basil S

Mimmo's Gateway, A memorable experience - FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

That it was virtually empty while its neighbours were buzzing, should have been a warning, but the charming welcome and smile of Sam the waitron, displaced our concerns. Sam was attentive and gracious. My wife ordered a 200g fillet and I, a spatch**** chicken, each with chips and vegetables as sides. I made a point of verifying that the chicken would not simply be warmed over and that it would be grilled, over an open flame, Portugese style. Almost indignantly I was assured on both counts that "we cook everything from fresh" and that it was open-flame grilled. I then ordered a glass of water with ice and lemon....."We don't serve tap water because of pollution". I was somewhat surprised but regarded that as mimmos going the extra mile to assure patron health/safety. I ordered bottled water. 20 mins plus later the food arrived which I regarded as being a reasonable wait, given that the chicken was grilled from fresh. BIG MISTAKE! The only thing that was remotely warm on my plate was the chips. Both the chicken and the veges were tepid. The chicken was tough and dry and had obviously been warmed-over and simply drizzled after the fact as opposed to being basted with the mild peri peri sauce. The squash and creamed-spinach were cold and coagulated, warmed only by the presence of the chips. The fillet likewise was lukewarm and the vegetable sides, similarly cold. The only fare the chef got right was the chips. Both plates were returned to be heated....Where the miracle of microwave technology went to work, ensuring that everything was piping hot and guaranteeing that the steak would be overcooked and tough. It takes some skill to transform fillet steak into shoe-leather and Grilled chicken into something resembling a marsh-bog victim but all congratulations to Mimmo's, who excelled on both counts. The manageress sensing my dissatisfaction, and after appearing to listen attentively to my list of complaints, apologised insincerely in an almost bored manner, undertook to convey the litany of complaints to the grill and expressed her hope that we would return again. FAT CHANCE! What I will do is ensure that everyone I speak to in future about restaurants in Gateway will be told of this experience.