水中JOE
Last time, due to the pandemic, our visit was without alcohol. I remember there was only one other couple besides us as guests. The level of the food was quite good last time, so this is our second visit. This time, alcohol service has resumed and it seemed like the restaurant was fully booked on the day of our reservation. We opted for the 15,000 yen course menu with an additional wine pairing of 3 types of wine, which cost around 4,800 yen. Unlike last time, there were more staff members and the atmosphere was lively. However, things took a turn for the worse right from the start. The first glass of wine was served by the sommelier with just one word, "red." What? Even I can tell that by looking at it. Is this a fast-food chain? The sommelier continued with "white," "white," and so on. I wish they would explain the reasoning behind the wine selection for the pairing. I enjoy hearing about that kind of thing, at least I do. Furthermore, there was no explanation about the wines, so I ended up looking at the bottle to figure out what it was. Then, after just a few seconds, the sommelier asked, "Are you done? The next guests are waiting." I was only looking at it for about 10 seconds, not a minute. The sommelier makes the customers wait a lot, and it makes us feel uncomfortable. The timing of the wine and food service was completely off, so I unintentionally finished my 120mL glass of wine before the food arrived, leaving me with no drink during the meal. The whole wine pairing concept was pointless (~_~;) Some might argue that they should consider the time it takes for the wine to open, but all the wines were already uncorked. If it was that kind of wine, they should have said something like, "Let it sit for about 10 minutes before drinking to enhance the flavor." During the first three dishes, the wine for pairing ran out, and I didn't know what to do, so I ended up ordering sparkling wine while eating the main fish dish. Instead of pouring it at the table, they brought a glass that was already poured. They only said, "That will be 2,000 yen." The origin and type of wine were unknown. Is this a pub? Even at a pub, they explain what it is and how much it costs before serving it. They served something with unknown origins, and said it's 2,000 yen. How have they managed to run this place without any trouble? Normally, if you don't have a drink, they would ask, "Would you like something to drink?" But there was none of that. They silently brought the poured glass, so I had no drink for the next meat dish. It's considered bad manners to call out, "Excuse me, I need a drink," at this kind of restaurant, so I made eye contact, but nobody was looking at me, so I just seemed suspicious. There was no offer of cold water or sparkling water until the end, so I ended up having the main meat dish without a drink. Well, in the end, I didn't have a drink in my glass for the second half of the meal. Is there a French full-course restaurant that doesn't pay attention to the customer's glass? If they don't look/can't look, they should consider self-service. Maybe they have the strength to selectively serve well to the high-class customers, as I observed them attending to the guests at the next table very diligently. Customer service for the wealthy customers, well, that's how it is. So, if you are a high-class customer (whatever that means), you probably won't be treated like us. I hope the discriminatory treatment in high-end dining establishments disappears soon. The last coffee was served with sugar cubes in a container, and the staff picked them up with their bare hands. I chuckled at the thought of bare hands in the time of COVID. Oh, does that mean the sugar I used was touched by someone else's hands? They may think they are skillfully handling customers with their experienced demeanor, but a simple phrase like "Please enjoy your meal" or "Did you enjoy today's meal?" would have been nice. The lack of such words from the staff who don't even look at the customers may give the impression that they are ignoring us. I just hope that the bad customer discrimination prevalent in high-end dining establishments disappears soon.