Asian 1 Restaurant Bellingham — Restaurant in Bellingham

Warning for large groups of customers! We used to love coming and eating at this store but are really honestly blown away at how horrible of service we received as customers from the hostess...Last Sunday at 11:45 we called because we had wanted to come in to celebrate for a family event and told them that we had a group of possibly 12-15 people and the hostess from the beginning was very rude and basically made it sound like she didn’t want to deal with a large group and I told her I of course understand the wait time and we where fine with waiting and she INSISTED that it would be at least and HOUR OR MORE to sit us. my sister went ahead of us to even put our name into the book so we could give them plenty of time to get ready when we get into the restaurant it was not busy at all with plenty of seating yet the hostess continued to ignore us when the sign directly at the door says “maximum seating 150” and when we counted how many people where in the restaurant there was only 27! AND it was incredibly slow because they had a sign saying no sushi was being served so people wherent coming in and it was SLOW... I wanted to get the hostesses name but she didn’t have a name tag and literally ignored us for over an hour and when we asked “it’s so dead can you sit us?” She said she needed to wait for enough seats even though there was clearly only 27 people in the restaurant!! She was super rude and basically acted like she was hoping we would leave and I understand because I’ve been in the service Industry that big groups aren’t fun but as a hostess it isn’t your job to decide for your employee who you are going to take as a customer it’s your job to problem solve and offer good customer service for your establishment...we had young babies with us and it was obvious to her that we where getting a little confused and disgruntled and she literally just stood at the hostess table not looking at her seating chart or even trying to discuss with the floor manager how can we make this work? She blatantly ignored us... and on top of that none of the waitresses tried to come over and offer a solution.. eventually my brother In law confronted her and she got very defensive to which he said there’s obviously room she was seating groups of 2 people at tables meant for 5! Before us and told her we where going to sit ourselves at two separate tables that she could have easily sat us within 15minutes of us arriving but literally as if she was being purposely making us wait for over an hour and a half to sit us when she could have easily sat us down and gotten us fed and out of the restaurant within that same hour... and when she did seat us she was very rude about how we needed to stay at our separate tables... the food was fine but the overall service was horrible and it seems like a lot of their once stable staff has been replaced ... very disappointing that this restaurant would allow their hostess to treat customers this way... so be warned if you come in with a large group you could be treated poorly... we came in being very polite and understanding and we wherent rude just honestly really confused as to why you would treat your customers that way ESPECIALLY when it was PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THAT THE...

This place has unfortunately gone downhill. I've been a fan of Asian1 for years, minimum 5, coming here almost weekly or the Burlington location. Lately every time I come into the Bellingham location I not only note the higher price versus the other location, but I've been noticing less capable service (the hostess literally seems high all the time, she's there every week and it's like talking to someone who isn't there). Today I ordered dinner portion food and was short on food. Both the kitchen manager and front end manager apparently decided that was not the case but I order usually the same thing habitually so I am not a complete new kid. Whether they are saving money by portioning smaller or they wouldnt want to admit their mistake, I am not sure. With the free rice that was included by request during lunch hour, the container barely looks full (although I paid 4 dollars extra for the dinner). I asked to be given the difference, tried not to shed a small tear, and just was disappointed by them not offering to right the situation beyond saying "that's how it is". The host did offer to have them add more but as it was my lunch hour I was just hoping they would be understanding of my lack of time to wait and would hope I could just get charged for the lunch portion. My review is based over the last few awkward encounters at this location. Their food tastes good and I normally dont complain about that, just the service (to myself privately), but today the pad se eew I ordered looks dry and sparse. I will leave a good review for the Burlington location, their staff deserve praise, but I will be no longer going to this one due to service. I work blocks away so they may miss my continued patronage? Who knows. I said that last time I came here I wouldnt go again but I chose against my better judgement and this...

I went to this restaurant at lunch time. It was a cold rainy day and I just wanted to grab something to eat kind of on-the-run. So I ordered the orange chicken to go. They don't seem to keep cash near the front so the hostess went off to get my change. While I was standing there, I decided it was quite nice, there were a couple of nice tables available and that I would eat in, instead of take-out. It was a cold rainy day - much more pleasant to be in a warm restaurant.

So when the hostess came back I said I had decided I'd like to eat at one of those tables instead of taking out. She informed me I couldn't! The owner has a rule that if you get take-out, you can't then eat in the restaurant. I get that they don't want people in there eating out of packages, but I wanted my meal served to me....to eat in the restaurant like many people were doing. But no - not an option - there's a rule. If you order take-out, you must take out. No changing your mind. There's a rule.

Seriously, this is true. It really happened.

Instead of having my meal put on a plate and bringing it to me at a table, they packaged it in 2 styrofoam containers and my salad was in cardboard. And then plastic ware to eat it with. And a bag to put it all in.

If I had been 'allowed' to eat at a table, they would have put it on a plate. I would have ordered a beverage and possibly a dessert. Someone would have gotten a tip.

But this senior citizen took her bag and went out and ate in the car on a cold rainy day, facing the windows of the restaurant. Because there is a rule.

I will never go to this restaurant again. I tell everyone I know about this and they will not go there.

How's that rule...