Datpho — Restaurant in Spring

Came here to eat, the waiter bothered us (and I’m not exaggerating) about every minute asking us if we’re ready to order, after that a different lady came, then a different guy; all asking us if we’re ready to order. We were waiting for a friend to finish a quick phone call, it was less than 10 minutes. 3 of us present and 2 of us ordered food, they kept asking if the third person wanted to order… he didn’t. They asked him a few more times so he’s getting annoyed. Fast forward to food arrival, the rotisserie chicken rice plate was below average, the chicken was just bone with incredibly hard pieces of meat to get out. I had to pick it with my teeth to get bare minimum meat. To top it all off, hair in my food. I’m Asian btw, from Singapore, I’m born in S.E.A; I know my Asian food. The other guest who ate, ordered Pho, she said it was amazing first bite, which may have been true until… she found hair in her food. Seriously?

This is the infuriating part, even though they literally could not leave us alone for the WHOLE TIME before and during our meal, once they saw we rejected our food and pushed it aside, they never came once. I’m talking there was genuine effort to avoid the table. Had to call a lady to the table, told her about the hair in the food, and she giggled and left. Okay that was surreal.. I’m already annoyed at this point by the way. I get up to go to the counter, I tell (what I assume is the manager or owner) what happened and there’s hair in the food. There was no reply, it was your emotionless fake FNB smile, literally nothing, no talk, no compromise just a weird smile like did you understand me? Paid $42 (they charged $5 for a small plate of extra veggies btw) at this point im like you know what, hell no you don’t deserve a tip, WE barley ate our food, there was a health code violation with hair, the service was freaking weird, we paid full price for a couple of bites, and there was no genuine attempt to communicate and compromise, like not even a discount? The evidence is on the table. We didn’t eat our food.

Anyways this is the icing on the cake, the entire reason I’m writing this review. When I decided not to tip after everything I dealt with and everything they didn’t deal with, he had the audacity to pick up and place the tip jar in a manner in front of us like he’s starving for tips and he deserved it. Shaking the cup for spare change vibes.

No you didn’t deserve the tip, that was bad and my last time going there. I hate to say that cause I’ve been there quite a few times before but this interaction was just...

TERRIBLE service and mediocre food. When I entered, I was directed to seat myself and shortly thereafter a waitress brought me a menu. She returned quickly to bring a glass of water and take my order, grilled pork bahn mi, beef stew, and Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. So far so good. I waited about 5 minutes for my sandwich which was smaller than I've had at other Vietnamese restaurants. Okay, not too bad because I also ordered the stew. It was okay, nothing special. I reminded her to bring the coffee. About 5 minutes later, another waiter brought my stew, but still no coffee. I asked him again to please bring it. By this time, I'd eaten my sandwich so started on the stew. This dish was VERY disappointing. I fished 3 huge chunks of pure fat out of the bowl before I even tasted it. 🤢 The few pieces of actual stew meat that were in the bowl were tender and tasty, but most of them were excessively fatty. The broth was overly salty and lacked flavor otherwise. I've eaten this before, at Hughie's, and their version is delicious with a balance of spices and no chunks of pure fat, so I am not a newbie to this dish. I only ate a few bites of Datpho's version. Finally, my waitress brought my coffee, already mixed and in a to go cup, which was a little weird but fine. The coffee was very good! Then, I waited for my check. And waited, and waited. I took my card out of my purse and put it on the table to indicate I was ready for my check. And waited some more. I kept trying to catch someone's eye, nothing! Eventually, the busboy came around clearing tables and I asked him if he could please tell my waitress to bring my check. He told me that I needed to pay at the bar/counter! What?!!?! I sat there for almost 15 minutes waiting! There was no indication anywhere that would have led me to expect I should pay at the counter other than being COMPLETELY deserted after I had received my food. I even told the waitress when I placed my order that I would probably need a to go container for the stew because I didn't think I'd be able to finish it and a sandwich, but as it turned out, I didn't want the leftovers anyway because it was not good. Regardless, I will never ever be back to this restaurant. I only went there in the first place because I was craving Vietnamese coffee and Bay Fusion is now closed except Thursday-Saturday for some strange reason. Anyway, next time I get a craving for Vietnamese, I'll wait until I can go to...

Let's start with the positives. The food at Datpho was undeniably good. The flavors were well-balanced, and the dishes were prepared with skill. From the sushi to the ramen, each item showcased the authentic flavors of Japanese cuisine. It was evident that the ingredients were fresh and of high quality. If you're primarily focused on the food itself, you won't be disappointed.

However, one major issue that overshadowed the positive aspects was the lack of servers. The restaurant seemed to be understaffed, resulting in frustratingly long wait times for both getting seated and receiving the food. This was particularly bothersome for customers who arrived hungry and were expecting a quick dining experience. If you're in a rush or have a tight schedule, it's advisable to choose another restaurant where service is more efficient.

In addition to the slow service, I found the overall experience to be average. While the food was tasty, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about it that would set Datpho apart from other Japanese restaurants in terms of quality or innovation. The menu offered a decent variety of options, but it lacked that "wow" factor or unique signature dishes that make a restaurant truly special.

Regarding the pricing, I found Datpho to be somewhere between expensive and average. While the food quality was commendable, the prices were slightly higher than what I would expect for a restaurant of this caliber. Considering the service shortcomings and the absence of standout features, I would have preferred more competitive pricing.

In conclusion, Datpho is a Japanese restaurant that serves good food, but it falls short in terms of service and overall experience. The lack of servers results in long wait times, making it an unsuitable choice if you're looking for a quick meal. While the food is enjoyable, it doesn't offer anything extraordinary, and the pricing leans towards the expensive side. I would recommend considering other options in the area for a more well-rounded...