"To break it down, one star goes to the food – the quality, flavor, and portion sizes were good, and our meals came out quickly. Another star is for a Chinese gentleman, whom I believe is the owner or manager, who was patient and attentive.
My husband and I are on vacation in Kentucky for only a few days, and this was our first time visiting both the state and this restaurant. We were looking forward to having a great experience. I’m not much of a drinker, but I wanted to enjoy a drink with my husband. I attempted to order a $6 sake, which was listed at the top of the menu. Instead, the waitress, who had limited English skills, recommended a $14 sake, but she couldn't explain the difference. I decided to stick with the $6 option, and I made sure to clearly point to it on the menu. She confirmed my choice by repeating it back and writing it down.
When the food and drinks arrived promptly, we enjoyed most of it, except the hibachi steak, which was overcooked and tough despite being ordered medium. I had a half bowl of miso soup in front of me, and while I was eating my salad, the waitress abruptly took my soup away without asking. I had to stop her and let her know I was still eating, and she placed it back on the table without any comment.
Later, the check arrived, unrequested. I noticed that the sake charge was for $14, and the brand on the receipt was different from what we had received. I politely asked the waitress about it, thinking it was a simple mistake. To my surprise, she raised her voice and insisted that it was exactly what I had ordered, claiming I had agreed to take the $14 sake. This escalated as she called over another staff member, who approached us with a visibly annoyed expression, holding the empty sake bottle and accusing us of trying to pull a fast one after having consumed the entire bottle.
I calmly reiterated that I was simply trying to clarify our order. This led to the second waitress giving us a disdainful look, rolling her eyes, and dismissively saying it was fine before walking away to get a corrected check. After we paid and left a tip, the first waitress came back to us, repeating that the mistake had been corrected and insisting we shouldn’t dwell on it. Her loud, fast-paced speech drew the attention of other customers, making it seem like we were creating a scene instead of simply seeking clarity about our order. I was left speechless and frustrated.
We were on vacation and did not care about a few extra dollars. If they had been courteous, we wouldn’t have minded paying the correct amount at all for their misunderstanding. In the end, the Chinese gentleman kindly spoke with us, apologized, and explained the situation.
Overall, this was an unpleasant experience that unfortunately marred our last day in Kentucky. It felt ironic that in an Asian restaurant with Asian waitstaff, we were made to feel unwelcome as Asian customers. This was our first and last visit."
Kani Salad
