All-you-can-eat rijsttafel.
Years ago, The RiceTable started out promisingly. The first to offer rijsttafel at affordable prices, word quickly got around and business boomed. At S$19.80++ for dinner, one gets an all-you-can-eat spread of 20 dishes, placed on warmers at your table. You have to admit, it’s a tempting deal. Plus, the food wasn’t half bad.
Section A.
Even without much marketing, The RiceTable became very popular, and expanded to a total of three outlets.
But has success got into their heads? I certainly think so. Every subsequent visit had me going, “The food’s not as good as before.” It doesn’t help that the staff are quite atas (Malay for “upstairs”, meaning snobby).
Section B.
The last straw was lunch on Wednesday. I wouldn’t have picked The RiceTable, but the mother-in-law was missing the food there.
On Tuesday, I called the outlets at International Plaza and Suntec City to make a reservation. Both answered with a curt, “We’re fully booked.” Click. What happened to “Sorry, ma’am, we’re already fully booked. Would you like to try at our branches?”
Never mind, I can put up with that if the food makes up for it. Alas, no. The ayam panggang (grilled chicken) and sate ayam (chicken satay) were thick and dry, possibly the result of frozen meat. My bowl of lukewarm soto ayam (chicken soup) had way too much fried shallots.
As for the rest of the dishes, the overall taste was just lacking. I just couldn’t find the passion that was present when The RiceTable first started out. Yes, it’s true you can taste passion. Somehow, the food seemed to have been prepared without care, as if they were just slapping ingredients together with premixed seasonings.
Like the food, the staff was as cold and detached. No smiles, no “please”, no “enjoy your food”, no “please come again”. It felt like they were doing us a favor for deigning to feed us. Well, with a full restaurant, of course they’re entitled to feel that way.
The only consolation was that we were there for lunch. Dinner would have meant paying more for more potentially bad food.
Lunch is S$13.80++ per head (approx. S$16.00 after 10% service charge and 5% GST).
The RiceTable Indonesian Restaurant (Cuppage branch)
43/45 Cuppage Road
Singapore 229463
Tel: (65) 6735 9117
website: http://www.ricetable.com.sg
cheers!
Hear Julia on radio every Thursday at 11:10am & 12:10pm as she shares a Foodie Lunch Pick on 938LIVE's Lunch Box with hosts Howie Lim and Desmond Wong. 
Hi,
I had the same sentiments as u too! The last time I went thr, we asked for ice water n until our meal ended, its not here . My baby boy dropped the fork twice, and the waitress upon picking up, showed us the black face of not wanting to help pick up. Our face was oily as well. We told the manager that their food doesnt taste as wow as before, and all he said was yes madam. we told ourselves nvr to go back anymore..
Nvr mind, we have other choices to go to
Yes! I can’t agree more that their standard has dropped tremendously. Now I avoid going there.
Yeah bad food. Totally agree! B4 they became popular (I reckon coz of the cheap price), food were good. I 1st had it @ the Int’l Bldg, Orchard Rd in 2003. Evenso the place was smaller, it was cosy & the staffs were pleasant. Now it’s all abt u going there to eat, pay-up & leave. No service at all & still you’re obliged to pay service charge to them! Oh, I think the correct word you meant was “anggek = snobbish”. I second that!
They have an image on their website “What others said” which doesn’t link anywhere…it isn’t even linked .
I wonder if they’d link this post? *wink*
Julia,
You should have had Sundanese food instead. I went to Rice Table when I was there and thought that while the variety of dishes was good, the taste was just so-so.
I’m hoping to make it over to Bali on my trip this year…
I tried this before (but the one at Suntec), not bad!