Episode 5: Handling a Restaurant Order Mix-Up — 5,000 Core English Words

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Chapter five. When the kitchen makes a mistake.

Ryan and Emma have finished their appetizers at The Sage Garden. They are relaxed now, and they are ready for the main course. But tonight the restaurant is busy, and somebody in the kitchen is going to mix up an order.

Listen to how they order, how they say that something is wrong without being rude, and how the waiter fixes it.

Waiter: How were the appetizers? Can I take these plates?

Emma: Yes, please. That soup was amazing. I want the recipe.

Waiter: I'll tell the cook. Nothing excites him more. Are you ready to order your main course?

Ryan: I think so. Emma, do you want to go first?

Emma: Sure. I'd like the Caesar salad with grilled fish, please. Does the salad contain any seeds? I have a small allergy.

Waiter: Let me think. No, there are no seeds in it. It's lettuce, cheese, egg, and a bunch of fresh herbs. I'll say it to the kitchen anyway, so they can be careful.

Emma: Thank you. And could I get the dressing on the side?

Waiter: Of course. And for you?

Ryan: I'll have the steak. How big is it?

Waiter: It's about a quarter of a kilogram. The meat comes from a local farm, where the cows live outside all year. How would you like it cooked?

Ryan: Medium, please. Not too red in the middle.

Waiter: Medium. It comes with a baked potato from the oven, with butter, or with fries. Which would you prefer?

Ryan: The baked potato, please.

Waiter: Good choice. Anything else to drink? Juice, coffee, another lemonade?

Ryan: I'm fine for now, thanks.

Waiter: Great. So that's one Caesar salad with fish, dressing on the side, and one steak, medium, with a baked potato. I'll put that in right away.

Emma: He repeated everything. That's a good sign.

Ryan: You sound like somebody who knows.

Emma: I do. I worked as a waiter in a cafe when I was at college. I had to practise smiling when people were unhappy. It's hard, and the stress is real.

Ryan: Did you like it?

Emma: Partly. I liked the people, and I liked the freedom of a job that ends when you go home. But the hours were crazy. I didn't eat supper till midnight.

Ryan: I suppose that's why you're so calm in restaurants.

Emma: It is. I have one strong belief about living: you can tell everything about a person by how they act when their food is late.

Ryan: Then I'd better control myself tonight.

Emma: You're doing fine. Tell me something about you. Simon says you never stop working.

Ryan: Simon talks too much. The fact is, I have been actively trying to work less since January. I cook more. I bake bread on Sundays. It commonly goes wrong, but I'm getting better.

Emma: What goes wrong?

Ryan: Everything. Last week the bread was like steel. I couldn't even cut it.

Emma: I can't describe how happy that makes me. I thought you were perfect.

Waiter: Here we are. The steak, medium, for you, sir. And the soup for you.

Emma: Oh. I'm sorry, but I think there's been a mistake. I didn't order soup. I ordered the Caesar salad with fish.

Waiter: You did? Let me check what I have written here. Oh no. You're right. It's not your mistake, it's mine. The table next to you ordered the soup, and somehow the two orders got mixed in the kitchen.

Emma: That's okay. It happens.

Waiter: I'm so sorry about that. I feel terrible. Let me take this away, and I'll have them prepare your salad right now. It won't be long. Five minutes, maybe.

Emma: Really, it's fine. Please don't worry.

Waiter: Thank you for being so nice about it. Sir, would you like me to keep your steak hot in the kitchen until her food is ready?

Ryan: No, that's all right. But could we get some more bread while we wait?

Waiter: Of course. And the drinks are on the house tonight. I can't bear it when this happens.

Ryan: You don't have to do that.

Waiter: I want to. I'll be right back.

Ryan: You handled that well. You weren't upset at all.

Emma: Why would I be? Nobody was hurt. It would be worse if the salad was missing and the steak was missing too.

Ryan: I agree. But most people would react badly. Did you see his face? His cheeks were completely red.

Emma: Poor man. It's uncomfortable for him, not for us. I think the order didn't register in the kitchen because it's so busy. It's a changeable night. One minute it's quiet, the next minute thirty people walk in.

Ryan: Please start on my potato. I can't eat while you sit there with nothing.

Emma: That is a very sweet thing to say. I won't say no to food. I'm not on a diet.

Waiter: Here you go. One Caesar salad with grilled fish, dressing on the side, and no seeds anywhere near it. I set the plate myself.

Emma: That looks wonderful. Thank you so much.

Waiter: Again, I'm very sorry for the wait. Is there anything else I can get for you? Can I help with anything?

Emma: No, we're all set. And please, stay positive. You're doing a great job.

Waiter: That means a lot. Enjoy your meal.

Ryan: Eventually, everything arrives.

Emma: Eventually. How is its taste? The steak, I mean.

Ryan: Perfect. Do you want a piece?

Emma: Yes. And you can have some of my fish. I think that's fair.

That is the end of chapter five. The kitchen made a mistake, Emma stayed calm, and the waiter put it right.

Keep these with you: "I'm sorry, but I think there's been a mistake." "I ordered the salad." "That's okay, it happens." "I'm so sorry about that."

In the next chapter, they order dessert. And then they discover that the restaurant does not take cards.

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