Sambal Tapas - Outdoor lounge

Hello fellas, this time I would like to share my experience at Sambal Tapas - Outdoor Lounge and Pool Bar - Sheraton Bandara Hotel, Jakarta.

In the recent holiday season (Eid Mubarak Holiday), My wife and I and our son visited the Sheraton Airport Hotel. This was not our first time there. We have been eating several times in the restaurant there, but this time we were curious to enjoy the outdoor lounge at Sambal Tapas.

There were two bars at the pool but only one bar was serving

We were so interested because the location was good and seemed to be a nice place to relax while enjoying the breeze from the lake and watching the sunset. YES!! Can you imagine that?!?!?! Up to this point...thumbs up!

We chose a seat overlooking the lake with views off than facing the pool. And it was indeed very spectacular. It was like we were not at the airport area at all.

The view from my seat

No sooner had we sat down, we called up the staff to order drinks and snacks. Sambal Tapas staff immediately came over us carrying a list of menus on Ipad. Pretty high tech, huh! He provided us with an explanation of the amount of servings of food/snack at this place. Since this was a Tapas (means bar), so the food/snack provided had smaller portions than those at the restaurant, but the drinks would be in bigger vessel than the restaurant, but of course the price would be different.

My wife ordered Green Apple Tea (my wife's favorite beverage at the Sheraton Airport Restaurant) and I ordered Platano (mixed juice of orange, banana, and syrup). For the snacks we ordered Croquetas (fried mashed potato balls mixed with Parmesan cheese and covered with bread crumbs)

Not too long, our orders arrived. And we could not wait to taste it. But apparently the disappointment began! My wife noticed that the drink tasted somehow different from the usual. There are some ingredients missing and the taste was not as good as before. I was trying to calm her by saying maybe they were running out of that particular ingredients on that day.

Green Apple Tea IDR 60,000

But it went on! I was also very surprised when I tried my Platano. I ordered this drink because there was banana in it and it is our son’s favorite. So I thought he would like it, but after one sip, he refused to have some more. I wondered why? Then I tried it myself and I realized why our son rejected it. It was quite sour, and the banana flavor was very thin.

Platano IDR 60,000

Even worse!! Croquetas that we ordered was very horrible! Bland and no cheese flavor at all!! This time we could not take it anymore. We again called the staff and filed a complaint. He said he would convey our complaint to the chef and let the chef talked to us.

Croquetas IDR 35,000/portion (4pc of potato balls)

Just for a moment and a very young chef came directly toward us. And guess WHAT!!! The first sentence that came out from his mouth was : "Yes, what is it?" My wife and I immediately looked at each other shocked to hear that. That kind of question in our opinion was very disrespectful. If we were his friend maybe it was okay. But we were his customers and were complaining about his food, I think he should have asked in a more appropriate question such as “How can I help you sir/madam?”

Come on!! This is Sheraton!!!!

We told him that the Croquetas was very bland and we couldn't really taste the cheese. But the chef said the Croquetas indeed taste like that, no salt is needed because the saltiness would emerged from the cheese.  And he insisted it.  My wife asked him “So, you are saying that it is because we are so used to salty food out there that we find your Croquetas bland?” And he responded “Yes maybe”.
Seeing that kind of response, we did not want to argue any longer and we said okay, if you said so then we requested for a bottle of chili sauce, otherwise we really really unable to swallow that plain croquetas.

Horrible! The relaxing superb atmosphere soon turned out to be really sucks! Drinks were not good, moreover the snack, and the CHEF! OMG, very disappointing! We were wondering was the chef at Sambal Tapas a trainee or real chef? Or a replacement chef while the actual chef was on leave due to Mubarak Holiday??

what a wonderful place to relax...but too bad....

I think Sheraton Bandara Hotel need to do much improvement on the Tapas. Too bad. Such a lovely place, and nice staff around the hotel, but the Tapas !!!!!???? drinks and food were so unexpected and the inappropriate behavior of its chef. 

Everything written here is based on my own personal experience and genuine opinion without any negative intention to discredit any parties. I have not been offered any incentives or payment to write this review.

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