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Many "Asian" restaurants aren't vegetarian/vegan friendly. Some are, and there are some (in my opinion) excellent Chinese restaurants that are vegetarian located in areas where they can do business. Seek out those restaurants that are friendlier to your dietary choices and personal situation. I don't know your location, but I suggest searching Happy Cow for some good choices nearby.
The restaurant has a system in place to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. Asking for something off the menu disrupts that system. I think the charge was fair.
The restaurant has a system in place to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. Asking for something off the menu disrupts that system. I think the charge was fair.
It's chinese food. Supposed to be made fresh every time. A 50% mark-up would lose my business.
I ask for tofu all the time and have never been charged anything. I only ask for it in dishes where the protein isn't prepared (deep fried, etc.).
To me, none of that matters because the OP should have been told what it would cost before they made it.
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Recently I ate at a Chinese restaurant I've been frequenting. I wanted to try something new and asked if I could have kung pao tofu. It's not on the menu, but kung pao chicken is ($10). I'm a vegan, so I wanted tofu. There was only one tofu dish on the menu (ma pao tofu, $10). The waiter wasn't sure they could do this, but checked and said they could. So we ordered it.
We were surprised to see that we were charged $15 for the dish. We checked with the waiter to make sure it wasn't a mistake (since the item was written in Chinese, which we can't read). He got the owner, who said that they charged more for "special dishes."
But was it a special dish or just a substitution? It was the same dish, just made with tofu, which is the same price. As far as I know, Chinese food is not cooked ahead of time and just sitting there to be warmed up. It's thrown into the wok, made order by order. So I can't see where it took any more effort to throw the tofu into the wok as it would have chicken.
And 50% more? And not to be warned that it would be more expensive? We've asked for tofu to be substituted at so many restaurants and have never been charged more.
We love this restaurant, so will probably return and not ask for a "special dish." I guess it's as the saying goes---"would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?"
Wow, I would speak to them about that, especially since you are a regular customer. They are using ingredients they already have, so I don't see why you would have to pay more.
I have done exactly the same thing. I always loved kung pao chicken, so when I went vegetarian, I asked my favorite Asian restaurant to make kung pao tofu for me. They did, and they didn't charge me anything extra to do so.
Two and a half hours ago, I wrote that I was in the mood for mapo tofu. Now I'm drooling.
In most places here in Montreal, you can get it with or without the pork. Being the good Jew that I am, I ask for extra pork.
I once saw a quote that said, "If a good Jew decides to eat pork, he should enjoy it so much that the juice runs down his chin."
The restaurant has a system in place to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. Asking for something off the menu disrupts that system. I think the charge was fair.
If the people cooking are such idiots that their "system" is thrown off by substituting one protein form for another in a standard dish, I wouldn't want to eat there.
Recently I ate at a Chinese restaurant I've been frequenting. I wanted to try something new and asked if I could have kung pao tofu. It's not on the menu, but kung pao chicken is ($10). I'm a vegan, so I wanted tofu. There was only one tofu dish on the menu (ma pao tofu, $10). The waiter wasn't sure they could do this, but checked and said they could. So we ordered it.
We were surprised to see that we were charged $15 for the dish. We checked with the waiter to make sure it wasn't a mistake (since the item was written in Chinese, which we can't read). He got the owner, who said that they charged more for "special dishes."
But was it a special dish or just a substitution? It was the same dish, just made with tofu, which is the same price. As far as I know, Chinese food is not cooked ahead of time and just sitting there to be warmed up. It's thrown into the wok, made order by order. So I can't see where it took any more effort to throw the tofu into the wok as it would have chicken.
And 50% more? And not to be warned that it would be more expensive? We've asked for tofu to be substituted at so many restaurants and have never been charged more.
We love this restaurant, so will probably return and not ask for a "special dish." I guess it's as the saying goes---"would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?"
That is a lot I admit and you should have been made aware of the extra charge, but I have seen many restaurants charge extra for substituting. This was more than a substitution. I agree with others, it was a secialty item which may have taken more preparation and remember Chinese cooking does call for a lot of sauces using chicken broth or stock.
That is a lot I admit and you should have been made aware of the extra charge, but I have seen many restaurants charge extra for substituting.
I usually see them charge $1.00 or two extra for substitutions for gluten-free or whole wheat pasta or something that is an actual added expense to the restaurant, but what the OP is describing is not that.
I usually see them charge $1.00 or two extra for substitutions for gluten-free or whole wheat pasta or something that is an actual added expense to the restaurant, but what the OP is describing is not that.
Why didn't you quote the entire post by nmnita ?
Why did you cut off the last sentence that did give a rationale for the price increase ?
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