RD
Rachel Dickerson
Sep 11, 2026
The food was really good, and I enjoyed what I ordered. This is a counter service restaurant where you place your order and pay at the register.
The service setup was a little unclear. We initially weren’t sure where to get water, but eventually found the self service water station. Our food was brought to the table by a food runner, but it came without silverware or napkins. We went back to the self service area looking for them, but there weren’t any there, so we ultimately had to go back inside and ask the employee at the register for silverware.
The main thing that put me off, though, was the checkout process. I ordered $16 spring rolls, and when I went to pay, my total was close to $20, which seemed unusually high with just tax. I was trying to look at the screen to see the itemized charges, but the employee quickly moved past that screen before I could see the breakdown. When I asked why the total was so high, she explained that a 15% gratuity is automatically added.
I don’t have a problem tipping, but I do have a problem with a mandatory gratuity not being clearly disclosed before ordering. I did not see any sign clearly displayed stating that a 15% gratuity would automatically be added to every order. Given that this is primarily counter service rather than traditional table service, where customers order and pay at the register, get their own water, and may need to retrieve or ask for things like silverware and napkins, I don’t think a mandatory tip should come as a surprise at checkout.
If the goal is to ensure employees receive higher compensation, I personally think a more transparent approach would be to incorporate that cost into the menu prices and pay employees accordingly. If that means prices need to be approximately 15% higher, customers can see the actual cost of their meal before ordering rather than discovering a mandatory gratuity afterward.
This is simply objective feedback about my experience and something I think other customers should be aware of before ordering. Businesses are of course free to structure their pricing and service however they choose, but customers should also be able to clearly understand what they are agreeing to pay before placing an order. The food itself was good. I just think the mandatory gratuity policy and overall service setup could be communicated much more transparently.