Lehja Restaurant — Restaurant in Virginia

Arrogant, Incompetent Wait-Staff. Used Restaurant Dinnerware To Feed A Dog.

It is incomprehensible that a restaurant turns a blind-eye to bad employee behavior, and what exacerbates the frustration is that we are a community known for hospitality.

We visited last weekend during lunch and Lehja was the only restaurant in the mall that had availability - which should have been an indicator. We asked to be seated on the patio and they seated us at the far end of the fire-pit table with just one other couple on the other end.

He took our drink order - just water, and we ordered appetizers and the main course together as we were famished. The appetizer came out about 10 minutes later and we asked for the water. He returned with it 5 minutes later. Our entrees followed about 5 minutes after the water. Since they do not serve the lunch menu on weekends, and we ordered dinner portion entrees we expected full-size plates to eat from. They did not get us the plates even after asking multiple times. There were 4 servers who were sitting as there were only 3 tables occupied in the restaurant and on asking each one as they walked by for the plates - responded, "just getting it", "just getting it" and then disappeared. We used the small appetizer serving plates to eat our lunch.

To add insult to injury, our initial waiter was super chatty with the couple sitting at the far-end of the fire-pit - Possibly because they had a dog - he took the effort to bring rice in a dinner plate to feed the dog. My wife was aghast for two reasons - 1. the obvious one, but, 2. Should a restaurant be using the same dinnerware to serve humans and animals?

We asked for the check which took another 10 minutes and they then did not come to pick up the folio with the credit card from the table - we waited an additional 10 minutes. My wife got up, paid at the counter, and did respond "worst service ever" when the callous host asked "everything ok?". My wife has gone out of her way to over-tip during the pandemic as we realize how severely restaurants and staff were impacted. But she decided not to leave a tip at Lehja.

Lehja used to be a favorite of ours, but Sunny has let his crew run awry - and I think the emptiness of the restaurant on a busy Saturday reflected that. I hope they can course correct, else they run the risk the same path that other restaurants with similar behavior have experienced - a closing.

I would recommend Anant Indian Cuisine which is just outside the mall. Excellent food, caring owner, well-trained staff and rich...

I am sorry to say this, ordered lamb biryani and chicken biryani and ordered Gobi Manchurian fry. When the 1. Manchurian fry came its soggy, Both biryani Lamb and Chicken is not the biryani its the mixed rice with lots of white rice popping up!! I do not smell the aroma as you advertised in the menu card bot the biryani tastes no sort of authentic taste. I know the difference between DUM biryani and the mixed biryani, Mixed biryani should taste with juice of meat or with the ingredient,

I called the server and asked him, he said past 11 years we server like this, you need not want to pay, you can walk out. For this purpose I did not visit your place. I am going to pay for your service , I have all rights to ask what I need when you open for public,

I am total upset and this is not the right way of behavior of your server or manager. I felt its a racist activity. While stepping out, I wanted to understand what kind of food is it, try to check with the chef ,

One Mr. P. Singh that's all I understood from his accent, he is the Punjabi Indian Man. I tried to ask him and trying to describe the taste of the food. "I questioned him why the biryani or the meat is not juicy and why it taste like marinated sauce instead of biryani" first he acted as if he don't understand English, At least the chef would offer me a different kind of kindness activity, by offering different food for my family with kids during the lunch. Then he started behaving rude and trying to block my way when I tried to move out, that's total again racist activity by your Shu chef Mr. P. Singh.

Another employee is challenging me to visit again that he will teach me how to prepare or cook biryani. If he has real skills to do so, please invite me to teach the biryani, so I can know the standard of your restaurant Lehja @ Short pump, Virginia . We each took 3 piece of Gobi Manchurian fry, that upset our stomach and the biryani meat standards not good.

I think I need to recommend your restaurant to VDH (Virginia dept. of health), please do not disappoint...

Maybe it was just a bad night for them, at 6:30 pm. My husband was really excited to bring me here as our first meal in Richmond as a married couple (we just moved here). He had done a lot of research.

The experience from start to finish was mediocre at best. The drinks we ordered were given to the wrong table, and when we received them they didn’t taste like well crafted cocktails but rather something I (with no bartending skills at all) could have tossed together at home. Neither of us drank them after a few sips.

The food came out relatively quick, with small portions that didn’t fill the serving dish. The Chat De Jour being extremely cold (the plate seemed like it was frozen) and Gobi Manchurian in a small quantity with little flavor.

We ordered the assorted house Kebab medley and the Seafood Kerala curry - both of which were also served in small portion. The kebab medley came with a dip that tasted a lot like butter chicken, not served with any onions or garnishing like most other kebab comes with. I wondered why it didn’t come with raita, the butter chicken sauce over powered the taste of the assortment. The Seafood Kerala Curry was good, but there was more curry than seafood, leaving a lot of of the curry behind.

We didn’t order dessert because at that point I was so disappointment with the food I just wanted to go home. Wouldn’t recommend if you know what good authentic Indian food is supposed to taste like. I can understand catering to the area, I wasn’t expecting to compare it to what I’ve eaten in India, but this not it.

Also I want to mention a woman came in with her family and asked a staff member if there was a changing table in the bathroom for her baby. He replied no and I had to watch this mom put on their coats to take the baby to the car for a change. This was extremely disappointing to overhear. The lack of empathy the staff member had on top of this establishment not being family friendly is a huge huge disappointment. Families deserve essentials such as diaper changing tables...