Ordering something not on the menu?

[Husar]

Use Firefox, you heathen!

Isn't it the firefox who burns?

[Somebody Else]

I occasionally ask for steak tartare... If I reckon the restaurant's a good 'un.

[Duke John]

I tried a couple of times, but after a while I was pretty much convinced that McDonalds didn't serve pizza.


Ah, allright then; never. Perhaps caused by not daring to. On the other hand I don't really see the need for telling what I want. Then I might just as well cook at home. I trust the chef that he balanced the tastes and I usually pick things that I do not/can not make at home.

Haven't really seen (or is noticed?) it happen either. Only the occasional "without ingredient X".

But especially in expensive places I would expect them to be able to come up with something.

Especially at expensive places I expect that their menu has dishes that far surpass with whatever I can come up with.

[TosaInu]

Hello Sigurd Fafnesbane,

I do, at times I also ask to just bring me something.

[Gregoshi]

I don't have the imagination enough to think of ordering something not on the menu. I guess I go to a restaurant with the mindset to eat what they have, not what they don't have.

[Motep]

Yes. I wen to olive garden and made a very nice mx of thre different meals. It was only as much as the most expensive meal part. ($17)

It was good!

[Kadagar_AV]

The chance of the chef spitting in your food grows exponentially with any extra option you make.

Thus ordering a completetly made up meal is for the bold ones indeed... or those with questionable hygeinic standards;)

EDIT: A "tell" is when the kitchen staff peeks out the kitchen door as you get the meal, and high fives when you take the first bite:)

[FactionHeir]

Hello Sigurd Fafnesbane,

I do, at times I also ask to just bring me something.

So what do they bring you if you ask for "something"?
The most expensive dishes?

[Fragony]

Still much safer then asking for 'something' in China

[FactionHeir]

Actually they just respond "we don't have 'something'/'i don't care'" in Chinese.
Not like I didn't try that before

[TosaInu]

So what do they bring you if you ask for "something"?
The most expensive dishes?

Food.

No, not the most expensive ones. I guess some restaurants would try that, including exclusive wines.

I've been in a foreign restaurant last year. It starts when you enter: do you want wine? To me that means offering a free drink, unusual it may be. It isn't free.

Then there's a fine print on the menu. The dishes look only expensive (a normal restaurant though), but everything is ex 12%. They throw some bread on your table and when you look at it you have to pay it too. The dishes are very small (so only expensive is absurd expensive). The cover was separately billed and didn't include a spoon (which I had to order). I do not mind the occasional fat bill and when it was good a 50% tip isn't impossible, but when it goes like that I go dutch. I waited for the 5 eurocents change.

[FactionHeir]

Lemme guess, you went to Italy?
At least that's my experience when I went there.