restaurants smaller portions?

Ask us anything. Cambodia Expats Online has a huge community of long-term expats that can answer any question you may have about life in Cambodia. Have some questions you want to ask before you move to Cambodia? Ask them here. Our community can also answer any questions you have about how to find a job or what kind of work is available for expats in Cambodia, whether you're looking for info about Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or anywhere else in the Kingdom. You're also welcome to ask about visa and work permit questions as well, as the immigration rules change often, especially since COVID-19. Don't be shy, ask CEO's community anything!
User avatar
Arthur&Hobson
Expatriate
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:04 pm
Reputation: 29
Cambodia

restaurants smaller portions?

Post by Arthur&Hobson »

Does anyone know of restaurants that serve smaller portions? Many older people don't eat as much as we did in our younger years. I can take the uneaten portion home with me but food is always better when it is fresh. Many restaurants will serve me smaller portions upon request but they usually charge the menu price. Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times. Thanks.
"Perhaps you would like me to come in there and wash your #### for you, you little ####."
User avatar
Kuroneko
Expatriate
Posts: 3809
Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 11:18 am
Reputation: 879

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by Kuroneko »

Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:19 am Many restaurants will serve me smaller portions upon request but they usually charge the menu price. Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times.
Re the answer to the above section of your question:
Below are a couple of replies on Quora to the question "Is it okay to ask for smaller portions at a restaurant?"

Sure, as long as you are willing to pay the same price as you would for the regular portion. Here’s why: Only about 15–25% of the cost of an item is food cost, the rest being overhead, labor, etc. It takes the same amount of time, personnel, gas, dishes, etc. to prepare and serve 1/2 lb of chicken as it does to prepare and serve 1/4 lb, so the cost difference is negligible. In fact, it often costs MORE to prepare smaller portions dish since some ingredients are already packaged/arranged by portion size and have to be reweighed in order to prepare a “smaller” portion. If you feel that the portion of the item you want to order is too much for you, eat half and take the rest home with you to eat later or the next day!

If you are looking to ask for smaller portions to get a discount on the price then you need to remember that only 30% of the dish price is the food (the rest is the restaurant, the staff, the utilities, profit etc) so if you get 50% of the dish, the best the restaurant should do is maybe a 15% discount and most restaurants are not going to deal with this kind of disruption to their service for such a tiny amount of money.
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-okay-to-ask ... restaurant
User avatar
CrabbyBobby
Tourist
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:51 pm
Reputation: 12

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by CrabbyBobby »

Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:19 am Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times. Thanks.
You want to order half a tuna melt and pay 50%?
User avatar
AndyKK
Expatriate
Posts: 6448
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:32 am
Reputation: 2248
Great Britain

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by AndyKK »

I would imagine that being confusing to ask a restaurant to lower the price of food on their menu. I mean what type of food are we talking of? For an example, boiled potatoes with veg, but only half of what is normally served. 4oz of steak and gravy, instead of 8oz of steak. I see a few minor problems, one it is just the same in cost to boil half the portions of veg and potatoes as it would be a full portion. Has for the steak, what is the restaurant going to do with the remaining 4oz if it advertised 8oz on the menu, same said for many sized portion, let's say apple pie and ice cream.
Now I know why I seem to get small portions at restaurants! I must go in after you.
But seriously I do understand, look at restaurants with child portions.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
User avatar
Arthur&Hobson
Expatriate
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:04 pm
Reputation: 29
Cambodia

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by Arthur&Hobson »

Kuroneko wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:50 am
Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:19 am Many restaurants will serve me smaller portions upon request but they usually charge the menu price. Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times.
Re the answer to the above section of your question:
Below are a couple of replies on Quora to the question "Is it okay to ask for smaller portions at a restaurant?"

Sure, as long as you are willing to pay the same price as you would for the regular portion. Here’s why: Only about 15–25% of the cost of an item is food cost, the rest being overhead, labor, etc. It takes the same amount of time, personnel, gas, dishes, etc. to prepare and serve 1/2 lb of chicken as it does to prepare and serve 1/4 lb, so the cost difference is negligible. In fact, it often costs MORE to prepare smaller portions dish since some ingredients are already packaged/arranged by portion size and have to be reweighed in order to prepare a “smaller” portion. If you feel that the portion of the item you want to order is too much for you, eat half and take the rest home with you to eat later or the next day!

If you are looking to ask for smaller portions to get a discount on the price then you need to remember that only 30% of the dish price is the food (the rest is the restaurant, the staff, the utilities, profit etc) so if you get 50% of the dish, the best the restaurant should do is maybe a 15% discount and most restaurants are not going to deal with this kind of disruption to their service for such a tiny amount of money.
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-okay-to-ask ... restaurant
Thank you for your very informative reply. I know nothing about the restaurant business but I do understand business and money. You have given me insight to my naive understanding of the industry. In some countries I have visited they have a menu that offers meals at a reduced price for children as well as older adult. I guess they prepackage the meals to target those individuals. Perhaps they know that return customers bring in money over time and are valuable to their success.
Now I understand why if it isn't on the menu that they would have reservations for my request. Thank you.
"Perhaps you would like me to come in there and wash your #### for you, you little ####."
User avatar
AndyKK
Expatriate
Posts: 6448
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:32 am
Reputation: 2248
Great Britain

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by AndyKK »

Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:13 am
Kuroneko wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:50 am
Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:19 am Many restaurants will serve me smaller portions upon request but they usually charge the menu price. Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times.
Re the answer to the above section of your question:
Below are a couple of replies on Quora to the question "Is it okay to ask for smaller portions at a restaurant?"

Sure, as long as you are willing to pay the same price as you would for the regular portion. Here’s why: Only about 15–25% of the cost of an item is food cost, the rest being overhead, labor, etc. It takes the same amount of time, personnel, gas, dishes, etc. to prepare and serve 1/2 lb of chicken as it does to prepare and serve 1/4 lb, so the cost difference is negligible. In fact, it often costs MORE to prepare smaller portions dish since some ingredients are already packaged/arranged by portion size and have to be reweighed in order to prepare a “smaller” portion. If you feel that the portion of the item you want to order is too much for you, eat half and take the rest home with you to eat later or the next day!

If you are looking to ask for smaller portions to get a discount on the price then you need to remember that only 30% of the dish price is the food (the rest is the restaurant, the staff, the utilities, profit etc) so if you get 50% of the dish, the best the restaurant should do is maybe a 15% discount and most restaurants are not going to deal with this kind of disruption to their service for such a tiny amount of money.
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-okay-to-ask ... restaurant
Thank you for your very informative reply. I know nothing about the restaurant business but I do understand business and money. You have given me insight to my naive understanding of the industry. In some countries I have visited they have a menu that offers meals at a reduced price for children as well as older adult. I guess they prepackage the meals to target those individuals. Perhaps they know that return customers bring in money over time and are valuable to their success.
Now I understand why if it isn't on the menu that they would have reservations for my request. Thank you.
It's not only that, you may have noticed that business is a little different in this part of the world.
One good example is the customer is always right, possibly in our parts of the world.
How do you feel about that in Cambodia? This question is open to anyone.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
User avatar
Jamie_Lambo
The Cool Boxing Guy
Posts: 15039
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:34 am
Reputation: 3132
Location: ลพบุรี
Great Britain

Re: restaurants smaller portions?

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

AndyKK wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:23 am
Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:13 am
Kuroneko wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:50 am
Arthur&Hobson wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:19 am Many restaurants will serve me smaller portions upon request but they usually charge the menu price. Asking the staff if they could charge a lower price is extremely confusing to them at times.
Re the answer to the above section of your question:
Below are a couple of replies on Quora to the question "Is it okay to ask for smaller portions at a restaurant?"

Sure, as long as you are willing to pay the same price as you would for the regular portion. Here’s why: Only about 15–25% of the cost of an item is food cost, the rest being overhead, labor, etc. It takes the same amount of time, personnel, gas, dishes, etc. to prepare and serve 1/2 lb of chicken as it does to prepare and serve 1/4 lb, so the cost difference is negligible. In fact, it often costs MORE to prepare smaller portions dish since some ingredients are already packaged/arranged by portion size and have to be reweighed in order to prepare a “smaller” portion. If you feel that the portion of the item you want to order is too much for you, eat half and take the rest home with you to eat later or the next day!

If you are looking to ask for smaller portions to get a discount on the price then you need to remember that only 30% of the dish price is the food (the rest is the restaurant, the staff, the utilities, profit etc) so if you get 50% of the dish, the best the restaurant should do is maybe a 15% discount and most restaurants are not going to deal with this kind of disruption to their service for such a tiny amount of money.
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-okay-to-ask ... restaurant
Thank you for your very informative reply. I know nothing about the restaurant business but I do understand business and money. You have given me insight to my naive understanding of the industry. In some countries I have visited they have a menu that offers meals at a reduced price for children as well as older adult. I guess they prepackage the meals to target those individuals. Perhaps they know that return customers bring in money over time and are valuable to their success.
Now I understand why if it isn't on the menu that they would have reservations for my request. Thank you.
It's not only that, you may have noticed that business is a little different in this part of the world.
One good example is the customer is always right, possibly in our parts of the world.
How do you feel about that in Cambodia? This question is open to anyone.
haha my mate was looking at some football shirts on the riverside a few years back, and he spotted the new Cambodian International club jersey,
now, i had recently bought the official one form the club shop at the Olympic stadium a few weeks previous,
and i looked at the top the vendor was trying to sell and i told my mate that its a copy and not official,
yet the vendor was adamant that it was real and authentic and was even trying to charge the same price as the club shop,
i pointed out the differences to the vendor and explained that i had bought an official one for the same price and he should lower his price if its a copy then my friend would probably buy it as hes not that fussy, but if hes paying $20+ ill go buy him an official one, we left empty handed lol
:tophat: Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks :x
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Doc67, Phazor11387 and 331 guests