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2013-04-12
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I would not recommend a visit to Salta under any circumstances. As compared to other steak restaurants in Singapore it is comparatively cheap. However, there is a very good reason for this - it fails to provide adequate service, food quality and ambiance.The most significant failure is in respect of service. The staff are either poorly trained or lack motivation or possibly both. The most salient example of this arose when we politely asked when ordering the parrilla mixed meat dish that the po
The most significant failure is in respect of service. The staff are either poorly trained or lack motivation or possibly both. The most salient example of this arose when we politely asked when ordering the parrilla mixed meat dish that the pork and sausages be placed on a separate plate to the rest of the meats, as one of our party does not eat pork. We were informed that this was not a problem - however, when our dish was plated (within our view on the open grill) we saw that all the meats had been placed on the same plate together. The chef then, remembering the explicit instruction, hastily placed the pork and all but one of the sausages on a separate plate and brought them to the table. The remaining sausage was lurking in the inelegantly plated pile of other meats and, when we pointed this out, the only solution that the waitress offered was to move this sausage to the other plate for us. One of our party was therefore unable to eat any part of the dish and was offered a steak in replacement. He pointed out that the reason for ordering the parrilla was to allow everyone at the table to try a variety of meats. The chef reluctantly agreed to provide a smaller plate of parrilla for the diner who did not eat pork. However, this took a further 25 minutes to arrive during which time one of our party was left with an empty plate in front of him. Despite the fact that our meal had been significantly disrupted by the error in the kitchen, the only recompense made on the bill was the removal of the charge for an order of sweet potato chips.
The remainder of the service was also very poor - our wine and water were not topped up regularly enough, our plates were not cleared after our starters (indeed the waitress seemed surprised that this needed to be done at all) and the service was extremely slow. This was despite the fact that for the majority of the evening we were the only table in the restaurant.
Second comes food quality - the meat quality here is no better (and possibly worse) than the stocks at your local supermarket. In addition, and perhaps in an attempt to disguise the poor quality, the meat is so heavily salted that it is almost impossible to distinguish the meat taste. The 'must try' garlic bread tastes like it has been taken out from the freezer. On a positive note, the empanadas were quite tasty, as was one of the dips which accompanied them. However, we did not choose Salta for its accompaniments menu; we came to get some well cooked high quality meat. Sadly, this seemed beyond this restaurant.
The wine list is very limited and of poor quality. The few decent wines on the menu were not available so our only option was a very boring Malbec which was overpriced for its quality and vintage.
My final substantive complaint is in relation to ambiance. The restaurant is located in a shopping mall and is open to the walkways through the mall. This makes the restaurant feel more like a fast food joint and not the classy restaurant it claims to be. The much lauded grill is tucked away in a corner and therefore does not provide the food theatre alluded to on the restaurant's website. In fact, the only advantage of the open grill was that we could see that our sweet potato chips waited there for 10 mins before being brought to our table. There is also a television screen in the middle of the restaurant showing footage of cows - highly unnecessary and distracting. Add to this the fact that the restaurant was almost empty on a Thursday night. All in all, the restaurant's location and decor far from welcoming and entirely lacking in ambiance.
As I mentioned earlier, Salta is a cheaper way to have a steak/meat dinner out in Singapore. However, if you go here for dinner you will lose your evening, your appetite and possibly your temper. You have been warned - book here at your peril!
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