The Begging Bowl

[donnaflynn]

Went to The Begging Bowl on a Tuesday evening, after hearing good things about it and seeing a few good food critic reviews. Got seated straight away, we or4dered our food, which came out very very slowly and one by one and when I asked for all the dishes to come at the same time, I was told by the extremeley rude and aggressive assistant manager that they would not be bringing the remaining dishes out at the same time, as ths would be bad for my digestion...

The food was below average, at best. The sticky rice was awful, the fishcakes were severley overcooked and vegetable curry was bland...

Waited over 20 minutes to get a second round of drinks on a Tueday. What I hoped would be a nice mid-week treat, ultimately left a bitter taste in my mouth...

My advice would be to give this overpriced place with rude management a miss and pop down the road to Ganapati, for much better food, value and service.

Has anyone else experienced the bad customer service and rude staff here?

[DagmarJ]

Sorry, no, can't say I have. They prepare and serve all the dishes tapas style, i.e. they come out as and when they are ready individually. Whenever I visited they asked when we were first seated whether or not we had been before and knew about this custom. Not sure where the indigestion comment might come from, never came across that.

Shame you had a poor experience. I have always had a great food experience (been going every now and again when funds allow since they opened up), and also love the cocktails, though it's true to say that it is not an economy meal out and it can be noisy as lots of people packed into a small space.

BTW, I do love Ganapati too!

[Minitoots]

re: "Has anyone else experienced the bad customer service and rude staff here?"

Sorry to say that although we like the ambience and most of the food there, we have also experienced bad customer service/rude staff after politely complaining that one of the more expensive beef dishes had hardly any beef in it.

The nature of the tapas style dishes means you would not expect a large portion, but this was extreme.

They refused to change it/add any more or give a discount and certainly did not apologise.Has put us off going back - shame.

[jimbo1964]

I've been there a few times and had lovely food. We did get there at 2pm one Saturday (they shut at 2.30) and in spite of there being several spare seats we were told there was no way they'd be able to serve us by 2.30 and suggested we went somewhere else which we did and not returned since. I will go back because I think the food is genuinely delicious. Also on the times we did get to eat the customer service was great.

[Jeremy]

Not experienced rude service myself - yes that would put me off too.

However, I do think the food is really good, and they're geared up for briging the dishes out "as they come", I don't think it's realistic to expect them to change that policy for you. Ganapati is nice too, but surely it's not exactly cheap either...

[cactus]

I think the food is excellent, and the service has always been good when we've visited.

However we did once have the opposite problem to the OP, all of our dishes started to come out at once. We asked if

they could slow down and maybe hold off for a while with the final one, as we could barely fit what we already had on our table! They said no and we had to muddle through, not a great dining experience, but since then I just order three dishes initially, and then a couple more later on.

[SLad]

Different experience to the OP as found the service slow but fine, took the view that it was mostly local young people so didn't grumble. However thought the food was over-priced, inauthentic rubbish. Similar view about the mains at Ganapati though I am blessed with home cooked Gujarati food, and the starters were excellent.

In preference we go to Silk Road in Camberwell. Service is not friendly at all but efficient and the food is AMAZING.

[Jeremy]

The food is not authentic... it's westernised, but in a good way (fresh flavours, plenty of veg, changing menu) rather than a bad way (chicken/pork/prawn red/green curry).

[DulwichFox]

One has to realise that the food in most of the Indian Restaurants is also westernised.

DulwichFox

[beeandson]

I have to agree with the DONNA

I have eaten there a few times, I even may go back on a sunny day, but it my opinion is far from deserving the praises it gets

Lets face it, we make do with what is available around here pretty average at its best

[a_m]

I agree there are some issues at the Begging Bowl. While we've had some waiters/waitresses who were good and friendly, others were downright rude and had to be reminded about everything we asked for. We've also experienced very tiny portions in some of the most expensive dishes which makes me think the management are pretty cynical. Oh and the fishcakes are overcooked (or should that be "burnt"?). But the most irritating part of eating there is the ridiculous tables for two. Okay, I appreciate it's a small space, but the tables are stupidly narrow, especially when serving sharing dishes. It makes for a very unrelaxing eating experience. I think all of that makes the appeal of the place pretty limited which is a shame as it had the potential to be a great addition to the area.

[JamesH91]

I went for an interview at the begging bowl to work there as I was in need of an extra weekend job to supplement my income temporarily following a move. The manager was rude and indifferent and gave me a very bad impression about the place - he seemed too big for his boots. I also went to eat in once but left realising the prices and that they offered no wholegrain options.

[MissKing]

I love Thai corner cafe on northcross road... And it's bring you own booze!

[Mustard]

Have eaten there once, and had the fishcakes, and yes, they were a bit burnt. The service was good though, but was there early.

[LostThePlot]

Absolutely love the place HOWEVER their pricing code of different couloured circes is VERY challening.

Yellow or orange cirles, on yellow paper, under ligths with a red shade it's nigh on impossible to work out if you're havinbg a ?5 or ?15 dish!

PLEASE either list the items in price ranges, or use differnt symbols Clubs, Hearts Diamonds Spades to differentiate the dishes!

[Jeremy]

JamesHolden Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I also went to eat in once but left realising the prices and that

> they offered no wholegrain options.

You mean wholegrain rice? I can't remember EVER eating wholegrain rice in an Asian restaurant (including actually in China/India/Thailand/etc).

It's not a cheap restaurant though, granted.

[clare@linear]

I have to agree with Donna.

Yes without doubt the food is ok. My experience is of surly arrogant service. Terrible waiting time. We had to wait an hour between dishes. Pathetic. They are expensive and relying on the fact there is not much choice. I actually believe it's us, the residents, that bring the charm to the establishment....

[Seabag]

We were taken for lunch there. The service was 'studenty' to say the least, timing awful, waitress could hardly open a bottle of wine, floor manager was an odd one

I wouldn't go back, life is too short

[jaytyger]

Have inside knowledge, some of the staff are nice, but I would avoid the place unless you would like a week off of work.

[Beej]

Dull, but probably cooked from decent ingredients. But in my opinion, completely and cynically over-priced and dare I say bland, little depth of flavour - shove a bunch of salt in it and they'll think it's Thai, there's not even any fish sauce on the table and their belly pork was tough as old boots. The only thing I'd order again is their morning glory, which was tasty. Very tasty. Just not ?30 a head tasty. Recommended only for middle class Dulwichites who still fear Peckham and Camberwell.

[edcam]

Why would you expect fish sauce on the table in a place like this? It isn't a Thai caff and even those don't tend to put it on the table.

[KidKruger]

Yeah the only place I've seen fish sauce on the table is Pauline's in Kings X, even then, it's actually part of the standard ensemble of Thai condiments on a tray over on the counter - to be shared by all tables, comprising the fish sauce, chilli flakes, sugar, then Prik Nam Pla (chillis in fish sauce).

In 'vanilla' Thai restaurants in London I've never seen fish sauce on the table, I'd be interested to know where Beej HAS seen it.

[Beej]

*chortles* Well for one it's described as Thai street food, and anyone who's ever eaten Thai street food would generally find a number of added accompaniments with which to season to taste. But that's really neither here nor there, I wouldn't expect fish sauce on the table if it wasn't noticibly absent from the Thai dish in the first place. And anyway, who cares about the fish sauce? that's the least of their problems, which generally hover around issues of price and blandness - in my humble opinion. Jeez Louise, nit picking on the fish sauce is just desperately seeking something.

[KidKruger]

No, not nit-picking at all.

I've eaten Thai for some years now, spent a lot of time there, so, being familiar with Thai 'street food' and the condiments that come with it I was genuinely intrigued to know where they have fish sauce on the table over here.

But I get it now, your expectation was driven by the absence of fish sauce in the dishes themselves, not based on your experience of seeing it actually on tables over here, which was how I read your post.

Desperately seeking decent Thai food is all.

[Beej]

Roger that, I think we're on the same page, mutual Thai food enthusiasts - hoorah! Make it properly and we'll get on just fine eh :)