Since the first time I went to Kuningan City (one of the latest malls in Jakarta), I saw this restaurant -no, probably looks more like cafe- that looks so casual, relaxing and of course, inviting. But whenever I stopped by the reception desk where they show the menu etc, I lost interest already. And I didn’t even take a look at the menu book. I just walked away.
And after I finally visited that place yesterday, I know the reason why. 
Before I even start, I have to mention this: Hummingbird’s service SUCKS.
People probably think that I am exaggerating things, but seriously, a restaurant with bad service is totally a no-no for me. Like I always write in my other reviews, I will be impressed so much by the service rather than the food. Of course the food has to be at least above than average, otherwise what’s the point of eating out? Personally, I believe that great food can be made ourselves, so I spend more money in the restaurants hoping to get new culinary experiences as well as getting best service as possible. I do think that a lot of people -if not all- agree with this.

Enough for the rants, let’s move on.

Beautiful concept looks very casual, yet hip and inviting.

Since not all stores in the mall are opened yet, it is very easy to spot Hummingbird because of its beautiful and stunning appearance. The place is quite big, with 3 divided areas, the casual tables, the high tables, and the round booths covered with things that resemble bird cages, which are so fancy and good for couple or even small family with children. There’s also a bar area in the front (which is the “gathering place” for the waiters/waitresses, we’ll get more into that later) which is semi-open and you can see a lot of decoration, the snack jars, cake stands, etc.
We waited for a while to be seated, I am so sure the waitress saw us standing just before the reception desk. But she did nothing but stare. She didn’t even move a single step to welcome us, hello, have you been trained at all? We thought, okay, maybe it’s more like a casual restaurant so we decided to get inside right away. The waitress kept staring while we walked in, and until we were inside and tried to decide where to sit when another waitress came up and FINALLY greeted us. The place wasn’t even crowded at all, and I could see those staffs were just gathering around the bar, not quite a pleasant view if you ask me.
Another waitress gave us the menu, which is like miniature of blackboard, complete with the wooden frame! It’s just too cute. She gave us two boards, which in fact are different menu, one is food and the other one is beverage. I still don’t understand why she didn’t give us 2 boards each. What’s so difficult about that? Arghh.
We were still full of lunch some hours before, so we decided to just order some snacks to compliment our drinks. We picked Charred Garlic Crostini, turned out to be something like garlic bread slices served with cheese sauce. It was okay but the bread is too crispy for me. I like garlic breads which are slightly crispy yet still soft. So it’s just a matter of personal preference, I guess. The cheese sauce was surprisingly good, light and cheesy enough to give another taste to the bread.
Charred Garlic Crostini – IDR 24.500+++
Another one was Hummingbird’s Crispy Coated Chicken, which we picked because it is one of the recommended menu. It is just regular crispy chicken bites that was served with wasabi mayonnaise sauce -which didn’t taste like one, and even as I’m writing this, I don’t understand what’s so special about it that they put it in recommended list. Honestly, you can even buy frozen chicken products and get better taste.
Hummingbird’s Crispy Coated Chicken – IDR 37.500+++
I forgot to say when the waiter took notes of our order, he stood by my left, so far away that I had to turn my head many times to make sure he heard what I said. I don’t think that it was an appropriate manner to talk to your guests, no? And I did ask about some menus before I made the orders, that lead to disappointment because he didn’t have any idea. Waste of time, seriously.
Like all the bad service wasn’t enough, the staffs kept making me annoyed by their insensitive and rude manners. When the same waiter came again and brought the utensils, he put one sheet of paper napkin and 2 forks, on the table next to ours, NOT our table. We had 2 tables joined, but we only used one, we sat facing each other. It repeated again when he came bringing our food. I don’t know what’s the problem of this waiter, but seriously he still has so much to improve. It was almost like he purposely did that because he wanted to avoid us, but why? We are not even monsters that eat people, I just think it was very ridiculous.
Fortunately, the beverages seem to be the delight of the visit. I ordered one of the frozen teas, Elderflower, which according to the waiter, uses Edelweiss flower as the main ingredients. I must say it was really, really good. The flower taste is so prominent, so refreshing. Mr. P ordered Rosella Lychee, which came in fancy glass flower pot shaped glass, complete with generous lychee in the bottom and a cup of liquid sugar. The drinks came in great portions, and they have many choices, too.
Elderflower – IDR 25.500+++

Rosella Lychee – IDR 22.500+++
Sometimes ago, I read some reviews about the main branch in Bandung, and someone posted about how good their rainbow cake is, so I ordered it. The slice is perfect, served beautifully and looked like cream cheese, cream cheese and cream cheese. The layers are inconsistent, textures are too wet and sticky, I can’t say that I like it. I prefer modified Rainbow Cake, that people only use white cream instead of cream cheese. But for the actual Rainbow Cake, this one is pretty close to the original and worth the price.
Rainbow Cake – IDR 35.000+++/slice
Wow, this has been a very long, bitter entry. And I can still go on and on talking bad about the service and all. But well, I actually like the place. I even think about coming back soon too, to try the food and more delicious drinks that they offer. Or maybe not. Just thinking about the service already makes me feel irritated.
*All prices are subject to 5% service charge and 10% government tax
Hummingbird Eatery
Kuningan City UG-55
Jl Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav.18
Setiabudi, Kuningan
021-30056370