2/5 Roy H. 3 years ago on Google
I
paid
a
visit
to
Joie
on
Valentine’s
Day
2021
-
which
was
also
my
wife’s
birthday.
I
left
a
little
disappointed
today
-
I
hope
this
feedback
would
be
taken
constructively,
and
in
the
spirit
of
improvement.
Good
parts:
Food
&
Staff/Service
Food:
Joie
has
good
food.
I
am
a
fan
of
the
team
behind
Tao’s
Restaurant
&
Dozo.
I
have
always
had
an
enjoyable
experience
when
dining
with
them.
There
aren’t
many
restaurants
that
come
to
mind
in
Singapore
that
are
will
willing
take
a
vegetarian-first
stance
from
a
fine
dining
perspective.
That
alone,
earns
many
kudos
points
from
me.
Food
was
served
a
little
cold,
but
it
was
V-day,
understandably
some
food
will
be
prepared
before
hand
considering
the
crowd
expected.
4/5.
Staff
and
service:
Warm
and
friendly.
Straight
up
incredible.
It
was
constantly
busy,
but
everyone
maintained
a
friendly
demeanour.
5/5.
Not
so
great
parts:
Pricing,
Communication
and
Ambience.
Pricing:
Joie
is
not
priced
competitively.
That
is
understandable
seeing
as
they
position
themselves
under
a
fine
dining
category.
Presumably,
materials
cost
more.
But
you
are
dealing
with
a
vegetarian
menu
here.
Joie’s
competitors
have
understood
this
fact
and
have
structured
their
offerings
to
reflect
this
understanding
of
the
price.
Competitor’s
pricing
are
priced
around
the
$33-38+
for
an
8
course
meal.
Joie’s
main
7
set
dinner
course
is
$69.90+
before
service
charge
+
GST.
Gotta
factor
in
rental,
labour
and
overheads.
Fine.
$70++
it
is.
Happy
to
give
my
support.
However,
on
this
Valentine’s
Day,
their
menu
shot
up
to
a
staggering
$138+
per
pax.
I
know
you
are
running
a
business,
and
it’s
V-day
-
the
best
day
to
capitalise
on
poor
defenceless
husbands
who
are
left
without
a
choice
but
to
fork
out
the
moolah
for
this
ridiculous
‘holiday’.
But
it
just
reeked
of
a
blatant
cash
grab
-
which
left
a
sour
taste
in
my
mouth.
2/5.
Communication:
This
V-Day
pricing
was
in
no
way
communicated
to
us
when
the
booking
was
made.
Neither
could
I
find
this
information
on
their
website.
This
just
screams
of
a
big
disconnect
between
their
web,
marketing
and
operations.
I
just
sat
there
bewildered
at
this
new
pricing.
However,
it
was
my
wife’s
birthday
too.
I
was
willing
to
give
it
a
shot,
perhaps
their
menu
was
something
well
worth
the
price.
It
really
wasn’t.
Not
138+
per
pax
at
least.
2/5.
Ambience:
I
feel
conflicted
bringing
this
up,
but
this
needed
to
be
said.
If
it
was,
it
was
nowhere
to
be
found.
Ambience
matters.
Presentation
matters.
Especially
for
a
restaurant
that
positions
themselves
as
a
fine
dining
establishment.
Today,
was
not
romantic
at
all.
Absolutely
zero
mood
lighting.
White
LEDs
everywhere
that
it
felt
like
an
interrogation
room.
The
entire
restaurant
was
so
brightly
lit,
I
could
spot
every
single
flaw
of
the
place.
The
interior
was
a
little
scruffy.
Mirrors
with
hand
prints
all
around.
Food
Plating
had
some
awkward
stains.
Floor
was
littered
with
food
bits
from
previous
diners.
Black
plates
were
so
scratched
up
and
used,
I
could
see
every
knife
wound
inflicted
onto
the
plate.
Rose
for
diners
look
abused.
On
their
individual
flaws,
I
am
sure
it
would
be
passable.
But
altogether,
it
just
made
the
place
feel..
neglected.
One
may
argue
that
I
am
nit
picking,
which
I
probably
am
-
but
pricing
it
higher
does
set
expectations
higher.
2/5.
I
will
be
back
again
to
try
the
regular
menu.
I
hope
to
continue
supporting
this
establishment
for
many
years
to
come.
But,
as
it
is,
I
can’t
wholeheartedly
recommend
this
to
any
of
my
friends.
I
hope
the
team
will
continue
to
improve
on
this.
I
am
rooting
for
you.
2/5.
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