Grouchy Chef

My husband and brother and I ate at the Grouchy Chef on Friday, April 8th. We have all eaten in some top restaurants in Europe and the United States. We have never had a better meal. we will go as often as possible and take out of town guests there as we did my brother. It really is a very special place.

All the negative reviews are spot on. A dining experience should be enjoyable not only the food but the atmosphere. A disturbed old man that thinks he is holier than thou and yells at people because they ask a question is not somewhere I will ever return, nor recommend.
The saddest thing is his food is amazing and elegant but how can anyone possibly enjoy what’s going on in their mouth when you’re afraid to move.
There is a HUGE difference between grouchy and rude. He is just rude, condescending and disrespectful.
Teaching people proper etiquette is not what this place is! I’ve eaten at Michelin Star restaurants and had snobby service, but never rude! I’m also European so we eat quite proper on a daily basis.
The folks that enjoy this type of rudeness are probably more laid back than me, for me I can get better food elsewhere without worrying about my throat getting slit from behind because I didn’t clean the plate.
Oh and as far as elegance goes… If he expects so much; he really should invest in non plastic table cloths, not serving soda in a can and that awful metal pitcher for water… just sayin’.

I know the name of the restaurant says it all but, he really is a grouch and it totally throws off the vibe of the atmosphere. i definitely felt uncomfortable within the first 30 seconds of walking in. everything about this place is unconventional, so brace yourself!
But if you’re a true foodie, you’re not gonna care too much because his food is LEGIT and soooooo cheap. The quality, taste, and presentation of his food is comparable to the fine dining I’ve had in Seattle where the meal was $ 100 plus.
Instantly as you park your car, you already feel intimidated. The building looks like a storage unit from the outside, and has his rules posted at the front door where to park and NOT park. He also criticizes on your attire and even your makeup right when you walk in!!! I had summer strappy sandals on and a very faint lipgloss color on and i was grilled instantly lol he warned me to not transfer any of my lipgloss on his cloth towels and wine glasses! i literally didnt drink any water til the end of my meal lol for fear of making lip prints on his glasses.
the décor of the place was pretty strange as well, which is ironic since he’s so strict on what he prefers his customers to be wearing! make sure you got a hard shell before you walk in to this place, dont take anything he says personal lol
he asks for cash only, upfront, before you even see the food. and he doesnt want your tip $$. in place of a tip, he does offer tshirts and hats with his logo on it which are free if you choose to donate to cancer care research in honor of his sister that passed away years ago :(this made me forgive him a little bit for all the awkwardness he put me through
i really really really wish i could have been more relaxed and less tense at this place for me to fully enjoy my meal but the food was awesome, so i guess i’ll take it. i’ll be back again!
highly recommend the potato cake option and the duck breast entrée!
this place would have gotten all 5 starts if the owner eased up a bit lol, but nonetheless. try it out!
** ALSO, how the hell did people get pictures of their food!!! i was way too freaked out to whip out my phone to even check for a text message lol i was sad i couldnt brag about my food and show proof to people. props to everyone on here that posted pics with their Unilocal review lol

It is something really beyond ordinary experience. It is all served by the japan owner and chef and I guess it all runs with such dignity I am not used to. It is by reservation only and has special rules like dress code. I gave little attention and came well dressed but yet pretty casual (with jeans), I felt sorry about it.
The restaurant completely holds its promise to provide fine cuisine for affordable price. The meal is great, the serving is very nice and overall you enjoy the evening.
The interior is somewhat cheap and plastic, like table cover is plastic rather fabric, a few noisy fans on the floor are out there… Given the price of about 25 $ per person (depends on what you order for entrée and what you drink), I believe that’s understandable and thus 5 stars is fair.
The restaurant in unique and definitely a place to visit. Next time my relatives come to visit me, we will go there. Respect the owner, obey the rules, and you will have outstandingly great experience.

This review is going to be based my dining experience which was couple months ago, I’ve been here twice, the second visit was on valentine’s day and he was busy, there were 4 tables and one tables had a party of 4, So yeah it was busy night for him, So I got in just in time, and he sat me on the table, I read couple warning and rules but really it’s not warning at all it’s just some rules regarding basic manner. So when I sat on the table I ordered Duck and my gf ordered Chicken. Food came in less than 15 minutes, I still think that is fast, because its a busy night for him and food was served under 15 minutes. After my food came in, I started to dig in and then something happened to other costumer near my table, the chef accidentally pushed a glass of water and it spilled on the table, the chef said sorry and refund all the money, AND he still made the four course dinner for that costumer. Man what a top notch costumer service. Very few restaurants would refund all the money just because of water spills, sometimes restaurants would only offer free drinks and if the owner is not stingy free of one food.
Because of chef action, I believe that Chef Matsumoto is not grouchy at all, he is just working hard and hates it if some costumer disrespects his hard work.
You should not worry about the chef if you know what you’re doing, Food is really recommended. I still wish that Chef Matsumoto hires more chef and waiter so I can go here on daily basis although I would imagine the kitchen would be like Gordon Ramsey Hell kitchen haha
Dress good and be nice. I will come back again for sure.

dammit he’s good! i just wish he wasn’t so grouchy and so oblivious to the discomfort he causes to some of his guests because he is so very abrupt and inflexible.
it is, a one-​man show so he gets a pass on some of his crankiness.
i won’t rehash the rules as they are listed here in numerous reviews. make sure you study up on them. trust me, they do not lie.
nevertheless,
you cannot get a better deal for a 4 course dinner. period. the end. my duck dinner with a glass of wine was a little over $ 35, served on beautiful bone china.
his salads and soups change up seasonally and it’s always a pleasant surprise.
if you like duck order his duck. if you like steak, order his steak and make sure if you order wine it is a red wine and not a white wine or you will get the steak/​wine lecture. there is not one thing on his menu that i have not enjoyed. go for it.
dessert is always wonderful. this is coming from a non-​dessert person. it’s usually a plate with small bites of various desserts like mini cheesecake, chocolate this and that. the presentation is perfect for me because desserts fill me up very quickly. i get to taste a few quick bites that changes up seasonally.
make sure you are at your best behavior: the manners your mom and gramma taught you that you poo-​pooed in your younger stupider days. if you follow these manner rules, then it will not be stressful because you are already comfortable with table manners and it will not be necessary for the grouchy chef to speak to you in a very stern tone. all will be well. if you do not know basic table manners then woe be to you and may god be with you.
oh, yes. cash only. and reservations required. trust me. he’s not kidding.
good luck! you will enjoy your food. really, trust me.

Not for tourists! No walk-​ins? Fly here from Florida only to be rudely told to ‘bug off’. This needs to be highlighted by Unilocal on their listing!

We went into this meal knowing the rules, which are really just a reminder of MANNERS. The Grouchy Chef was short & to the point, not rude at all. The food was excellent with beautiful presentation. The amount of food & the quality was beyond exceptional for the price. Watching the Chef was quite impressive. It is literally a one man show. He is very organized & it was easy to see why his rules are necessary. I think the only bummer was that we were dining with a total of 3 couples, and there is only reservations up to 4 … That in itself is not enough to deter me from going back. I look forward to visiting again. Don’t forget to read his «story» and passion about raising money to fight cancer. He was very appreciative of our donations.

CASH ONLY!
What an interesting dining experience! For those that haven’t had a set dining experience with at least a 4 course meal, this is probably the best place to try first. This place is called the Grouchy Chef for a reason, and the owner/​chef isn’t scared to be up front about it. We went on a Monday night, and it’s a one man operation. There are a set of rules that are pretty strict, but anyone that comes here has to understand that you’re getting an executive chef dining experience for an extremely fair price with no tips. For example, for the ladies wearing lipstick, you’ll have to drop $ 2 on the table if you decide to use his white cloths since it can’t be washed off. Or another one is no substitutions and he finds it disrespectful if you don’t finish your food.
I wish I can tell you everything we ate, but the only real thing we get to choose on the menu is the main entrée and the starch that comes with it. So I ordered the beef NY steak with bacon mashed potatoes. He asked me how I liked it, and I originally said rare. He said «If you want rare go home and cook it yourself because I’m not going to get you sick.» LOVED IT! True to the name of the restaurant. I said medium rare then and he said okay.
The first dish that came was an appetizer/​salad deal. It had cheese, fruit, a bread croûton thing, and some salad concoction. The next dish that was some kind of meatball soup. Then the NY steak and bacon mash potatoes. And finally the dessert, which was like espresso gelato, sherbert, chocolate cake? and flan? I wish I could tell you exactly what it was but we don’t get to pick those.
With everything said, you get a fine dining experience without the fine dining service or price. I give it five stars because you should know what you’re getting in to just by reading the restaurant name. You pay cash first because of how cheap the food is and he doesn’t want you to run off after eating. But remember no tips, but he does accept donations to cancer research. And if you look at the hats/​shirts he has for donations only, there are letters from a cancer research company that he actually donates to.

We went to the restaurant having read the reviews and understanding the rules. As for food… we were not impressed. Presentation was nice but food seemed to be prepackaged and not fresh. Far worse is the paranoia of the GC. He is not only unwelcoming but sees personal hostility where it does not exist. We could not enjoy ourselves as we listened to him yell at others around us.
The atmosphere he creates is very uncomfortable. If you enjoy mediocre food in an oppressive environment this place is for you.

Food is very good, the dining experience, unfortunately, much less so.
On arrival you are greater with a page placed on top of the menu which informs you that if you get makeup or lipstick on the linen you are expected to leave $ 2 for cleaning. You cannot wear jeans as that is disrespectful to the chef. You are instructed not to take any pictures as the Chef owns everything in the restraunt except for your food. And then you are told, as if a child, about American values and how you should not stuff your mouth. Putting elbows on the table is not allowed. Grouchy indeed. I would have taken a picture of this incredible page to share, but didn’t want to be told to leave. I was already feeling as if I had transgressed by, unknowingly, violating his dress code. I would have worn a coat, tie, slacks, with freshly shined shoes, so as to not show disrespect, on my next visit; unfortunately, that will be no repeat visit.
I asked for my steak rare and was lectured, in a loud voice, about Washington health laws and his responsibility not to get me sick and his liability if he did so. Our dining companion has had gastric bypass surgery and when they ask for a box, they were then lectured, again loudly, on how he will take no responsibility for his food and will not be responsible if she were to get sick.
My wife ordered «duck». There is only one duck dish on the menu. «What?» He asked? My wife, thinking she may have a problem with her accent, said more carefully, «Duck». «What duck?». Only when she opened the menu and read the exact description, did he write the order. One of our guests had the same issue with «lamb». «No rack of lamb. What lamb?» She checked the menu and carefully annunciation «Leg of lamb.» «OK». There is only one lamb dish offered.
There is, I think, a difference between grouchy and rude. Between being assertive and in control of your own establishment, and disrespecting those who, by returning, allow you to stay in operation.
That he is a one man operation is a marvel to watch and experience. That he is an excellent Chef is unquestioned. That in reading the menu I was planning a return? Absolutely. That I was considering bring my customers there? Yes. That I can condone rudeness by returning? No. That I will return to an establishment where my wife is afraid of us being told to leave if we, by mistake, perhaps use the wrong fork or I, as I will do, put my elbows on the table as I lean onto my hands during conversation? No.
Closing time is shown as 9. At 7:50 we were the last table and winding down, only a half glass of wine remaining. The music was turned off, fans turned off, Chef’s hat off; we took the hint and left.
The food was very good, mushroom soup excellent, steak a bit tough, duck breast required a steak knife, sauces delightful and desert perfect. All at prices that are, to use the term «reasonable» an understatement. Five course, one steak, one duck, two glasses of wine, $ 62.
Dinner is by reservations, cash only, payment at time of order. He is on a tight schedule and does not take kindly to those who arrive either early or late. If you are early you are pointed to your table and ignored and then your order taken at the scheduled time. If late (our guests were delayed 10 minutes by traffic) your order will be taken when he has time. We were served our desert about 5 minutes before our guests received their entrée. Ackward but understandable.
Really good food, but I will not return.

We love it here every time we visit. The salad plate was exceptional as all of the food was. We’ll be back!

Went again with my hubby on Valentine’s Day — another sensational meal. This time I had the salmon with bacon mashed potatoes and it was truly divine. My only complaint is that because of the small space, and what I presume to be poor ventilation, the restaurant has been smoky both times that we’ve dined there. It wasn’t so bad that we couldn’t enjoy our meals/​surroundings, but it is definitely noticeable.
Also to note: watch how quickly you eat, and truly regard the note in his binder about not shoveling food into your mouth. One of the diners next to our table was eating his salad plate at a rapid pace, and Chef reminded him that his next course wouldn’t be ready by the time he finished eating his salad course and to slow down — ha!
I’m already dreaming of the next meal I could have there!

The Grouchy Chef doesn’t ask anyone to do anything unreasonable. Really, he is just asking people to have some self-​awareness. Anyone who isn’t willing to attempt that doesn’t deserve the privilege of the Grouchy Chef experience.
Not only was the quality of our dishes excellent, and the prices genuinely unbelievable, we also appreciated not having waitstaff ask us every ten seconds: «How is everything tasting tonight?» Chef only approached the table to put something on it, take something off of it, and take our orders. Service was perfectly timed throughout the meal.
Perhaps more restauranteurs could focus on eating, and strip away the b.s. that is generated by customers and the establishments themselves.
Given the quality of the food and what you pay, I’d say Chef is a rock star, and Grouchy Chef is a world-​class establishment. We can’t wait to go back.

Nothing I can say that really hasn’t been said. Great food, not the best on the planet but great and you can tell the Chef puts a lot of work into the food and his establishment. He’s not grumpy, he’s just very serious and wants you to make up your mind, order your food, and enjoy. Dress up, be polite, don’t eat like an animal and you’ll be golden.

Once you have visited this place you’ll understand why the «rules» are necessary. The chef runs the restaurant by himself with no extra staff so certain processes are necessary in order to make that possible. Yes, the location is in an industrial park and the interior is kitschy but charming. But you’re not coming here for that. Neither are you coming here for the entertainment factor of a one man show. You’re coming here because nowhere else in the area do you get a great four-​course meal for less than $ 30. The meal consist of a main course of your choosing and comes with a standard salad, soup of the day, as well as dessert plate. All was delicious: I finished every last thing on each plate. Small note: vegetarians might not find sufficient options here.
Come for the food. Deal with the rest. It’s worth it. My respect to the chef.

This is my second time dinning here and I am still pleased with the overall experience.
Made dinner reservations for last Saturday for a party of four. There were only no more than two other guests at a time. Which I like because by intentionally keeping the crowd small, service was quicker and the space feels more intimate. Reservations was a must. I prepped my guests of the «rules», but really, they’re more of reminders on how to behave at a dinner table, a reminder that this is not a bar type restaurant.
We ordered the dinner special. Not a bad deal, $ 25 for four courses. The salad had yummy cheese and fruits. The soup was really good, I couldn’t recall the name, but it was yummy. My main course was the fish and it was grilled perfectly. The dessert consisted of flan, some pound cake, sorbet, chocolate cake mouse, really something for everyone.
The dishes were well prepared and came out timely. I am impressed for this being a one man show.
Bring cash (and no tipping, but you can donate to a charity instead in the donation jar).

We had 4 courses meals. Hubby had duck breast. I ordered dinner special which was halibut lobster bisque.
Although it was a little bit intermediating, we enjoyed our dinner. It was a very good deal 4course meals for two for only $ 56.
We loved the salad. The dressing was light and flavorful. Each piece on the plate had it own flavor.
The squash soup was very creamy yummy.
The fish was good but not amazing. My hubby loves his medium rare cooked to perfect duck breast.
The dessert plate has coffee ice cream, sorbet, flourless chocolate and earl grey custard. Everything was amazing. I really wanna had each more.
Our reservation was at 7. And we were the only customers there. After we were done, he closed the Resturant. I really want to support his business and hope more people come to eat here.

My husband and I were really looking forward to our meal at Grouchy Chef after reading the Unilocal reviews. I made reservations 10 days in advance (he doesn’t accept them earlier), and when we arrived, we sat down on the bench by the front door. The chef called us and pointed to the table where we should sit. We sat down to a binder at our setting, and we read the chef’s «rules» in the binder. Alas, one of the rules was no pictures, so I have no pictures to share of the food.
The prices are super reasonable here — you get a four-​course meal for the price of the entrée. So, we each had a salad, soup, entrée and dessert — plus a bottle of red wine — for $ 77, which we paid in cash upfront. The salad was very refreshing and had an assortment of fresh vegetables, pickled vegetables, fruit and cheeses. The soup was a lovely curry lentil soup — honestly, I think it was our favorite course of the meal.
For entrees, I got the NY strip steak, while my husband got a shrimp dish. Both entrees came with a starch — I got potatoes, while my husband got rice. So, here is the thing. The food is good but not transcending or anything. I really feel the value you get for all the food, drink and experience is worth it, and we’ll definitely return. Just don’t come expecting haute cuisine or anything inventive or creative — it is solid French food at an amazing price.
We were so stuffed by the time dessert came around, but we loved all the little bites on the plate. We really appreciated the different textures and flavors. We did donate for cancer research, and the chef was very thankful for it. Looking forward to returning to try some of the other entrees.

We did our research in reading up about the place and its rules. We followed them and had a lovely dinner!
The food was fabulous!!! The chef really understands flavors and food pairings. Everything was perfectly balanced for my palate.
The salad was to die for! Perfectly ripe melons, thin slice of cold quiche with blue cheese on top and a thin slice of medium cooked beef, a piece of rhubarb, pickled radish and raw carrot atop of a spicy cheese (pepper jack I believe), cucumber topped with a cream sauce with a hint of horseradish and topped with a Roma tomato wedge (room temp thank goodness), carefully arranged two types of lettuces by nestling the leaves inside each other and each perfectly dressed with his house vinaigrette, 3 large sliced bread style croutons which were perfectly crunchy and seasoned.
The whole thing was not overly chilled which diminishes the flavors! Each part was either chilled to perfection of left room temp… like the tomatoes that should never be served cold.
Soup — carrot potato — so good! Served nice and hot!
Main course — Coq Au Vin was best I’ve ever had… the wine sauce was to die for! The mushrooms and pearl onion — perfectly cooked. The potato cake wasn’t my cup of tea but ate up my hubby’s bacon mashed potatoes. Even the thinly sliced zucchini and carrot garnish was to die for.
Dessert — Where to begin. Flan, lightly toasted pound cake, a sort of dark chocolate cake with Berry jam underneath, coffee sorbet, and a berry sorbet that had a flavor I couldn’t decipher… maybe vinegary ???
Wine — $ 6 for a very generous glass. I’m not a connoisseur but I thought the Chardonnay was delicious. He know offers by the glass other Unilocalers said previously it was only by the bottle.
Chef is very attentive. When we had finished with a course we placed our silverware at 3:15 and he promptly cleared them and the next course came shortly after. We did not feel rushed at all but very attended to.
The décor is… eclectic to say the least. Music was nice mix of smooth jazz and classical.
He was quick with us but not rude… definitely could be called grouchy :)
He thanked us when we got up to leave.
He did give the table in front of us a little reprimand when they ordered a 2^nd bottle of wine and another glass for the 4^th and last member of their party. Chef asked who was driving… they kind of just laughed. He told them to drink slowly and walked away. He came back with the wine but not an extra glass. When he walked away there was a bit of convo about it at the table. A few mins later he returned with the glass and silently set it in front of the patron.
Best dining experience I’ve ever had. You cannot beat the food and the prices.

WARNING: If you are a picky or an indecisive eater, avoid Grouchy Chef. I also don’t suggest this place to those who don’t try to carefully read rules and guidelines since there’s pages of them at the front of the restaurant.
With that aside, Grouchy Chef is definitely one of the more unique dining experiences I’ve had. Like what another reviewer mentioned, I too carefully did my research before making my reservation. Initially I was surprising my bf for a dinner here but I ended up giving him a heads up so he can brush up on the rules I’ve found through Unilocal.
There are so many to read and remember. Such rules to follow include:
* Dress code. No slippers/​flip flops, sweats, or shorts (males). Its safe to dress up for the occasion.
* Reservations only
* Do not stand while waiting for your table. Sit at the bench at the entrance.
* When done with your meal, place your utensils at either 3:15 or 6:30. I suggest googling this beforehand just so you don’t over think this during dinner lol
* Do not blot lipstick on napkins or get it on the glass/​silverware. Ladies, just don’t plan on wearing lipstick to avoid this.
* Cash only
(I could go on and on but like I already said, there’s too many to list.)
Anyways, Chef Matsumoto was pleasant for the most part. There were only a few minor incidents his grumpy side came out: us leaving our spoons inside the bowl when we were done, another table trying to order a glass of wine (by bottle only), and the chef calling a no show saying «its your responsibility to honor your reservation».
So why should you go to a place that is so restricting? Chef Matsumoto is amazing, that’s why. He runs the entire place by himself: greets and seats guests, takes orders, answers the phone, prepares food, serves and buses tables. He has it down to a science since the timing was just right with the spacing of each course. I can see how customers asking for substitutions can effect that. Also, he can split food for an additional charge too.
Now onto the important part of the review: the food!
Its a four-​course meal that includes a chef salad, soup du jour, your choice of and entrée and starch, and a dessert plate. I really enjoyed the chef salad, which consisted of greens, toasted bread, pates, pickled veggies, and fruit. I like how all of the flavors went. well together.
I was too afraid to ask what was in the soup du jour, and there were no signs up describing what the soup was. Based on the photos posted on Unilocal,I am guessing it was the chicken consommé. The soup was rich with skinny noodles and veggies swimming around. I wanted to tip my bowl to get every drop but again, I didn’t want to piss off the chef.
For my entrée, I had the lamb in mustard sauce with a side of bacon mashed potatoes. I love this entrée! The mustard sauce had so much depth in flavor and the lamb was cooked perfectly. The potatoes weren’t overpowered with bacon flavor but the consistency was so smooth. My bf had the special (rock fish with potato cake). While the fish was prepared nicely, he preferred my lamb dish since he found the flavors more interesting. Dessert was a platter that consisted of a fruit sorbet, coffee ice cream, chocolate torte, flan, and bread pudding. My favorites were the chocolate torte, flan and ice cream. I personally didn’t care for the bread pudding.
Now for the surprising part: 2 four course dinners cost me roughly $ 38, and there’s a no tipping policy. I thought that was crazy, since the food could have easily been at least $ 60/​head. So with all the rules and eating in fear, I thought it was worth it, even though I accidentally left my wallet due to my nerves. At least the chef was really nice about it when I came back to get it.
Looking back at it, I wonder if the chef secretly gets a kick out of having all these rules to make his guests nervous. Now that I know what to expect, I do plan on bringing friends that I know will appreciate Chef Matsumoto’s food.
Highly recommended for those that appreciate fine cuisine and has some basic knowledge of dinner etiquette. Grouchy Chef is not ideal for dinner parties larger than 4 persons.