Hambayuti

Hubby and I went to Villaggio to have dinner. We decided to eat at one of our favorite American restaurant chain. We had calamares for appetizers. Hubby ordered pasta and I got myself a steak, medium well done - like I always have it.

We started eating and I commented on a strange smell but my husband assumed it was coming from the pasta he was having - which we don’t normally order. I shrugged it off. Halfway through my meal, while mixing gravy and mashed potatoes, I noticed something on my plate…

I asked for a table napkin, scooped out what looks like a maggot. Yup! You read it right. A maggot!

So, I was staring at this thing-y when the waitress noticed me and asked if everything was alright. I said “No. I think there’s something on my food…” and pointed at the table napkin where this thing-y was. She immediately took the napkin, asked me where I found it, I said (mental note to self: like duh!) “…on my plate. Somewhere between my steak (which had bleu cheese on top), the grilled mushroom and tomatoes. Wait. Where are you taking that napkin?”. She said “Let me just show it to my manager” and hurriedly walked towards the kitchen. I was left surprised by the sudden turn of events, raised an eyebrow and stared at my husband - who seemed taken aback himself and was just staring back at me.

A few minutes later, the waitress returned and we had a conversation running:

Waitress: My manager said it was just some sort of seed.

Me: Really?! I was quite sure it was some sort of maggot. Could I have that table napkin again…I just want to make sure for myself.

She did not reply and walked away. My husband was still probably in shock because he was still just staring at me. (Hahaha!) Anyway, a few moments later the manager came by. I was looking through my food then…forking everything upside down.

Manager: Maám, what you found was a type of herb that we put when cooking.

Me: It was a herb? I doubt it is. Can I have the napkin back?

Manager: We already threw it in the garbage.

Me: Why? Your waitress here said she was just going to show you. I did not tell her to throw it away. May I have it back please?

Manager: Maám, why would you want it? It was only a herb…some type of seed.

Me: Well, then I guess it’s okay if I have it back…since it’s only some sort of herb…or seed was it?!?

Manager: But we already threw it out of the garbage.

Me: Yes, you said that. And like I told you, I did not ask anyone to throw it away. So, can you just please bring it back?! And if you’re saying that you had it thrown out, then I suggest you ask someone to dig it out again. Just let me be sure for myself. If you say it’s something else, a seed…a herb…whatever…then I don’t see why there is such difficulty in bringing back what I found, right?!

Manager walks away. Waitress comes back and asks me if I want a new plate. And as you can imagine, a scene was created and people were looking. Upset as I was, I just said “No!”. My husband promptly asks for our bill. I told the waitress to just wrap our half-eaten meals for “take-out”. The waitress left and came back with the manager, who tells us that he’s writing off my steak and that I need not pay for it. We were also only given my husband’s left-over, mine had gone missing. I questioned where my left-over was, but my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. I was fuming mad yet I bit my tongue and stood as soon as we handed them the money.

After stepping out of the restaurant, my head was spinning. Furious, I decided to call my friend to tell her what happened. I was going to ask for her opinion if I should call one of the lawyers from the Firm where I work at. I guess the people from the restaurant still had their eyes on us because while I was on the phone, their manager and their general manager came walking towards us.

The manager started showing my husband some herbs and was telling him that I found the same type. I looked at what he was showing my husband and said “No. that (pointing to what he had on his hand) IS a herb. Oh, please! What I found was simply NO WAY similar looking to that!”.

Enters the general manager…

Staring at them both, the general manager shakes my hand…my husband’s as well - who, by the way, seemed like he was about to wrestle someone - introduces himself, hands me his business card and asks us to come back to the restaurant and have anything “on the house” because “he knows we are regulars (yes, we were. BUT definitely not anymore. Hah!) and that he values us”…blah, blah, blah.

I turned him down and said “No, thank you but I’ve lost my appetite”. He smiles and says he “insists” several times. I irritatingly said “You INSIST I go back and eat after losing my appetite?!?…in your restaurant?…your food? And after your manager here seems to take us for idiots who can not differentiate a maggot from a herb? Look, yakkity-yak-yak…(I told him what had happened and how everything went between me, the waitress and the manager + the conversations)…”. He replied saying that’s exactly why he wanted us to go back, so he could make up for what happened, because he’s there for us and the restaurant is open for us.

Whatever! (I regret not putting my hand in front of his face and saying “Talk to the hand!) (LOL)

I’ve clearly stated how disappointed I was but finally said “just be glad we’re walking away okay? I really doubt we’d be going back to eat at your restaurant anytime soon. I think you should just be thankful that we’re also not suing nor reporting you to the baladiyah so please don’t INSIST on anything I don’t want to do. I think you should consider going back to your restaurant to train your staff to be better workers because the next victim might not be as forgiving”…and I take my husband by the hand and we both walk away.

GGGGggggRRRRrrrrrrr!!!!

Sooooo irritating. The nerve, really.

I bought mocha fraps from a nearby coffee shop to cool me and hubby down. I was quiet while walking back to our car. I know my husband knows how angry I was and he respects that by giving me time to clear my head. I didn’t felt like talking. On our way home, he said “Tsk-tsk. You should have taken pictures of that maggot…that’ll really scare them. Haha. But look at it this way, it’s Ramadan. It’s such the right time to be the “better” person. There’s always karma.”

Sigh.

Oh well, Thank God it’s Friday! At least I have the whole weekend to hopefully start forgetting about the incident…and observe myself for food poisoning…just in case.

P.S. Hubby said, “Next time, in case you find yourself in the same restaurant…just order steak with maggots as side dish so you don’t get surprised”.

(rolls my eyes)