EnglishPod

Daily Life - Complaining at a Restaurant #D0107

A: Excuse me, waiter? Waiter!

B: Yes, sir? What can I do for you?

A: I’ve been sitting here for the past twenty minutes and no one has offered me a glass of water, brought any bread to the table and our appetizers haven’t been served yet! You know, in this kind of establishment, I’d expect much better service.

B: I am sorry, sir. I’ll check on your order right away.

C: Relax honey, the place is busy tonight, but I’ve heard the food is amazing. Anyway...

B: Here you are, sir. The foie gras for the lady, and a mushroom soup for you.

A: Waiter, I ordered a cream of mushroom soup with asparagus. This soup is obviously too runny, and it’s over-seasoned. It’s completely inedible!

B: Okay, I do apologize for that. Can I bring you another soup, or would you like to order something else?

A: Take this foie gras back as well, it’s rubbery and completely overcooked. And look at the portion size! How can you charge twenty-five dollars for a sliver of duck liver?

B: Right away... sir.

C: Honey come on! The foie gras was fine, why are you making such a big deal? Are you trying to get our meal comped again?

A: What do you mean? We are paying for this. If I’m shelling out my hard earned bucks, I expect value for money!

B: Here you are, sir. I hope it is alright now. The chef has prepared it specially for you.

A: Yes, fine.

C: Honey, are you alright?

Key Vocabulary

appetizer - little dish people have before meal

establishment - place of business like a restaurant or hotel

service - work done by someone to serve customers

order - the list containing your choices of dishes

foie gras - a food made from the livers of geese

runny - more liquid than expected

over-seasoned - too salty

inedible - can not be eaten

rubbery - difficult to chew

overcooked - be cooked overtime

portion size - the amount of food that is served to a person

sliver - a small, thin piece

make a big deal - get very upset about something small

comp - be given to customers for free

shell out - to spend money

hard earned - money you work hard for

Supplementary Vocabulary

a bad aftertaste - a bad second taste

bitter - a strong, unpleasant taste that is opposite of sweet

rank - a strong, unpleasant smell

rancid - a rotten taste or smell

unappealing - not appealing; not attractive or tasty