Of course not.
But it sure felt like it, when my friends and I dined at Stella last night. :(
I'm going to China this October with some friends and friends of friends, and since we didn't know everyone, we decided to have a China group meet and greet to get to know each other before the trip. We decided to dine at Zong, at the Fort Square (previously Fort Strip), to start off the China experience on the right foot. After a savory and filling dinner, we transferred over to Stella for some Chocolate Almond cookie dough (one of my favorites) and some Vahlrona chocolate cake.
Stella usually has a very laid back ambiance, and targeted for casual dining and family meals. This is in stark contrast with it's neighbor, Rocket Room, their detached bar except for the small hallway that connects the two of them together. Now, I do understand that a bar like Rocket Room would have a different ambiance, music blaring from their speakers at sounds enough to shatter eardrums, it's totally fine since it's a bar. What's not fine was for that same ear-shattering music being played at the Stella side, making it difficult for anyone to carry a conversation without shouting.
I was seriously, seriously disappointed. This was the first time I've ever been to Stella where it felt like the restaurant owners were punishing it's customers by blasting loud music into our ears.
I actually requested one of the waiters to tone it down, since we weren't at Rocket Room, and they did turn off one of the speakers but it didn't help much. That was how loud it was. Even the waiters seemed frazzled by the loud music, and other patrons were obviously not enjoying the aural assault.
What's more disappointing, was that whoever was mixing drinks that night was probably a rookie, because my friend and I ordered the same drink (American in Ipanema), and it couldn't have been more different. The alcohol in my drink was so strong it overpowered other flavors, while Chie's was more fruity and had a better flavor. Maie's Grassy Knoll cocktail originally came out tasting like ginger water, and this was a drink that she used to like a lot. She sent it back, asking for some more lemon, when it returned, it still didn't taste like the normal drink she ordered, so she asked for them to make it again. It was still sub par, but she just stuck with it, figuring it wouldn't get any better.
The noise level became so uncomfortable, we had no choice but to leave early. I felt old.
Stella used to be one of my go-to restaurants, but after this experience, it would be hard to come back, let alone recommend it to my friends. What's the point in separating Rocket Room and Stella and giving them two very distinctive identities if you're just going to turn the entire place into a bar atmosphere anyway? I was so frustrated, disappointed and irritated...I don't ever want to come back.
