Don Quijote — Restaurant in Vung Tau City

My partner and I visited this restaurant in early February of this year but did not post it until now so that I could reflect on my experience. It was a disappointing evening in so many ways, Gambo prawns starter very good apart from the potato/ croutons that were rock hard and inedible. The main was a seafood linguine that we both ordered which was packed with an abundance of fresh produce. However there was a distinct taste and smell that was not pleasant. We both could not eat it and returned both dishes explaining to the waitress our reasons. We asked for the bill to leave quickly and quietly. We were offered an alternative but did not want to continue as we had lost confidence in the venue. The bill came with no reduction whatsoever. This was followed by the (French) chef who handled the situation very badly. He was clearly affronted by our opinion of his dish and made out it was us not his freshly prepared dish that was the problem as no one had complained before. In my 60 years I have only sent back 2 previous dishes as I would rather eat and not return (I’m not a complainer) I told him I was prepared to pay the majority of the bill and left 65% of the total (only because I had no change) I stood to leave but was blocked from vacating the booth by the chef. He reluctantly moved and we left. This was not pleasant for either us or the other customers. Clearly this chef does not like criticism. Needless to say we will not return or recommend...

So the missus and I decided to give this place a go after reading quite a number of glowing reviews here, but also to take a wee break from vietnamese cuisine.

I'm not going to be brutal and harsh nor sound like an elitist a**hole, but I only want to be honest with our experience here- which was surprisingly underwhelming.

The seafood paella was lacking in flavour to the point where I had to constantly sprinkle copious amount of salt and pepper, which is rather out of character of me. The rice was soggy and the base was wet, staggeringly unusual considering that the paella is Spain's national dish, so getting this quite off is... perplexing. I'm no chef but I reckon what it really needs is perhaps more paprika, safron/sofrito and a more robust broth to elevate this dish.

Gambas was barely passable, however, what would probably help is searing the prawns beforehand. The accompanying sauce base is decentt but quite weak. The baked pieces of croutons(?) helped, but it probably needs more garlic, olive oil and paprika overall.

Finally the lamb chops. Though cooked just right at medium rare, a little more charring would've really help to lift it further. Also not sure what were the toppings on the tomato halves, but we didnt think they were necessary.

The only saving grace was the service and the complimentary home made fruity liquor. Then again it was a Monday night and it wasn't...

The food was the damn good. European style. Absolutely delicious! The service wasn't perfect, but wasn't bad either. The atmosphere ain’t bad. Wait till after sundown and get a table upstairs….very nice. Given what they had to work with, I don't think I could offer any suggestions to improve the atmosphere. The kitchen appeared the most professional kitchen I've seen in Vietnam. There were 4 or so 'Chef's', and they were using a variety of pots/ bowls will preparing orders. Also stove tops and oven. It sure appeared to me that detail was of great priority. The dish presentation was flawless. AND EVER DISH WAS SERVED AT THE SAME TIME. Scattered dish arrival is so common in Vietnam, and this restaurant allowed the whole table to enjoy a fabulous meal together. We had a party of 4 and every thing set on table was enjoyed, nothing left, and no hunger after the meal....decent portion size! I'm planning another trip to this city for the expressed desire to eat there again. And I have returned. Took a ferry from HCMC for the expressed desire for another meal. LOVED it. Worth it. I do not hesitate to recommend this joint. Have dinner here, I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Plan on...