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Original poster

Was this too much food?

32 replies

FrauMcC · 05/04/2025 21:56

We went to a Thai restaurant this evening. DH and I, plus two DC (8 and 5).

We ordered as starters

  • two spring rolls for DH
  • papaya salad for me
  • chicken satay (4 sticks, for the kids to share)

And for mains

  • pad thai to share
  • massaman curry for me
  • a vegetable dish with oyster sauce for kids to share
  • fried rice with tofu for DH
  • two plain rice side dishes

The server said we had ordered too much. I said we were hungry and would take home any leftovers. We ate almost everything, and left with some of the vegetable dish.

At the time I felt proud of my kids for eating thai food full of vegetables and new flavours. Now I feel like we were pigs and ate/ordered way too much.

We don‘t eat out often because I have an eating disorder and prefer being able to count calories. The servers comments have sent me
into a spiral, although I know they were just trying to avoid food waste.

Do you think we ordered too much?

OP posts:
Spirallingdownwards · 05/04/2025 21:59

No you didn't.

I hope you enjoyed the meal and pay no attention to the server. They probably assumed incorrectly your children wouldn't eat much. And you are right that it is good for them to experience different flavours and cuisines.

Please think no more about it.

chocolatelover91 · 05/04/2025 22:00

I think the server was bloody rude for even commenting on how much food you had! They forget that a % of your order will contribute to their wage! I work in a family run burger van of 22 years and one guy came to us yesterday and ordered 2 hot dogs, a chicken burger and a kit kat! I wouldn't have dreamt of commenting on how much he ate! We were greatful he was spending!

Don't even give it a second thought OP! Good for you 💕

gertrudebiggles · 05/04/2025 22:01

Eh? So basically a starter and main each with rice? Sounds perfectly normal (and delish!) to me

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General food Weight management
doodleschnoodle · 05/04/2025 22:01

Looks fine to me. Perhaps they didn’t expect the kids to eat anything bar the rice or something!

cakeandteaandcake · 05/04/2025 22:02

Did the server really say that or have you taken something the wrong way? If they did then you should probably complain.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 05/04/2025 22:03

You didn’t at all - sounds perfectly normal

Maybe he meant it was a lot of rice as DH had rice in his main, and was suggesting you have some noodles or something?

it’s great to have kids that’ll try things and to eat out as a family.

put it out of your head

PrettayGood · 05/04/2025 22:04

Sounds perfectly fine.

We went to a Chinese last week (2 of us), we had satay, ribs and shrimp to start then at least 4 mains between us. We ate the lot (my husband had the lion’s share).

Original poster
FrauMcC · 05/04/2025 22:05

They were definitely surprised at how
much the kids ate! They actually love vegetables and curries, and are both on 20-25 percentile so far from fat. They just like to eat, especially in restaurants. I‘m desperately trying to avoid passing on my issues, and the server’s comments have made me question myself.

OP posts:
Fairyvocals · 05/04/2025 22:05

What you ordered sounds fine to me. But I don’t mind if waiting staff advise on quantities - I’ve frequently been saved from massively over ordering because I didn’t realise how generous the portions were.

TeenLifeMum · 05/04/2025 22:05

I once had similar in an Indian restaurant. I was a size 10 so slim and order scallops to start and lamb shank for my main. Server kept saying it’ll be too much and the lamb was “a whole shank!!!” … it was delicious and I ate the lot. I didn’t ask for their opinion.

Original poster
FrauMcC · 05/04/2025 22:07

cakeandteaandcake · 05/04/2025 22:02

Did the server really say that or have you taken something the wrong way? If they did then you should probably complain.

He definitely said that. He said he thought it was too much, and that he wasn’t a good salesman. I do think it was mainly aimed at the children. He wasn’t expecting them to eat so much

OP posts:
BeachRide · 05/04/2025 22:08

Anyone remember the 'Going for an English' sketch from Goodness Gracious Me? 24 plates of chips!

NeverTookTheTime · 05/04/2025 22:10

You basically ordered a starter and main each. If the server said that, they were weird for doing so, but are you sure that you were not seeing something that wasn’t there due to your food issues?

Original poster
FrauMcC · 05/04/2025 22:15

NeverTookTheTime · 05/04/2025 22:10

You basically ordered a starter and main each. If the server said that, they were weird for doing so, but are you sure that you were not seeing something that wasn’t there due to your food issues?

That’s why I‘m asking. I don’t always know what is normal. DH and I had a starter and main each. The kids had a starter and main to share. And we had a pad thai to share between is.

OP posts:
StartAnew · 05/04/2025 22:16

They were probably trying to be helpful. Last week DH and I ordered about 3 times too much in a Japanese restaurant having no idea of portion sizes. The server declined to comment when we asked if we’d ordered too much. I wish she’d told us.

FortyElephants · 05/04/2025 22:21

Last time I went to a Thai restaurant the waiter told me I ate my curry wrong! There's a pattern here... (he was French not Thai btw!)
ignore it, it was clumsy but doubtless aimed at the children not you.

Chunkilumptious · 05/04/2025 22:24

It just sounds like a suggestion, not a judgement. I hope you enjoyed your meal and can put this to bed not taking it personally. I worked in a pub years ago with a Thai kitchen where people asked the kitchen staff regularly for advice on how much to order if they weren't familiar with the quantities or food. Sounds like that's just come unsolicited this time. I'm pretty certain it wasn't meant as a anything more than trying to be helpful.

Renamed · 05/04/2025 22:27

I expect the server was trying to be helpful. I’ve had the opposite in a tapas restaurant (in London) when we’d ordered a few things that we thought would be good together and thought we’d then order a few more. The server tried to insist we ordered 4 things each straight away! Really off putting.

NeverTookTheTime · 05/04/2025 22:31

There is no normal when eating out. Some people will just have a main, other will order lots of dishes and eat some of everything. A starter, main and some of another dish when eating out really isn’t ’too much’. I’d have possibly have ordered a dessert too, which is more than I’d eat for dinner at home, but when people eat out, they often have more as they want to try new foods or just to make a change to what they do at home every day.

Are you getting any help at the moment for your eating disorder? If not, do you feel like you could ask for help from a medical professional as a comment like this causing you to spiral and to say you feel like pigs shows that you’re not doing so well. I hope you’re ok. 💐

pelargoniums · 05/04/2025 22:38

It sounds absolutely fine, even if your DH’s rice with a side of rice wouldn’t be up my alley. I’m inspired by the pad Thai to share! I LOVE pad Thai and always order it to the detriment of trying other things, it’s never occurred to me to get a pad Thai for the table and now I will.

It was probably a passing comment and in all likelihood directed at the kids: I’ve got a tiny pair of big eaters and there is always some surprise and astonishment at the volumes they order and subsequently pack away.

Original poster
FrauMcC · 05/04/2025 22:38

NeverTookTheTime · 05/04/2025 22:31

There is no normal when eating out. Some people will just have a main, other will order lots of dishes and eat some of everything. A starter, main and some of another dish when eating out really isn’t ’too much’. I’d have possibly have ordered a dessert too, which is more than I’d eat for dinner at home, but when people eat out, they often have more as they want to try new foods or just to make a change to what they do at home every day.

Are you getting any help at the moment for your eating disorder? If not, do you feel like you could ask for help from a medical professional as a comment like this causing you to spiral and to say you feel like pigs shows that you’re not doing so well. I hope you’re ok. 💐

I did say to DH, this is why I prefer takeaway because then they can’t see how piggish you are!

Plenty of outpatient help in the past, none currently. This thread has definitely helped me feel normal, and that we ordered an ok amount. It’s hard to know what is normal sometimes.

OP posts:
fatphalange · 05/04/2025 22:39

He was probably talking about the rice side dishes, as I've had similar comments before but with the elaboration that 1 portion would be enough for 2 people. In both cases they were right and it would've been enough and saved a bit of money but oh well!

Moulook31 · 05/04/2025 22:59

No. The server was just plain rude to comment of the size of your meal.

godmum56 · 06/04/2025 09:34

Are they the sort of place that gets reviews? Could have been any that said they wished they had been warned about ordering too much? Otherwise it sounds a pretty odd comment for what you ordered.

MuggleMe · 06/04/2025 09:42

I think it sounds like it was aimed at the children. He said it was too much then was surprised at how much the children ate. Therefore expected the children to eat less.