Communal Table by Gēn 根 — Restaurant in George Town

To start with the conclusion,,, of course!!! I was very offended by the attitude of saying that I cannot agree with your review because other people were eating deliciously and happily when it came to evaluating the food, but the level of management at this restaurant speaks for everyone in the answer.

First, it is important to note that establishments do not receive the Michelin Guide upon their own request. Rather, it is a prestigious recognition awarded by diners and Michelin inspectors who evaluate a variety of criteria, including the quality of the ingredients, the presentation of the food, and the overall dining experience.

Yes. I completely agree!! That's because not only we but many other people trust and visit restaurants recommended by Michelin. We were on a week-long trip to Penang where we visited only Michelin-recommended restaurants. If the most recommended restaurant is recommended by Michelin, which has the most credibility, you must conduct business with a corresponding sense of responsibility. Your answer now, telling me not to comment on your food because it is a restaurant recognized by a media outlet with the highest credibility, is truly pathetic. Don’t you need to be more responsible and humble about your service, mind, and food? This answer of yours is truly at the level of a child whining.

During your visit, I've noticed that you referred to some pictures that are not part of our current menu. I understand that this may have caused some confusion, and I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. Additionally, I didn't receive any feedback from you regarding the dishes you ordered when my service team and I was serving the dishes.

Oh my goodness!!! Before you go to this restaurant, never visit it just because of its previous review rating or Michelin Bib Gourmand. I advise you to check the bad reviews before going. First of all, the restaurant concept is really cool, so I prepare for the meal with happy anticipation. And on my first visit, I was asked to order food by a gruff, unimpressed employee who responded to my questions in a robotic manner. I was very disappointed in the expression of annoyance at my question, but I waited for the food to arrive, imagining that the delicious food would be enough compensation. However, despite the beautiful plating, I noticed a strange smell in 7 of the 8 dishes I ordered. The ingredients were not fresh In the Jamon style pork dish, the odor of aged pork was not cooked right away and was already cooked a long time ago, masking the charcoal flavor and wrapping it in a strong sauce. I could no longer eat the fishy food due to the fishy smell, so I eventually reported this to the staff. But oh my god!!! The staff got irritated and responded by saying, “The other customers are happy and enjoying their food.” That would mean that not only I but everyone else I accompanied had strange tastes, right? The meal for three people came to a whopping $200 USD, but I left the restaurant feeling humiliated as someone who didn't know how to eat. It's a restaurant I chose, so if the taste doesn't suit me, That's because I'm responsible for choosing the wrong restaurant. It's okay if you don't go to that restaurant. However, to the guest who commented on the food, Because the food review was a bad comment The level of this restaurant that mocks its customers is Is this really a place worthy of Michelin...

We had our only bad meal here in 3 weeks of eating our way through Malaysia and Singapore (mostly hawkers with a few restaurants both regular and michelin thrown in).

I very rarely write bad reviews, but the disconnect between the price of this place and the experience has to be shared.

We booked for a set menu, which is usually 200RM per person, but we were informed on the day of our booking that the festive menu for new years eve was 250...

We arrived on time and had to wait 25 minutes for our table to be freed up. They sat us down in the corner so we could wait inside, but never offered us a drink or anything (I would have happily paid for one, or even a water). Throughout the night we saw others sat waiting for their tables, some as long as an hour's wait.

It was clear that they were having an off night and were struggling with new staff and running behind schedule on their bookings, but this doesn't excuse what was to come.

The snacks were a tofu burger and a bao - the bao was very dry, the worst I've ever had. The tofu burger was burnt and very hard to get through. We saw the table next to us eat the contents alone and send the buns back.

We saw waiters bringing in food from outside (presumably from their main restaurant downtown), and clearly they were re-heating it after having left it around too long between. We witnessed staff looking at recipes on their phones (concerning) and then going back to cooking without washing their hands.

To their credit, the contents of the dried bao and dried tofu were tasty, so you can see the potential of this restaurant. But that just gave us false hope that the meal would improve, when we really should have left then.

The entrees were actually okay, because they were the only two items that could sit around in a fridge or steamer without suffering too much. It was a cucumber salad and a seafood soup. Both pretty good.

The mains (duck and a claypot rice) were both luke warm, but tasty. I'd be perfectly happy if I'd have gotten them somewhere much, much cheaper, but it wasn't anywhwre near the quality you'd expect. We were pleasantly surprised with the duck being cooked correctly, the table next to us had duck that looked quite overcooked.

Both desserts were meant to have gelato but it came to us melted, basically milk. We didn't eat them and settled the bill instead.

We explained our disappointment about the meal and mentioned that we are from a hospitality background so could sympathise that it was a clearly a bad night for them, but given just how bad things were we did not feel comfortable paying the full bill and would like a discount. I'd like to stess I never do this as I can usually just accept a bad meal, but have never had this level of a poor experience at an expensive restaurant. To this they called the chef over who offered a measly discount and apologised, saying we should come again and give them another chance......

Overall Impression: Communal Table offers an adventurous menu aimed at providing a communal dining experience with a variety of local and exotic dishes. However, the execution leaves room for improvement, particularly in terms of seasoning and portion control. The concept is intriguing, but the reality doesn’t quite match the promise.

Dining Experience: The selection of dishes is broad, with highlights like the prawn fried rice and the soursop cream and jasmine cake, which was a standout dessert. However, the overall experience was marred by several issues. The stingray cracker, while adventurous, felt unnecessary and lacked a memorable flavor. The burnt leek, a seemingly simple dish, was notably underseasoned, detracting from its potential. The oysters we had at the beginning were great in texture but still lacked a certain umami depth. Additionally, the service, while efficient, was actually too quick, which rushed the dining experience. We decided not to order any mains because the portion sizes looked overwhelming, particularly the grilled pork chop, which we saw at other tables and seemed excessively large.

Conclusion: While the soursop cream and jasmine cake were delightful, the inconsistencies in seasoning and the overly rapid service detracted from the overall experience. Due to our dissatisfaction with the dinner, we asked if we could get reservations at their sister restaurant, hoping the chef might share his talents there more effectively. Unfortunately, they only offered a full tasting menu, and having already sampled numerous dishes, we simply didn’t have the appetite. Communal Table has the potential to be a standout dining destination with its unique offerings, but it needs to address these execution issues. Improving seasoning, especially for simpler dishes like the burnt leek, and pacing the service to allow diners to savor each course could significantly enhance the dining experience. Adjusting portion sizes to be more manageable would also help diners fully appreciate the communal dining concept without feeling overwhelmed. However, if you go and order a nice bottle of wine, it can elevate the meal and make the experience more enjoyable despite these shortcomings.

Also bad music.

I really wish this could have been better. Such high hopes. While we walked out the door we realised they don’t care.

*We were staying right next to their sister restaurant and decided to try and go there after dinner but they are closed today. So the servers knew nothing....