Readers’ Corner: A Misunderstanding at a Chinese Restaurant

When I ordered a set lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama, the waitress, an elderly woman, asked, “What would you like to drink?” I said, “Oolong tea, please.” She brought a huge pot of Oolong tea when the lunch was served. I was surprised to see how big the teapot was, and I couldn’t drink all the tea. When I asked for the check, I had another surprise. The total was 1,300 yen even though the set lunch was only 700 yen. I asked the waitress about it, and she said that the Oolong tea was 600 yen. I said, “What? I thought the tea came with the set lunch. You asked me what I wanted to drink.” She replied, “Drinks don’t come with the set lunch.” I should have asked, “Does this come with lunch?” when I ordered the tea. (142 words)