I went to Helmand for the second time this evening... and for the second time, the hostess/lady manager was extremely rude. I arrived at 5pm (without a reservation, since it was so early), and asked for a table for two (my friend had not yet arrived). The hostess, after finishing her phone conversation, sent me rather dismissively to sit and wait for my friend, rather than seating me and offering me water on a very hot Boston summer day. When my friend arrived, she made a quite a fuss about wanting to take my bag - apparently there wasn't enough space for it at the table - when I (politely and smilingly) said I'd be happier with my bag with me (there was in fact plenty of room for my bag under the table), she argued with me, asked me what was in the bag, and then seated us at the restaurant's worst table, near the kitchen and right next to the servers' station. Soon after, she seated someone else right next to us, which seemed unnecessary as the restaurant was almost empty. The food is good (although unfortunately undermined as the hostess was so rude and unwelcoming), the service was ok, but I will not return, nor recommend it to friends, especially when the fantastic Thai restaurant, The Similans, is right next door.
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