Blog Street » Blog Archive » Those Obligatory Appetisers

Obligatory appetisers that are shoved to you before your meal orders.

Text and images by Catherine Ling @ Makansutra Oh those little plates of peanuts or other snacks that they present you as you place your orders and wait for your food. They show up again too in your bill, most often as “peanuts” or “pickles”. The sum charged is usually small, so most diners will close one eye and let the restaurant pocket the little extra. This is an old and widely accepted practice in Chinese restaurants in Asia, but it still riles some people who do not like being “forced” to pay for something, especially if service charge is already being levied. It is possible to decline these little nibbles, although that’s generally seen as bad form. Do you mind these “obligatory” appetisers or do you actually look forward to seeing what you might get? Some restaurants take the trouble to vary these daily. Peanuts in braised or fried form are one of the most common, ...

Full article: http://www.makansutra.com/foodblog/?p=8111