u/kochikame

This has always been a low key concern for me but recently it’s getting out of control and I’m wondering if anyone else thinks something needs to change.

A typical company dinner means a fixed course and nomihoudai, pretty much always. The restaurant wants to plan the food in advance, it’s too much hassle to take 25 different orders. I get it.

But the food waste is absolutely shocking.

Whole platters of uneaten yakitori. Entire plates of food untouched. Even things that are picked at usually have leftovers.

Most people eat a bit at first and then slowdown, while your typical office lady gets allocated the same portion by the restaurant as everyone else but is never going to eat a chunk of karaage after five other courses. And no one cares about the cost because the company is picking up the bill.

I don’t know if restaurants typically just bin all the wasted food, though I guess they do.

There’s a general level of awareness around food waste these days that wasn’t there ten or twenty years ago. I’m seriously thinking that next time we plan one I’m going to suggest we try to reduce the food waste somehow. Anyone else tried this?