Trader Vic's

I really wish I had cancelled dinner at Trader Vic's and paid more attention to the bad reviews I read.... What a total disappointment! On the positive side, the setting is lovely. The staff were attentive and friendly. They work hard for their 15% service charge. The mai tai was great (and worthy of it's hefty £11.50 price tag). Unfortunately that's where the positives end! The food was horrible. I mean truly horrible! The cod croquette starter was like 3 frozen potato croquettes from Iceland that had been baked and thrown on a plate. They may have once shared a room with some cod but there wasn't any cod actually in them. The chicken in deep fried dough was the same except the chicken was some kind of paste. The "pork stew with black beans" consisted of cheap pork ribs that were mainly fat and gristle. The "black beans" were actually red kidney beans and was the main constituent of the stew. It looked a little like gruel. I did wonder whether I had wandered into a soup kitchen. The desert was nice. The fortune cookie had no fortune in it. My bad luck for ever stepping foot in Trader Vic's I guess. This is one of the first times i have been utterly horrified by a top table deal. It is not good value for money. It was not good for my digestion either!! The 15% service charge is a bit of a joke. I do not mind paying for good service but good service does not include removing unfinished drinks from the table or removing plates whilst others are still eating. An epic fail for what could be a really nice restaurant. I had such high hopes but such a poor outcome. The Park Lane Hilton should be ashamed to have the establishment in the same building.....