Returning poor food at restaurant

[OzMan]

Twice recently I have been disappointed, to say the least, about food at "good" restaurants. As an example, my GF told the waitress not to put any chilli in my meal. It came back so hot there were flames issuing from it. I said we should return it as they did not provide what I asked. My GF said that although farangs did this it was not good manners in Thailand. Result: I paid for a meal I did not ask for and did not eat. What would other members do in this situation?

[BritManToo]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:49 AM, OzMan said:

I said we should return it as they did not provide what I asked.

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Suspect food was pre-cooked, and just warmed up for customers.

Everyone is served from the same pot.

 

I wouldn't eat there again.

[473geo]

Wonder if the girlfriend was having a laugh

[ezzra]

I'm sorry, if i order something and it is not what i have ordered or the food is not up to standard i send it back, good manners or not, maybe instead to blame foreigners for not being "well mannered" they should train their staff to take order correctly and for the chef/cook to prepare correctly...

[NE1]

That is it here , they are not bothered if you do not eat there again.

 

 

 

[Eindhoven]

Get a new girlfriend. One that backs you up no matter what.

 

Nonsense about it not being good manners. 'Farangs' also started the tipping business. Good manners did not force the locals to refuse.

If not what you ordered, you can politely let them know. If the choice is between you feeling bad and them feeling bad when it was their mistake...

Just let them know in the nicest way possible. That is good manners.

Your girlfriend was more concerned about her face.

[Keyser Soze666]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:59 AM, ezzra said:

I'm sorry, if i order something and it is not what i have ordered or the food is not up to standard i send it back, 

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Of course you do. Bet you wouldn't do it if the place was owned by a burly farang, and don't say you would.

[Eindhoven]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:03 AM, Keyser Soze666 said:

Of course you do. Bet you wouldn't do it if the place was owned by a burly farang, and don't say you would.

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Of course he would. What are you thinking? It's not as if he is deliberately causing trouble. If he orders steak and fish arrives, you think he should say nothing because the owner is a burly ''farang''? Odd.

[ThailandRyan]

Have returned food before at several high end restaurants for similar issues, not ordered, not correct, a hair in the food, and of course the best one yet was when the girlfriend sent back the whole fish because it was undercooked and smelled spoiled.

[CorpusChristie]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:49 AM, OzMan said:

What would other members do in this situation?

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I would just eat it 

[4MyEgo]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:49 AM, OzMan said:

What would other members do in this situation?

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Find a new girlfriend, one that can cook like a boss and knows how to make you want eat her dessert after every meal ????

 

[bodga]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:49 AM, OzMan said:

What would other members do in this situation?

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get  a  new g/f thats  just  the  normal  Thai bs

[473geo]

 

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:10 AM, CorpusChristie said:

I would just eat it 

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With side order of cool water and a towel ????

[Keyser Soze666]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:06 AM, Eindhoven said:

 

Of course he would. What are you thinking? It's not as if he is deliberately causing trouble. If he orders steak and fish arrives, you think he should say nothing because the owner is a burly ''farang''? Odd.

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Behave, that's a different story, obviously. Send food back because you say it's rubbish to a farang owner and there is a good chance he would smash the plate over your head. 

[CNXexpat]

If you want to get a wall at your house painted blue and the painter paint it in pink, would you pay him? Would you complain?

 

My wife tells me that I can return a dish if it´s not the ordered one. You also can call the waitress that you ordered without chili but it is with chili. Let´s see what will happen.

[Why Me]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:10 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Find a new girlfriend ????

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Might be a social rank thing. I have known plenty of Thais, colleagues at my work place, refuse to put up with bad service.

 

Not to cast aspersions on the OP's gf but if she is of a less educated lower-middle background she'll be reluctant to confront a wealthier business owner, someone she perceives to be of higher rank. It's the Thai inculcation to "stay at  your station".

[worgeordie]

Take the food back yourself,or get the girlfriend to do it,

if you are afraid to,......and see what happens, report back here.

 

regards worgeordie

[CNXexpat]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:13 AM, Keyser Soze666 said:

Send food back because you say it's rubbish

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"Rubbish" is the key word. If you would say the food is not what your ordered, undercooked, etc. it shouldn´t be a problem. I sent medium rare ordered steaks back when the came well done. No problem. 

[AlfHuy]

maybe the GF didn't tell them, not to put any chilly and now, she's scared, losing her face.

[Keyser Soze666]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:21 AM, CNXexpat said:

"Rubbish" is the key word. If you would say the food is not what your ordered, undercooked, etc. it shouldn´t be a problem. I sent medium rare ordered steaks back when the came well done. No problem. 

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Right, and the owner would understand that. But to just tell him his food is rubbish and to offer it back to him, well, that is extremely offensive and you could be treading on extremely dangerous grounds. But of course some here would do just that, lol yea course they would, to a petite little Thai girl maybe.

[4MyEgo]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:17 AM, Why Me said:

Might be a social rank thing. I have known plenty of Thais, colleagues at my work place, refuse to put up with bad service.

 

Not to cast aspersions on the OP's gf but if she is of a less educated lower-middle background she'll be reluctant to confront a wealthier business owner, someone she perceives to be of higher rank. It's the Thai inculcation to "stay at  your station".

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I believe it would be an individual thing, out with a farang, showing some status, not wanting to lose face.

 

As for less educated lower-middle background, my wife finished high school and would never accept an order that wasn't up to scratch, she would return it, politely, respectfully, and if anyone arked up, then they would see her otherside which I love....

 

[robblok]

Depends a bit in my opinion, if you order a Thai dish that is supposed to be spicy then telling someone to not make it spicy is stupid. It wont work. It also depends a bit what you pay for the food. Cant expect much of cheap food.

 

(unrelated to the OP as he had a gf with him) I always laugh when i am in the south of Thailand int he tourist area's and see foreigners ask all sorts of special things on a standard menu in complicated English and then expect the result to be to their liking. The English skill of the serving staff is low and in the kitchen they don't do much deviation of the menu.

 

So IMHO it really depends a bit on the situation, you cannot expect too much deviation from recipes in my opinion. However if you order food and don't change it and its just bad. Then yes I send it back. In general in Thailand deviation from the standard does not really work well. 

[steven100]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:00 AM, NE1 said:

That is it here , they are not bothered if you do not eat there again.

 

 

 

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exactly .... the chef, the waiter, the cashier and even the owner won't lose any sleep if you don't come back.

They were probably talking about the fussy farang while heating it up in the kitchen.

[mike787]

You have options: 1. fight, 2. return. 3. walk away.   Is it really worth fighting over?  You really have NO other options.  No other places to eat?  Really?  All of Thailand, why you put up with this food....walk away man.

[jvs]

If you are nice and polite about it would be ok,if you yell and scream and make them lose face the cook will spit in it!

 

[potless]

I never send anything back. Pay and leave. No desire to sample whatever bodily fluids an offended chef may decide to add to my food.

[Eindhoven]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:13 AM, Keyser Soze666 said:

Behave, that's a different story, obviously. Send food back because you say it's rubbish to a farang owner and there is a good chance he would smash the plate over your head. 

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Why are you Trolling this thread?

 

Neither the OP, nor ezzra or myself has ever used the word ''rubbish'' on this thread.

You just seem to be spoiling for an argument.

 

There is no burly farang owner involved. Why you felt the need to introduce one, only you know. No one intimated the food was "rubbish", so why you felt the need to introduce that to your other made up scenario, is again, only known to you.

 

Why are you creating unhelpful scenarios that have nothing to do with the OP??

 

[orchis]

you should give it back. girlfriend be damned.

[Grumpy one]

  On 7/1/2020 at 6:10 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Find a new girlfriend, one that can cook like a boss and knows how to make you want eat her dessert after every meal ????

 

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I did   then married her  

[nikmar]

  On 7/1/2020 at 5:49 AM, OzMan said:

it was not good manners in Thailand.

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I wonder sometimes if my wife realises that she is Thai. She has mentioned in the past about Thai manners and "best to not make a fuss", but when it comes to food she takes no prisoners. One time, in a thai restaurant in Bang Na, she ordered Tom Yum "mai wan" which came to us far too sweet for her , and mine, liking. She marched into the kitchen with it and remedied herself. Admittedly we were good, regular customers, so they knew her but she will not accept bad food from any restaurant.

 

Love her.