Rainforest Eatery

This was the quality of the food we received. It's meant to be "Tex mex" fries. Edit: Cafe owner has responded saying essentially 'what did I expect from this meal and why didn't I say anything at the time'. I expect basic cooking skills and attention to detail. I wouldn't serve this in my own home. This is clearly a slice of plastic cheese melted with jalapenos thrown on top. I find it unlikely that there wasn't any other cheese available at this time of year, I also go shopping in Taranaki and the supermarkets were stocked. Even if the ingredients were a poor substitution (thanks for admitting that), the presentation is lacking. No one wants melted plastic cheese on their chips, this isn't McDonald's. What would it take for someone to slice the cheese (so it's not obviously a melted square) and chop up some jalapenos, melt them together and then pour over the chips. The look and taste of this alternative would actually be somewhat palatable. The fact I have to explain basic food preparation and presentation is a little concerning for a professional (??) kitchen. What this meal shows me, as a customer, is that the food prep is lazy, the ingredients are cheap and minimal, the chosen substitutions are not appropriate, and there's no care for how this meal is presented to me. Here's your chips, deal with it. I shouldn't have to complain to a server, they should be able to see this meal and go 'ew doesn't look very good'. I will not eat here again, but the gardens are BEAUTIFUL so I'll be back for that alone. The only reason I am writing this edit is because the owner is getting similar complaints and keeps coming up with the same excuses. I posted a solo photo because I thought it was very clear that the poor quality of the food and presentation spoke for itself. I'm concerned that the owner can't see this and refuses to take on this feedback.
Jan 25th, 2023

Went to the rainforest caf on a Thursday at 10.30am. Expected it to be closed. 3 staff were working in the cafe and it appeared to be open. I went to the counter a staff member said they were closed. They were not serving any coffee but they could serve us tea or cold udrinks, a muffin or a scone. We ordered and sat down. Another customer came in shortly after us and ordered a cooked breakfast, and a lady with a child ordered ice-cream. A group of about 11 ladies brought in there own flasks of coffee to drink in the cafe. All abit unusual. If you want coffee out of opening times BYO.
Apr 1st, 2023

Food : 5/5 | Service : 5/5 | Atmosphere : 5/5 More
Mar 30th, 2023

Graeme and his team did a phenomenal job at providing drinks and canaps for after our ceremony at Pukeiti. Their food was the star of the show. So many people made comments about how good it was. He delivered exactly what we were after and our guests enjoyed it so much they hang around longer than expected. Graemes team adapted to this well. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options
Feb 13th, 2023

Dec 14th, 2022