(Closed) Hua Zhu Restaurant (Closed)
4 Queen's Road
#02-101
Tel: 64794075
71%
17 Votes
Reviews
Overpriced, tourist/expat trap, poor service
30 Sep 2012Overall, this was really a bad dining experience for my family. Expats or tourists who are unfamiliar with but keen to try Chinese cuisine, please take my advice that you can have food that is much better at half the price elsewhere. Ask any local and I'm sure they can provide some recommendations. It amuses me too that the latest newspaper commentary on this restaurant was in 1988. If you like the quiet neighborhood ambiance, try something else in the area. I am writing this because no one should be paying such exorbitant prices only to get a false impression of good local food.
Food & Pricing
They should also have been more transparent with their 'miscellaneous' charges. Peanuts cost $3 per tiny plate, and there were 4 plates on the table when we sat down (i.e. $12). Wet towels cost $1.50 each. Thus, we paid an additional $24 for the 8 of us for things that we didn't request for nor need.
Food & Pricing
They should also have been more transparent with their 'miscellaneous' charges. Peanuts cost $3 per tiny plate, and there were 4 plates on the table when we sat down (i.e. $12). Wet towels cost $1.50 each. Thus, we paid an additional $24 for the 8 of us for things that we didn't request for nor need.
jonathan tan 960
does not recommend this place.
Overpriced, tourist/expat trap, poor service
30 Sep 2012Recommended by an expat friend and decided to give it a try, but it turned out to be my worst decision ever. Tucked in a neighborhood estate at Queen's street, it was mostly occupied by expats on a Sunday evening.
Food & Pricing
Food was mediocre and did not justify the exorbitant prices . Their signature prawns cost $34 for merely 10 small prawns (not fresh even though they proclaimed that they use fresh and not frozen prawns) that were soaked in sauce that was forgettable. Vegetables, pork ribs and tofu cost about $20 each for a medium sized portion, which was fairly reasonable but of very average quality, likewise for sea bass which costs $50.
They should also have been more transparent with their 'miscellaneous' charges. Peanuts cost $3 per tiny plate, and there were 4 plates on the table when we sat down (i.e. $12). Wet towels cost $1.50 each. Thus, we paid an additional $24 for the 8 of us for things that we didn't request for nor need.
Service
Took 45 mins for the first dish to arrive after we made our order, this even though the restaurant was only half full. Service was really slow and rude, and the chilli sauce that we asked for never came until prompted several times. We ordered fried fish but after an hour or so, we were informed that the kitchen made a mistake and steamed the fish instead, and was recommended that we take the steamed fish instead. Given our overall experience, this error by the kitchen staff could be considered relatively minor.
Others
We were also erroneously charged for the soup, and unfortunately we only discovered this when we returned home. We had ordered and were served the fish maw with chicken soup, which was supposed to cost $30, but realised that they had charged $42 instead, which was the price of fish maw in crab meat.
Overall, this was really a bad dining experience for my family. Expats or tourists who are unfamiliar with but keen to try Chinese cuisine, please take my advice that you can have food that is much better at half the price elsewhere. Ask any local and I'm sure they can provide some recommendations. It amuses me too that the latest newspaper commentary on this restaurant was in 1988. If you like the quiet neighborhood ambiance, try something else in the area. I am writing this because no one should be paying such exorbitant prices only to get a false impression of good local food.
Food & Pricing
Food was mediocre and did not justify the exorbitant prices . Their signature prawns cost $34 for merely 10 small prawns (not fresh even though they proclaimed that they use fresh and not frozen prawns) that were soaked in sauce that was forgettable. Vegetables, pork ribs and tofu cost about $20 each for a medium sized portion, which was fairly reasonable but of very average quality, likewise for sea bass which costs $50.
They should also have been more transparent with their 'miscellaneous' charges. Peanuts cost $3 per tiny plate, and there were 4 plates on the table when we sat down (i.e. $12). Wet towels cost $1.50 each. Thus, we paid an additional $24 for the 8 of us for things that we didn't request for nor need.
Service
Took 45 mins for the first dish to arrive after we made our order, this even though the restaurant was only half full. Service was really slow and rude, and the chilli sauce that we asked for never came until prompted several times. We ordered fried fish but after an hour or so, we were informed that the kitchen made a mistake and steamed the fish instead, and was recommended that we take the steamed fish instead. Given our overall experience, this error by the kitchen staff could be considered relatively minor.
Others
We were also erroneously charged for the soup, and unfortunately we only discovered this when we returned home. We had ordered and were served the fish maw with chicken soup, which was supposed to cost $30, but realised that they had charged $42 instead, which was the price of fish maw in crab meat.
Overall, this was really a bad dining experience for my family. Expats or tourists who are unfamiliar with but keen to try Chinese cuisine, please take my advice that you can have food that is much better at half the price elsewhere. Ask any local and I'm sure they can provide some recommendations. It amuses me too that the latest newspaper commentary on this restaurant was in 1988. If you like the quiet neighborhood ambiance, try something else in the area. I am writing this because no one should be paying such exorbitant prices only to get a false impression of good local food.
Russ
does not recommend this place.
Disappointed
02 Sep 2012Of the 200+ reviews I have written here, this must be the lowest ranking place I have written about
FOOD:
Crispy squid - OK not too bad $26 large portion did not look anywhere near large.
Moonlight noodles - OK quite fragrant and tasty portion was decent but not much ingredients other than noodles.
Signature prawns - $48 for 10 large prawns is an absolute ripoff - my one prawn was not really that fresh so obviously frozen stuff.
Kungpao Tofu - Absolutely tasteless no spice, no flavour. Very poor and $30 for about 15 pieces of tofu was another poor value
Mandarin chicken - Forgettable
Vegetables in garlic - $25 for a not so large portion of $2 worth of veg is another poor value
We left half full after spending about $250 for 10. Went to another place to top up.
SERVICE
Very slow - waited 40 mins for the drinks and an hour for the food and the place was only 1/3 full (all angmohs) and we asked to change tables and were not allowed to even though the food and drink had not arrived - was rudely told you sit where you reserved.... whoa ....
AMBIENCE OK can't really complain.
FOOD:
Crispy squid - OK not too bad $26 large portion did not look anywhere near large.
Moonlight noodles - OK quite fragrant and tasty portion was decent but not much ingredients other than noodles.
Signature prawns - $48 for 10 large prawns is an absolute ripoff - my one prawn was not really that fresh so obviously frozen stuff.
Kungpao Tofu - Absolutely tasteless no spice, no flavour. Very poor and $30 for about 15 pieces of tofu was another poor value
Mandarin chicken - Forgettable
Vegetables in garlic - $25 for a not so large portion of $2 worth of veg is another poor value
We left half full after spending about $250 for 10. Went to another place to top up.
SERVICE
Very slow - waited 40 mins for the drinks and an hour for the food and the place was only 1/3 full (all angmohs) and we asked to change tables and were not allowed to even though the food and drink had not arrived - was rudely told you sit where you reserved.... whoa ....
AMBIENCE OK can't really complain.
: Nothing
