Assal Pastry — Restaurant in Irvine

DO NOT SHOP HERE! THE OWNER (MARYAM) AND EMPLOYEES LIE TO CUSTOMERS! The employees and owner, Maryam lie and mislead customers, engaging in fraudulent misrepresentation. My mom came here a week ago to purchase about 4 lbs of dried sweets. The employee working at the time encouraged my mom to purchase the "white boxes" which was a pre-made assortment of cookies that weighed "2 lbs for $20" and it was a better deal than my mom selecting specific cookies that she wanted. She trusted the employee and purchased 4 boxes, thinking she bought 8 lbs of dried sweets. When she got to the event, the caterer asked if these were in fact 8 lbs since it was a lot less and weighed the boxes. The boxes were actually 1.5 lbs instead! They intentionally lied to my mom to thinking she was getting a deal, when in fact she didn't and ended up getting a pre-made assortment that she wouldn't have otherwised purchased, had it not been for the employee encouraging her to purchase them since she would receive a better discount on it. My mom called the owner to complain about this and Maryam told her to come back to the store to receive 2 lbs of dried sweets that was missing. When my mom and I arrived at Assal, Maryam was not there, but the employee working called her to verify we can get 2 lbs of sweets compensated for our troubles. We explained to Maryam on the phone that we drove an hour to pick up sweets because 1) she told us to, and 2) because her employee lied in order to make a sale. Maryam's response was "ohh maybe the worker was tired, and mistakenly take 2 lbs instead of 1.5 lbs - I don't owe you a single thing!" She was extremely rude, unprofessional, and her tone was disrespectful. Not once did she apologize or acknowledge the mistake on behalf of her employee. This is fraudulent misrepresentation and the owner, Maryam, should be held liable for not training her employees and should be responsible for their actions as their employer. The right thing to do here was to provide us with the promised 2 lbs of sweets. Otherwise, we would not have driven one hour to be berated and insulted by...

I regret to inform you that we encountered what can only be described as the worst customer service experience ever. On [Date of Purchase], we visited your store and purchased a cake the cake we purchased did not have the ingredients listed, as is customary and necessary for individuals with food allergies like myself. Despite assuming that the cake was a regular one, it later became evident that the cake contained walnuts and hazelnuts, to which I have a severe allergy.

The absence of clear labeling on the cake packaging regarding the presence of nuts resulted in a grave oversight on your part, leading to a severe allergic reaction that required immediate medical attention. The lack of transparency and communication regarding potential allergens in your products not only jeopardizes the health and safety of customers but also violates basic consumer rights.

Furthermore, the unhelpful attitude displayed by your staff, including the manager on duty, during our ordeal only exacerbated the situation and left a lasting negative impression. It is unacceptable that such negligence and lack of professionalism are tolerated within your establishment.

I urge you to take immediate action to rectify this matter and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. As a conscientious consumer, I implore you to review and enhance your food safety protocols, ensure transparent labeling of all ingredients, and provide comprehensive training to your staff on handling allergy-related issues with compassion and efficiency.

I trust that you will treat this matter with the seriousness and urgency it warrants and provide a prompt response outlining the steps you intend to take to address these concerns. Your cooperation in this regard is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I look forward to hearing...

MOLDY FRUITS on top of DRY sponge cake soaked in syrup. I don’t understand what kind of cake can be both spongy looking and taste like wet cardboard. Do yourself a favor and buy your cake ANYwhere else. We bought a big cake for my dad s birthday. When we cut the cake, there was brown oxidized banana slices in the middle. The fruits on top look good only on the top because of the gelatinous sauce, the bottom is covered with white and gray mold! Even the green grapes are brown and mushy on the bottom and you know it takes a few days for grapes to go mushy! We called the bakery the next day they rudely denied they sold us an old cake! They said they make their cakes every day! Look at this cake and tell me if it’s fresh! You decide by looking at the pictures I posted. We are gonna throw the rest of the birthday cake away for our own health since they tell us no refund even if we bring the cake back with receipt. We unfortunately served 3 people before we realized the fruits were moldy. We are never coming back for anything when a business is not trustworthy. I get it, mistakes happen so if you sell us an old fruitcake just...