Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a little surprised at some of the responses. There's no way tofu is more expensive than chicken and they should've told him upfront there'd be an extra charge. In the end it was simply subbing tofu for chicken, not some complicated thing.
I would expect a substitution to cost more. When I ask for substitutions, I always follow up with asking how much the difference will be even if I think it's not going to be much more.
I think the cost is excessive for tofu, but whether they are right or wrong isn't relevant here. You asked for a different dish, they charged you a different price. You can either deal with that, or find a new Chinese restaurant.
I would expect a substitution to cost more. When I ask for substitutions, I always follow up with asking how much the difference will be even if I think it's not going to be much more.
I think the cost is excessive for tofu, but whether they are right or wrong isn't relevant here. You asked for a different dish, they charged you a different price. You can either deal with that, or find a new Chinese restaurant.
you're a good diner aren't you? it's their job to tell you upfront if they're going to charge more for something, standard customer service.
you're a good diner aren't you? it's their job to tell you upfront if they're going to charge more for something, standard customer service.
They're charging for something different in this case. Different meal, different price. If it's off the menu, and you ask for it without asking how much the meal is, then it's your problem. It's like signing a contract without reading the terms.
Thanks to all who answered. It seems that those of you who are familiar with tofu know that it's the same price or less than chicken, is always available at any Asian restaurant, and does not take any longer to cook than chicken. I've eaten at at least 100 Asian restaurants and ask for this type of substitution all the time and it's never been an issue at dinner (sometimes restaurants won't do it at lunch or at least not as a lunch special if it's not on the menu).
Of course English is their second language, but it does seem they could have communicated enough to tell me that there would be an added charge of 50% more---or at least write down to show me that it would be $15.
I know some Chinese-American restaurants are pretty generic and you can't distinguish one from another, but this is authentic Chinese and the food is fabulous, with some things you can't get elsewhere. I just won't ask for any "special" things or substitutions (I've already asked for egg to be left out of a noodle dish and that wasn't a problem---but if I ever get charged to omit eggs, then that will be the last time I go back.)
They're charging for something different in this case. Different meal, different price. If it's off the menu, and you ask for it without asking how much the meal is, then it's your problem. It's like signing a contract without reading the terms.
woop dee doo, instead of dumping chicken into the stir fry they had to dump tofu (which is already cut up and ready to go by the sous chef for ease, just like the chicken and beef etc)
It's not at all unusual to be charged extra for substitutions. That being said, the upcharge in this case seems excessive. Restaurants really ought to tell you if they're going to charge you extra, but they don't always. You should always ask them how much extra they're going to charge, just to be safe.
Same's true with "specials" the waiter announces at the beginning. If they don't quote the price, ask. Some places charge a lot for them, leaving you a nasty surprise when the bill comes. That happened to me once -- never again.
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.
Tofu is cheaper than chicken, & they obviously have tofu in the kitchen, for the regular tofu dish. I would be very upset & refuse to go back to the restaurant & also let them know, either in person or on yelp, why you are no longer eating there, They ripped you off, plain & simple. It is tantamount to theft, would you go back to get robbed again?
It's not at all unusual to be charged extra for substitutions. That being said, the upcharge in this case seems excessive. Restaurants really ought to tell you if they're going to charge you extra, but they don't always. You should always ask them how much extra they're going to charge, just to be safe.
Same's true with "specials" the waiter announces at the beginning. If they don't quote the price, ask. Some places charge a lot for them, leaving you a nasty surprise when the bill comes. That happened to me once -- never again.
It's also typical to be upfront that substitutions incur an extra charge.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
