Well after a break for the summer the Wrec was back on track, although technically breaking our own rules by going backwards down the Wilmslow road to sample the delights of the Loch Fyne. Two in our party were particularly keen to visit this highly recommended restaurant and so dragging along a reluctant diner, who doesn't eat fish, we booked our table for 6 for 8.30pm.
Diner 2 has summed up the night well and I too was mainly left with a feeling of disappointment. I do feel (and hope) that our experience was a one off and am looking forward to our second visit to hopefully put right what was the worse visit to a restaurant that I've ever had.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Loch Fyne - Didsbury, The Saga
Well, where do i start? Maybe i should've known that breaking the cardinal rule of not going back down Wilmslow Road was going to lead to trouble, however, little did i know how much trouble!!
The evening started pleasant enough, arriving at 8.30pm on the dot (times are very relevant as you will see later on). First impressions of this new (2 months or so) restaurant were very favourable, light and airy, giving me that sort of "fish hall" ambiance. Add to this we were sat right next to the "cold" preparation point allowing us a full view of all the fresh fish, lobsters, crabs etc which were on offer i was already raring to order and sample.
Our last two diners joined us at about 8.45pm and i suppose at around 9pm we ordered our food consisting of starters and main course. At this point maybe alarm bells should've started to ring when the waiter told us they had already run out of mussels and the duck starter, which 3 of us were going to have, which seemed very strange. Anyway with slight amendments our order was taken with myself opting for salt and pepper Cornish squid with a sweet chili sauce to start and Goan fish curry for main and we waited........and waited.
At approx 9.40pm our starters arrived, very well presented and tasty, although not a lot of it but none the less reasonable. I suppose it was during this time we started to get some inkling of the disarray that was about to ensue with waiters and manager standing at the aforementioned "cold"preparation point seemingly arguing over which table had been waiting longest for their food. We certainly observed one of the very delicious looking platters consisting of many varieties of shellfish being prepared, obviously for one of the tables, and being left unattended for at least half an hour before it went anywhere!!
Two bottles of wine later and round about 10.10pm or so the waiter stood next to our table and stated "I've just checked on your food and it will be about 2 or 3 minutes" which, if ever there were some famous last words, those were them.
To describe the last half an hour or so we spent at Loch Fyne would probably stop most, if not all, of you out there from setting foot inside. At approx 10.45pm we had a visit from the manager who explained to us, and i didn't catch most of it due to some other disaster that was happening at the same time but more of that later, that our main course was still 5 or 10 minutes away (bearing in mind this was now 10.45ish) and that they had been very busy etc etc.
So basically with childminders bills increasing by the hour we had to call it a day and reluctantly paid for what we had manged to sample so far and left. I will leave the finer details of how my other diners felt to them but safe to say i left, not feeling angry, but very surprised, bemused as to how a restaurant, on a Wednesday evening, could get things so wrong but mostly very very let down as i had high hopes for Loch Fyne and was so looking forward to sampling the menu.
So now you've got a vague idea of how i was feeling at this point i now want you to double this as during the fiasco i was also getting minute by minute texts updating me on the sorry state of affairs that was City's attempt at beating a league 1 club in the mickey mouse Carling cup, or not as it turned out, although at least that seemed to cheer up my fellow diners somewhat so a little good came out of this sorry saga.
Not a happy night then to be honest
P.S - Maybe not a happy night then but i feel it could be looking up for Loch Fyne. One of our fellow diners contacted them with the details of our curtailed evening and associated problems and to their credit have invited us back with a very generous discount off the bill. So hold fire on cancelling your bookings it could all change............watch this space!
Well, where do i start? Maybe i should've known that breaking the cardinal rule of not going back down Wilmslow Road was going to lead to trouble, however, little did i know how much trouble!!
The evening started pleasant enough, arriving at 8.30pm on the dot (times are very relevant as you will see later on). First impressions of this new (2 months or so) restaurant were very favourable, light and airy, giving me that sort of "fish hall" ambiance. Add to this we were sat right next to the "cold" preparation point allowing us a full view of all the fresh fish, lobsters, crabs etc which were on offer i was already raring to order and sample.
Our last two diners joined us at about 8.45pm and i suppose at around 9pm we ordered our food consisting of starters and main course. At this point maybe alarm bells should've started to ring when the waiter told us they had already run out of mussels and the duck starter, which 3 of us were going to have, which seemed very strange. Anyway with slight amendments our order was taken with myself opting for salt and pepper Cornish squid with a sweet chili sauce to start and Goan fish curry for main and we waited........and waited.
At approx 9.40pm our starters arrived, very well presented and tasty, although not a lot of it but none the less reasonable. I suppose it was during this time we started to get some inkling of the disarray that was about to ensue with waiters and manager standing at the aforementioned "cold"preparation point seemingly arguing over which table had been waiting longest for their food. We certainly observed one of the very delicious looking platters consisting of many varieties of shellfish being prepared, obviously for one of the tables, and being left unattended for at least half an hour before it went anywhere!!
Two bottles of wine later and round about 10.10pm or so the waiter stood next to our table and stated "I've just checked on your food and it will be about 2 or 3 minutes" which, if ever there were some famous last words, those were them.
To describe the last half an hour or so we spent at Loch Fyne would probably stop most, if not all, of you out there from setting foot inside. At approx 10.45pm we had a visit from the manager who explained to us, and i didn't catch most of it due to some other disaster that was happening at the same time but more of that later, that our main course was still 5 or 10 minutes away (bearing in mind this was now 10.45ish) and that they had been very busy etc etc.
So basically with childminders bills increasing by the hour we had to call it a day and reluctantly paid for what we had manged to sample so far and left. I will leave the finer details of how my other diners felt to them but safe to say i left, not feeling angry, but very surprised, bemused as to how a restaurant, on a Wednesday evening, could get things so wrong but mostly very very let down as i had high hopes for Loch Fyne and was so looking forward to sampling the menu.
So now you've got a vague idea of how i was feeling at this point i now want you to double this as during the fiasco i was also getting minute by minute texts updating me on the sorry state of affairs that was City's attempt at beating a league 1 club in the mickey mouse Carling cup, or not as it turned out, although at least that seemed to cheer up my fellow diners somewhat so a little good came out of this sorry saga.
Not a happy night then to be honest
P.S - Maybe not a happy night then but i feel it could be looking up for Loch Fyne. One of our fellow diners contacted them with the details of our curtailed evening and associated problems and to their credit have invited us back with a very generous discount off the bill. So hold fire on cancelling your bookings it could all change............watch this space!
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Diner 3 returns - The Laughing Buddha
Over 2 months on, I can remember very little of the night out or food other than this was the best restaurant so far but I am reliably informed by Diner 5 that the LB has since closed 'for refurbishment' - nothing we said, I hope...
PS. I have now run out of petrol as I am refusing to top up the transfer kitty of one of our Premiership rivals!!!
PS. I have now run out of petrol as I am refusing to top up the transfer kitty of one of our Premiership rivals!!!
Thursday, 4 September 2008
The Laughing Buddha........if i can remember that far back!
Well I've been very lazy and its only now, after holidays and kids summer break, I've got round to talking about the Laughing Buddha although i confess its been so long i fail to remember every detail, well OK i can't actually remember any of the details of most of the meal but it must have stuck in my mind as i know I can definitely recommend a visit.
Through the haze i can remember i was most surprised with regards the detail of the menu. I assumed it was going to be mainly Thai based but was pleasantly surprised to find myself taking forever over my choice because the food ranged from most corners of the world. I seem to remember some lovely stir fry squid dish but sadly not much more.
Without sounding like I'm being paid a retainer for the Laughing Buddha get yourself down there and sample it for yourselves............whatever it was they had to offer.
P.S Don't forget every litre of petrol you put in your tank you fill City's transfer kitty..............get in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I've been very lazy and its only now, after holidays and kids summer break, I've got round to talking about the Laughing Buddha although i confess its been so long i fail to remember every detail, well OK i can't actually remember any of the details of most of the meal but it must have stuck in my mind as i know I can definitely recommend a visit.
Through the haze i can remember i was most surprised with regards the detail of the menu. I assumed it was going to be mainly Thai based but was pleasantly surprised to find myself taking forever over my choice because the food ranged from most corners of the world. I seem to remember some lovely stir fry squid dish but sadly not much more.
Without sounding like I'm being paid a retainer for the Laughing Buddha get yourself down there and sample it for yourselves............whatever it was they had to offer.
P.S Don't forget every litre of petrol you put in your tank you fill City's transfer kitty..............get in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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