Served Food With Long Thai Lady Hairs At Casual Restaurant

[Jingthing]

This is a real question based on a recent experience.

I was served a dish of chili squid resplendent with two, count 'em, two long black Thai lady hairs.

What to do?

Let's consider the options.

Send it back and ask them to cook a different dish to replace (so you know they just won't pull out the hairs)? No way would a low end place would go for that.

Pull out the hairs yourself and eat the dish.

Send it back asking them to fix it. Then they will just pull out the hairs themselves, so why bother?

Just don't eat it and expect to pay for it anyway.

Honestly, what would you do?

[WebBangkok]

Depends on the restaurant, if your eating 20 baht cart food which i not really a restaurant, I would just ask for another one and give the hairy one to someone else just for fun for free.

If its a decent restaurant, I would send it back.

[happyrobert]

The root of the matter is cleanliness, but since your evidence is rather thin, I'd say you were shafted.

Nonetheless, better long and straight than short and curly. (hair, that is.)

[saintofsilence]

I would leave it on the table and tell the waitress that you prefer no hairs in your meal and walk away , because if you tell them to cook another dish they will probably just pluck the hairs from your dish and give it back.

[BigCan]

I would just eat it.

If the waitress had spotted the hairs first, she would just remove them and I would be none the wiser and enjoy the food.

Mind over matter, the hairs won't hurt anything.

At least you spotted them before they were in your mouth. Cause mouth hair can be a little bit icky.

But hair to food transfer, pheff, no issue.

[Old Croc]

I hate it when they get caught in your teeth.

[Jingthing]

It was above a food cart but not exactly a real restaurant either. One of those plastic chairs airy places that are so common. Here's is what I did. I pulled them out. First I found one, pulled it out. Started eating and saw another one. Pulled it out. Somewhat coincidentally the food bringer person (waitress would be too grand a word) saw that action and made an interesting face that I couldn't read. (Well what I did think the face meant was I feel bad to see the hair, it's not nice, but I am also glad you aren't one of those complaining farangs who think they're eating at the Ritz and get all upset over a little thing like a hair.) My feeling was similar to another poster, it must happen a lot, if they saw it in the kitchen, they would have pulled it and served it, eating out in Thailand I am sure we all eat much worse quite often without even being aware of it. I did feel a bit ill later thinking about it, but I really think that was all in my head, feeling nauseated that I ate it. At first I thought I'd go back to the same place (as it had been a semi regular place for me). But I haven't been back since and now I think I won't go back (not entirely rational I admit). I understand some people will be horrified that I ate the hair dish, but I also think lots of people would have done the same thing! I decided not to do a poll on this. I was curious what other people thought of the matter. I am not sure I would eat a hair dish again, simply to avoid the bad feelings afterward even if psychosomatic. I think the advice of just leave it is pretty good and in some places of the level of the place of my experience when you showed them the hairs they MIGHT not charge for it, but don't count on that.

FYI -- for those who may find an erotic charge by the idea of oral pleasure with Thai lady hairs, I should note the portly homely "lady" cook in question is in the wet dreams of no one!

Edited March 30, 2011 by Jingthing

[vont]

I would just eat it.

If the waitress had spotted the hairs first, she would just remove them and I would be none the wiser and enjoy the food.

Mind over matter, the hairs won't hurt anything.

At least you spotted them before they were in your mouth. Cause mouth hair can be a little bit icky.

But hair to food transfer, pheff, no issue.

Even a civilized owner of any restaurant would not accept hair or pieces of hair in its production.

And you a consumer said you would accept it.

And more interestingly.... the hairs won't hurt anything....!

I think, or rather I am pretty sure that you are by yourself on this--the hairs won't hurt anything.

[snuggzzz]

I can't see what the fuss is all about, it's added nutrition and counts towards your '5' a day......!!!

[MontrealFarang]

I don't have the habit of returning food that has a hair in it. I don't see the big deal. Can you even get sick from it? No one is doing it deliberately so there's no sense in making an ordeal out of it especially in Thailand where the wait staff will not be happy with your request to send it back assuming they understand what the problem is.

Besides you can always use it as post meal dental floss.

[Jingthing]

Can you get sick from it? I would guess, possibly. I decided not the google the matter to avoid imagining things. I didn't intend to make a "big deal" about this. It is something that clearly happens sometimes probably in Thailand more than western countries that mandate hair nets, etc. for food workers. In this case, what was really rather shocking was how LONG the hairs were. It's one thing finding hairs, but such LONG hairs ...

Also, at a higher level restaurant I would just send it back without question, but even then, I would wonder whether they cooked a new dish or not.

Edited March 31, 2011 by Jingthing

[krading]

It's happened to me but I just pull them out and carry on eating.

You could always roll them up and leave them in the check bin folder in lieu of a tip.:jap:

[DP25]

I probably would have just taken it out. At least it wasn't anything alive. In the US I once found a 3 inch larvae/worm creature in the salad bar, unless it's on that scale I'd probably just remove it and carry on.

[Hadrian1]

Where I used to regularly eat when I was there I can remember a couple of times seeing a swarm of fly/moth creatures flying around. They would get everywhere including one or two in the Tom Yum. On another occasion at another place, I found a larvae in my fried rice.......but hey, it's part of the charm of Thailand. It won't be long before they all have to get their Health and Safety Certificates and also their Hygiene Certificates etc etc the cost of which will be passed onto the consumer. Enjoy not getting ripped off while it lasts.

I was never ill there from eating any food in almost 4 years of eating mainly at street side'establishments'. The Thais are a clean people.

[cardholder]

If it happened to me ..........

..........................................I probably wouldn't bother posting about it in an internet forum.

[Phil Conners]

In my opinion it would depend on the venue. If it was a 5 star restaurant I would probably call over the maitre'd and mention it. If it was a street kitchen I'd probably just remove it and eat the food. As long as it's head hair I don't think it's a big deal

[onnut]

Thais are clean people!

Never seen one was there hands after taking a crap.

Regarding hairs in the food I would push the plate to one side and eat what else I had ordered, pay and leave and not think to much about it.

[Hadrian1]

Thais are clean people!

Never seen one was there hands after taking a crap.

Regarding hairs in the food I would push the plate to one side and eat what else I had ordered, pay and leave and not think to much about it.

So you eat food prepared by people who don't wash their hands after using the toilet? Because you suggest they never do this? Bullshit!

[lannaman]

I hate it when they get caught in your teeth.

Free Dental Floss

[jdinasia]

I know what I wouldn't do ! (make a thread about it on TVF!)

If it's a 30 baht dish from a street vendor .. I'd do nothing

if it's a 50 baht dish from a roadside rest... I'd do nothing.

if it was a 300 baht dish from Bruno's I'd talk to the owner

[mark45y]

A lot of Thai men have long hair and a lot of trannies have long hair. How do you know it was a lady hair? And what difference would it make if it was a short or long hair? I think you are being a bit sexist. Long hair would have sufficed in the description unless you meant to slander female cooks or ladies in general.

[monkfish]

What would a Thai do?

My wife would not eat the food if it's got a hair in it and simply order something else.

When the waitress asks why she didn't eat she points to the hair and usually isn't charged.

If they insist on charging she will pay with no fuss.

By the way if its one of those places on the front of Jomtien you probably got more to worry about than hairs.

My friend who is Thai and lives in Europe since 20 years came over for a 2 weeks holiday recently and got Hepatitis.

Of course being Thai she thought she was immune and didn't get her jabs.

I don't think they use hot water to wash the dishes and all the plates go in one bowl on the floor.

Any way if you are going to eat street food better get it in a plastic bag and eat with your own plate at home or just out the bag.

On another note what do you think of the black bugs in rice? I usually just pick them out but for sure I have eaten plenty.

[Jingthing]

I know what I wouldn't do ! (make a thread about it on TVF!)

...

Yeah, but you clearly read the thread and even posted to it.

Next ...

[jdinasia]

True, I read it and posted, because some people need help with the very basics in life; and I am all about the helping!

[WebBangkok]

If I was half way hough the meal I probably would not do anything. Seriously what harm can a piece of hair do? I am more worried about the meat in my dish or where the water came from.

But I have an iron stomach now after eating here for years, when I first came I was soft and had to run to the toilet like a wuss after a meal.

[Nawtier]

If it was fresh cooked...no problem as anything on it should have been killed...same same with the other ingredients in the food.

Doubt you complain about a few hairs in your teeth with rendezvous' with other strange girls.......so why worry about this ??

[nickmanchester2]

I know what I wouldn't do ! (make a thread about it on TVF!)

...

Yeah, but you clearly read the thread and even posted to it.

Next ...

I got 2 hairs in my dish about a week ago as well - 85b for the Tom Yam Gung in a half decent cafe - I did not send it back, I just pulled the hairs out and ate it, did not feel like starting a thread about it either, I am never gonna get close to 23k posts.

[WebBangkok]

If it was fresh cooked...no problem as anything on it should have been killed...same same with the other ingredients in the food.

Doubt you complain about a few hairs in your teeth with rendezvous' with other strange girls.......so why worry about this ??

You have a very good point here. Next time I wont even bother pulling it out and just eat it.

[onnut]

Thais are clean people!

Never seen one was there hands after taking a crap.

Regarding hairs in the food I would push the plate to one side and eat what else I had ordered, pay and leave and not think to much about it.

So you eat food prepared by people who don't wash their hands after using the toilet? Because you suggest they never do this? Bullshit!

When you know what your talking about then you can say BS.

I've worked here as a chef for 8 years and have make them wash there hands everytime they go the the bathroom. You've no idea!

Not all restaurants have a chef who makes them clean there hands.

[Jingthing]

I got 2 hairs in my dish about a week ago as well - 85b for the Tom Yam Gung in a half decent cafe - I did not send it back, I just pulled the hairs out and ate it, did not feel like starting a thread about it either, I am never gonna get close to 23k posts.

So you did like me but you didn't mention whether you felt weird about it later. 23k posts, why would you want that?

Maybe some people do value so many posts. I wonder if the admins here will let me SELL the block of them to the highest bidder, with the board taking a healthy cut, natch.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Jingthing