• 4
• Nice Spot, Not So Nice Service

I was over to the old Cafe 668 once. It was okay but I can't even recall what I had to eat. I had a Vietnamese coffee (I think/ evaporated milk etc), which was okay. The new Cafe resides in much nicer digs, no question. I'm not a big fan of open sea of tables concept, mind you. I like more privacy. Sometimes. Some open sitting areas work better than others. I told my server (who, I suspect was the owner) to give me anything, as long as it wasn't hot spicy or noodles. I have noodles all the time. He brought me eggplant in black bean sauce, with a side order of plain steamed rice. It was very good. However, The fancier the digs, it seems, the less one seems entitled to. There's nothing on the table I can use to make my rice more palatable. I had to ask for soya sauce. And I had to wait a long time to ask, since my server never came around to check on me once he dropped off my food. But the main item was wonderful. The sauce included just the right amount of carrot slivers and black beans and an amazing, but slightly overdone, anise flavoring. And the actual eggplant was done to perfection. However they did it, they managed to get the texture perfect. And it was a real bonus for me to be able to order my favorite tea, namely Oolong. And they had enough leaves in the pot to bring the pot to strength, once I let it sit sufficiently. It was delicious. Although I'm sure it wasn't organic, a big concern when it's very possible that the tea originated in China where they still use DDT on their agriculture. I look forward to returning but will know what to expect service-wise and won't have my expectations, in that regard, too high. I sure wasn't made to feel like I was wanted. Also, I'll be sure to ask for a fork and soya sauce (if rice is coming) up front next time. I did make it through the meal without the fork, but Why do they make you feel guilty about asking for forks and knives in places like this? How is that nice? They should, in my view, offer cutlery.