"However, when a waitress approached us shortly after we had sat down with our second plates and asked us to pay, I was caught off guard. I had a mouthful of samosa and gestured to her that I couldn’t speak at the moment, hoping she would take the hint and come back later, but she didn’t. Once I was able to swallow, I reminded her that we thought there was no rush. Surprisingly, she responded with, "You don’t want to pay?" Feeling a bit irritated by her timing, I said it was fine, and I would pay now. When I did pay, she didn’t even acknowledge it with a thank you.
Afterward, the table next to us commented on how they saw the whole incident and mentioned that this is how payment is typically collected there. A gentleman from that table, who was born and raised in India, explained that this aggressive approach to collecting payment is a cultural norm. In India, he said, people often negotiate the bill only after finishing their meal, which makes servers a bit defensive about payments. I understand that different cultures shape our behaviors, but that situation left me feeling somewhat embarrassed, which was unfortunate because the food was amazing. I had been craving Indian cuisine since moving here from New York about two years ago. I’d love to come back with my parents, but I might suggest paying upfront to avoid the awkwardness.
I gave the restaurant another chance, but unfortunately, I was quite disappointed for a few reasons. We arrived at 1 PM on a Saturday, and since lunch is served until 3 PM, I expected a good selection. However, there was very little food left—no samosas, no chicken in the Tikka Masala, and most other dishes were similarly depleted. I asked the owner if they planned to prepare more, and he assured me they were cooking additional items that would be out soon. Twenty-five minutes later, they finally began bringing out some food, but it felt like too little too late. Several other guests even left after seeing the buffet. The owner explained that they hadn't been busy earlier, so they hadn’t prepared much food. While I understand not wanting to overprepare, if you’re open for business, you should be able to serve customers. Otherwise, it might be better to close for the day. I left feeling very disappointed and don’t think we’ll be returning."
Paneer Karahi
