This was a first in all my years of eating: a restaurant that wouldn’t let me order more food.
But it happened recently, at the hip foodie spot Lung Yai Thai Tapas on Eighth Street in Miami. The one-time-ordering edict was part of an overall off-putting experience that spurred a one-star review, the lowest I’ve given since I started critiquing restaurants this year.
Some restaurant rules make perfect sense to me. No shoes, no shirt, no service. No dogs allowed. No AmEx (American Express imposes higher fees on businesses than other credit-card companies, so some restaurants do not accept the card).
Some rules may seem a little harsh, such as no substitutions and no takeout orders, but I can live with them.
But, “No more food allowed after initial order is placed”? That’s the rule at Lung Yai Thai Tapas, a small restaurant run by talented chef-owner Veenuthri Trisransri, also known as Chef Bas.
In my table’s case, the rule was not clearly communicated at the beginning, and it led to frustration and anger when I wanted to order more dishes later in the meal. It seems a recipe for instant alienation and long-term trouble.
“Seinfeld” had the Soup Nazi, a character based on a real New York soup spot where the owner (Al Yeganeh) would banish customers or deny orders if his strict rules were violated. Now, Miami has the Thai Tapas Tyrant.
“No way!” says Kevin Dreifuss, chef-owner of Ends Meat in Hollywood, when I told him about my experience. “That’s pretty much everything wrong with our business.”
Dreifuss can understand wanting to turn over tables quickly — as with Lung Yai Thai, his restaurant is small and often has waits — but not at the expense of hospitality and a customer’s happiness. “If someone wants more of your food, that’s a tremendous compliment. I’d be very grateful,” he says.
I’ve heard of such one-time-ordering edicts at small lunch counters and stands, including a North Bay Village sushi spot where you have to fill out a slip to place your order and a sandwich shop in Manhattan, but never at a sit-down restaurant. And never at a place specializing in small plates meant for sharing.
“It actually would make things a lot easier for the kitchen and servers,” says a server at GoBistro in Hollywood, one of my favorite eateries. “But there’s no way I could see us doing that.”
GoBistro, at 2035 Hollywood Blvd., specializes in sushi, ramen and small dishes, and it has a hipster vibe similar to the one at Lung Yai Thai Tapas. I went there after my traumatic night at Lung Yai Thai, just to restore my faith in restaurants.
“I’ll let you order anything you want, whenever you want,” my server cracked. I had a near perfect meal, including pristine sashimi and killer shrimp ramen. My predecessor gave GoBistro 3 1/2 stars two years ago, and I’m happy to report it has maintained its high quality.
As for Lung Yai Thai, some of the food is delicious, when it doesn’t have hair or plastic bits in it, or a neighboring table’s smoke isn’t wafting in your face. I have no desire to go back or to have any follow-up chats with Chef Bas. We had a few interactions the night of my review visit (I didn’t reveal my identity), but he did a better job of antagonizing than placating. His policies speak for themselves.
The restaurant is trendy now, but if the attitude doesn’t change, I wonder how long it will last.
, 954-356-4508. Instagram: @mikemayoeats
