Feb 10 2009
Water under the bridge, NOT
Dear diary … this is not so much a log of some of my daily dining indiscretions and gratuitous opinions, but more of a rant.
For all you addicts of tabloid headliners though, nope, this will not be followed by an online apology for an accidentally published profanity-laced diatribe against a social injustice of the most basic kind.
I just wanted to say, ‘damn’, but what is it about restaurants that don’t serve water, for free, that is? What’s worse is the fact that credulous diners are then expected to “choose” instead to purchase some – from a selection of sparkling and still varieties, no doubt, which the restaurants have so kindly stocked.
I’ve got to hand it to them. If I could get a just a few thirsty blokes from each table to order a round of branded H2O – likely bottled and flown in direct from the French or Italian alps – when a decent glass is just a turn-of-the-tap away, I’d be laughing my way to the bank too.
I know that some upmarket dining establishments in Europe and America typically prefer you ordered a bottle. Serving you tap water would be the less-then-sophisticated option. And to a certain extent, I can see the raison d’être (or rationale), like it or not.
That said, you could still insist on a glass of sky-juice on the house, however unglamorous it might turn out to be.
I do, however, find it too hard to justify the fact that a few casual restaurants and eateries I’ve visited here actually have in place a policy of not serving tap water. Not even their discerning staff could come up with a good reason when queried.
How expensive can it be? Isn’t it also a socially established “privilege”, given that the $12.50++ for a plate of pasta that the diner is paying for isn’t the cost price of the dish?
Granted, one could take a short stroll to the restroom for a quick gulp. Or do the Singaporean thing and come prepared with your own water bottle.
Given the choice – and the means – I would love to wet my oesophagus with a little designer aqua. Better yet, make that a glass of sparkling spring water, flavoured with a slice of lemon. But that is my point: I wasn’t given one.
