You go into a restaurant. You get a table. You look at the wine selection offered and carefully choose a bottle. The waiter arrives with the bottle, shows you the bottle and then meticulously open it. The waiter pours a small amount into your glass. You carefully inspects it and then slowly drinks it. What happens next? You approve the wine. The waiter pours wine for your group, places the bottle at your table and then walks away while you carry on with your conversation. Have you ever wondered what happens if you don't like the wine? Does the waiter take the opened bottle back thereby giving you a second chance? I have wondered about it. But frankly, I do not know what happens in such a case.
Why am I thinking about all this? The other day, I was in an Ethiopian restaurant with my favorite dinner group when the manager came up with a strange question. "Do you have problems with incense?". The answer was no. A couple of minutes later, they served a dish, which had a distinct incense flavor, to the table near us. So the next table had ordered the dish. The kitchen had prepared the dish. Now they were concerned if the smell would be a problem for us as we were seated nearby. For me, this is too late in the game. Moreover, if the management has to worry about the offensive smell to people seated nearby, then they will ask to everyone in the restaurant considering the size of a Parisian restaurant. Finally, I consider Ethiopian cuisine as exotic. Leave your reservations behind if you are visiting exotic restaurants. When you walk into the restaurant, you are doing it for a new experience. Go with the flow.
By the way, Ethiopian dinner was indeed good. The vegetarian dishes was similar to our dal curry. The meat preparation reminded me of home. They add a lot of spices and cook it for a long time for the spices to seep into the meat. One of the dish was more like dry jalfrezi and another was like a hot Rajasthani meat dish I had in Jaipur named laal maas.
Tags: Musings,Incense,Ethiopian
Wow! I can never imagine restaurants here go this way to care about their customers.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice of the owner. At the same, it was unnecessary. :)
DeleteYes, to answer your question, if you think that the wine is not good or spoilt, the waiter takes the opened bottle back and get you a new one. It doesn't work when the wine is good but you didn't like the taste of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clearing my unanswered question. :) But that raises another point. Who decides if it is bad? It is us. Right? Then how do they know if we didn't like the taste of it? :)
Deleteinteresting experience.. :-)
DeleteA Rat's Nibble
I agree. :)
DeleteI'm surprised that they would ask you if you had an issue with the smell. And I'd be surprised if the replaced that open bottle of wine. :)
ReplyDeleteNice to know that you were asked about the smell. Ethiopian food is something I've wanted to try for a while now. Now that I know a little something, I guess it's time. :)
Did you guys eat together from a large plate? Sounds like a fun idea, to me.
Check AJs comments. Yes, they do replace wine bottles on certain conditions. :)
DeleteGo for Ethiopian. They have their version of curries which reminds of our curries. :)
Yes, we did eat from a large plate. It was fun.
I shall, soon. Thank you :)
DeleteSo much in common, even in food, in spite of the distance! Good analysis! So, we won't miss India, if we go to Ethiopia!
ReplyDeleteThis, I can vouch for sure. :)
Delete