Bendi Wok n' Bar — Restaurant in Columbus

Bendi Wok n' Bar recently opened - and we were excited to finally have an Asian take away back in German Village after the loss of Happy Dragon. While Bendi is more expensive than the Dragon - it's also incredibly better. We tried to call and order for take away, but the phone rang busy for quite a while, so we made the quick drive over and ordered it to go in person. There are two entrances to the restaurant; 1 off the parking lot for dine in, then a door off of 6th Ave for take away. This was a great idea as it doesn't clog the front with people not wanting to eat in and your order is packaged and on the stand for a quick pay-grab-go. The restaurant interior is a huge improvement over the Dragon. Dark colors, high backed booths and bright drinks dominate the room. The Asian decor accents were tastefully done and seemed organic; not manufactured to remind you that you were in an Asian restaurant. For apps we ordered the Summer Rolls, and Pork Wings. The summer rolls were crisp and fresh with a tasty side of peanut sauce. The shrimp portion in the rolls were generous. Our only criticism is that they were rolled a little "loose"; a tighter roll compacts the flavor and texture. The pork wings WERE AMAZING. 4 huge "wings" made of dark flavorful meat with just the right amount of fat. Slow cooked and seared these were delicious and enough to make a nice little meal on their own. The slightly thin, but wonderfully salty and tangy sauce was a perfect offset to the umami pork. For the main course, we ordered Pad Thai with chicken. Bendi wants to have the best Pad Thai in the city and they are really close! Pad Thai comes in 3 heat levels; #1 is normal. #2 they described as "medium" but it was more medium plus and then #3 was described to me as "Thai hot". We ordered a #1 and a #2. Both orders were very nicely sized with plenty of chicken, noodles and sprouts. My only criticism, if there is one, is that I like mine a little more "eggy" but that's a preference and not indicative of something lacking from their recipe. The 2nd level of heat that I had was "medium plus" clearing my sinus' and leaving a warm tingle on the tongue that lasted from bite to bite. I always like heat for flavor and am disappointed when the spice overruns the taste of the meal. While this wasn't the case here for my palate, it was on the border. Bendi Wok n' Bar is off to a great start and we're very much looking forward to working our way through the menu. 5 stars; highly...

Tonight we ordered two curries and a noodle dish from from Bendi; and the food was exceptional. Very fresh and tasty.

Unfortunately, service was less than desirable. I placed my order online, and because the ordering platform at Bendi does not allow for scheduled ahead orders, I was forced to select ASAP, and I was quoted a 15 minute wait time.

After 15 minutes, I arrived to pick up my order. And ended up waiting for nearly half an hour—which happens, I know. But throughout my wait, I was met with averted eye contact and little else. No updates on when my order would be ready and no explanation for what was taking so long.

It’s a small inconvenience, but one that could have so easily been avoided. If Bendi allowed for scheduled orders, or used a platform that takes volume into account when quoting wait times, I would have not spent 30 minutes waiting. It’s frustrating when you’ve left a tip along with your order, only to be treated like a problem that staff can’t wait to get out the door. My opinion is that a customer who leaves a tip on takeout deserves communication. Nobody was bussing my table or taking my order. I left a tip because I was expecting to receive good customer service.

Had I received an update on my order, I might have had the opportunity to order a drink and make the most of my wait. Instead, I sat there, as servers walked by carrying other customers orders and avoided eye contact with me. Just...

If I could rate Bendi Wok n' Bar negative stars I would. My boyfriend and I went here last night figured it looks nice and haven't heard anything bad about the restaurant.

For starts the portion size was beyond small but were the problem was the heat level. We are typically spice lovers but figured since it was our first time trying the place we would go with a level two. I got veggie fried rice which was beyond greasy and only came with onions, eggs and tomatoes. When I asked the waiter for veggies. My boyfriend ordered the General Tso's Chicken at a level 2 and was inedible to eat. It caused him to break out in sweats and just couldn't eat anything from the dish. A complete WASTE OF MONEY.

Fast forward to why I am writing this review. We woke up this morning with the worse stomach cramps fearing what is to come next from the food at Bendi. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT GO THERE. While the place has been renovated from the well missed Happy Dragon I would not recommend this place to anyone. NO flavor besides unbearable spice, customer service was poor, portion sizes (if the food was edible was too small) overall the experience was just disappointing and to feel sick in the morning from what I did consume is just the icing...