STRANGE BUT TRUE.......REALLY!
Chasse-Spleen were surprised to read that they were blending 'little glasses of water' in their wine according to the English translation of a Japanese article about their winery in Bordeaux. After much puzzling they worked out it was the Petit Verdot grape: 'petits verres d'eau'!
A customer in de Gouden Ton, wine shop in The Netherlands, when asked if he needed any assistance, replied "You can't tell me anything about wine - my son lives in Paris..."
Overheard in Daphne's, London: "What are these herbs, Basil?"
"I don't like Chardonnay, just give me a Chablis", guest in a 3 Michelin star restaurant.
English guest in the Provence: "Is this rosé Ott?"..... "No sir, we serve our wine cold".
Complaining client: 'This crème brûlée is burnt ", when spotting black vanilla seeds.
Several sommeliers in top French restaurants: "Most French guests know nothing about wine".
Italians often translate animal names with reference to cartoon characters. In Florence we were treated to Bambi when we wanted to find out the special of the day.
Dutch menu translation in the College Hotel, Amsterdam: it was supposed to be suckling pig..... it was printed as 'guinea pig'. The English star chef we had invited was more than surprised by the dishes on offer.
Chinese waiter studied the wine bottle against the light to see if he could spot anything floating when we commented it was corked; "I can't see anything". When we suggested he tasted the wine.... "That tastes awful"....Exactly.
Most bizarre sight.... in a Michelin starred Indian restaurant in London .... the manager removing his false teeth and rinsing them in the sink of the bar situated in the restaurant - in full view of the guests. My look of shock was firstly taken as a red hot pepper!
Inter Scaldes... great 3 star restaurant in The Netherlands....guests enjoying drinks on the terrace... farmer in the adjacent field shooting crows.... one bird nearly lands on an American lady.... I told her the chef uses fresh ingredients but they should take cover when the beef arrives.
We were dining with a Turkish friend in Amsterdam and instructed the waitress that he didn't eat pork. When the first dish arrived, we observed that there was a bacon garnish. We reminded the girl that our guest didn't eat pork...."but that's not pork, it's bacon"......after several seconds the penny dropped.
Apologies in an Amsterdam restaurant: "I am sorry we only have Dutch cheeses". So much for local produce.
Cila interviewing Mark Best, fantastic chef in Sydney, Australia: "What first sparked your interest in food?"
Reply....: Funny you should say that, I started life as an electrician".
I was put in my place by a Liverpudlian barman when I asked "How's your Guinness?" when he replied "Black with a white top"
Drunken guest spotted in Venezuela stroking a very large and very alive crayfish on her lap in an up-market restaurant.
Lunching with a very skinny P.R .in top Hong Kong hotel with Michelin starred restaurant... we were surprised by her comment "I don't like to eat... I'd rather pop a pill".
