We have eaten at Siam House regularly and looked forward to it each time. Last night, however, was a different story. Both my dining companion and I ordered what we usually order at Siam House (at the same level of spiciness that we always order at this restaurant) at dinner last night. Mine was a bit spicier than usual, but not so spicy that I couldn’t handle eating it. My partner’s meal, however, was so spicy that she could literally not eat it. She talked to the waiter, Alex, and asked for a less spicy version of the same thing. Alex went back to the kitchen, where the chef told him it was the right amount of spiciness and that it couldn’t be replaced. I suggested he call the manager. The manager (if Alex actually called the manager, which frankly I doubt) said that she could get 10% off the meal she ordered, but she would have to order another meal at full price. This whole exchange took about 15 minutes. Her meal was in the kitchen all the while.
At this point, her options were:
1. Continue to try to eat something that was painful for her to consume.
2. Spend twice as much on two meals because she was dissatisfied with the first one.
3. Not eat and pay for something she did not eat.
Option 3 was the one she chose in the end. She ate probably six bites of her meal—and drank four glasses of water.
Alex was inflexible in his view on the subject. This is a policy I have not encountered anywhere—on either side, as a food service provider or as a customer. Even at a fast food restaurant you can return your meal if you’re dissatisfied. If you can’t, there’s really no point in that question: “Is everything all right?” Because if it isn’t, it doesn’t matter. You still have to eat it.
