[quote=“highwave in another thread”]Yes, that is the place - I recognise the name. Thanks.
I’ll go, prepared to butter up the serving staff, in the hope that I might get what I order. And I’ll take a hamper and blanket to spread out on the floor, just in case my order’s a little slow in coming.[/quote]
I went on Saturday. The order came promptly and was right, but then there were only two of us eating. The waitresses were predominantly Filipina, and fully capable of delivering a ‘thank you’ or a ‘you’re welcome’ in that drone that implies the opposite. (I’ve encountered the same in My Other Place and Saints & Sinners. I’d rather they pretended a bit better, or said nothing.) We enjoyed the food. The Mediterranean salad was a far cry from the pile-of-iceberg nightmare that’s all too prevalent; and it had two kinds of olives in it. The slice of cake was fine, but I wouldn’t haul myself from the other side of town especially.
The garden looks like it would be a great place to hang out in the evening; if you live nearby, that is.
The food was indeed fine, but we suffered twice for going there from bad ‘service’ and crappy attitudes from the waiting staff.
So much so, the second time I tried there we had been thinking about having a Wei Yah meal there, but that pretty much turned out to be a bad idea. And we would have spent some serious cash, too.
But alas! Lousy waiters, poor menu choices, and a limited kitchen despite being 4pm in the afternoon meant:
we didn’t spend much money that day;
we can’t really recommend that place;
we never had our Wei Yah there;
and 4. I was embarrassed in front of my friends after telling them it was a ‘good’ restaurant…
So what could I do?
Sorry, Wendel, until you tend to your daily affairs and provide the staff with the training they so desparately need, I won’t be going back.
It’s a good place for bread and cakes. The young Taiwanese staff in the bakery staff are pleasant and do a good job. The older, heavily-made up and crotchety Chinese lady who used to be there is no longer serving and that is a huge improvement.
When it comes to the restaurant though, they only get points for the setting. Nice patio and dining room. That’s the one good thing I can say about it.
Service is atrocious. Rude and innattentive.
The menu has worsened and become more basic over time. Much of what they serve tastes canned, like tomato bases in the pasta sauce for example.
Wendell’s really a baker. He bakes bread, perhaps the German restaurant wasn’t his idea… It could’ve been his wife’s or family’s idea…
So, the motto. Don’t go to a seafood restaurant and order beef. It won’t be good. Don’t go to Wendell’s and order anything that isn’t ‘German’, nuff said.
I agree Wendell is a master baker some of his breads and pastries are the best in Taipei. I go there for the quality never mind the service and crotchety lady.
Great food, not so great service. Is the service a lot better in Germany? Maybe it is not a strong point of Germans so Michael doesn’t train his staf properly or think that much about it. This is one of the few times when I have to say, Taiwanese may not be attentive, but they do provide great service at times in terms of their good attitude. Chinese in general as so good at masking their emotions. Never play poker with them! Philipinos on the other hand are like Westerners, they wear their heart on their sleeve if they are not required to put it in their pocket and smile regardless.
Was up in Tianmu today and thought to drop by at Wendel’s for a coffee and cake but then it got late and decided to have dinner there. It was quite full and since we had no reservation we had to sit outside, which was fine though (they also have heaters). We decided on mushrooms with bruschetta as appetizer, my friend ordered the Wiener Schnitzel with French Fries & Salad, I chose the Curry Wurst with French Fries.
Got some complimentary bread with butter but the appetizer was served together with my friend’s main course while I had to wait for quite a while for mine. Service was attentative and friendly though.
The servings were generous - two pieces of Schnitzel and two sausages with the main courses - and the food tasted real good, just as back home (I tried some of the Schnitzel, too).
It was actually my first time I have eaten there and surely wasn’t disappointed, in fact I can recommend it and will not hesitate to go back there if I am in the area.
There is also a shop where you can buy some imported products and German bread, as well as cakes and pastries.
After yesterday’s (Sunday) hifi show up in Shilin I decided to go for German food and headed for Wendel’s in Tienmou. I choose to sit outside, at one of the long tables, somewhat far away from the main entrance / reception. I was given the menu and a glass of water.
It took ages before someone came to take my order even I tried to make myself seen; some guest that appeared a regular and was sitting at the table beside me actually noticed, went up and told them. So eventually the waiter came over and took my order, Wiener Schnitzel and a coke. Shouldn’t be difficult to remember, he actually wrote it down (or so I thought).
When the food was served by another waitress she asked me if I wanted a drink and I said I ordered already, but it seems it had been forgotten. I got the coke after a few minutes while munching on the Schnitzel and fries (real french fries, not some potato wedges or other fries-like things with skin on it).
No bread this time and no ketchup or salt & pepper was offered but the dish came with a small portion of sweet curry sauce which I happen to like. I probably could have asked for the other things, but with not waiter around it seemed futile.
I continued being ignored, nobody came by to check if everything was alright (though I think it was the Chef himself that spoke to the guests at the table next to me while I was eating) or ask if I wanted another coke (which I would have ordered as I was very thirsty), or perhaps refill the glass of water. Finished my food and … waited.
During that I observed the waiters attending to other tables outside - I think only 4 or 5 in total had customers, so it wasn’t busy at all - refilling the water and removing the plates from those who finished their food, including the table beside me (!). But not mine.
Eventually I managed to signal them and asked for the bill. At least that came promptly. (watch out for the irony)
So overall quite a mixed experience, the portions were generous (lot’s of fries, two pieces of Schnitzel, bowl of salad), the food tasty & good value (NTD473) but the service was very, very poor.
I thought I will let them know and tell what appeared to be the floor manager but then she wasn’t seen when I was leaving and I decided not to wait any longer.
Well, well, that seems a bit dissapointing, this problem with the service. I read the whole thread again, starting in 2004, and up to this recent post, the general feel is: “great food, lousy service”. If I were Mr. Wendel (lesen Sie mit, Landsmann?), I’d get a decent waiter/waitress. The main thing at a restaurant is the food, of course, but such service is not good for the business. Any working student (工讀生) can do better than what was described here.
As far as service in Germany goes, it may not be superfriendly, but usually is reliable and fast.
I was only once at Wendels on a Sunday afternoon, had a coffee + cake; can’t remember anything wrong with the service. But then it was neither complicated nor a very busy afternoon. But to mix up dishes and then charge for food that wasn’t ordered is a bit rough, I dare say. :saywhat:
We had a group of 11 there today, and found that they forgot to bring some of the items ordered. One lady waited almost an hour for a salad. Fortunately weren’t in a hurry, and the restaurant wasn’t very busy (so I can only imagine how much worse it might be at other times). The wait staff were pleasant enough, though, and the food was decent (not anything outstanding). The fries were too salty, btw.
The best part was the bread with which my fried pork sandwich was made – very nice bread. Really, that’s Wendel’s forte, and I’ll keep swinging by to pick up a nice loaf of sourdough rye now and then, but don’t otherwise feel particularly motivated to return to the restaurant.
I don’t use the restaurant, but the bakery is outstanding, from variety to quality to flavour to service. I’ve not encountered anything anywhere near as good in Taiwan or elsewhere.
[quote=“sandman”]I wonder if he does bretzels with the salt crystals on them. And some weisswurst. And some sweet mustard. And a glass of weissbier.
Best. Breakfast. EVER.[/quote]
Sorry for Gravedigging here
I just happened to have one of those meals in the DIY version yesterday, with the ingredients all from City Super. There they have Canadian Weisswurst, American frozen Bretzels with Salt crystals. Both were really a lot worse than what I am used to from Germany, but still OK. On the other hand, City Super carries the real thing in terms of sweet mustard (Händlmaier’s - even several types) and of course German (as well as Belgian) Weissbier.
So definitely next time I’ll try Wendel’s Weisswurst instead (I asked Michael what’s the difference, and it’s mainly that the veal is replaced by pork for cost reasons, same as with the canadian stuff I bought) and check how his Bretzeln are when fresh (I only had several hours old so far, when a coworker brought some for me - and they were good, but not very good). I’ll report back with news - also on the service
Somehow they are connected to Wendel’s Bakery. I was delighted to hear that you can oder stuff at Wendel’s and the next day pick it up at the Bistro in Nangang.
Apart from that, the food I had (sausage platter with sauerkraut & mashed potatoes) was surprisingly good, with a set meal at NT$270. Draft Erdinger & Warsteiner beer at as well, but at least today at lunch they only had bottled for NT$200. Well, good either way (the Erdinger, not the Warsteiner).
Unfortunately they seem to be suffering from a similar thing that was described earlier for Wendel’s: not exactly perfect service. After waiting for > 20min for the main dish (which is not cooked fresh, it’s from their hot counter), I had to wait another 10min for the bottled beer, the soup, and the tea that came with the set meal. People around me seemed to fare similarily.
Still, if you are not on a very tight schedule, this seems to be a good place for a business lunch in case you fancy some european style dishes once in a while.
