First world birthday champagne problem, AIBU?

[LilacWriter]

My boyfriend who is from another country is cooking me a birthday meal. He asked what I wanted and I asked for my favourite dish by him. He replied saying he's decided on something else which is traditional from his country which is honestly not my favourite at all but I'm not going to be ungrateful.

I got good champagne as a gift from my parents for us to have with the birthday meal (birthday and Christmas are the two times of year I have it) so I said I'll bring this and he says 'no we should have beer with the dish, it complements better"

It's my birthday. I don't want effing beer! AIBU to enforce birthday champagne?

Take your champagne and have it before meal, have a beer with the meal he cooks, and take a desert of your choice and mix it up

Made me laugh! I'll bear it in mind.

I made suggestions and he chose one for his birthday this year.

It's not a first world problem, OP. He's not doing it for your birthday if he's completely disregarded what he knows you want. He's doing it for himself. I would be tempted to say you'll celebrate with him on a different day and then spend your actual birthday with a friend, eating the food you want and drinking your champagne.

I would tell him exactly this.

He's putting in a lot of effort to get what he wants and show you that your birthday is all about him and doing things his way.

You don't seem a good match to be honest.

At my house, on his birthday, it would be chocolate birthday cake with smarties all over it, for breakfast! If he complained I would just chant tradition! tradition! until he submitted. Then games of oranges and lemons, pass the parcel etc.
That'll teach him!

@queenMab99

Sounds 100% fair!

I want to do this for my birthday now.

@BeensOnToost yeah well that's not going to work.

PPs are right, I should've spoken up straight away but I have now. Im not a wallflower at all and he knows that, so I'm not sure what has lead him to think I'll go along with what he wants. I'll keep an eye on it.

I hate being asked what I want and then getting what the other person wants to do instead. But I do want to drink something that actually tastes good with what I’m eating, so I would go with the beer and have the champagne with something that will bring out its best. Happy birthday?

@LilacWriter

Sounds to me as if he would be the type to insist that all holidays/birthdays be done as he wants them done and/or spent with his family. I don't know how serious you are, but if you do plan a life together (especially with children) at some point I'd ask him how he foresees 'our family' spending those special occasions. Listen carefully to what he says and how he responds to suggested compromises.

I have roots in a Nordic country. The food is not great imo, nor the cake if you're not a big fan of cream. It's obviously nice for you to embrace his roots occasionally but on your birthday you should get to choose (and cake is for any time you fancy!)

Can't you just have some chips with it?

Yeah, he feels a strong emotional connection to the food which I understand. And wants to share it with me.

But I agree the food isn't great!