A Sydney restaurant owner has hit back at a customer who left a scathing one-star review of his arancini, accusing her of making false claims.
Joe Cassaniti, the owner of Peppe’s Pasta in Haberfield, was furious after a woman claimed his handmade arancini were the ‘worst’ she had ever tasted and contained ‘absolutely no filling’.
The customer, who went by Angela online, said she was disappointed because she came from a family of experienced Italian home cooks and expected better from a business in a traditionally Italian neighbourhood.
But rather than ignore the criticism, Joe took to Facebook to defend his food, sharing a photograph of an arancini cut in half to reveal a generous portion of Bolognese filling surrounded by saffron-flavoured rice.
‘Quite frankly, I call bulls**t on your claim that our arancini have no filling and taste bad,’ he wrote.
His response quickly drew support from loyal customers, some claiming the arancini were better than those they had eaten in Sicily.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Joe said the experience had been upsetting for his small business, particularly because he believed the review misrepresented a product his team made fresh by hand every day.
‘At Peppe’s Pasta, our products are made fresh by hand every day, and we take enormous pride in every product that leaves our store,’ he said.
A Sydney restaurant owner has hit back at a customer who left a scathing one-star review of his arancini, accusing her of making false claims about the popular Italian snack
‘The worst arancini I have ever tasted’
The controversy began when Angela left a one-star review describing her disappointing visit to the pasta shop.
‘The arancini looked nice, so I bought two arancini. I took a bite and I had to spit it out. It was the worst arancini I have ever tasted. Lucky, I didn’t buy a box full.
‘My family are experts at making homemade arancini. So, yeah, it was very disappointing. They had no fillings inside. Disgusting,’ she said.
But her criticism didn’t end with the food itself. Angela boldly questioned the restaurant’s positive reviews and suggested the quality of its arancini reflected poorly on the local Italian community.
‘I’m shocked by the good reviews. Haberfield is a highly populated Italian area, this shop gives Italians, Sicilians a bad reputation,’ she wrote.
The comments particularly upset Joe, who said his team worked hard to maintain the quality of their products. In a public post addressed directly to Angela, he challenged her claim that the arancini contained no filling.
‘To Angela, the lady that left the nasty Google review, I sincerely hope you see this photo,’ he began.
The customer said she was particularly disappointed because she came from a family of experienced Italian home cooks
‘You claimed that my arancini had absolutely no filling. Well, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.’
He posted a photograph showing the inside of one of his arancini.
‘Take a good look at this photo. My arancini are generously filled with our traditional Bolognese mixture, surrounded by beautiful saffron-flavoured rice,’ he said.
He acknowledged that customers were entitled to dislike his cooking but argued there was a difference between expressing an opinion and making what he considered an inaccurate accusation.
‘I respect everyone’s right to an opinion, and I certainly don’t expect everyone to love everything I make. However, there’s a big difference between expressing disappointment and making claims that are simply not true.’
Joe said the arancini were among his most popular products and praised his employees for the effort they put into making them.
‘My team works so hard to make a product that exceeds expectations and I’m so, so proud of them. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but unfair and insulting comments are another matter entirely.’
Loyal customers rush to his defence
The restaurant owner’s response prompted an outpouring of support from customers who disagreed with Angela’s assessment.
Several said they had purchased the arancini on numerous occasions and had never experienced a problem with the filling.
Another declared: ‘Your arancini are the best in town and the Bolognese is my favourite. I can’t resist popping in to get one when I’m in the neighbourhood.’
Others compared Peppe’s arancini favourably with those they had eaten in Italy.
‘Just got back from Italy, they are better than I had in Sicily. I even said how spoilt we are in Sydney, as the arancini I get from Peppe’s Pasta are better than I had in Italy and trust me, I had a lot,’ one customer wrote.
Another foodie praised both the arancini and the shop’s gnocchi.
The restaurant owner’s response prompted an outpouring of support from customers who disagreed with Angela’s assessment
‘I think Peppe’s has the most authentic and most delicious arancini in all of Sydney! The pasta, specifically gnocchi, is awesome too,’ they said.
The incident highlights how small businesses must contend with online reviews, which can sway customer perception and influence where people decide to spend their money.
Online reviews have become an important part of how people discover local restaurants, particularly in competitive dining neighbourhoods such as Haberfield, where Italian food is a major drawcard.
A positive review can encourage someone to try a new business, while a strongly worded one-star rating may discourage potential customers before they have even walked through the door.
And while diners are entitled to share honest accounts of disappointing experiences, public criticism can be particularly confronting for independent business owners whose livelihoods depend on their reputation.
Joe’s photograph showed that the arancini he displayed contained Bolognese filling, although it could not independently establish what was inside the particular arancini Angela purchased.
His decision to respond publicly also raises a familiar question for hospitality businesses: Is it better to ignore a negative review, address it politely or challenge it directly when they believe it is unfair?
While some owners worry that responding will draw more attention to the criticism, Joe said speaking out had ultimately brought his business unexpected support.
‘Our regulars rallied behind us’
Joe told the Daily Mail that attempting to dispute the review had been a frustrating experience.
‘As a small business, it felt like there was very little we could do to have it looked at, let alone removed,’ he said.
‘But what’s come out of it has been wonderful. Our regulars rallied behind us straight away, and we’ve welcomed so many new customers who came in after seeing the responses and have since left lovely reviews of their own.’
He said the experience had reminded him how much support the restaurant had within the local community.
‘Our door is always open, and we’d love for anyone curious to come in and try the arancini for themselves.’
And while Angela and Joe may never agree on the quality of the arancini, the dispute has encouraged more people to visit the shop and judge for themselves.
Join the discussion
Should restaurant owners publicly challenge negative reviews or let the food speak for itself?