Anyone else getting tired of some of the foreigners here constantly whining about about the bad food and terrible service of every bloody cafe around the wenlin area. 'i had to wait an hour for... the waitress just looked at me blank... blah blah blah'. Moan moan moan. O.K. the service here can be slow and the food not so good, but this is Kunming it ain't New York. If you really are struggling so much with the service and the food that you have to whinge and bitch everyday then why not just leave, or here's an idea, eat Chinese food! The day to day running of the 'western' cafes here is usually done by underpaid Chinese staff, that includes the service and cooking. You're foolish to expect anything more than what you pay for, which usually means a bank breaking dollar or two. Deal with it, and spare us your petty rants. Rant over. :)

Yes, I'm getting sick and tired about people whining about people whining. This is a forum. If it's not for whining about something, what's it here for? I believe in the right to moan about bad food, bad service, people moaning, or even people moaning about people moaning. But if anyone dare complain about this submission...

Yes, Timmy, ranting about the occasional negative comment because freedom of speech doesn't coincide with your own shouldn't be acceptable -- even in China (a signatory to WTO standards).
And there are many expats in China who's salary is just a "dollar or two".

Well Timmy you sound like a Chinese guy. I mean that you think one should "accept" what is, and not think about questioning anything.
The fact is, when people talk and "whine" as you put it, things change... albeit little by little. I don't think foreigners are trying to turn Kunming into NY. That is not the point. But if people can exchange dialog and help to effect change, this is both constructive and necessary. Lat's face it, China can use a lot of help to pull itself into the real world...... Here Tim- grab the rope!

"you sound like a Chinese guy". Not even going to get into that rubbish. I'm all about free speech. Just not the same tired old whines about little cafe's on Wenlin Jie. I really just don't care that much about getting an overly frothy cafe latte. You need to get out more. Or even better, stay in more, and spare us more dreary reviews.

Mmmm, not Chinese, eh? Possibly a disgruntled eaterie partner then? Certainly . . . young.

Hey Tiger, it doesn't sound like he's denying it, he just totally avoided the question, haha. I am Chinese-American BTW and I see both sides of the issue. While I take the "When in Rome..." attitude, I just roll with it, I have no problems with fellow expats complain about everything in China because it is true. And you are right, when I pay top Yuan for a cup of coffee I would expect top Chinese service. If I'm going to get the same service as I'm going to every else in China then I should pay the same price and not a premium. Besides, these cafes are trying to imitate western style cafes so I would say they are fair game for complaints, now if this is a Chinese restaurant on the other hand. It's like going to a Chinese restaurant in the US and they don't serve Kong Pao Chicken or BBQ Pork or rice, I can't complain about that?

And oh yeah, why are the Chinese staff underpaid? It's not like we are under charged. 80yuan for a two person lunch. For that amount I can have a banquet at a halfway decent Chinese restaurant and get the same if not better service, no?

Like many things in this country, underpaid staff will always be a way of the working life, as in other countries. But, perhaps, you mean a less than minimum wage -- this is a common mistake, and I know of one Assistant Manager who is simply paid the minimum wage and the owner believes that she ought to be grateful . . . this will, of course, soon change, because good workers are being encouraged to fill increasingly vacant positions in Shanghai, etc.