Single poached egg, no sides, no toast $12 ....

I popped into Z Brassierie last weekend with a group of six friends for some breakfast. The place was half empty and they had, on count, seven staff out front. Tables were left uncleaned and orders to other tables were mixed up.

Our initial order of coffee was taken within minutes of being seated and I was impressed, but my positive feelings went no further! We waited 40 mins for just coffee and after asking a waiter about the drink order twice, we upped and left.

Brew Bar a couple of doors down did a great coffee and meal. They were cheaper, too.

Screw the Z.

I have several allergies/intolerances, and I don’t like to eat out because of this fact.
But meeting for coffee, going out for a sunday breakfast & catching up for lunch is a social activity that almost all my friends partake in.
I don’t like gluten free bread (any one else who has eaten it will understand) and I often order very plain meals similar to the poached egg mentioned in this post, It is weird, but sitting at a table watching everyone else eat a meal makes me feel even weirder. I have never had any problems and almost all restaurants/cafe’s are really reasonable and I don’t think I have ever been charged full meal prices for the ‘special’ meals that I do order.
I make a point of going back to places who make ordering food that I can eat an easy experience!
I haven’t been to z brasserie but by the sounds of things I will be avoiding it!

Pretentious? Moi? Mother Johnson, Mother Johnson!

la mente torbida said :

Pretentious … Tuggeranong …ROTFPM!

Do you even know what pretentious means?

la mente torbida said :

Pretentious … Tuggeranong …ROTFPM!

HA love your

la mente torbida said :

Pretentious … Tuggeranong …ROTFPM!

Pretentious is indeed the correct word , no mistake , sorry I don’t have a comeback to your very obtrusive internet slang,
However the owner of said cafe started in Kingston enough said, she has brought her brand of 5 star service to the little ole deep south and it’s not flying clearly.

Miss87 said :

I have been to z brasserie twice, the first time was with a group of 5 people and extra coffee’s were added to our bill. They don’t show you a listing of what you have paid for until after you have paid, so we didn’t notice until we were walking inside the centre, was it worth going back and figting with them over $8? Between 5 people it was less than $2 each. We left it.
The second time I ordered the squid and it wasn’t cooked properly..under cooked seafood, no thanks!

Next time you go, why don’t you save yourself of posting on RA and just give them an extra $10.

I have been to z brasserie twice, the first time was with a group of 5 people and extra coffee’s were added to our bill. They don’t show you a listing of what you have paid for until after you have paid, so we didn’t notice until we were walking inside the centre, was it worth going back and figting with them over $8? Between 5 people it was less than $2 each. We left it.
The second time I ordered the squid and it wasn’t cooked properly..under cooked seafood, no thanks!

Pretentious … Tuggeranong …ROTFPM!

Give the OP a break!

One large breakfast with the lot ($11.50) …hold ‘the lot” (still $11.50) …with a poached egg (add 50c).

You were ripped off and should feel ripped-off.

While we’re all sitting here criticising the customer for amending the order, and getting lectures about how we’re also paying for the uniforms of the waiters, let’s remember that there are plenty of venues out there serving eggs, and customers seek value.
Give a customer poor value (perceived or otherwise) and it’ll hurt you if you wiah to run a business.

What I want to know is why they’d name a restuarant after underwear.

Kanberrania said :

More information puhlease…

Did your friend query the bill when it came time to pay? You say she paid reluctantly but what I’m wondering is did she do what 90% of the population do: hand over her cold hard cash without complaint whilst silently fuming and plotting revenge.

See, even though I know the cathartic joy of whinging in retrospect is the reason the internet was invented I can’t help but think it would probably have been much easier at the time to simply explain:

“I actually only ordered one egg. Are you sure $12 is right?”

as a regular at ZB’s I’m pretty certain the staff would have been more than happy to re-think the charge but given how busy the place can be on a Sunday they may not have been aware of/remembered the order without prompting. I speak from experience as I’m by no means an undemanding customer. I’ve always found them to be friendly and helpful if I have a problem or complaint about my meal.

‘course if your friend did take them to task and there was no negotiation then fair enuff – she has some (not every) right to be peeved.

I love the place though.

Thank you all for your feedback, this is in essence what RiotAct is all about varied views, love it.
And yes she did take them to task and was lectured. This place has had a history of being a little pretentious/precious , do a search this isn’t the 1st time Z brasserie has been dragged through the coals …….. here on RiotAct

I regularly get items removed from meals, but expect to pay the same. Maybe I don’t get that much taken off (personally, I would have asked for bacon and eggs without eggs, maybe we should eat together?) but still, having a modified order can take extra time, as there’s a little more thinking involved (yes, there is a lot of thinking for cafe staff to remove items, because they go through hell if they put eg toast on a coeliac’s plate or egg on someone’s with egg allergy etc)

Your friend should have been charged double just for being stupid.

Ordering a single poached egg at a cafe?

Idiot.

trevar said :

The Z Brasserie is an excellent establishment, despite its stupid name. I’ve had breakfasts, lunches and mornos there and they have always given impeccable service and excellent food. I’ve also made special requests and they’ve never made a mistake, which is pretty uncommon in itself.

Go the Zed!

I’m glad you have enjoyed the excellent establishment, i unfortunately have not. And i have given them quite a few chances but unfortunately each time was a disaster. The Asian Noodle House and the Turkish restaurant on the same road are defintely my picks.

I think what this comes down to is the perception of the value delivered by the establishment. Is $12 good value for one poached egg? I’d suggest most people would argue that is not good value at all. I agree with the comments above that if you amend a menu item (I do this all the time to fit with my own dietary preferences for not eating grains), you shouldn’t expect a discount if you remove items, such as toast. However, to charge a full breakfast price for one egg is going a bit too far.

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if this had been raised with the staff, who may well have not remembered the specific order, and might have been inclined to charge a more reasonable price if reminded.

But was it a good egg?

More information puhlease…

Did your friend query the bill when it came time to pay? You say she paid reluctantly but what I’m wondering is did she do what 90% of the population do: hand over her cold hard cash without complaint whilst silently fuming and plotting revenge.

See, even though I know the cathartic joy of whinging in retrospect is the reason the internet was invented I can’t help but think it would probably have been much easier at the time to simply explain:

“I actually only ordered one egg. Are you sure $12 is right?”

as a regular at ZB’s I’m pretty certain the staff would have been more than happy to re-think the charge but given how busy the place can be on a Sunday they may not have been aware of/remembered the order without prompting. I speak from experience as I’m by no means an undemanding customer. I’ve always found them to be friendly and helpful if I have a problem or complaint about my meal.

‘course if your friend did take them to task and there was no negotiation then fair enuff – she has some (not every) right to be peeved.

I love the place though.

yeah but if you’re going to bother going out for breakfast, why not order something reasonable? if you’re going out for a single poached egg… well, why not have the poached egg at home and just order a bloody coffee?

ConanOfCooma said :

I thought the egg was more the placental section, and the ovary that makes it is still in the chook…

Would Ovum make you happier?

Hey BimboGeek if you’re going by that name aren’t you thereby barred from making sensible well-constructed and well thought-out comments? And yet you consistently come on here and post commonsense. Not fair, there are many other posters here more deserving of your handle.

bd84 said :

I don’t see why people would be willing to pay rediculous prices for meals that you could make yourself for a couple of dollars, other than the odd occasion like you kitchen burning down or on holidays. The coversation would have been the same sitting in your own home.

Maybe so for DINKS. SWMBO and I go out for brekky on occassion in order to escape sitting in our own home … a change is as good as a break, and all that

I thought the egg was more the placental section, and the ovary that makes it is still in the chook…

I don’t see why people would be willing to pay rediculous prices for meals that you could make yourself for a couple of dollars, other than the odd occasion like you kitchen burning down or on holidays. The coversation would have been the same sitting in your own home.

Mothy said :

Oh and as I forgot to ask before;

What’s a “Dead” Egg?

Follow this link http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs27/f/2009/248/6/8/Dead_Egg_by_Plim_Chan.jpg

(And I think ‘dead egg’ is fried, extra crispy, sunny side down. No barely-set whites, no runny yolks.)

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Condor egg?

roflcopter

As I understand it (without having been to the joint in question), “dead” eggs are well done i.e. cooked hard right through.

I agree that at first glance it’s a slippery slope.

Say you want eggs on toast, but don’t want butter – do you get a price cut? I think most people would say no – how would you calculate the value of such a thing? So say you don’t want toast…or toast but only one egg…or two eggs but one slice of toast…or no toast and one egg – at what point do deductions kick in, and what’s a fair way to calculate them when the stuff on the plate represents only a fraction of the menu price?

Having said all that, there were probably a couple of options that could have been explored:

– If I wanted three eggs instead of two, how much extra? Charge that amount for the egg by adding it to whatever her fiance ordered. (And if she wants a single egg next time, just ask her fiance to add it to his order then share a plate.)

– Maybe ‘it’s on the house’ was the way to go, especially if she was also paying a premium for bean-flavoured water. If staff are already serving the table and the customer is already using the seat for coffee, then better to think about repeat business, I reckon.

Oh and as I forgot to ask before;

What’s a “Dead” Egg?

Mothy said :

.

Looking a z’s breakfast menu it clearly states “Fried, Poached, Flipped, Scrambled or Dead with Toast” cost $11.50. Assume the extra $0.50 is rounding up for the sake of a good story/whinge.

The extra 50 cents is known in the trade as an idiot tax!

(+2) st said : How much was it on the menu?

If you order a meal, you’re paying for a meal. If you fillet items off said meal, you’re still ordering a meal.

Cafes/restaurants are service-vendors, not product-vendors.

Your friend is also occupying a seat that could be earning the restaurant money. So maybe $12 is a little harsh, but I wouldn’t expect to pay anything less than say, $8, for renting that space for 30 – 45 minutes.

I’m with Screaming Banshee (I’ve always wanted to say that!).

If you want to pay next to nothing for a poached egg, buy your own stove, saucepan, slotted spoon, vinegar and egg and make it yourself (note: this may cost a little more than $12).

The Z Brasserie is an excellent establishment, despite its stupid name. I’ve had breakfasts, lunches and mornos there and they have always given impeccable service and excellent food. I’ve also made special requests and they’ve never made a mistake, which is pretty uncommon in itself.

Go the Zed!

st said :

How much was it on the menu?

+1

This is a pet peeve of mine. When you go into a cafe/restaurant, you do so knowing their menu is what they’re going to serve. If you order off the menu, good luck to you. If you amend a dish, expect to pay what the dish states on the menu, plus additions, but don’t expect to deduct squat.

Looking a z’s breakfast menu it clearly states “Fried, Poached, Flipped, Scrambled or Dead with Toast” cost $11.50. Assume the extra $0.50 is rounding up for the sake of a good story/whinge.

Looking over the menu, looks like $12-15 is about the standard for their breakfast dishes. Adds support to Bimbogeek’s arguement;

BimboGeek said :

You’re not just paying for the food, you’re paying for the chef’s expertise, the kitchen equipment, the sexy barista who pours your coffee, the charming waitress who brings it all to you with a smile and of course the venue. What would you expect to pay for all this, even just to sit there with a dead bit of boiled chicken ovary?

Food iss the cheapest part of the meal, when you pay for your food you are also paying for:-

Chef, assistants, wait staff, uniforms, cleaning costs, kitchen equipment, kitchen equipment maintenance, gas, electricity, water, rent/rates, insurance, licencing requirements, linen, laundering costs, tables, chairs, heating/cooling equipment maintenance, signage, advertising, POS system, paper for receipt printer, pens, pencils, order books, ongoing refurbishments and much more. After all this the owners do expect to make a profit.

The fact that she didn’t eat any toast or bacon or whatever doesn’t mean that they can order 1 or 2 less pieces of each and it saves them a fortune.

If she’s not prepared to pay for someone else to make her breakfast then she should make it her damned self.

Condor egg?

Your friend was probably charged for bacon and eggs with toast, your friend said hold the bacon and toast, and they charged for the full meal.

Stupid, but typical.

How much was it on the menu?

The egg itself is probably about 60 cents. The toast is probably about 20 cents. The sides might be worth a dollar.

You’re not just paying for the food, you’re paying for the chef’s expertise, the kitchen equipment, the sexy barista who pours your coffee, the charming waitress who brings it all to you with a smile and of course the venue. What would you expect to pay for all this, even just to sit there with a dead bit of boiled chicken ovary?

Also is there really a place in Tuggeranong called Z Brassiere? Sounds like someone took the hooters concept a little too far!!!

You can’t tell me this isn’t a party town