Hutong 胡同小酒馆 — Restaurant in Madison

*Decided to write an update to my initial comments after google map notified me that people are reacting to my review all of sudden. *

I was fairly surprised to see the extensiveness of the defensive reply from the owner. I feel bullied somehow. But I still hold firm that the tomato beef noodle soup, the only item I tried, did not meet my expectation for $20 price tag, and my comments were consistent with others who commented on this particular menu item.

Yes, I "only spent 29.54 + tips" as the owner said. It feels to me that in the owner's mind, I am not eligible to comment since I didn't spend hundreds. To be fair to the owner, I didn't try other items. But I was just comment on my experience about the particular item I did try. I do not see any problem with it, or it has anything to do with how much I spend.

Yes, I am ethic Chinese. But to any business, I am FIRST a paying customer, my ethnic or country of origin shouldn't be mentioned or exploited to influence rating.

The owner left my name in multiple comments, I assume it was obtained from the credit card receipt alongside with the $amount I spent. The name-calling fashion of responding to customer's negative experience is a serious violation of privacy. Federal law protects consumers’ private information from being disclosed on credit and debit card receipts under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). Pursuant to FACTA, merchants are not permitted to disclose any part of info of the transaction. As a business owner, please be aware your action was unlawful.

You have a great restaurant with good ratings and customer base in a mid-west college town. It is beyond comprehensible to me regarding how defensive/combative you are towards feedback, and actively trashing negative comments. Your way of reacting leaves potential customers a bad perception.

Not that it will matter but reducing my rating to 1 star from 2, based on how the owner's interaction with customer The $20 tomato beef soup noodle is quite a disappointment. Too bad I didn’t take a photo of it, but I think google maps housed enough photo of this particular item already.

Here are my thoughts - the soup base was generic, the tomato chunks were added as a afterthought (probably shared the soup base with beef noodle soup). The tomato was likely canned tomato, without much flavor or texture.

Four slices of beef, that’s it. If you ever order that in Boston or Chicago or any major city’s Chinese restaurants, you’ll get many big chunks of stewed beef. Especially at 20-buck range.

The Bok Choy- the veggie should be there to serve as a contrast of color- green vs. red tomato soup base. You won’t see any leaf, just chopped up bottoms of bok choy stem. Where is the leaf? If you don’t know what I mean, simply search “tomato beef noodle soup” in google image and pick any one to compare with theirs.

I have to say the service is good, the ambience and decor was great. The chef should be replaced, and some serious thoughts of dish presentation should be given. Especially charging at high end pricing.

Therefore, my 2-star rating - mismatched food quality...

Shame on you!

Will never visit again and wanna people know this ‘famous’ restaurant a little more based on what happens on me.

I have visited here last week, and check my credit card statement is $4 more than what I signed with tips. $4 is a small amount, but that action is unbelievable. I never meet that before. It is fraud actually. Be careful to keep a copy of the receipt you sign and remember the tips you signed.

Actually I do not care $4, but this action is first time happens in restaurant, it is unacceptable.

So I called the restaurant to told them this thing. And I found more than what I expected.

The man who pick up the phone first did not admit that we visit there last week. Then he said why I give less than 18% tips, he said no one give tips less than 18%. He keep blamed me give less than 18% tips. He never think charge more money than what you sign is wrong and I did not hear any sorry but a lot complains.

I said your accountant give me the wrong statement. I only order two beef noodles, but she charged me for 3 noodles. And I found it and ask her to adjust it. (I found it since a noodle is $17 you can easily feel the total amount is wrong)

Be careful! They will try to charge you more on the bill. Check your bill before you sign. And they want to fraud you as more as they can. Not only tips but also bills.

Also, the guy who picked up the phone is very rude. I guess he is the chef who mentioned in the previous reviews that the chef chase them a block after leave the restaurant.

That is ridiculous and your license should be revoked.

Received the reply from the shameless owner, they did not say sorry for their stolen action and their rude replies. The owner has no sense of shame. Do you really think that we care about the candies you gave to us? Do you really think that all people should force to pay more?

With a friendly reminder to you, we called your restaurant in a polite way to talk maybe you need to pay attention to the accountant and never think to have the rude reply back and you even did not admit that we went to the restaurant, and HELLO, right now you know we went to the restaurant? Is that what one of your strategies to reply to the one star review? First to say, "you did not come to our restaurant, we never serve you"?

Shameless people ever! So disgusting!

This just a reminder to people, if you still need to go this disgusting restaurant, at least pay attention to your bill and later...

I swear this place was on Willy st during the Pandemic but it's now near the Essen Haus. I don't know if this was by design or the original building was like this already, but I was greeted with a Hutong like alley when stepping through the first door. It's very nice to see the attempt at reproducing the Hutong ambiance with Chinese arts and calligraphies hanging in the wall. You'd see "please wait here to be seated" sign there but no one would get you. I instead had to open their 2nd inner door to get to their actual dining area. Oh you'd also be greeted with some Chinese incense, in the waiting area as well as their dining room. I kinda like the smell but I know some may find it too strong.

The menu doesn't have a lot of options listed. I'd recommend looking it up online first before heading there. Make sure you actually like the choices, most of which I'd call Asian bar food. This is NOT a diss. It's certainly a surprise to me but I don't mind it at all. They didn't have their famous spicy beef noodle soup. Instead they had some kind of lamb shank soup noodle. $16 with no veggies or meat. The soup was fantastic. Noodles were tender. I highly recommend, but make sure you get something else too otherwise you'd leave without feeling full. They also sell the actual lamb shank on the side, for the same price as the noodle soup. I also got their daily special, which was sweet beef rice bowl. It's like Lu Rou Fan if you know what this is. I think the sweet beef bowl originated from Japan. The bowl was very good too. The beef was thinly sliced, tender and juicy.

I didn't take any pictures. Very unlike me. But the place was dimmly lit so pix wouldn't turn out well anyway.

Oh I almost forgot. I got their lamb skewers too. $4 a piece with minimum of 3 to order. They were very very good as well when hot/warm.

The 1 less score was because the portions and ingredients don't quite match the prices. I wasn't full after eating all that. I'm a small (Tinder scale) 5'8 guy. I enjoy the flavors of every dish. Overall I had a good...