Simmer Huang — Restaurant in London

IF YOU HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY, AVOID THIS RESTAURANT AT ALL COSTS!

Edit: Clearly, you've confused our review with someone else’s, as your response doesn’t even address our situation. We did not order from the buffet menu; we ordered each item individually. The issue is that your menu lists 'fresh tofu,' but what was served to us was fish tofu, which is completely unacceptable for vegetarians and people with fish allergy! If you had actually bothered to read my review carefully and look at the photos I posted, you would have understood the problem.

I am horrified by my experience at this restaurant and feel it's crucial to share my frustration. I've never felt the need to write a negative review before, but this place has earned it. From the moment we walked in, we were immediately told there was a time limit on our table. While I understand the need for such policies, it was far from the warm welcome I’d expect. I chose to overlook this, but unfortunately, the experience only went downhill from there.

We were handed a tablet to place our order and the waiter quickly rushed off without offering any assistance. Every time we needed help or had a question, we had to call him over, only for him to promptly leave again. This resulted in us calling him multiple times just to confirm if a dish was vegetarian — a situation that should never arise.

My boyfriend and I are strict, lifelong vegetarians. We specifically ordered FRESH tofu, yet what we were served was FISH tofu. We didn’t realise the mistake at first and ate it, assuming it was the fresh tofu we had ordered, as that’s what was listed on the menu. We had even noted our dietary restrictions through the OpenTable booking system. The staff’s failure to recognise this oversight is nothing short of appalling. How can a restaurant advertise fresh tofu and then serve fish to vegetarians?

The staff seemed completely uninterested in resolving the issue. They were defensive and insisted we had ordered fish tofu, despite there being no mention of fish tofu anywhere on the menu. In fact, there was no such dish listed at all. When we pointed this out, both staff members were left confused and unable to offer any reasonable explanation for the mistake.

Furthermore, we reminded them that this situation should never have occurred, especially since we had clearly stated our dietary preferences. It made us question the point of even having a dietary requirements section on their booking system when it’s clear the restaurant doesn't care.

This level of carelessness can have dire consequences for those with allergies. If someone with a fish allergy had eaten this mislabeled dish, they could have suffered a severe, life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. I am deeply concerned for anyone else who might fall victim to such negligence.

To make matters worse, the staff member, Rayan, who took our order, didn’t even offer an apology. Instead, he continued to be defensive, showing no remorse for the serious error that had occurred.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I unknowingly consumed the mislabeled tofu, and by the time we realised the taste was off, it was too late. What’s done is irreversible — we cannot undo the harm that’s been done. This is what upsets me the most, and it’s what makes this experience even more distressing. We are vegetarians for both religious and ethical reasons, so this was not just a mistake but a deeply troubling situation. Visiting Simmer Huang was an enormous mistake.

I’ve attached a photo showing the mislabeling: the menu clearly states fresh tofu, but the receipt lists it as fish tofu. While writing this review won’t undo what’s already happened, I feel it’s crucial to warn others. This level of negligence should never occur in any restaurant, and it is simply...

I cannot say I enjoyed my experience at Simmer Huang. Unfortunately the service was lacking for me. Although I had reserved a table, my family and I had to wait to be seated. I understand the restaurant was extremely busy and that is a testament to how good it is, but to reserve a table and still have to wait around 10 minutes is something I didn't understand.

Furthermore, the person who led us to our table took us upstairs, told us this is the table and immediately left without any sort of important information about ordering/how the simmer pots work. The waiter also did not come over to introduce himself or to inform us that the orders were to be placed via the portal after scanning the QR code. He was busy going up and down and doing other things and we had to wait to call him over and ask our questions. We also had to ask him to replace the jug of water that was left on our table from the previous customers. Ontop of that, before coming to the restaurant and before even booking a table, I had read on food bloggers/influencers pages that the chicken, beef and lamb were halal. However, this was not the case. I appreciate this information did not come from yourselves but I cannot understand why Muslim influencers were claiming all meat and chicken were halal when this wasn't the case according to the menu. Were they given special treatment for their visit? Our decision to visit Simmer Huang was based on Muslim influencers reviews, especially since they claimed the meat was halal. They had posted lengthy reviews with pictures and videos stating all meat and chicken were halal. I was quite disappointed to realise I cannot order any meat as it wasn't halal. Therefore, we were limited to chicken and seafood.

Once we figured out how to order (after waiting quite a while and without any knowledge on how the simmer pot experience works), we placed our order of various things including condiments. I think it's important for staff to explain how things like simmer pots/hot pots work when coming to a restaurant. Other places I have been to have had staff explain exactly how to use the hot pots and what their personal recommendations of cooking time are. We had no information given to us at all and every time I asked the waiter he was quite unhelpful and didn't seem to understand what we were saying.

Upon arrival of food, we managed to figure out the simmer pot ourselves and started eating. We even took the spoon and ladles out of the drawers ourselves as it wasn't taken out by the waiter. We only knew to do this as we had seen another table do it. Our condiments and kimchi also hadn't arrived. We asked the waiter to provide them as we had ordered them and he unwillingly provided us with a couple of condiments, the kimchi was not provided.

At the end, the bill was brought to me without me asking for it, which I felt was unprofessional and I felt like we were being rushed out. I checked the bill and the service charge had been added to the bill. I asked the waiter to remove the service charge as I felt it was unfair to have to pay this, especially when I ordered the food myself, I had to keep asking for things/find things myself from the drawers.

I did not feel the service was worth paying for, which is unfortunate because we thoroughly enjoyed the food despite the confusion and complications. I'm afraid I can forgive bad food for good service but I can't forgive bad service...

I recently visited this hot pot restaurant with a friend, and while the food was decent, the overall experience left a lot to be desired. It’s a pretty standard hot pot spot with standard ingredients, but honestly, there are better places out there for the same or even lower price.

The biggest issue was the service. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty (just us and one other table), the waiter kept forgetting to bring us our water. We had to remind them multiple times, which was frustrating. On top of that, some of the foods we ordered didn’t arrive until we asked about them repeatedly. It’s not like the staff were overwhelmed, so waiting 15 minutes for something as simple as water felt unacceptable.

The service also wasn’t very friendly, which really stood out. We were surprised when they added a 12.5% tip at the end. Yes, we know it’s standard practice in London, but it felt unwarranted here. All they really do is put the ingredients on a plate and bring them to your table. You cook your own food, after all. You’d at least expect friendly, attentive service for that added charge. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it.

That said, the food itself was okay. We had the chili stock and all the fixings, which were flavorful and satisfying enough for a typical hot pot experience. The standout, however, was the cucumber salad. It was absolutely delicious and probably the best part of the whole meal. I’d highly recommend ordering it if you decide to go.

We ended up paying £45 per person, which felt a bit steep given the level of service and overall experience. For that price, I would have expected more. Overall, I’d rate the food an 8/10 (it was good but not exceptional) and the service a 4/10. If you’re looking for great hot pot, I’d suggest exploring other options before settling...