Yep, that’s what was in my bowl of Aloo Gobi.
Hubby and I had just made ourselves comfortable and ordered our food at an Indian restaurant in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. Hubby found an online coupon bargain for $30 worth of food at only $15.
Our food arrived quickly. The young waiter was quiet and polite and quick to fill our water glasses.
Both of us were hungry after sitting in traffic and hunting down a parking spot, so it was a relief to see the steaming, hot copper bowls arrive on our table.
“Mmmm, nice and spicy!” Hubby was happy with the level of spice they put on his Dal Maharani. He likes it to the point that his lips are almost melting off. (Crazy man.)
How’s yours?” He asked me, watching my reaction as I stuffed my mouth.
“Good…a little spicier than I expected.”
I had ordered it with no added spice, so this must have had a higher amount of spice in the first place. Either way, I enjoyed each bite of perfectly steamed cauliflower and potato along with the mix of spices and herbs in the sauce.
Just as I reached for the serving spoon to add more to my plate, a glint of something shiny caught my eye.
I pushed it around with the my fork and saw that it was buried in my sauce.
“Umm…honey? What’s this?”
I reached with my fingers and grabbed a long, curly piece of …steel.
“Oh my gosh! That would have not been good if I ate that!”
“What is that?” Hubby’s eyes got big.
The piece was about two and a half inches long, twisted and curled-like a piece of steel wool.
I swallowed hard.
“I wonder if I might have already eaten some?”
“Noooooo.” Hubby was sure I hadn’t.
“But you should tell someone,” He was concerned someone else might get caught in the same situation.
“How is everything?” the waiter arrived to check on us.
I held up the piece of steel wool.
“I found this in my food-”
I hadn’t even finished my sentence before he blurted out ”I’ll get my manager!” and ran to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, a woman came to our table and said she was sorry about what I had found in my food, that it had probably come off when they were cleaning the cooking pans. I said it was okay, and that I was glad I found it. She took it from me and walked back to the kitchen.
Then, when the bill came back to us, we went to pay the remaining $1.66 with our debit.
“Sorry, but you will have to pay an extra fee for using your debit card if it’s under five dollars.”
We went ahead and paid the fee. Neither of us had cash on us.
I’ll be honest, both of us were a little perturbed. In my mind, they made a big mistake with the steel wool. A guy in New Jersey almost died from a similar situation. It’s a little scary to think the piece of steel I found was about an inch longer. He was lucky. I might not have been so lucky. And they were very lucky I am not sue crazy, or one to cause a big scene.
I was not impressed with how this situation was handled. And we won’t be back.
Let’s just say it’s bad business when a restaurant messes up, acts embarrassed, says sorry, then comes back and tells you there’s an extra fee after they almost killed you on accident. Just doesn’t go over very well.
Other than that, food was tasty and service was prompt. I don’t fault our waiter. He did a good job, so we tipped him well.
Overall, two stars.
Moral of the story?
Chew your food carefully and always look at what you’re eating closely! Restuarant owners- check your pans carefully. If you slip up-go above and beyond to make sure the customer wants to come back.
Total with coupon and remaining tip and fee was $21.66.
Atmosphere (romantic appeal): 2. We didn’t care for that area of town. It was crowded and a little like walking into a wild party at 2 am. We don’t mind festive and fun, but it went a little beyond that.
Budget friendly:3. Depends on how you look at it. Coupon was a bargain, but it didn’t feel like a good deal for the reasons above.
Food: Flavor was good, and I liked that they arrived in metal bowls with candles burning underneath to keep them hot.
Fun and unique: 1. Not our most favorite date night.
Memorable: 5. Neither of us will forget this date night…but unfortunately, not in a positive way.
I chose not to name this restaurant because I don’t want to badmouth them. My hope is that they learned from it and won’t let it happen to anyone else.
Have you ever found something in your food?
Did you feel like the restaurant made it right?
