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| - Sweets Raku is located in the same plaza as Kilroy's, Monta Ramen and other eateries. Do not confuse Sweets Raku with Raku. Sweets Raku is specifically located right next door to Trattoria Nakamura-Ya with a large spoon right next to the front door.
My husband and I arrived around 8:45 pm last Friday. There were 2 seats available at the bar, where I wanted to sit (after reading the reviews, I wanted to sit here so I can see the chef assembling my order). The chef behind the bar just stared at us but did not bother to acknowledge us and offer us a seat or ask if we would like to sit down... it was just an odd moment for us. Then a female sever came out and I asked her if we could just sit there. She hesitated at first and said we could... not sure why it was a big deal for us to sit there.
But anyways, sitting at the bar was rather cramped. The woman sitting on my right hand side had a undesirable odor that was rather off putting during our time here. My husband and I both had some trouble getting in and out of our seats as well just because of the lack of room.
It took some time for someone to bring us the menu after we sat down, as the first female employee who eventually let us sit at the bar did not bring us menus and the chef behind the counter just kept on ignoring us (what a great first impression). Eventually a male server came out and brought us menus and told us about the special $15 dessert set that comes with raspberry sorbet and my choice of one dessert. But if I just want to purchase a dessert on it's own, then it would be $12. Then he left and came back with 2 plates with their edible menu. The menu itself has no taste but you are supposed to dip it in the sauce they bring you. On our visit, we had apricot sauce.
After we looked over the menu, we ended up ordering:
Dessert set, $15 prior to tax: As mentioned earlier, this came with raspberry sorbet. The sorbet was refreshing. This reminded me of the sorbet that tea rooms serve between courses to cleanse the palate. The dessert I picked was the Stella which is a strawberry tiramisu. This dessert are artfully plated, which you can tell that someone with the right craft truly perfected it's display. This dessert was pretty good, but I am not sure if it worth $12 (on it's own or $15 as part of their dessert set).
Liver Pate, $7 prior to tax- My husband wanted to get something savory and decided to get this. The liver pate was really good but the 6 pieces of bread is not enough. And although the bread was warmed and perhaps toasted (as we saw the chef place it in the oven in front of us), it didn't taste like it was. And when we asked the male server if we could have more, the couple next to us (who also ordered liver pate) got the extra bread instead of us. They didn't even bother to ask for more. And as soon as the chef gave it to them, the male server came to us right away and said he told her we wanted that bread. My husband got the chef's attention to get some more bread, which we eventually got.
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(Total= $23.78, includes tax)
Although we did like the food, the service was nearly nonexistent. In this little place (12 seats available at the bar and 4 small tables) there were 3 servers on the floor and one or two employees in the kitchen and one chef. Two female servers were just chatting away among some of the restaurant patrons (which I assume must be regulars). The male server was really the only one working and serving others, taking orders down and removing plates. So since he really was the only one really doing his job, this may be the reason why he wasn't very attentive for us. But when we asked for the check, the servers were just so quick to move.
Even with beautifully plated and good food, it can't save this place for a good rating. Service is a HUGE part of the dining experience and can truly make or break your night. And since I was here to celebrate my birthday early, I truly was disappointed with how we were treated. This place is overly hyped and overly priced. And with that, my overall rating for this place stands at 2 stars.
By the way, they have one unisex restroom. Although other previous yelpers may mention how cool it is, I felt a bit confused when I went in. I literally thought to myself 'I'm confused, I just want to pee' (honestly, I really thought that). I also did not like the sink, as water just splashes all over the floor (must be a pain to clean the floor and walls).
And also the ovens facing the bar doesn't do anything except heat things because everything is already cooked. All the chef really does is place items in these ovens to warm them (but even then, items don't come out warm/ hot by the time they get to you) and assemble your dish (especially if you order a dessert). It is all more just for show and nothing else.
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