It is no longer cheap and healthy eating out
By zandi458
@zandi458 (28102)
Malaysia
October 3, 2009 2:40am CST
It is better to eat and live on home cooked meals. We had a sit-down chinese lunch with my siblings in one of the not so posh restaurant in town. There were nine of us altogether in a round table that normally accommodates 10 heads. Each of us were given a small bowl of rice (chinese way of serving rice) and 3 dishes which comprises of steam fish and two other vegetarian dishes. With that simple dishes we expected the bill to be slightly over a $150 but to my shock the charges exceeded our estimation. I couldn't believe it, the price for that measly lunch was around $350.00. I am not complaining here but we could have gotten a good buffet lunch in a 5 star hotel restaurant, should I have known that the foods here was the weight of gold! What is worse there was no dessert at the end of the meals.
The foods were quite tasty though but soon as I reach the car I felt very thirsty and feel the tongue having a layer of funny coating. When I reached home I rush to get myself a glass of cold water to quench my thirst. I noticed that everyone is also doing the same. The cook must have poured a lot of MSG to enhance the taste of the foods as is commonly known in many chinese restaurants that they have their way to trick the taste-buds by adding a lot of MSG saving on cost for the real ingredients used for certain dishes.
There is no way that I ever patronize that restaurant again as it caused me to be thirsty and drank lots of water the whole day and night after consuming the foods there. I wonder if you have ever experienced feeling thirsty after eating in restaurants? Eating out is definitely not healthy and it burns the pocket too.
9 people like this
32 responses
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
3 Oct 09
In estimating the anticipate price, you probably were basing that on what you saw for menu prices. If I'd received a bill that much over what I expected, I would have asked for a menu and checked it agains the bill. It certainly sounds like an error was made, and since we're all human and we all make mistakes, it's in the restaurants benefit (as well as your own) to correct it. Not only have they lost all nine of you as customers, but they've potentially lost anyone you tell about the incident too.
On a number of occasions I have found errors in restaurant bills. Some were so enormous that it's amazing that it wasn't caught before being presented to me. Most restaurants don't want to cheat you and are very happy to make corrections. I've even gotten a few free dinners out of finding errors.
2 people like this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
3 Oct 09
Nobody thought that it was a mistake when the bill came. The food ordered wasn't in the menu. It is always the usual case here where we choose what we want to eat and not in the menu. That is where they can manipulate their prices when we don't order from their menus that has the standard pricing. They charge everything separately, even the face tissue are added to the bills. I should be careful next time.
1 person likes this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
3 Oct 09
Ahhh...I understand now. I've made the same mistake. At an Italian restaurant I ordered a dish made with ziti, broccoli, olive oil, garlic and basil. Very simple. I expected at BEST an $8 or $9 charge. When the bill came, it was $22!! It could not possibly have cost more than 75 cents to put the dish together. The next trip to the same restaurant, I decided to order from the menu. They had a similar dish, only it had chicken and alfredo sauce...for $8.95. I asked it I could have that, but without the chicken and olive oil and garlic instead of the alfedo sauce. They were happy to do it. So, I ended up with the EXACT same dish that I had formerly been charged $22 for, only I paid $8.95. Live and learn. Find something similar on the menu, and ask for minor modifications.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
3 Oct 09
Good GRIEF, that price would have made me to have to stay & wash dishes for my meal, lol. I very seldom eat out. I guess i'm hard to please but had just soon eat at home as to pay such prices & not be satisfied w/the meal. I don't recall anything making me any thirtier than i normally am. I go w/a glass of ice tea close by all the time. I don't blame u for not going back there either, neither would i. I do envy u of having such a nice big family to go out with. As ihave told u before u are very blessed to have them. Have a great day.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
3 Oct 09
Hi zandi,
I am sorry you got ripped off but what I do not understand is that you were not aware of the prices before you sat down to eat. Where I live all restaurants must provide a menu with the prices and say what that meal contains, as an example, lemon chicken, rice, two vegetables, tea. Also it is well-known that Chinese restaurants often use MSG to enhance the flavour of dishes. I am very allergice to MSG and when I eat in a Chinese restaurant I always ask if they use it and tell them I could have an allergic reaction. So people are honest about it. Many Chinese restaurants here also have a notice "We do not use MSG"
Overall I agree with you that it is cheaper and healthier to prepare meals at home.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
5 Oct 09
Wow, this would not go over well in my country. Restaurants must post their menues either in the window or in a special glassed in box on the outside wall of the restaurant so people can make up their mind if they want to eat there or not. When you go into a restaurant right after you are seated you are handed a menu. At fast food places the menu and prices must be posted above the counter so you can pick your items and you pay for them before you get them.
1 person likes this
@manong05 (5027)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Definitely, nothing can compare to home cooked food. Not only in terms of taste and monetary considerations but personal satisfaction too. If we eat out, the money we spent for a single meal can cover meals for 1 or 2 days if we cook and eat at home.
Adding MSG and other flavor enhancing ingredients is also a common practice in restaurants. This definitely is not good for our health. The more we eat out the more toxins and unwanted chemicals are accumulated in our system.
Cheers!
2 people like this
@kunizzul (1066)
• Malaysia
3 Oct 09
Hi. Yes, many of restaurant put a lot of MSG in their food to make it more tasty. Eating your own cooking is much better and more healthy. But for me I still need to eat outside everyday as I stayed with my friends and our cooking is not really tasty.
So, I choose to eat outside with my friends. But still I think eating outside is not really healthy for health. Thanks
@Nisha_Verghese (551)
• India
3 Oct 09
yes zandi, i agree that eating out is not as fascinating as it used to be.. most restaurants are concerned with making as much money as possible without spending anything.. I have heard of lots of cases how these restaurants cheat people and make money..
As long as you enjoy cooking and get good home-cooked meals,i think you should stick to home meals only...
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
3 Oct 09
WOW What an outragest bill that was.
Did they not have the price on the menu of what you were ordering?
and yes alot of places add that MSG even Mc Donalds add that to get you to come back.
Think I would have choosen the buffet place too. over that one
1 person likes this
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
6 Oct 09
It can get very expensive to eat out. It is cheaper to eat at home and it is healthier too. We try to eat at home more often since it is better for us plus we save money eating at home. I try new recipes so that we don't always have the same thing. When I eat chinese food I tell them not to use MSG cause it sometimes gives me headaches but if I forget to tell them then it does make me very thirsty.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
9 Oct 09
My goodness zandi...that was a horrendously expensive meal. For that much money you would have done heaps better in Australia...probably an entree, the main meal and dessert. I quite like msg but it's been banned here I believe. It's been years since I had it but I cannot ever remember it making me so thirsty...or even thirsty at all. I rarely go out to dinner and I'm quite happy to make a special dinner at home. Living alone doesn't present too many opportunities though.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
10 Oct 09
It surprises me that you like MSG. Though it enhances the taste of foods but too much added to food we eat makes us thirsty afterwards. I hope it is banned here so everybody will not rely on msg for better taste on their foods. My family is addicted to msg. They can't go without msg. Some say that msg is the cause of balding head.
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
6 Oct 09
Yes, i have experienced this thirsty feeling after eating at chinese buffet. But not as bad as what you discribe. Since i have not been driving i havent eaten out as much. I always did thinkl that home cooking is more economical and healthier than eatin g out. Probably cleaner too. I think its ok for just sometimes or special occasions but for sure not all the time.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
3 Oct 09
That is interesting to know that you were so thirsty after your meal. It’s happened to me before and I never made the connection of too much MSG in the food, it’s worthy noting that next time I eat in a Chinese restaurant which is not so often any more because we just cannot afford it anymore. We buy the odd take away but that’s about it and you are quite right if you eat at home you then know exactly what you are consuming and how much of it.
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
3 Oct 09
Thirsty after eating in a chinese restaurant is a sign that the food is loaded with MSG. In home cooked food at least we try to avoid adding MSG, though it make the food taste good but it is not good taking MSG in the long run. We
do not know what it would do to our internal organs.
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
27 Oct 09
lash, MSG companies could not have lasted this long if it has been known that MSG is harmful to health. In fact, our Asian cooking is always tinged with MSG to enhance the taste of the food. But it must not be used excessively as it will cause one to be overly thirsty after eating a dish that has too much MSG.
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
3 Oct 09
Actually, Zandi, there have been intensive tests done in several countries on MSG, and the results are consistent throughout, that there are no harmful effects from MSG unless you are among the rare few who are allergic to it. Even then, it seems the effects are not dreadful in most cases. As for the thirst thing, that may be true, but I could find no research on it.
Lash
2 people like this
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
25 Oct 09
Hello my friend zandi458 Ji,
It is very sorry state of affair. But i always enquire about menu, terms and condition, even after getting inside such places. You are a smart lady. How it so happened. I think, you had under-asessed the place. Any way, it is good lesson to you for whole life.
May God bless You and have a great time.
1 person likes this
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
27 Oct 09
Hello my friend zandi458 Ji,
At least, our country has a system of menu. When someone enters inside any such places, depending on categories, we rae served with glass of water and 'menu',,which has prices attathed after the dishes, also time taken for cooking. Concerned head wator takes the order and passes on to another wator attending particular table. After everything is over, alongwith bill, some 'Saunf' is brought and customer gives tip as well (not compulsory).
May God bless You and have a great time.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 09
Hi Zandi, long time i don't do posting in Mylot because busy with my offline matters. But, don't worry i still visit Mylot, whenever i am free, just to read those nice discussions but i seldom post reply. Yes, i do agreed that the prices of food in our area had hike-up although the dishes not really very delicious. In some area, the service is very poor, yet they are still charging a lot to their customer bill. Even, i also discovered that, many cooks, like to add a lot of MSG into the food and this is really unhealthy to our body, in the long-run. So, i prefer to prepare meal for my family whenever i have free time to cook. Happy mylotting.....
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 09
I do understand that some of us can't always be in mylot but today am glad that you decide to drop by and response to my discussion. Well, with prices of goods getting more expensive, it is always better to eat at home rather then spending unnecessary outside.
@iwinagain (545)
•
4 Oct 09
I don't know the name of the restaurant you ate at. But if it's that expensive, you must be eating at a high-end 5 star Chinese restaurant. Are you sure your meal only comprised of rice and 3 dishes? Didn't they give you tea to drink? Did you order any drink there, you didn't mention it. All the Chinese restaurants I go to give you tea to drink.
I don't get thirsty after I have eaten at their restaurant because I drink tea there. But if I eat really salty foods like chips and french fries, I get thirsty.
1 person likes this
@iwinagain (545)
•
4 Oct 09
I know that some of the Chinese food are greasy so it makes you crave for more food.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157553)
• United States
4 Oct 09
I agree with you there. I still fall into the trap of eating out if I have not thought and prepared the foods ahead of time. When we do cook at home we are always amazed at the wonderful flavor of fresh foods and unique combinations of ingredients.Most restaurants here will loudly advertize that they do not use MSG. It has a bad name. Tomorrow I will be fixing a broccoli, chicken and dried fruit salad for our lunch.
1 person likes this
@Mickie30 (2626)
•
4 Oct 09
Sorry to give you the gory details, but last week we got a Chinese take away and I was violently sick afterwards. It has put me off getting take aways. That sounds expensive what you paid though. I always thought it was cheaper to buy food in America rather than England.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
3 Oct 09
LOL--I haven't eaten in a restaurant in ages, not even the fast food kind, but yes when one goes to a restaurant one is sort of at the mercy of whatever to chefs decide to put or add in a meal, and that would included seasonings that one may not normally add to their own cooking like MSG--and yes, oriental cooking is well known for using a LOT of it. In the past, if I had an oriental food fit I'd fix my own at least that way I know what's in it or NOT in it. But $350 for that meal? Yikes I don't even think the high-class, expensive restaurants in the Manhattan area are that much!
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 09
We didn't know that this place is one of the most expensive eatery in town. Everyone was talking about the 'nice' food there and we tried. Yes, it is only nice if less MSG is used. They charged everything from chinese tea to mouth tissues and the little peanuts, cucumber salads that they served while waiting for the ordered foods.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
4 Oct 09
That seems like a lot of money for just lunch. If you're trying to watch your budget then you should probably do a quick talley in your head before you place your orders to try and figure out what the total price range will be at the end. I do this all the time when I go out to eat with my family. That way I'm not shocked when we get the bill.
1 person likes this
@Archie0 (5636)
•
4 Oct 09
[i]Hello zandi
yes even i have noticed such thing here in my area resturants, infact the places which are too cheap, they make food in the most horrible way.I had even come to know that the bread which they make at their bakeries they stamp it with their foot
.Man i was always eating that with glory.
I have stopped eating it anyhow, i have to curb my favourite foods because of their ways.
I have even seen the worst thing they make food outside which has stopped me from eating out at all, i never eat outside food and eat just boiled now
[/i]
.Man i was always eating that with glory.
I have stopped eating it anyhow, i have to curb my favourite foods because of their ways.
I have even seen the worst thing they make food outside which has stopped me from eating out at all, i never eat outside food and eat just boiled now[/i]