Sotto Wijnkelders & proeflounge in Wijk 00 Ermelo

Good Asian Cuisine (Ordered from Ling Fa)

Cozy and excellent food with the best service.

Simply a fantastic experience: a cozy atmosphere, friendly, professional, and cheerful staff, and, last but not least, delicious food and drinks. Probably the best restaurant in Ermelo and the surrounding area.

We opted for the 4-course menu, not realizing that dessert wasn’t included. Maybe I misread or it wasn’t clear, but it felt a bit misleading. The experience actually started off well. The restaurant looks nice, we were greeted with a small taster dish, and they asked about our dietary needs, which seemed accommodating. The first two courses were great. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. The third course—crispy chicken—was very minimal and tasted very similar to a fried item we’d already had in the second course. The main course (apparently the highlight) was even more disappointing, with yet another dish that tasted almost identical to the curry sauce from earlier. But the absolute worst item was the chicken teriyaki skewers. When we bit into them, we couldn’t even tell what meat it was—just fatty, chewy texture with no real meat at all. To make matters worse, they were cold, so the whole thing tasted like snotty leftovers. The service didn’t help either. Empty glasses piled up on our table, water glasses were given but never filled, and drinks were pricey (around €8 for a “fancy” lemonade with frozen mango). Wait times between courses felt strange too—long gaps, even when one course was just fried chicken. When we tried to share our dissatisfaction with the waitress, she didn’t seem bothered and just brought us the bill. It wasn’t even that busy; they mentioned reservations, but the place never really filled up. It left us wondering if they were short-staffed, inexperienced, or simply uninterested. It’s a pity, because the first impression was good, and the restaurant itself looks appealing. But overall, the food repetition, poor execution, and lack of care in service made this a disappointing experience.

One of my favorite places! The food is always good, the staff is very friendly, and the atmosphere is lovely. The price-quality ratio is also excellent. I've never left disappointed—that says something!