‘You don’t know how to cook?’: $1,500 sukiyaki diner claims rude staff rushed them out

A HK$1,500 sukiyaki buffet birthday meal allegedly turned sour after a diner claimed staff cut their 150-minute dining time short and questioned their cooking skills.

The diner said they booked a 150-minute “Plan 4” with a friend at a Causeway Bay sukiyaki buffet, arriving at 1.30pm. Staff reportedly told them the last order was at 3pm.

However, when 3pm arrived, the diner claimed food, drinks, desserts and ice cream at the self-service area were no longer available. At around 3.08pm, a staff member allegedly told them to leave by 3.15pm, despite their package allowing them to stay until 4pm.

The staff member allegedly asked: “So what time do you want to sit until?”

The dining experience was also far from pleasant. The diner said the sukiyaki pot burnt shortly after they started cooking, after a staff member had helped turn on the stove and added sauce.

A staff member allegedly told them: “You don’t know how to cook? You’ve made such a bad smell!”

The restaurant initially waived a HK$50 pot replacement fee, but the diner claimed they later overheard staff discussing the difficulty of cleaning the pot.

Feeling uncomfortable, the diner said they later returned with HK$50 from a nearby convenience store to pay the fee.

The post sparked discussion online, with many users sympathizing with the diner and criticizing the restaurant's handling of the situation.

The diner later said they were unaware the restaurant closed at 3.30pm and argued that customers booking the 1.30pm slot should have been informed in advance that they could not enjoy the full 150-minute dining period.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓