A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend and, both of us being Chinese, we went through the usual Chinese questions, including “have you eaten yet?”. For westerners, this phrase might sound really odd (specially considering that this conversion was around 3:00 p.m.) but it is so culturally embedded that it is extremely difficult for me to even try to explain it. But, back to the conversation…
I asked him where he went for lunch and he mentioned a nearby all-you-can-eat sushi spot, mainly because he was bringing somebody for “business purposes”. Now, I won’t condemn him about going to an AYCE; he himself was expressing his own disgust, specially after over-ordering and ended up chugging the extra food. Nor I will comment about the rationale behind taking a business partner there out of all place (though, putting quality aside, the fact that sushi is cheap/readily available compared to other places in the world sounds like an incentive…). Instead, this post is, as the subject suggests, about portion size.
Wait, what does AYCE have to do with portion size? Simple: When you go to a regular restaurant, a serving is determined by the restaurant; whereas in an AYCE is up to you (and your perceived hunger). Sure, you could order extra in a regular restaurant but, when that means paying extra, you will give it a second thought. (Of course, making your $$$ worth in an AYCE is a completely different topic of discussion!). Likewise, the opposite could occur: in a sit down restaurant the portions can be utterly ridiculous (Anton’s anybody?), which, for some people, somehow translates into a “good deal”/”good restaurant”. So, based on this, let me ask the following: When you go to a restaurant, portion size wise, what are your expectations?
In my case, to paraphrase fellow blogger Sherman, I hope not to go for a filet-o-fish after the meal; however, I do not expect to be taking a doggie bag either. Of course, in some restaurants, like those where you order dishes to share (think tapas), that is tricky business, as you don’t know how much is too much. That also brings something on the restaurant side. A lot of times, the description of the dish does not give you an idea of how much food will be on the plate. Talk about leap of faith!
And, there brings the other related topic, once the food is served, what do you do if the portion is too small or too big? I have to admit a couple of things: A lot of restaurant’s serving size is a big larger than I wish it to be. But, in the end, me being a big eater, i usually end up cleaning my plate. At least I have started to learn to stop when I feel I am “there”. (Though the fact I am a fast eater does not help in any way). Darn you slow eaters! In the case it is a small portion… Well, I guess I now have an incentive to buy a smartphone to find the closest fast food restaurant… ^_^;;;
Finally, the tricky question, what about the relationship between $$$ and portion size? Let’s take Stepho’s as the best possible example (which I have blogged here previously). While the food is decent in its own ways, people endure long queues for the promise of a “cheap” meal and large plates of food. In my case, sure, I do create a link: If I get a small plate for big bucks, I will certainly cry foul, unless I know there is a reason behind the cost. I mean, if I have to pay $20 for a small chicken breast with no sides… On the other hand, if a meal is really cheap but I am left hungry, well, either I order something more or find the closest fast food restaurant. ^_^;;;
So, what are your thoughts? Do large servings automatically translates into a good deal? Or you wish the servings were “enough” for an average person?
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