1 /5 UNKNOWN: Where do i start?
Our recent visit to Shinwari in Ilford was an unmitigated disaster, characterized by extremely poor service, dangerous food standards, and completely unprofessional management.
The service started poorly; the waitress tried to take our large order without a notepad, leading to initial mistakes. While a human error, this set the tone for the entire evening.
The main and critical issue was the food safety failure. We ordered the mixed platter (priced at an outrageous £49, which is a rip-off given the quality and quantity). Multiple pieces of meat were dangerously uncooked:
• We immediately alerted staff to the undercooked, pure red/pink chicken and lamb kebab, which were replaced. However, we were so put off by then that we couldnt eat the replacements.
• Then we noticed another large piece of lamb on the platter that was entirely pink inside, as visible in the accompanying picture.
The food was inedible. This was the final straw, and we asked to speak to the manager.
The managers response was shocking and unprofessional.
He seemed completely confused and had no clue how to handle a serious complaint about uncooked meat. We explained the severity of serving pink/raw chicken and lamb, but he seemed totally ignorant of basic food safety.
Despite the platter being mostly untouched due to health concerns, the manager offered to take off only £9. What followed was an exhausting, unprofessional argument. He tried to "negotiate" and "bargain" with us as if we were at an auction, demanding we pay for uncooked food, which we rightly refused. From £9,£15,£10, £20,£40 and eventually£49 (full amount for platter) We were clear we would only pay for the other items we had consumed.
Unable to handle the situation, the manager brought over a colleague who displayed a disrespectful and sassy attitude. We had to ask the manager to remove his colleague so we could speak to him directly, but he continued to go back-and-forth, looking for solutions from others.
After a long, unnecessary argument, he finally, reluctantly, removed the platter from the bill.
To summarize: This restaurant served dangerously undercooked meat, and when confronted with a serious health and hygiene concern, the management displayed a staggering lack of professionalism and basic customer service skills. We were hungry, put off our food, and forced into a ridiculous debate over paying for food we could not safely eat.
Do not waste your money or risk your health here.
If i could give no stars i would!!!
This restaurant needs to go back to the basics.
