T.D.Cafe — Restaurant in El Monte

First time coming. Not good. Bad.

Getting our number was confusing as the counter to get our number was also the counter for payment. It was also in an inconvenient place, inside around the corner, behind the empty food display.

There is no waiting area inside the restaurant. Anyone waiting for their table has to wait outside, IN THE RAIN.

Seat attendance called for number 41. We were 42. She proceeded to call 43. Skipping our number entirely. It's not a great first impression.

There are only 3 waiters for the entirety of the restaurant. Tables are spaced out too wide, so walk time for waiters is long. Waiters are sending food to the kitchen on only TWO computers. One really far away from the table in the corner and one hand-held tablet. Wait time for food order is exponentially longer. We waited 25 minutes, upon sitting down, for someone to take our order.

Getting our food is even longer than 25 minutes. The kitchen staff is overworked and understaffed. Food was coming out of the kitchen at a very slow rate.

During our wait for our food. We saw 3 different groups of customers get into a verbal argument with the staff over a certain dispute. We even saw the kitchen manager get into a verbal scolding with the employee at the front desk. It's not a good look for a restaurant that just opened.

While waiting for the food. The 3 waiters were walking back and forth with plates of food to empty tables or tables with different group of customers. The customers were fed up with having little to no food for upwards of 35 minutes. I counted 4 times that waiters were bringing food back to the kitchen. Saying in Cantonese, "The customer already left."

When the food did come. It was of small portions and giant disappointment. The plate of rice was pitiful for anyone's appetite. The meat portion was laughable for a "lunch special." The only saving grace was the sauce on the vegetable entrée. At least, they got the most basic dish, correct.

Absolute disgrace to Cantonese Cuisine.

We ordered 3 entrée. Notice how's there's only 2 pictures of entrée available. They forgot one entrée and refused to take it out of the final total. Had to manually take out of the final total and pay the difference.

Disgrace of customer service.

At $11.99 per dish, I can get a much better deal with much better portions at other better...

First time here for lunch. Place: great place and spacious, comfortable seats, lovely chandelier Food: very good quality and proper portion! Authentic Hong Kong recipe (as we are from Hong Kong)! Unexpectedly tasty! We ordered baked pork chop rice in tomato sauce, and stir fried beef flat noodle! Both are delicious Service: it is the main part of losing 2 stars overall as obviously it was under manpower! Only the front desk lady took order for the whole restaurant! No one ever came to your table to ask for us! We had to walk to the front desk to ask her to take order! If you need anything, no one would serve you or they pretended didn’t see us Price: very good price that is the remedy of their poor service. Pork chop rice was $11.90 and stir fried beef flat noodle was $12.90. We are from Orange Country there’s no way that we could have this price level at all

Overall, we think we would go again with the expectation that they would have better manpower to serve customers.

P/S They have bolo bun complimentary only if we eat up to $30!!

Last but not least, the perfume that the front lady was wearing was suffocating!!! I could smell her a table away, that’s super non...

I just dine in at this cafe at 1/21 (Tue ) 6:00pm. Tried to order claypot rice (煲仔飯) the waiter ( a guy with a black cap also with the black flame glasses ) said they were not make claypot rice at this time because the kitchen were so busy and short staffs. I told him I don't mind to wait for an hour but he still said kitchen (chefs) were not going to make it. I understand that then I ordered the other items instead. But I found out later the other two tables came later than us but the other waiter took their order for claypot rice. I asked the same waiter who took my order why is not fair and he told me depend on the chef in the kitchen want to make it or not? OMG, what kind of explanation is that? I never asked for customers service in those kind of Chinese restaurants or cafe because those discount prices you cannot expect a lot. All I ask for is be fair to treat the customers. I think was depend on he would like to take the order or not. I was so pissed and decide to tell all my friends don't even try...