Proper Etiquette When Spotting A Rat At A Decent Indoor Restaurant?

[Jingthing]

I was recently dining at a nicely decorated indoor Pattaya restaurant where I am friendly with the owner. I noticed a rather large rat climb up a pipe into the air conditioning unit. The critter was just a few feet from a table of diners but they didn't appear to notice.

In such a case, should you notify a waiter or owner of the infestation or zip it? I figured they are there all the time and probably know already, so I didn't say a word. However I did keep my eye on the ratty area for the rest of my meal.

So, what is the proper etiquette when spotting a rat at a decent indoor restaurant?

In case you are wondering, I won't be back to that place not because of the rat but because the food quality went downhill ...

Edited August 19, 2009 by Jingthing

[lothda]

Point it out to the waiter and say you want it as your main dish

[bkkjames]

I was recently dining at a nicely decorated indoor Pattaya restaurant where I am friendly with the owner. I noticed a rather large rat climb up a pipe into the air conditioning unit. The critter was just a few feet from a table of diners but they didn't appear to notice.

In such a case, should you notify a waiter or owner of the infestation or zip it? I figured they are there all the time and probably know already, so I didn't say a word. However I did keep my eye on the ratty area for the rest of my meal.

So, what is the proper etiquette when spotting a rat at a decent indoor restaurant?

In case you are wondering, I won't be back to that place not because of the rat but because the food quality went downhill ...

If you know the owner, why would't you tell him?

[EvilDrSomkid]

I have seen rats at several establishments, from street corner nooden stand to expensive places (well, sort of).

I did mention it to the wife when I saw one, but her reaction was quite bland. Oh really? Where? and then continues eating.

As long as no phee is spotted, the etiquette is: Zip it.

I think a blood curdling scream and a westerner with pale drawn face standing on a chair would just get gales of laughter.

[Birdman]

Ever seen the classic movie "Ben" ? That's one of the 70s animal horror movies like "Squirm" (really funny) or "Bug"

So, if circiumstances are not like in that movie, there's not worth mentioning.

[skipvice]

proper etiquette ? there is no stinking etiqette when you see a rat. you yell out hey you got a rat in here. That way everbody will know and make up there oun mind as to continueing eating there. But what do I know:)

Edited August 19, 2009 by skipvice

[Jingthing]

I like to be polite when possible. If I told the owner and he did know, he would lose face, if he didn't know he might think just another naive American. What most surprised me was the large table of people that didn't even notice. Also the indoor part of it. Seeing a rat at a street place is different, that's their domain.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Jingthing

[Birdman]

"What most surprised me was the large table of people that didn't even notice"

Maybe they had so much fun and enjoyed F&B that much, that they were on cloud nine and nothing else mattered in that moment.

And maybe you had nothing better to do than looking at the pipe.

[cyb]

I was recently dining at a nicely decorated indoor Pattaya restaurant where I am friendly with the owner. I noticed a rather large rat climb up a pipe into the air conditioning unit. The critter was just a few feet from a table of diners but they didn't appear to notice.

In such a case, should you notify a waiter or owner of the infestation or zip it? I figured they are there all the time and probably know already, so I didn't say a word. However I did keep my eye on the ratty area for the rest of my meal.

So, what is the proper etiquette when spotting a rat at a decent indoor restaurant?

In case you are wondering, I won't be back to that place not because of the rat but because the food quality went downhill ...

Say nothing jingthing just give him one of these the next time you visit.

Edited August 19, 2009 by cyb

[Jingthing]

"What most surprised me was the large table of people that didn't even notice"

Maybe they had so much fun and enjoyed F&B that much, that they were on cloud nine and nothing else mattered in that moment.

And maybe you had nothing better to do than looking at the pipe.

Spot on mate.

I like to be polite when possible.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Jingthing

[LaoPo]

So, what is the proper etiquette when spotting a rat at a decent indoor restaurant?

Believe it or not but this happened to a friend and myself in the #1 hotel in the world....The Oriental - Bangkok, many years ago.

We were sitting in the indoor coffeeshop with view over the river.

At a certain moment my friend said to me: (we were always funny Thai-style talking) "Khun J. .....I see big Lat, lunning....VELY BIG LAT"

The -huge- rat was hiding under a left standing cabinet and was running up and down from the left to the right cabinet.

We called the chef waiter and softly spoke to him, pointing at the cabinet.

"So solly sil....cannot...Oliental Hotel no heb Lats...."

Well, after a while 5 or 6 assistants to the chef waiter arrived and every single one of them was scared to death to try and capture the rat without any success; they tried to capture it with some sort of a small basket.

We didn't wait for the outcome and left, but not without the Chef Waiter asking us if we would be so kind NOT to tell this story, ever.

So....ssssssst

LaoPo

[Jingthing]

Great story. I will not trouble the ratty restaurant with a specific public report. They have enough troubles, what with the crappy food ... They certainly ain't the Oriental!

Edited August 19, 2009 by Jingthing

[Birdman]

"What most surprised me was the large table of people that didn't even notice"

Maybe they had so much fun and enjoyed F&B that much, that they were on cloud nine and nothing else mattered in that moment.

And maybe you had nothing better to do than looking at the pipe.

Spot on mate.

I like to be polite when possible.

...I knew you let someone not get away with that

Edited August 19, 2009 by Birdman

[Kan Win]

I was recently dining at a nicely decorated indoor Pattaya restaurant where I am friendly with the owner.

In such a case, should you notify <snip> owner of the infestation <snip>

Very easy 'Jingthing' next time you are there just ask him to make you a dish of "Ratatouille".

Now you will ask me why?

Easy and simple. The Rat is named Tui, the owner knows him as the rat keeps all sort of pests at bay like .............. cockroaches and customers that complain that his food is Khrap.

In case you are wondering, I won't be back to that place not because of the rat but because the food quality went downhill ...

.. etc. and keeps the floor nice and clean after the owner's cleaners miss a spot or two.

******************************************************************

Ratatouille

Joy of Cooking in Pattaya (75th Anniversary Edition; 2009)

There are a variety of recipes for Rat-ahh-Tui and the ingredients often change from cook to cook, but most contain eggplant (aubergine), garlic, onions, zucchini (Italian squash or marrows), and bell peppers and rats. Usually the recipe is seasoned with Herbes de Provence, but (as in this recipe) it can be as simple as parsley and hot or holy basil. Often the individual vegetable components are cooked separately in olive oil, but I like this recipe that cooks the vegetables together.

I adapted this recipe from the Culinary Institute of Pattaya newest book - Rats: Recipes and Techniques from the World's Premier Culinary College (which I will review soon).

To begin, assemble the ingredients: 1 Large Rat that lives in the the air conditioning unit, should be chilled and not warm, 6 garlic cloves, 5 medium button or brown mushrooms (I prefer brown for more flavor), 1 medium zucchini, 5 sprigs of Italian parsley, 4 sprigs of basil, 1 medium onion, 1 can diced tomatoes (or 2 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced), rat or vegetable stock (we'll need 3/4 cup or 180mL), 1 Tbs. tomato paste, 1 medium green bell pepper, and 1 large eggplant (about 1 pound or 450 g). Drain the canned tomatoes.

Yours truly,

Kan Win

P.S. This is the fun, entertainment forum

[Jingthing]

Ratatouille

Enjoyed the vegetable dish.

Liked the book.

Loved the movie.

Had sex with the rodent ...

Edited August 19, 2009 by Jingthing

[Macx]

What should you do?

Point at rat and shout: "Tao rai? Thot gap gra-thim."

Garlic fried rats are a delicacy just a few hundred km to the east of BK

Sad to say but I've become blase about restaurant food hygiene in LOS (a developing country).

Recently, I was in a nifty French restaurant in BK (name starts with a "P...") with my father, who came to visit--so I was trying to impress the old man. A cockroach ran along the booth upholstery, climbed onto my shoulder and then my lapel. The old man pointed it out to me, and I brushed it off. We continued the meal. The waiters pretended not to see.

These days, I just fish out the odd ants or bugs that gets into my soup and keep on eating. When in Rome...

[Bosse137]

Some time ago,while looking for some plants to our garden,we saw a big snake hiding behind some pots and plants.Exited,my wife told the storeowner :"We saw a big snake in here! ". The owner,in a somewhat bored voice,answered:" Yeah,sometimes we see it also..."

[snuggzzz]

Not being 'piccy' about this, but you don't mention where the 'Rodent Restaurant' is.......................

[rodcourt49]

Great story. I will not trouble the ratty restaurant with a specific public report. They have enough troubles, what with the crappy food ... They certainly ain't the Oriental!

Go to the Health Dept and RAT on them !

[basjke]

Great story. I will not trouble the ratty restaurant with a specific public report. They have enough troubles, what with the crappy food ... They certainly ain't the Oriental!

That is a very discreet description of the restaurant in question as 90% of the "decent" restaurants in pattaya fall into that category.

[mahtin]

Garlic fried rats are a delicacy just a few hundred km to the east of BK

Seen them being sold in a market in Laksi, so no need to leave BKK.

Wife pointed them out to me; no mistaken id.

Edited August 20, 2009 by mahtin

[Jingthing]

Not being 'piccy' about this, but you don't mention where the 'Rodent Restaurant' is.......................

I like the owner of this restaurant so I won't name it. However I don't him well enough to keep spending money there on lousy food, bugger the ratz.

[hanno]

Up-scale or hole-in-the-wall, rats a re a problem in SE Asia and impossible to get rid off: plenty of garbage on the streets, plenty of hiding places, no cold weather. I work in pretty good hotels and I am resigned to keeping rats out of stores and out of the kitchen. Elsewhere, they can just walk in off the street and there is little I can do. Pest control does come on a regular basis but rats are not easily caught/poisoned; way too smart for that.

[petercallen]

If youare a lady or have a lady companion just stand on a chair and scream rat, rat, rat and then they will do something about it.

[harleyclarkey]

You don't have to go to Thailand!!

I was having a nose bag in a flash (well expensive) restaurant here in Ireland.....in Camolin...when lo and behold there was Jerry, minus Tom, scurrying across the dining room.

Oi, say I. There's a bloody mouse in your dining room. Your man wasn't bother so must have been the family pet.

Anyway they closed and I'm not surprised.

[onnut]

Rats are all over the place, even in up market restaurants. you will never get rid of them but you can keep the numbers down and hope that they do not stick there heads out while guests are eating.

I have had customers in the past tell me they saw a rat and I thank them and go hunting. I do my best not to tell the staff because they start running around shouting theres a rat in Thai forgeting that many customers of mine speak Thai.

we do our best at keeping them at bay but there will always be one or two that get through.

if you would stop eating at a place because you saw a rat or cockroach in Thailand, then you will starve. crap food and service are the only things that keeps me out of restaurants.

[cyb]

Rats are all over the place, even in up market restaurants. you will never get rid of them but you can keep the numbers down and hope that they do not stick there heads out while guests are eating.

I have had customers in the past tell me they saw a rat and I thank them and go hunting. I do my best not to tell the staff because they start running around shouting theres a rat in Thai forgeting that many customers of mine speak Thai.

we do our best at keeping them at bay but there will always be one or two that get through.

if you would stop eating at a place because you saw a rat or cockroach in Thailand, then you will starve. crap food and service are the only things that keeps me out of restaurants.

What more can you do?

If you try your best to keep them at bay, No one can ask more of you.

[Jingthing]

if you would stop eating at a place because you saw a rat or cockroach in Thailand, then you will starve. crap food and service are the only things that keeps me out of restaurants.

Agreed but if the rat was right in my face, that wouldn't be good.

[onnut]

if you would stop eating at a place because you saw a rat or cockroach in Thailand, then you will starve. crap food and service are the only things that keeps me out of restaurants.

Agreed but if the rat was right in my face, that wouldn't be good.

agreed there mate. one story I should not tell but will coz it is funny, now anyway but not at the time.

I had a customer sitting at the bar eating, and a rat fell through the aircon grill above him and landed right on the bar and then legged it only to fall off and land in the bin. I wrapped the black bag it fell into and took it out to the dumping area to get rid of it. the customer took it really well and did not even flinch and still comes back to this day. the aircon grill was loose because the maintenance guys had not screwed it into place properly. I was mortified when this rat fell through the grill.

a good thing to keep rats at bay is to pour neat bleach around where you find them, they hate it and will not come near.