Quote:
Originally Posted by Stitchawl
Glad to see you back here, KK. Sorry that your problems haven't resolved themselves.
I have a rant this morning. It's about refills in restaurants. It works for you coffee drinkers but not for us teaists.
After dinner the wait staff is very attentive, walking around refilling coffee cups. No charge. But if we tea drinkers want a second cup, we have to beg, and then at most get offered some hot water to make a weak second brew. God forbid we ask for a new tea bag.
Tea is MUCH cheaper than coffee. A pound of tea will produce about 200 cups, where as a pound of coffee only about 50. Yes, tea is more expensive than coffee, but not 4x the cost. If we ask for another tea bag, we usually get charged for it. This is blatant anti-tea bias, and should NOT go untreated!
Stitchawl
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thanks! 
so much sadness
which is why I carry a small tin of tea bags in my purse. not only do I resent paying for more tea, I dread many of the tea options
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stitchawl
Yes, we noticed that too, at least in the South! (Not so much north of the Mason-Dixon Line) All the fast food places in the south seemed to offer free refills on soda and Ice Tea, and even when served at the table by wait staff the ice tea was freely refilled, as was coffee. Just not hot tea! Odd... Both are sold in restaurant bulk packs, so it seems not so much a case of costs.
In Japan, oolong tea, both hot and cold, is given freely with meals. But for hot tea, you pay by the tea bag! Coffee is NEVER refilled for free except in western style hotel restaurants, but there one is paying $8-$10 for the cup.
Stitchawl
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I've never been turned down for a free ice tea refill anywhere in the US. when I am eating out, I either have ice tea, water with lemon, or a drink, usually wine, so I've drunk iced tea pretty much in every state in the Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheKindleWorm
And here in the UK, you're lucky if you get free anything! I've certainly never been anywhere that offers free refills - I think the drinks make up a bigger percentage of profit than the food. If you even want tap water, you normally have to ask for it because it isn't usually placed at the table - and then we've had funny looks doing this because restaurants want you to pay for fancy schmancy bottled water.
I am very, very keen to visit America one day and discover genuine "Big Macs" and not the slightly pathetic, limp offerings we get here and also free refills!
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no, you don't want to do that! find local/regional food! we ARE more than mickey d's!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stitchawl
And that is exactly what lies at the heart of the matter. It's very, very difficult to get good beef anywhere in Thailand. The local cows just do not put on fat! The non-beef items on the Thai McD menu are right there in taste with the rest of the world, but forget any beef item. But then, generally speaking, Thais don't care for beef. The pork there is fantastic and the chicken tends to be free range.
Even in the lower end steak houses such as Sizzler, the problem is the same. (Even the ground beef is tough!) When we lived there, and wanted a roast beef, I would have to use a 'larding needle' to thread strips of fat through the meat to flavor it. This works very well, but isn't something that a fast food place with bother with.
I will admit surprise when going into a McDonalds in France and seeing wine being served!
Stitchawl |
and in Germany they have beer, and it tends to be the local beer