From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Deceptive menu practices
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: ne
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:58:56 GMT

rdonahue@spdcc.com (Bob Donahue) writes:

>	That dish is nearly *always* served with pork.  It is listed
>in the "Vegetarian" section of almost every restaurant I know
>but most still put the word "pork" in there somewhere.
>Most of the titles of the dishes are only rough translations of the
>major component of the dish - if you need more information you have to ask.

Many people have e-mailed me this fact.  I stand corrected as to whether
on not Dry Cooked String Beans normally has pork.  Apparently it often 
does.

>	Seems to me the thing to have done would have been to
>discuss the pork problem up front.  You got the replacement food,
>so I would hardly call the event "ruined".  So next time you'll
>self-educate before ordering.

Excuse me, but I'm no stranger to Chinese restaurants or cuisine.  However
the point of another poster, that there are many many variations on the
same dish is well taken.  So is the point made by almost everyone that
the only way to be (mostly) safe is to ask up front.  I pointed out in
my post that we normally do ask up front, if we're not ordering standard
fare items.  Obviously, we erred on the string beans.  But I don't accept
that about the soup.  In thirty years, and probably hundreds of 
different Chinese restaurants, including many different styles, I have
never seen pork in the Egg Drop soup.  

I guess I was deflecting blame too much from our waitress by putting it
on the menu rather than on her.  We sent the soup back, but then she 
brought the string beans with pork.  So the waitress must share the blame
for the ruined evening.

As to whether the quality of our evening was or was not ruined, you weren't
there.  We were hungry.  My girlfriend's daughter was hungry.  The first
item of food they brought for us could not be eaten.  Consider the effect
of putting a bowl of soup in front of a child and then having to have the
waitress take it away.  I did not mention that in my post because it was
extraneous to the discussion.  How badly we felt is not the issue.  The
issue is whether the restaurant, which is in the business of serving 
people, could better please their customers by putting sufficient information
on the menu so that people with special dietary restrictions needn't ask
questions about standard-fare items.  With regard to the string beans, I
admit my error as it apparently is standard to include ground pork.  With
regard to the soup, I think they erred, not us.

In your run-of-the-mill diner, we always ask "Are the hot dogs all-beef?",
"Is the french toast cooked in bacon fat?", etc.  But we don't ask "Does
the grilled cheese have bacon?", "Do the mixed vegetables have ground
pork in them?"

Thanks to all for the comments.  I probably *will* ask up front about
everything from here on.  Doesn't mean I'll think it's right that I have
to.

-rich
-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com
Newsgroups: ne.food