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The East

Asian food is something I can never get bored off. Well technically, food is something I can never get bored of and Asian food is at the top of that list. Being a fan of it, I was more than happy when I was invited to the soft launch of The East. I haven’t been lucky enough to try Bobby’s Bistro but I’ve heard good reviews about that place. So when this is right next to it, my expectations were set a bit high. So on a fine day, a huge gang of foodies met here and we got to taste their buffet. Given below is my review on The East, T Nagar.

The East is located in North Boag road and shares the building space with Bobby’s bistro. Fortunately they have parking facility, as finding a spot in this road is hard. And that too its valet parking. So, that’s definitely a plus point. The East is at the basement which is accessed past a beautiful black door and staircase. Down there, it’s an aesthetically done ambience which perfectly suits the oriental cuisine tag they have. Beautifully designed semi wall dividers, black walls, golden coloured lights with contrasting red coloured table clothes, it was quite a perfect setting for a nice fine dining experience. When we visited, they were barely days old and it was obvious that things were taking it’s own sweet time to settle down. They specialise in buffet and as usual, starters were said to be served at the tables. This is where I usually pin down a list of what all we had and how they fared but if I do it then most of the dishes would be list of items I didn’t like.

To begin with, service was super slow. Dishes were taking eons to reach our tables but it was obvious that it wasn’t because of the service staffs. Though these guys were being visibly inexperienced, I’d guess the delay was because of the kitchen staff. We were served a clear seafood soup which was very OKish. Starters were decent enough with chicken, prawn and fish. The mains were a major let down. I tried as many small portions of what all they had but all I liked was a fish dish called Pla Prik (which was spelt as Prick in the name card holder) and Khao Pad Nam Prik Pao Gai (Thai fried rice with chicken) and they tasted really good together. But I barely got a few tablespoons of the rice as it was almost empty by the time I got to mains. I waited for as long as I could and when I realised it wasn’t going to get replenished, I didn’t have a choice but to have plain white rice with Pla Prik. Desserts weren’t that great either and for me the salads were the best part of my meal. The way they presented it was really good.

Overall it was a very average experience let down by inept staffs and mediocre food. But considering it was their soft launch I hope they would’ve improved based on feedbacks from customers and fellow reviewers. I also hope to try them again soon sometime and wish to see the changes I expect there to be.

RATINGS BREAK UP:-
Location:- 4.5/5
Parking:- 5/5
Reception:- 2.5/5
Food:- 1.5/5
Customer Service:- 2/5
Ambience:- 4/5

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