Bali Asian Cuisine — Restaurant in Duluth

We stopped in tonight for dinner as we are from out of town and were looking for a good Asian restaurant. We drove by this one and it looked inviting and we found out it had just opened, so we gave it a shot. Overall, it wasn't terrible and it wasn't great. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt on this review because it just opened. First, our server was nice and the bartender was also great and friendly when he delivered our drinks. The restaurant looks modern and clean with a nice atmosphere. Looking for what to eat, we noticed a typo in the menu - repeating the description of the food item above it. I asked the server what was the description of the actual item since the menu had a typo and she had no idea. We then asked her how many lumpia come in an order and she told us 4-5, FYI it's 2. We ordered the lumpia as an appetizer. I ordered the spicy chicken basil rice bowl and my husband ordered the Mi Goreng with chicken. Our appetizer came out after our food, but we weren't upset knowing timing is probably something they have to get used to. The lumpia were good and warm and we had no complaints. My husband said his meal was okay, but nothing overly flavorful and a little dry. My spicy basil chicken was not spicy, nor had any basil on it. It actually came with cilantro - good thing I like cilantro. It was also very dry and lacked flavor. I asked for some siracha to add my own spice and that helped the heat level, but didn't help the dryness of it at all. The portions were fine. The biggest thing I would recommend is teaching all your servers the menu before they start serving or at least teaching them to go ask someone if they don't know the answers. She did not offer to check. Also making sure your dishes match the descriptions in the menu as far as actual item as well as if it says spicy to make it have some spice or the ingredients in the description. I know they are new and I hope these things improve over time. I am not opposed to going back next time we are in town to see if they have improved upon their opening week, but so far I was...

Absolutely unacceptable experience. I sat for over 30 minutes without being acknowledged, offered water, or given the chance to order—meanwhile, people who arrived after me were served first. After 35 minutes of being completely ignored, I got up and asked another server if I could place an order.

When I returned to my seat at the bar, the bartender—who had spent most of that time polishing shot glasses instead of doing their job—gave me a dirty look and insulted me for being “impatient.” After waiting 35 minutes, that’s beyond insulting. They then took it further and made a rude comment about my “work clothes.”

I left feeling humiliated, angry, and frankly stunned that any business would allow an employee to treat paying customers this way. I came in respectful and patient, and was rewarded with open hostility and public disrespect in front of other customers.

I had a long day, and all I wanted to do was have dinner…

I won’t be returning, and I’ll be sure to share this experience with others. If this is the kind of staff this place chooses to employ, it says a lot about how little they value their customers and a lack of discipline on this behavior.

UPDATE: Moments after posting this review, Aaron “BENSON” came over to me in person and escalated the situation by continuing with hostile insults and aggressive behavior. Despite previously ignoring me and claiming to be too busy to assist, he somehow found the time—while still on the clock—to confront me directly and threaten me to take down the review. His behavior was unprofessional, intimidating, and completely unacceptable. This encounter left me feeling deeply uncomfortable and genuinely concerned for my...

Arrived just after 8:00pm on a Saturday night. Place packed. By 9:00pm they were putting up the chairs. (Typical Duluth dining experience.) Ben, our server, was quite attentive, but we felt rushed (he asked if we wanted dessert before we were even halfway done with our food). When we finished our food, he promptly dropped the check with no mention of dessert. We stayed to talk until about 9:15pm, and the glares from the staff were felt all around us (we weren't the only table left, by the way). And then the temperature got really cold (we think they purposely opened the doors).

The green curry ("Mama Mus Curry") with vegetables ($15) was listed under the category of "authentic" dishes. The handful of veg was fresh, but the "savory curry" was so overly sweet and bland that we had to ask for something spicy to put in it. Luckily, Ben brought over a generous ramekin of chilis. Spring roll peanut sauce also way too sweet, as was the sauce for the "lumpia."

Adding sugar and restraining the spice/heat seems to be the approach here. Maybe because it's Duluth and that's what the owners think locals want? I couldn't say. But for a Saturday night out for two, after spending $75 (after tax and tip), and being rushed out of our seats, we...