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If I were you, the next time you order, it's not presumptuous to ask that it not be included. You could go on to say that you don't like cream cheese. Maybe they'll give you a different appetizer.
Agree a little gratitude goes a long way when communicating to the restaurant. I am sure they don't know of your dislike of them and perhaps there is something that they could substitute?
I would just approach with thanking them for the generous/thoughtful gift but they are not to your taste and you would hate to waste food. It doesn't denote that you want something else as it opens the conversation to them substituting if they choose to.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by George Chong
Agree a little gratitude goes a long way when communicating to the restaurant. I am sure they don't know of your dislike of them and perhaps there is something that they could substitute?
I would just approach with thanking them for the generous/thoughtful gift but they are not to your taste and you would hate to waste food. It doesn't denote that you want something else as it opens the conversation to them substituting if they choose to.
Absolutely! In fact, after the first time they gave me a free maki roll, I liked it so much that I messaged them on Facebook, asking for the name of the roll that they had included so that I'd know what to order the next time. It ended up being a long banter back and forth, full of "thank you" and "you're so nice," and definitely set the stage for a lovely relationship.
I wasn't unhappy, the last time, about the roll that they included that I didn't like. I would never say, beforehand, "oh, I don't know what free roll you're going to include this time, but please know that I don't like X, Y, and Z." That would make me sound ungrateful. They always include a different roll anyway. If, like the OP, they included the same thing every time, I'd ask them to give it to someone else, because I don't eat "X" or "Y."
If, like the OP, they included the same thing every time, I'd ask them to give it to someone else, because I don't eat "X" or "Y."
That reminds me of when we go to our favorite bbq spot. I know it is customary to place the bbq meat on a piece of white bread so you can eat all the bbq goodness that has soaked in the bread but I don't like the bread. I just simply tell them, can you hold the bread? I don't eat it and I would hate for it to go to waste. I don't need anything substituted. I just don't want food to go to waste.
We go to this restaurant every once in a great while and they have free bread and a special butter. We generally like all the breads but I can easily see some people not liking all the bread slices/rolls that they include. Sometimes the waiter/waitress will ask if you want certain breads, particularily if you've been there before and like some breads more than others (which is our case).
Other restaurants may offer free chips and salsa or their specialty queso dip.
After my recent move, we've tried out a couple of new Chinese restaurants for take out. We go to pick up the order and they announce that they have added a free appetizer. But the problem is that it is not something we like (cream cheese wontons - same thing 2 different places).
I appreciate the generosity but it's a waste and I don't need it sitting in trash because all I will do is throw it out. But it feels very presumptuous when placing the order to say "Assuming you are giving me something for free, I don't want it. "
How should/can I handle this?
Is it really such a big deal to throw it away? I do this all the time when people give me something I don't like or can't eat. Just thank graciously and dispose of it how you wish.
For all the people who don't like the crab rangoon, there are plenty who do. I think they are delicious! I had never tried them until they were given away as a "freebie" when ordering Chinese takeout. Next time I wanted Chinese, the crab rangoons were one of the items I ordered. I'd be willing to bet the giveaway works to increase business much more than giving it away to folks who will just throw it away.
Funny Story: we were in a sushi place, sitting at the bar, enjoying our selves and the food, and watching the chef create suchi. We say him make this one thing and asked him what it was and what ingredients, which he explained.
A bit later he presents us with the same sushi. I think they called it stop-light roll, it consisted of two large, oval-ish pieces, each with red, green and yellow sections. . It was beautiful, BUT, the yellow section was a raw quail egg (no shell).
Well. we thanked the chef graciously, then we each picked up the things (they were huge), and ate them.
Not bad, but getting past the raw quail egg was tough..
Another Asian/fusion place we go to, during the week, the sushi sheff will give us a small plate with thin tempura rockfish (striped bass) pieces. We get spoiled, because on busy weekends, they do not do this..
"As I recall the last time I ordered, there was a complementary appetizer included with our food. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it, and I wouldn't want it to go to waste this time. So there's no need to include it this time. Thank you."
Unfortunately, this approach wouldn't work with my favorite Chinese restaurant ... the woman who mans the phone is perfectly nice, but her English vocabulary is limited to words on the menu.
This is not really one of the burning issues of our time.
Rather than being insensitive and rejecting a well meaning gesture, take it home and put it down the garbage disposal.
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