back the meat which was chilling in the bar counter for like 30 min. Meanwhile, I still haven’t even had a sip of water as NO ONE came back for my drink. And then, cherry on the pie… I see this glass of wine which I had refused earlier being passed to the bar by our waiter and her colleague in front of us puts it back in the bottle, for God’s sake!!!!! Open bar, people sitting in front of the bar and she just pours it back!!!! I mean obviously after I saw that I stopped eating because it is DISGUSTING. No words, horrible experience overall, just hoping not be sick tonight, as looking at the wine being poured back at the bottle, and meat laying in the middle of the restaurant and then being served back to the table - have doubts on the quality of...

Guys, if you’re looking for insta restaurant, feel free to visit. However if you’re used to some standard or nice food OR GOOD SUSHI, please do not come here.

It is indeed only insta spot, the restaurant has a main grill in the centre, plus 3 tables, but that’s it. Could look cozy but it was the contrary. The “chefs” in the middle make too much noice, making a insta show, so you have to literally scream at yourself to hear anything.

The staff is nice, trying to satisfy you however their English is not very good so if we said we don’t like this and that they just replied “thank you thank you”, which makes no sense but okay….

The food itself is not good quality and sushi NOT GOOD (again, if you’re used to “normal” running sushi or whatever - cheap stuff, you’re gonna like it, but if you’re used to have a good sushi, not good). The show on a grill - that’s the only food they make there. Everything else (which is basically everything) is made somewhere else and they’re just bringing it to the restaurant via main door which I think is super disturbing and not okay - in my opinion… every food, every plate is brought from outside of the restaurant, covered with plastic cover (which you put on the food if you want to microwave it lol). If your seats are in front door, on a grill, all you can hear is opening doors all the time, cause it’s just behind you (like 1,5m behind you - yes VERY small place), and the clicking grill master.

According to the price list - we knew that is more expensive, but we were really expecting great sushi, which was not the case. They’re selling “wagyu” which is not wagyu, it’s a local meat (the only meat you can call wagyu is from Japan…okay maybe some from Australia - PLEASE, don’t sell your local beef as a Wagyu, because that’s not correct). Staff kindly point that this meet is but chewy, and luckily we did not even order it. But the sushi we’ve ordered was so not worth the money. I am sorry. (Plus you pay 21% as a tip (which I feel it’s funny - if you don’t like it there), and for tax.

I hope this will help you to decide. In my opinion, don’t. Its too expensive and poor quality of food which is not even made in the restaurant you are at. Its only for pictures, nothing else.

BTW we’ve paid around 1.000k RP WITHOUT DRINKS and afterwards had to eat somewhere else cause we were still hungry and not satisfied with...

I don't really like to write bad reviews, but this time it was really bad. I live in Ubud and have passed by this restaurant a few times - I liked it from the outside. I went there for dinner with my girlfriend. We wanted a Japanese atmosphere and to drink hot sake. But they don't serve hot sake (( We ordered two crab soups. They brought us small bowls, like for miso, where there were few crabs, a lot of seaweed and a lot of leftover crab shells that we had to spit out. I ordered the octopus, for it is hard to spoil. I saw how the chef flambéed it beautifully and it ended up tasting like burnt sweet soy sauce. My girlfriend ordered the rice with salmon. The salmon seemed to have been chopped to nano particles, for we couldn't find a single piece, but the waiter assured us it was there. Instead of bringing us extra salmon, she brought us rosé. After learning that there was no warm sake, I asked for Japanese whiskey. They didn't have Japanese whiskeys, which is also strange for a Japanese restaurant. In general, their selection of alcohol is more like a Balinese restaurant, designed for mass tourists. It was also a bit surprising that waiters are not very well versed in the contents of the menu and every time ran to clarify with the manager. Design and atmosphere is good, the restaurant has chances to become a cult, if they will settle the spirit and aesthetics of Japan and throw out the spirit of...