So we just got back from having breakfast/lunch/dinner at this sushi place called New Generation on Bloor.

We'd been there a couple of times before, and the food's decent. It's always crowded, though I'm not sure why since I don't find the place outstanding. The meal was ok, and at the end of it we asked for the bill and paid.

We did not leave a tip. Bad idea.

Wait, before I go on, let me say this - we almost always leave a decent tip. Not huge amounts, but what the average for a tip should be. We didn't feel like leaving a tip today, I didn't find the service outstanding or even impressive for one thing, and secondly, there was a hair in my tofu.

So, before we leave, we get out path blocked by a concerned waiter asking us why we didn't leave a tip (I can't even remember if he was the one that took our order... he got us the bill, yeah, but it might have been someone else who took the orders). The place is crowded silly, so naturally it doesn't look nice. And it's noisy. So he goes something about wanting to know why we didn't leave a tip coz he has to tell his manager if people are unhappy about the service. I tried explaining that it wasn't that the service was bad, it was just not really up to my expectation and I honestly didn't feel like leaving gratuity today. So he goes on about how he'd given us some freebies, which kinda confused me because I figured well, if the restaurant wants to give soup and ice cream on the house, that's the restaurant's deal, not the server's. Anyway, I don't want to say 'your service sucked' (because it didn't suck) but he doesn't seem to want to accept 'well your service wasn't great' either.

Did I mention it's kinda silly standing around trying to discuss the matter in the middle of the place?

So I just plonk down some cash and walk out.

Perhaps I just don't understand because I've never been a waitress, but I was under the impression that gratuity was supposed to be in appreciation of the service you receive at a restaurant. If you don't feel like you've been served right, I don't see the need to leave extras. I suppose you could argue that it's hard to give personal service at a restaurant that's as crowded as that, but then again, diners get as busy if not more so and the one's we go to still treat you like they value your service.

In the end, it's kinda of a shame that that happened, because I'm never going to eat there again. I don't want to go to any place where I feel obliged to have a good explanation as to why I don't want to tip, or feel like I'm being bullied into leaving a tip. I don't want my family or friends to feel like they've been bullied either. I don't know if this is the standard policy with restaurants, to demand an explanation from customers, because this is the first I've had to deal with it. I suppose this is why in some counties they just do away with tipping altogether and have a service charge or something like that instead.

I hope they're happy with their tip. It's the last one they're ever going to get out of me. I'll save my tips for places like People's Foods, where the food is great and the people are nice and reasonable. And where I won't get hairs in my food.

And yeah, if you're thinking of going for sushi at NG, make sure you tip if you don't want to be harassed at the end of your meal.

If it weren't so painful to throw up your meal, I would like to go do that now.