Seyoung Kim (Wendy)
Google
We’ve visited Ritintin several times and always loved the food and the friendly servers. Unfortunately, our most recent visit was disappointing — not because of the food or the staff, but because of the female manager’s attitude.
There were three of us, and we asked to sit outside. One small table was available, and when we asked if we could sit there, the manager asked if we’d be fine using just that one small table. We said yes, since that was the only table she offered us at the moment.
We ordered three drinks and four dishes. The first two dishes came out, and while we were eating, the table next to us became empty. When the remaining dishes arrived, our table had no space left, so our server placed them temporarily on the empty table beside us.
We politely asked if we could use that empty table just to hold the food, and our server said she would check with the manager. The manager refused. Later, a second server came to check on us and kindly said she would ask again — but the manager still said no. Then, a third server, seeing that our dishes were sitting on the empty table getting cold, also tried to help by asking again. Yet the manager refused once more, even though, by that time, there were four or five empty outdoor tables available.
Instead of helping, the manager came out, placed a “Reserved” sign on the empty table right next to us, and walked away without saying anything.
A few minutes later, the third server returned and asked if we were okay. We explained that if the table was truly reserved, we’d just like to know what time the reservation was so we could finish before then. She said she’d ask — but again, the manager said no and finally came to our table herself, visibly frustrated, asking, “What’s the problem?”
I calmly explained that our food didn’t fit on the table, and we simply wanted to know whether the next table was actually reserved. The manager sarcastically said “Soon” twice, then told us to clear some plates to make room. A moment later, as if realizing how unreasonable that sounded, she sighed, pushed the tables together herself, and said something like, “You agreed to use one table,” in a tone that made us feel as if we were being difficult customers.
What made it worse was seeing her inside the restaurant pointing toward our table and talking to a server, shaking her head as if we were the problem. She and another staff member kept glancing at us throughout the meal, making us very uncomfortable.
To be clear, we were never being unreasonable. We agreed to use one small table when all others were occupied. Once the next table became available and our food arrived, we politely asked to use the extra space — at a time when multiple outdoor tables were empty. Any professional manager could have handled this with empathy and common sense.
The food was excellent as always, and all three servers were kind, patient, and professional — they truly did their best to help us, and we appreciated that. But the manager’s behavior completely ruined what should have been another wonderful experience.
I brought a friend visiting from Korea — her first time in New York — and I was excited to take her to one of my favorite spots. It’s such a shame that this visit left us both disappointed because of one unprofessional manager.