Saturday, July 4, 2009

Himalaya Bakery, Daylesford, or: What a Shame

Some time ago, at the Great Sleepover Potluck, I wrote about my virginal fuscram at Himalaya Bakery, Daylesford. On that occasion I noted the friendly, if slow service, and the bland, chunky fuscram. On this occasion I am both pleased and saddened to report the opposite.


On a recent(ish) revisit with Buzz, I ordered the Spanish fuscram, where the tofu was mixed in with red onion and tomato, and a side of Cheatin' Bacon, which looked disturbingly like a great big tongue slapping over the top of my mountain of fuscram, but which tasted good enough for Buzz to suggest we get some at home. The fuscram this time was well-flavoured and the tofu well-mushed. It was a tasty, nicely balanced plate and it was hot and fresh - I really enjoyed it.


However, Himalaya has done its dash with me. The service on this visit was outright rude.

I don't usually like to get snarky in posts. It's not constructive and it's not the way I like to deal with people or the world. But outright rudeness I can't condone, and even thinking about this again makes me very, very crabby. Please excuse the Saturday Night Fever.

I ordered my breakfast, and when it arrived, the Nuttelex looked sunshiney yellow. I was loathe to ask, but the canariness of the spread urged me on.

The waitress, an older lady, told me that of course it was Nuttelex. I was therefore surprised, after this reassurance, to see her walk right back in to the kitchen and to overhear her ask the chef what it was.

Not half so suprised as when she returned, snatched the spread away, and snapped over her shoulder as she hustled back to the kitchen: "You really need to say that you want Nuttelex if you want it".

Oh. I had assumed that when I ordered a, y'know, breakfast advertised specifically as, y'know, vegan, that what would come with it would also be, y'know, vegan. I didn't realise that the breakfast was aaaaallll vegan, as your menu said it would be ... except for the spread. I didn't realise, because there was nothing to indicate it on the menu or elsewhere, that I had to ask for my vegan meal to come with a vegan spread, especially in a cafe that specialises in vegan meals.

So sorry for that, Himalaya. Next time you choose to make snarky comments over your shoulder at me, I'll apologise in person.

4 comments:

steph said...

Oh, how disappointing! Both the attitude of your waitperson and the fact that it wasn't Nuttelex! I confess if it had been my 'all vegan on the menu' meal I would not have asked, I would have assumed that the meal was all vegan!

:o(

BrisVegan said...

That was just rude! Vegans might be a bit of a captive audience, but that doesn't mean we won't avoid a cafe with crappy service.

x said...

Now I'm annoyed too! Telling you it's Nuttelex and then going to check makes her look stupid and whoever prepared your vegan meal and gave you butter instead of Nuttelex is just careless.

I wouldn't go there, I don't want to have to ask about the ingredients in a meal marked as vegan!

lisa said...

What is it with vegetarian restaurants that have an anti-vegan attitude? (Hello Grumpy's Green, I'm looking at YOU.) Sooo stupid.