XW Western Grill - JEM — Restaurant in Jurong East

Had a very unpleasant dining experience with this restaurant today. It was my first time after about a year since i last dined in this restaurant, before this i used to visit this place every few monthly and i am totally aware of the free slow salad bar condition (each customer has to order 1 main dish to enjoy the salad bar food).

Out of blue, I decided to bring a friend to try this place as I told him the food and price is decent and comes with free flow salad bar. When arrived, the shop was almost empty, and we stood in the shop to look at the menu, I wanted to check if the price has increased over the year, but shop manager was too eagerly asking us to sit down and told us all the prices are shown on the screen outside, yea but I was already in the shop and did he expect me to go back out to look at the screen?

While I was ordering using the QR code, I saw a promotion set of 2 ice lemon tea with 1 mushroom soup, I wanted to clarify some query, so I called the waitress who was standing nearby, day dreaming, she came to me with a sulk face and instead of answering my query, she told me that we can't enjoy the salad bar with only 1 main dish (I only ordered 1 main dish by the time I called her), I told her I understand and I am ordering the second dish, but I just need her to answer my query, in the end I didn't get the answer I want because obviously she didn't have a clue of what I'm asking so I told her it's ok and just before she left, she did not forget to "remind" me again that we can't have the salad bar with 1 dish. I felt insulted, moreover embarrassed that she made us looked like cheapskate people who can't afford 2 main dishes.

I proceeded to order the mushroom soup with 2 drinks promotion along with 2 main dishes anyway, when mushroom soup was served, we asked for a bowl so that we could share the soup (and obviously I don't think there is any wrong with it, the promotion comes with 2 drinks but 1 soup, so we assume its for 2 pax), then here came the shop manager again, telling us, the mushroom soup is not meant for sharing, we were puzzled, what harm could it cost to give us an extra bowl? I asked him, there are 2 drinks, obviously it's for 2 pax, so we can share the soup, then with impatient tone, he told me "why do you have to make things complicated? It's for 1 person, no sharing", at that point of time I realized its a waste of time to continue the conversation, so I just told him to leave it and he left without saying anything, not even a "regret for the misunderstanding caused, its our restaurant policy bla bla bla" kind of explanation.

We proceeded to finish the food, the taste was as usual, decent and I paid the bill, again its the shop manager, was waiting for him to say some good words but nothing from him, not even a thank you.

It's my last time for this shop until the shop manager and the unreasonable non-sharing mushroom soup...

13-Nov-2024

Fried fish fillet with Tartar sauce: 2.5-Star: Sizable, generous (but not really big) portion but the tartar sauce is lacking, thus my lower rating. For those who dun like to dip in sauces, then their ratings might be higher

Unlimited sides (finally, post COVID-19 era): 3.5-Star: Limited selection but all good for the price amd really unlimited as per my observation during passing by, thus, Mark my return after swearing it off

Service: 3-Star: Way much better than the last encounter. Nothing special but requests were attend to

Return: Maybe, if with friends looking for simple and affordable meals in the neighbourhood

3-Star: Sirloin steak: As the cut was thick and small as opposed as to regular thin and flat, the chef is able to cook it longer into a very flavorful touch. However, unsure if I shld blame the chef or server, the server ask me twice seperately how well I wanted "Medium Rare" but end up, I was still serve serve "Medium, close to medium well". 🤦🏻💆🏻‍♀️ Plus, there was absolutely no sides given but no since they offer unlimited sides, rite? Wrong, cover in next section,🤦🏻

1-Star: Unlimited Sides: I actually came specially for this marketing gimmick of "Unlimited Sides" but trust me it sucks, not the dishes but how unwilling the restaurant is about serving your sides... We R allow 4 sides in a row, they serve 2 sides & took very long time to serve the next 2... np, since just started my meal... After, I finished I order for another (paid seperately) soft drink, plus 4 sides, I only received 2 sides while a no of new customers already received their sides... I highlight to one of the server who note and keep serving sides to new customers... Pissed, I made another new 4 orders but continued to see even more new customers receiving their sides while I rcv nothing, despite asking the same server until I decide to ask another nice Malay female server wearing hijab take note & apologize. I finally got my total 6 outstanding sides throw to me for an unpleasant meal

0 or 1-Star: Service: When I first enter the restaurant, I was asked if this was my 1st visit and when I reply, "yes", I was clearly and politely explain how it works and how to order & I was so impressed by their service... Until, rite after my submission of my main order, everything went down the drain and I was basically ignore or thrown my dishes... Would have given 0-Star for their service if not for the saving grace of the Hijab wearing lady who really did highlight and ensure I got my sides & apologize to me while I was leaving the table to pay The pymt lady was one of the coldest and rude cashier I ever encountered but, nonetheless, I probably wld have been disgusted if they turns friendly again only at pymt...

I recently visited XW Western Grill with my family to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Since no prior booking was required, we decided to dine in and try their food for the first time.

Ambience & Service

The restaurant had a welcoming atmosphere with ample space, wide tables, and comfortable seating. One of the highlights was the complimentary salad bar. While the selection was somewhat limited, it included salad, sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, onion rings, corn, and watermelon—decent but nothing extraordinary. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures of the food or the ambience, but the setting was comfortable for a casual dining experience.

Food & Drinks

For my main course, I ordered the sirloin with black pepper sauce. While the steak itself was proportionate to the price ($20–$25), the presentation could have been better. It was served with just fries on the side, which felt underwhelming considering the cost. A more balanced selection of sides would have improved the overall experience.

We also ordered fish and chips, which was slightly tasteless and lacked seasoning. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, and I wouldn’t order it again.

The drinks were great and complemented the meal well. As for dessert, there were only three options: waffles with either chocolate or strawberry ice cream, garnished with a few berries, and a pudding. Unfortunately, the waffle was quite hard, making it difficult to cut through, which was disappointing.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would rate my experience 3.5 out of 5. The ambience and service were pleasant, and the steak itself was decent, but the limited side dishes, lackluster presentation, and disappointing dessert left room for improvement. The fish and chips, in particular, were underwhelming. Would I return? Perhaps, but not...