GONG — Restaurant in Orihuela

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with a recent dining experience at your restaurant, coupled with the unacceptable delay in responding to my emails over the past 16 days. Despite several attempts to contact the restaurant for an explanation, my efforts have been ignored, leaving me no choice but to express my grievances through this review.

Our dinner initially proceeded without issue, including a starter, main courses, dessert, and drinks, served by courteous staff. However, the evening took an unpleasant turn after we paid. We received the customary complimentary chupitos, which we had received on previous visits every time we came to the restaurant (usually our bill was around 100 EUR or more, this time around 56 EUR). Although one waitress confirmed that they were indeed complimentary, another later presented them with a bill. Upon our inquiry, she apologized and acknowledged that the shots were free. After an additional ten-minute wait, we decided to leave since we paid a bill.

To our dismay, as we departed and walked for a few minutes, a woman—who seemed to be the chef and possibly the owner—confronted us aggressively, accusing us of failing to pay a bill. This confrontation was both shocking and humiliating. She rudely dismissed us with a culturally insensitive remark, stating, "This isn’t some Asian restaurant where they give out free chupitos," which was not only offensive but also blatantly untrue. We ended up leaving six euros with her and another waitress in our confusion and distress.

The chef's behaviour was grossly unprofessional; she laughed and yelled hysterically, giving the impression of instability. Further research about the restaurant revealed her likely role as an owner, which is deeply concerning. Additionally, she insinuated that complimentary chupitos are selectively offered to favored guests, implying a personal dislike from the staff towards us.

We were compelled to pay an extra six euros but it's not about many, it's about the chef's disrespectful outburst on the street. This experience was extremely disappointing, and I feel great sympathy for the employees who have to work under such a volatile owner.

I will not be returning to your establishment and do not recommend it to others. I cannot support a business where the chef/owner is having a meltdown in the middle...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

We dined at Gong in Playa Flamenca recently, three of us together, and as long-time guests (especially before Covid), it was a pleasure to return. We’ve always appreciated Gong’s ability to blend fresh, light Thai-inspired cooking with creative twists, so we were curious to see how the current menu fared.

Starters:

Korean Nachos came with generous toppings, though the subtle crisps and herbs were a little overshadowed by a heavy, spicy minced meat.

Sichuan Dumplings were otherwise enjoyable, though the herbs and spices (ginger, spring onion, crispy chilli, garlic) tasted slightly burnt, which detracted from the balance.

Bangla Fried Chicken was excellent – fresh, light, perfectly cooked, and beautifully paired with a mild blue cheese dip. Easily the highlight of the starters.

Main courses:

Roti Roti Tuk Tuk was rich, creamy, and filling. The “rotisserie” chicken felt more like it had been sous-vide, while the broccolini and potatoes seemed to disappear into the sauce.

Beef Cheek Khao Soi featured beef that was cooked to absolute perfection – tender and flavoursome – but again the thick, creamy sauce overwhelmed the vegetables and garnish.

As much as the flavours themselves were pleasing, overall the dishes leaned heavily toward cream-based sauces, which left the meals feeling weightier and less vibrant than the Gong we remember fondly. In the past, the cooking here shone for its freshness and lightness; today, it seems to have moved closer to a Westernised style.

A small suggestion: printed menus or online photos could be very helpful, as it would allow guests to identify which dishes are cream-based and make choices accordingly.

In summary: Excellent service and warm hospitality as always. Some dishes still show Gong at its best (the Bangla Fried Chicken was superb), but overall we found the current menu too creamy and heavy, leaving the fresh ingredients somewhat hidden. We will certainly return, but will likely look back to some of the lighter, pre-Covid classics that first made Gong a favourite.

P.S. I should mention that we have dined at Gong on multiple occasions over the years. However, it was only after Covid that we noticed a marked shift in the cooking style, with the dishes gradually becoming richer, weightier, and noticeably...

I don’t usually write reviews, but I felt it necessary on this occasion as I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through the same experience.

I visited Gong last night with a group of friends, really looking forward to the meal, especially as I’d been before and had no issues. Unfortunately, this visit was a very different story.

The first problem arose when one member of our party received their food well before the rest of us, which was clearly a mix up. Honest mistakes happen, and we would have been understanding had there been any real effort to rectify it. However, the rest of the meals didn’t arrive for another 40 minutes, meaning that most of our party waited over an hour and half in total to receive any food. This was especially frustrating as we hadn’t ordered a set menu, just main dishes.

We placed our food order at 9:30pm and didn’t receive all the food until almost 11pm. By that time, it was so late we could hardly eat. Had we been offered some form of compensation while we waited, even a small side dish or a drink it would have definitely improved the situation. But nothing was offered, and when we raised the issue with the waitress at the end of the night, we were met with little sympathy and no real effort to address our concerns.

I completely understand it’s a busy restaurant, but waiting over 90 minutes for a simple main course, with no gestures of goodwill, is simply unacceptable. To add to the frustration, when we tried to settle the bill, no one seemed to be around to help with that either.

Such a shame, as this could have been resolved so easily. Sadly, I won’t...