Restaurant Tells Diners To Eat Everything On Their Plate

Chef Yukako Ichikawa will offer a 30% discount to patrons who eat all the food they have ordered, and will kindly ask those who don't clean their plates to not come back. "Finishing your meal requires that everything is eaten except lemon slices, gari (sushi ginger), and wasabi," says the menu. "Please also note that vegetables and salad on the side are NOT decorations; they are part of the meal too."

Comments

Yeah.

[Yvan256]

And if you don't, no dessert!

Re:Yeah.

[nofx_3]

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

Re:Yeah.

[tantaliz3]

<Soup Nazi>No more soup for you!</Soup Nazi>

Re:Yeah.

[Anonymous Coward]

I want a restaurant like this!
I was brought up finishing my plate or not eating from the following plates. It makes perfect sense!

Re:Yeah.

[daem0n1x]

everything is eaten except lemon slices, gari (sushi ginger), and wasabi

What does this mean? I always eat the lemon slices, with peel, seeds and everything. And the ginger and wasabi, too.

Re:Yeah.

[Mr. DOS]

Some diners will like the meal but not the garnishes. This clause makes that OK. Reasonable if you ask me.

Re:Yeah.

[Volante3192]

I'd wager it's too much a hassle to make sure the garnishes are customized for each diner. I never could get used to the ginger and only use normally about half the given wasabi.

Re:Yeah.

[Kell Bengal]

And people wonder why there's an obesity epidemic - we train our children to keep eating so they can have nice tasting things. Why not just give them smaller portions if they feel they've had enough already?

"Alright. You've not finished your vegetables. Here's your dessert, but you won't be getting as much vegetables or dessert next time."

Re:Yeah.

[Anonymous Coward]

This isn't about over-eating, it's about not putting food in the trash. So yes, appropriate portions.

I like the idea

[wisnoskij]

People should finish their food, if their parents have not taught them how to act morally then other people need to.

Re:I like the idea

[NotBornYesterday]

That assumes that the portions are reasonable for the person who ordered it. My wife is petite, can rarely finish a whole entree, and usually takes half of it home. What's his policy on taking it home for later? Since he seems to be offering garnishes that are appropriate for sushi, chances are that not too many of his patrons are eager to a doggie bag of highly perishable food home.

I can understand this policy at a buffet restaurant, but if I walk in and order a specific menu entree, I expect that the fact I paid for it gives me the right to do with it as I damn well please. I'm not paying him to be my mother. I'm paying him to prepare the damn food.

Re:I like the idea

[Aladrin]

Right, because that attitude isn't part of the cause of obesity in American. No sirree.

If people WOULD push back before the plate was clean, they wouldn't be taking in as many calories.

And I'm not just talking out of my ass. I finally broke my parents' 'eat everything on your plate' rule after being on my own for over a decade. After that, I started losing weight. Gee!

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

That assumes that the portions are reasonable for the person who ordered it. My wife is petite, can rarely finish a whole entree, and usually takes half of it home. What's his policy on taking it home for later? Since he seems to be offering garnishes that are appropriate for sushi, chances are that not too many of his patrons are eager to a doggie bag of highly perishable food home.

I can understand this policy at a buffet restaurant, but if I walk in and order a specific menu entree, I expect that the fact I paid for it gives me the right to do with it as I damn well please. I'm not paying him to be my mother. I'm paying him to prepare the damn food.

+1

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe you shouldn't put so much food on your plate in the first place, then you wouldn't have to waste it.

Re:I like the idea

[Animaether]

That assumes that the portions are reasonable for the person who ordered it.

Which, in the U.S., it rarely is.

I've always been taught to finish my plate, but some of the meal sizes in the U.S. are just ridiculous. I understand that I'm getting more value for money, but in the end it's likely to just go wasted.

What's his policy on taking it home for later?

I presume he wouldn't accept that. After all, everybody would simply claim take-it-home rights -and- the 30% discount.. then probably toss it in the nearest garbage can out of view.

I expect that the fact I paid for it gives me the right to do with it as I damn well please. I'm not paying him to be my mother. I'm paying him to prepare the damn food

So you should be fine at this establishment.

You're not being mothered, you're still more than free to not finish the plate and pay the monetary price.

On the other hand, if you -do- finish your plate, you only pay $7.. but you might pay the price in cramps later that evening :)

Re:I like the idea

[stoanhart]

It's a sushi restaurant. For the most part, you order your food in six-piece portions. Thus, anyone can order a meal to the size of their liking. And while it is your right to do whatever you wish with the food you ordered, the owner also has the right to ban you from the premises if he doesn't like what you choose to do.

I imagine that the problem the owner is having is that people come in hungry, order six rolls (36 mouthfulls doesn't sound like that much), and then he has to throw half of them away. Meanwhile, tuna are going extinct.

Re:I like the idea

[meta]

It being a sushi restaurant, it is probably reasonable to think that patrons can actually order only what they can eat.

In what appears to be the original story, it turns out that HER posted policy begins by requesting patrons "to share meals, to thank the earth while eating and to be mindful of the amount they order". And the article states that you can take food home, but bring your own container.

You are of course correct that you should have the right to order whatever you like, and do whatever you like with it. And, equally, she should have the right to refuse you service for wasting or for any other reason that she considers sufficient. Only time will tell whether hers is a viable business model.

Here is a link to the restaurant website. The full eat in and take out policies seem to be online there.

Re:I like the idea

[RealTegan]

Er, I wasn't aware that you had a choice of how much is on your plate in most restaurants.

Re:I like the idea

[jtorkbob]

There was just a bit on NPR about a study where they had parents force their four-year-old kids to completely clean their plates. They found that the next day, when faced with situations where they could choose how much to eat, they would choose larger portions for themselves than children in the control group.

Link escapes me.

Re:I like the idea

[MoHaG]

Eating too much is worse than leaving it over... The food was wasted when it was served, irrespective if it end up being wasted / stored as fat by your body or if it is thrown away. Leaving extra food gives the restaurant a chance to dispose of it in a less wasteful way.

Re:I like the idea

[Namarrgon]

Only if they can specify their preferred serving size.

Re:I like the idea

[D Ninja]

B.S. People should only take what they can finish. However, if you are at a restaurant and cannot control the portions given to you (and some restaurants are out of control with their portions), people should *not* finish their meals. The whole idea of "eat everything in front of you" is one of the many reasons this country is overweight to begin with. (Of course, all the fats and sugars we eat don't help either.)

Re:I like the idea

[NotBornYesterday]

HER posted policy

Oops. My bad. Time for me to RTFA.

Re:I like the idea

[Dishevel]

You can do whatever you want with it. But if you eat it all you get a 30% discount. If you don't he asks you not to come back. Your rights are fully intact as well are his rights.

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

People should finish their food, if their parents have not taught them how to act morally then other people need to.

Moral?

The fact that we stuff ourselves silly is why the half of the world is so goddamn fat.

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait, what if the size of my liking isn't divisible by 6?

Re:I like the idea

[Deosyne]

My wife and I tried a new sushi place a couple weeks back (free plug: Amura in Lake Mary, for Central Floridians. Best sushi we've had yet.). As usual, we kept it simple and ordered a sushi and sashimi platter. Their platter had less sashimi then we're used to getting, but more rolls, and heavy rolls at that. Absolutely delicious, like to the point that we ate past the point of discomfort, and yet there were still a couple pieces of a tuna roll left. Fortunately nobody decided to shit on such a great meal by giving us crap about not eating those last two pieces that we didn't psychically determine beforehand would be too much.

This reminds me of a thread on another site that was about a sushi chef kicking people out for not eating sushi the way that he wanted them to. Is this sort of crap common with sushi places?

Re:I like the idea

[Cramit]

I am with you. I still have to actively stop myself from finnish my food at restaurants.

Re:I like the idea

[LihTox]

And even that's enough: how am I supposed to know exactly how much food will satiate me, before I eat it? I can often guess how much I need to feel full, but fairly often I end up grossly overestimating how much food I need.

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

This restaurant is in Sydney, Australia, in the lil suburb of Surry Hills (home to a number of other awesome restaurants).

And yes, the portions are reasonable, well prepared and the ingredients fresh. I have eaten there and would recommend going back. What the article fails to mention is the reason 'why' she's doing that. After a few too many favourable restaurant reviews, she was seeing that her restaurant was attracting the 'wrong' type of customers. Customers who were picky, did not finish their food, bought a lot simply so they could taste a bit of everything, etc. She hates wasting food, and so came up with this. It's all just to help make sure people respect the issues around global food shortages and not to take what we have for granted.

Plus, she's a hoot. She sends along the 'wrong' customers to her ex's restaurant.

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Doggie bags.

Re:I like the idea

[FatdogHaiku]

Not only that, but who in the hell wants a veggie or salad when you go out for sushi? At those prices, I'll get my greens another time, thank you. But I like an all you can eat deal at Sushi On Tropicana, in Vegas (no, I don't live there or know the owners), 45 minute lunch, 60 minute dinner $23/$28, I can eat a lot of sushi in 45 minutes, I bet they'd love for me to have a salad when I show up... But I'll stick with 8 pieces of Albacore Nigiri (with citrus ponzu and green onion), a few assorted rolls, and then 8 pieces of Hamachi Nigiri (if butter could swim, this would be it) for a finish. No, they don't make a lot of money on me, but I don't go too often.

Re:I like the idea

[Anonymous Coward]

I can understand this policy at a buffet restaurant, but if I walk in and order a specific menu entree, I expect that the fact I paid for it gives me the right to do with it as I damn well please. I'm not paying him to be my mother. I'm paying him to prepare the damn food.

so you think you'd have the right to throw the food at a waiter? or to take a big shit on the plate to accompany your food? you're exactly the type of people he's trying to deter from his restaurant. You throwing money at someone does not buy you any "rights".

here's an excerpt fro the "about us" page

One realizes that the diners at Wafu are already strongly minded towards this ethos, but we can certainly do more to encourage others (including children) to do the same. This is traditional in both Australian and many other cultures, but too often neglected now because of consumerist ideas which promote excessive consumption. As children, many of us, at least those over the age of forty, may recall our parents explaining the unfairness of global food distribution, often with the command to eat all our food and to think of the hungry children in some far flung land like China, India or Africa. Another way to ensure that children develop a deeper appreciation of food, not only for itself, but for the privilege of having ready access to food of high quality, is to eat ‘family-style’. This is where everyone helps themselves from common bowls in the centre of the table. This also helps prevent waste, albeit by imposing what must be the most pleasant of parental burdens, namely that of finishing any food passed over by children. If a tenzo is held accountable for every grain of rice in a kitchen, surely it is reasonable to hold a child responsible for completing their meal. If bargaining or threats - “I’ll leave you at home next time,” - are of no avail, then parents might consider taking the responsibility upon themselves.

Re:I like the idea

[NotBornYesterday]

you're exactly the type of people he's trying to deter from his restaurant.

Doubtful. I always order a reasonable amount and finish it all.

Re:I like the idea

[Belial6]

It is common in many businesses. If a person feels that they are better than you, or even if they just feel they have the upper hand, many will chose to be an ass to you.

Just look at how many Dr. offices have no cell phone signs and have no problem being 20 minutes late to an appointment, but will throw a hissy if you are 5 minutes late, even though they were not going to see you anyway. They expect you to sit quitely and non-productively in their lobby until they decide it is time to honor you with their presence.

Look at how punctual the phone company and cable companies are when you call for an install.

I'm sure if you thought about it, you could think of a couple of dozen industries where they treat their customers like garbage.

In trendy restaurants it often even increases their business.

Re:I like the idea

[tatsu69]

Just order the 8 piece rolls or 2 pieces of sushi.

But your screwed if you wanted an odd number.

Re:I like the idea

[indiechild]

If you want that kind of freedom, you'll have to go dine at an Open Source restaurant.

Good point about the takeaway containers. I still suspect she would just expect people to finish all the food on the spot though. Personally, I think she is on to a great idea. Reminds me of my swiss aunty who lived through World War II rationing.

Re:I like the idea

[CoolMoDee]

In Japan, you don't take things home. Portions are also much smaller when compared with your average American portion. So, I don't think this problem would occur. Also, bear in mind that in Japan it's polite to eat every last grain of rice on your plate - out of respect for the farmers that grew it. He's merely enforcing cultural standards.

Re:I like the idea

[Eraesr]

The idea is not new though. I've been to a sushi restaurant in my area a couple of times where you can order unlimited sushi for a fixed price. However, if you order something that you don't eat then you have to pay it's individual price on top of the all-you-can-eat price.

Re:I like the idea

[bruthasj]

It's a statement on conservation. Don't like it? Don't go. Just because you can throw money around doesn't make you entitled to whatever you want.

Re:I like the idea

[RockDoctor]

I've always been taught to finish my plate, but some of the meal sizes in the U.S. are just ridiculous. I understand that I'm getting more value for money,

Are you? Is the quality of the ingredients as good as you'd have got if they'd made a smaller portion at the same price? Is the cook on minimum wage to pay for your "better value", and was that mayonnaise you just ate, or his pustulent semen? (Or, if you ordered pustulent semen, was it really Walmart mayonnaise?)
As zen morotcycle repairman Pirsig (IIRC) questioned, "what is value"?

Re:I like the idea

[TheVelvetFlamebait]

It is common in many businesses. If a person feels that they are better than you, or even if they just feel they have the upper hand, many will chose to be an ass to you.

Just look at how many Dr. offices have no cell phone signs and have no problem being 20 minutes late to an appointment, but will throw a hissy if you are 5 minutes late, even though they were not going to see you anyway. They expect you to sit quitely and non-productively in their lobby until they decide it is time to honor you with their presence.

Look, I have rock. I don't see any tigers around. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Re:I like the idea

[Kidbro]

Funny, I'm always finishing everything on my plate, and I'm still in the "probably already dead from starvation" category in all BMI tables.
If you checked her website you'll see that customers actually seem to be in control of how much food they order ("Please be mindful of the amount of food you order") which makes this a non issue.

And yes, it's impossible to say in advance exactly how much you're gonna eat, but really, it's not that hard to give a decent estimate and then live with when it happens to be a tiny bit off.

Re:I like the idea

[Belial6]

Hmmmm.... Chicken nail pillow fence?

Re:I like the idea

[Helios1182]

Most doctors are 20 minutes late because the previous four patients were each 5 minutes late. First thing in the morning and immediately after lunch are the most "on-time" times because patients haven't screwed up the schedule yet.

Re:I like the idea

[merockstar]

According to his website, www.wafu.com.au, takeout is available if you bring your own non-perishable dish container. They offer containers to go but charge extra and may ask you not to come back.

I sure hope this restaurant goes out of business soon, that's about the most non businessman-like stance I've ever seen taken in a restaurant.

Re:I like the idea

[witch-doktor]

But then he will be chastised and told not to come back!

Re:I like the idea

[AtomicOrange]

Order less. When you're not full, order a bit more. Is it really that difficult?

Re:I like the idea

[Belial6]

That is a very poor excuse. I think any competent adult could figure out how to solve the problem if your excuse were true. It also doesn't explain why doctors are late at the beginning of the day as much as at the end.

Re:I like the idea

[flibuste]

Which, in the U.S., it rarely is.

All very true. Worse is exchanges like:

"I'll have the main dish, but can I have half portion, I won't finish it, it's way too big"

"Ah...hum, sir we don't do that"

"But I'll pay full price anyway"

Baffled lookBut sir, we can't do that...

Apparently, at least in US, it's close to impossible to have a cook who can divide by 2...

Re:I like the idea

[Volante3192]

I think any competent adult could figure out how to solve the problem if your excuse were true.

First, we'll have to find a competent adult...

Re:I like the idea

[Volante3192]

I sure hope this restaurant goes out of business soon, that's about the most non businessman-like stance I've ever seen taken in a restaurant.

And yet it seems to be doing just fine. In fact, it's a perfect business model: you find a clientele and provide what they want. It might be a small clientele, but it's a small place too.

Re:I like the idea

[LihTox]

You're right, of course, at least in some cases. Though I imagine asking a waiter "Oh yes, bring me a little more of that steak" is not going to work in many restaurants (except in all-you-can-eat places of course).

Re:I like the idea

[lena_10326]

That's going to do wonders for the growing obesity epidemic.

Re:I like the idea

[Monkeedude1212]

We have a few Chinese Restaurants around town with Buffets that have a rule about finishing dishes. They can charge you extra if you don't finish whats on your plate.

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

Mod parent insightful, oh wait, it already is :)

Japanese cuisine portions are petite, anyway. I wish more restaurants would offer portion sizes, though, because most over-do it. Entree sized portions are better for you.

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

Just order the 8 piece rolls or 2 pieces of sushi.

But your screwed if you wanted an odd number.

But I wanted prime tuna!

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

That is a very poor excuse. I think any competent adult could figure out how to solve the problem if your excuse were true. It also doesn't explain why doctors are late at the beginning of the day as much as at the end.

Because they over-book. It really is all about money.

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

You want it to go out of business because it offends your philosophy?

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

Doggie bags.

Salmonella sure helps you lose weight.

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

That's going to do wonders for the growing obesity epidemic.

Then again, sushi probably isn't a contributing factor for the obesity epidemic.

Re:I like the idea

[merockstar]

I would expect it to, asking people not to come back if they don't finish their meal; although someone pointed out that for some reason that's not the case?

And yes, I guess I do want it to fail too, because I don't want the restaurants I do eat at to copycat this if it catches on.

Re:I like the idea

[NotBornYesterday]

I'm not looking to excuse crass or wasteful behavior by slathering the problem with cash. I just expect that when I buy food and service at a restaurant, it's not going to come with an EULA.

Re:I like the idea

[Animaether]

Well that's a broader question that's really not at play here, is it?

*All else being equal*, if I get more food for the same price, I get more value for money.
( but, again, wasted.. as I usually can't finish that damn much food. And yes, I usually ask for smaller portions in U.S. restaurants and they can typically accommodate. Now if only they could make proper 'well done' steaks ;) )

Re:I like the idea

[Meski]

It'd go full circle, even if this idea caught on. Someone would (re)introduce potlatch restaurants. Because that's what a lot of them are today, all about conspicuous consumption, the epitome of waste.

The Onion?

[jpkunst]

Is this an article from The Onion?

Re:The Onion?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this an article from The Onion?

Unless Reuters is using it as a source, no. (But that wouldn't be the first time, now would it?)

Refunds

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope they've planned for the increase in demanded refunds. Sometimes people don't finish what's on their plate because they didn't like it or it was cooked incorrectly. Not everyone in this situation would make a big deal out of it. But if they are giving my shit about not finishing the food I didn't like in the first place, you can bet I'll demand a refund on the spot.

Re:Refunds

[Meski]

I hope they've planned for the increase in demanded refunds. Sometimes people don't finish what's on their plate because they didn't like it or it was cooked incorrectly. Not everyone in this situation would make a big deal out of it. But if they are giving my shit about not finishing the food I didn't like in the first place, you can bet I'll demand a refund on the spot.

On what basis? That *you* didn't like it, or that there was something wrong with it? Satisfaction guarantees are optional, and not many restaurants would opt for them. Something wrong would be an overcooked steak, maybe, and to get your satisfaction guarantee out of that, you'd need to complain when you started it, not when you'd notionally finished your meal.

I always thought...

[Anonymous Coward]

...that in many Asian cultures it was considered bad manners to completely clean your plate. It's like saying: "You didn't give me enough to eat."

Re:I always thought...

[Anonymous Coward]

It depends on which part of Asia you're talking about. In the far east, it is bad manners to leave something uneaten, because it means you didn't like the food.

Re:I always thought...

[SleazyRidr]

I've heard both sides.

One friend told me that in Japan he left 3 pieces of rice on his plate and the chef came out and yelled at him. Of course he's very much the bullshitting type so I have no idea how true that is.

I've also heard that it's good manners to leave a little to show that you're full.

Also bear in mind that 'Asian Cultures' is a bit of an overly broad term. There are a lot of countries in Asia, with vastly different cultures.

Re:I always thought...

[lemur3]

In Soviet Asia Chef Serves YOU!

Re:I always thought...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've also heard that it's good manners to leave a little to show that you're full.

This is true in Japan.
Completely emptying your plate is a way to say that the portions are too small.

Re:I always thought...

[Anonymous Coward]

A lot is lost when an old Japanese guy is ranting (I have one for a father, FWIW)-- much like the main character in Ramen Girl couldn't understand a word the chef yelled at her. The (potentially hypothetical) chef in your friend's anecdote could easily have been a racist prick who wanted to take out the fact that he's not a five-star Michelin chef on the foreigners who happened to show up. The 3 grains of rice left in the bowl may then have been a convenient excuse.

Generally, most Japanese chefs are very personable and enjoy serving their customers. I've met a couple who were less than friendly, but then they probably wished they had a bigger kitchen so they didn't have to interact with people.

Sushi Nazi

[mgierhart]

No soup for you!

Waste Prevention

[bazald]

Even if I pledge to eat my leftovers later, I have to pay more and I'm asked not to return? (I'm assuming. The article doesn't say.)

I guess they can make the rules for their own restaurant, but I'll eat elsewhere. Thanks.

Steve Jobs opened a sushi joint?

[mmaniaci]

When did this happen?

Obligatory Seinfeld reference...

[macraig]

No soup for you!

Why would I WANT to

[AlgorithMan]

and will kindly ask those who don't clean their plates to not come back

Why would I WANT to come back to a place where I'm treated like an asshole, just because I'm full?

If they think they are better off without customers, then good luck...

Re:Why would I WANT to

[blair1q]

You're not treated like an asshole because you're full. You're treated like an asshole because you obliviously ordered more food than you wanted to eat. And you get treated like an asshole again because you've become defensive and indignant about it, regardless of whether you're oblivious or disingenuous about your obliviousness to your wastefulness.

So, to be consistent, you should now leave /. and not come back.

Re:Why would I WANT to

[AlgorithMan]

when you're really hungry, then you tend to overestimate how much you CAN eat... people just are like that.
I bet this policy (especially in this economic situation) will drive them out of business within 1 year...

Re:Why would I WANT to

[Anonymous Coward]

People should just change!
If you order a meal and can't finish a dish, then just finish it and not add desert and a beer. You can do sport after the meal!

Then next time, either order a smaller dish, or go to a restaurant that serves smaller dishes.

Right now restaurants make me think of orgy in Caesar's time. We all have to change, cooks and customers!

Re:Why would I WANT to

[th3rmite]

disingenuous about your obliviousness to your wastefulness.

It's not wasting if you paid for it.

Re:Why would I WANT to

[blair1q]

Paying to be wasteful absolutely does not make it non-wasteful.

Re:Why would I WANT to

[Anonymous Coward]

Not just full. What if you don't finish it because it's crap?

Re:Why would I WANT to

[Meski]

Do you live here, to comment on the economic situation?

Extra Cost

[Anonymous Coward]

I once ate at a sushi restaurant that charged $2 extra for every rice ball not eaten. Friend of mine got a little angry when his bill was about $40 higher because he just picked the fish off the rice balls.

Don't know why someone would order more than they want at a sushi restaurant; no matter how delicious it's expensive without extra fees.

Refunds

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope they've planned for the increase in demanded refunds. Sometimes people don't finish what's on their plate because they didn't like it or it was cooked incorrectly. Not everyone in this situation would make a big deal out of it. But if they are giving my shit about not finishing the food I didn't like in the first place, you can bet I'll demand a refund on the spot.

You knew it was coming...

[MattBD]

"If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" In all seriousness, there are plenty of restaurants that offer prizes for eating insane amounts of food, and I guess this is just a variant of that. When I was a kid, there was a pub near me that did a challenge where you got a gammon steak topped with as many fried eggs as you wanted, and if you broke the record for the number of eggs eaten with it (and ate the whole steak as well as the eggs) you got it free. Last I heard the record was 42.

How did this story make it off Idle?

[AtlantaSteve]

Sometimes I complain that everything on Slashdot is either: (1) a misleading story about intellectual property and piracy, (2) a misleading story about the latest events with either Apple or AT&T, or (3) an absurdly misleading story about China, Microsoft, video games, the military, or medical science.

Then every few days the editors put something on the main page which doesn't fall into one of those categories. When they do, it reminds us that maybe those three categories are for the best after all.

It's been done

[jonom]

There's a restaurant in Vancouver (the Elbow Room) that's been doing something like this for years - if you don't eat all your food they request a donation to a food charity.

Re:It's been done

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, it's old news. It's also common for all-you-can-eat-for-€XX places (breakfast, confectionery, diner, &c.) to add a surcharge if you don't actually finish everything you've scooped on your plate. And I can well understand it, it's waste, it's a pain for the cleaners, it makes it hard to make a profit since everyone expects to order the XXL meal, but only to pay so much, and it's a bleeding affront to the chef and cooking in general.

I've had similar things happen in a Chinese place.

[dentar]

It appears that some foreigners just don't learn how to deal with Americans.

About 10 years ago, my colleagues and I went to a Chinese place and sat down to order. The guy came out and said we weren't allowed to switch seats and accused me of trying to leave without paying (I had already paid.) That's the last time all ten of us went there.

Not original...

[BoppreH]

Years ago, in Brazil, restaurants all over were sportings signs that read something along the lines of

Leftovers will be charged R$ 3,00

With the actual value varying, but ranging from 10% to 30% of the total amount.

This was illegal, but the owners a) didn't seem to care about the legal status and b) didn't actually enforce the rule.

In the end, those signs served as a harsh and unpopular (among the clients) reminder of not putting more on your plate than you can eat. Good intentions, bad execution.

Mottainai

[juancn]

It's a very Japanese thing. It's probably based on the concept of Mottainai, where wasting something (such as food) is seen as wrong/immoral.
The meaning is more nuanced than "wasting" but it is as close I can describe it without copying the entire Wikipedia page.

Re:Mottainai

[dov_0]

It's a very Japanese thing. It's probably based on the concept of Mottainai, where wasting something (such as food) is seen as wrong/immoral. The meaning is more nuanced than "wasting" but it is as close I can describe it without copying the entire Wikipedia page.

This is very interesting. Where I live it is so multicultural that I try and be careful as to whether I am supposed to leave food on the table or not according to the culture of my hosts. When dining with Philippinos for instance, I may finish the food on my plate, but always leave food in the serving bowls so as not to make it look as if they didn't prepare enough food. With Nepalese there is generally too much food, but I'll happily finish it without fear of embarrassment. Sri Lankans don't know when to stop cooking anyway, so there is always food to take home no matter what and with Sudanese I eat until I am very full to honour my hosts - if there is still some food left they are not offended, as long as I finish all on my plate and have had a second helping!

Trying to enforce social or cultural mores on another culture in a restaurant/business context is a bit over the top, but I don't know Japanese culture well enough to comment too much.

Re:Mottainai

[Anonymous Coward]

It really isn't much different from other restaurants-- there will be the Soup Nazis and there will be the Emeril Lagasses.

Put another way, I can see a parent scolding a child for not finishing his/her dinner (as GP said, mottainai~!), but unless the restaurant is a hole in the wall, I really don't see the chef piling on Room 12, Abuse on a customer who doesn't finish up. Usually they either don't care, or the staff chides you with a smile-- the concept of "the customer is kami-sama" is ingrained into their service culture. As with many things, there are exceptions, which any Iron Chef fan will tell you (plenty of egotistical Japanese chefs on those islands), but their customers come back for the food, not because the chef cares about them.

IMO the "angry egotist chef" is a self-defeating profession, because even the best dish in the world tastes horrible when you're abused for not finishing it, and quite honestly, with enough exposure, he'll gain such a bad reputation that potential customers will mentally tell such chefs to go fuck themselves.

No sushi for you!

[magus_melchior]

"... Come back... one year! NEXT!!"

Never thought I'd see an Asian restaurant Nazi. Usually they do that sort of thing to their staff.

Re:No sushi for you!

[wringles]

Please don't mix cultures. The nazi in Asia were the japanese.

Oh wait, in view of this, the chef's attitude just seems proper now.

Re:I've had similar things happen in a Chinese pla

[lahvak]

How in the hell is that similar?

Buffets

[Martz]

A place near me which serves all-you-can-eat buffets has a clause which states that if you don't finish your plate then you have to pay a surcharge.

I'm from the UK and I visited the USA last year for the first time, I went to Las Vegas for 10 days and it was very easy to go to the likes of the Bellagio Grand Buffet and eat like a pig for 2 hours. It's quite a novelty, especially when I could eat 6 or 7 different courses at 10am. If I got bored of a course that I'd grabbed, I'd just leave my half filled plate on the table and start again on a different cuisine. The waitress would come along and clear the plate to remove any embaressment by the time I had returned with more noms.

My grandmother would faint if she could see the wastage in the states, she's from a war generation where food was rationed and nothing went to waste. That was diluted over the next 2 generations, but I still have an inbuilt ambition to finish all the food on my plate, rather than just eating the best of it and not appreciate the food infront of me.

Re:Buffets

[SleazyRidr]

I have that same tendency, and it really kicked my arse when I moved to Houston. I'm a big guy, but the average meal here is more than I'd usually eat in a day. I've finally trained myself into the habbit of getting a to-go box with half of my meal in it. Actually, a lot of the time I'm quite content just eating the sides, and take home an untouched steak.

trendy

[farble1670]

must be a very trendy place. that's the only way they could get away with such nonsense. i feel sorry for them in 2 months when they go out of style.

first, if i pay for the food i should be able to flush it down the toilet if i want. second, i didn't choose the portion. if someone serves me more food than i can eat, that's not my fault ... and it's not healthy for anyone to force themselves to eat food when their body says they are full.

Re:trendy

[imakemusic]

first, if i pay for the food i should be able to flush it down the toilet if i want.

you can, you just won't be eligible for the 30% discount.

second, i didn't choose the portion.

Yes you did, it's a sushi restaurant.

if someone serves me more food than i can eat, that's not my fault ... and it's not healthy for anyone to force themselves to eat food when their body says they are full.

Then don't finish it and pay the full price as you would at any other restaurant.

Re:trendy

[farble1670]

from TFA:

... and will kindly ask those who don't clean their plates to not come back

it's not just about not receiving a discount, it's about being banished from the restaurant.

Re:trendy

[imakemusic]

"Kindly asked" == "banished"?

Actually that quote is from the summary. The line from the article is

"[...] tell people who don't clear their plates to choose another restaurant next time."

I think the question is really whether they are asking them to choose another restaurant (which would make sense as their eating habits clearly don't align with the policy of the restaurant - if you went to a vegetarian restaurant and asked for meat you would probably get asked to find a different restaurant next time) or if they are actually being banned from eating there again.

I have a friend in Australia at the moment. Unfortunately he's just left Sydney or I would ask him to investigate.

my observations

[WeeBit]

Visiting many Asian restaurants in my area. I now go to the ones with buffet. When I go to the ones that bring your meal to you, they tend to put too much on the plate. They give you lots of rice and veggies. I can never eat it all. I always end up with take home. So I stopped going to the ones that don't have a buffet. I guess I don't ever have to worry about visiting Wafu restaurants.

Wierd recipe restrictions.

[Gojira Shipi-Taro]

"free of gluten, dairy, sugar and eggs"

Screw that. I understand people have dietetic restrictions, but there's no way I'm going to a restaurant where I have to abide by 'em.

Maybe the problem is people aren't finishing the meals because they taste like crap and aren't satisfying?

Re:Wierd recipe restrictions.

[blueg3]

You are aware that, especially in Japanese cuisine, there are plenty of dishes that never used gluten, dairy, sugar, or eggs in the first place, right?

Chinese

[Anonymous Coward]

I specifically remember an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant in San Francisco some 8 years ago with similar rules.

You may take whatever you want from the buffet, but if you leave anything on the plate, there's a $10 fine.

IMO, this is not treating you like an asshole (like some poster said) but rather trying not to throw away too much.

My 15 y/o cousin was a bit afraid to get fined. She took more than she could eat, and had to have help :) That's exactly what they were trying to prevent.

Why so many negative comments?

[Dexter Herbivore]

This is a restaurant... if you don't like the policy, don't go there. The chef is trying to do something positive and it seems like most of you want to criticise him for running his business as he likes.

Re:I've had similar things happen in a Chinese pla

[Dexter Herbivore]

RTFA... your situation bears NO similarity to what was happening here.

Monty Python never grows old.

[Anonymous Coward]

But Sir, it is only wafer thin!

What if you don't like their food?

[Anonymous Coward]

So you pay more if you find their food bad. Great way to attract new customers.

How is this technical news?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is neither new nor is it technical/science/computer/geek related news!

I ate at a restaurant in Cambodia that charges 10% extra if you don't finish what you put on your plate (it was a buffet style restaurant).

Gari is also delicious. Who wouldn't eat it?

But. I'm still confused how this is News for Nerds????

No Soup for you!

[Anonymous Coward]

or is it No Sushi for you!

Clean Your Plate Club

[Jason Levine]

When I was growing up, my maternal grandmother would insist that we belong to "Clean The Plate Club." She would go to the extreme. One day my sister (who had a tiny appetite) had a tuna melt for lunch. My grandmother made it on two halves of an english muffin with an entire can of tuna and cheese. Needless to say, my sister didn't finish it. So my grandmother wrapped it up and sternly told my sister that she'd eat it for breakfast. While she wasn't looking, my mother threw it out.

I, on the other hand, had no trouble cleaning my plate... and the leftovers on the plates of everyone else at the table. My other extreme was one of the factors that led me to be overweight for much of my life.

OMG THE SOUP NAZI'S BROTHER!

[Anonymous Coward]

NO SALAD FOR YOU! D:

Vegetables and salad are part of the meal too?

[Anonymous Coward]

Vegetables and salad are part of the meal too? Well can I ask for the meal I want WITHOUT them? If you demand they are there, then why don't you eat them for me, then we're all happy.

Sheesh.

how much does the restaurant waste?

[Anonymous Coward]

i wonder how much food this dump throws out every week from the kitchen

And that order will cost you more?

[Anonymous Coward]

And that order will cost you more? If it does, you've paid for two meals and gotten one, just because the owner wants to be anal. If this was an open buffet where you can pay a set amount and eat whatever you want and fill up again at any time, then this idea of "take a bit, eat it and see if you want some more" will work. If it's buy two dishes for $10, three for $12, five for $18, then you buy three because you don't think you can manage five then want either another two or three. Worst would be you buy three find out there's room for one more and you can't buy it without leaving half on the plate...

Starman

[Starliner]

If the food is good, why not eat it all? But if the food sucks (like some Oriental places), why should I be asked to eat what is not good quality?

Re:I've had similar things happen in a Chinese pla

[semiotec]

It appears that some /.ers just don't learn to read the article. This place is in Australia.

People leave food because it's BAD

[lena_10326]

This is a highly offensive stance to take for a chef. How many times have you gone to a restaurant and been served horrible food? It's a lot more common to be served bad food than great food. If I don't finish my plate, that means your food tastes like SHIT and I refuse to eat your garbage. If the food was good or great but the portions were large, I will take it home thus leaving a cleaned plate. That cleaned plate should be an indicator to you on the quality of your food and nothing else.

The fact that this guy is complaining about too much food on plates indicates he's a bad chef. It's not the customer's fault his food is bad.

Greenhouse gas emissions / take away leftovers

[Ignominious]

This is justified (though perhaps a little harsh). Greenhouse gas emissions from food production are the largest polluting sector, much more than transport. Probably most people don't understand how much energy goes into e.g. meat production.

People also need to change their attitude to 'leftovers'. Most good restaurants can pack up your uneaten food to take home and heat in the microwave. As long as you get it really hot before eating the next day, that will kill any bacteria.