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Andrew Sun

British actor Richard E Grant recently admitted that he carries with him everywhere a small satchel of salt.
On a podcast called Dish, the Oscar-nominated actor said he has his little drawstring bag of Maldon sea salt flakes just in case the restaurant he dines at does not offer sodium chloride as a condiment.
“Because, to be honest, I think the biggest arrogance is when you go into a restaurant and they don’t have salt and pepper,” explained the star of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Saltburn and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.
I’ve heard of people carrying hot sauce – ahem, Beyoncé – but not their own salt.

Some restaurants, very likely higher-end, chef-driven vehicles, eschew offering salt and pepper. Certain big-ego cooks feel what they’ve prepared is perfectly seasoned already and any additional flavouring would ruin the dish, and implicitly insult the culinary creator.
So who is in the right in this power dynamic?
Before you buy a painting, do you tell the artist, “This is nice but I’m gonna add some more blue in the background”? Or before a piano recital, ask Lang Lang if he can mellow out, keep the histrionics to a minimum and, while we’re at it, substitute the Beethoven programme for Chariots Of Fire’s theme song instead.
Is the customer always right?
Or is it reasonable for restaurants to expect their food to be respected? There are steakhouses that refuse to serve well-done beef. Others will not allow customers to defile a beautifully marbled T-bone with ketchup.
Isn’t it the same thing when a chef does not want his tweezered delicate dish to be ruined by too much salt?

Any self-respecting sushi connoisseur knows you’re not supposed to drown your hamachi or toro in soy sauce. It’s even more gauche if you mix the soy with a thick dab of wasabi before dunking your rice and fish.
Are the folks who want to add extra salt to a French Michelin-star restaurant main course just as insensitive?
As a matter of health, I do try to cut down on sodium consumption. This means some of my food might be considered bland by many – especially TV cooking competition judges who regularly complain that contestants need to “season your food”!
Believe it or not, you can eat food with very little salt and if the ingredients are fresh, it’ll still taste good. I concede some palates have different levels of tolerance. In general, I find food in European countries saltier than it needs to be, but the people there clearly think it’s just fine.
Not surprisingly, they think some Asian steamed dishes are not savoury enough. More MSG, please?

In commerce-driven Hong Kong, most chefs and restaurants do not care if a customer wants to add salt, sugar, chilli oil, mustard, ketchup, soy or vinegar to their food. As long as you pay for it, do with the dish what you will.
When the rent is as high as it is in Hong Kong, you cannot afford to be too precious.
Salt aside, I have another spice dilemma to ponder. Recipes always say, “add salt and pepper to taste”. And why are we always offered fresh ground pepper before we even try our food? The thing is, most of us say yes – I’m as guilty as anyone. Shouldn’t we actually taste it first?
Now I wonder if celebrities carry their own pepper mill too?


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Food and Drinks

Why do some restaurants refuse to offer salt, while others push the pepper mill?

Some restaurants do not provide salt on diners’ tables, and their chefs take offence when diners ask for it. Is the customer always right? Photo: Shutterstock

Is it ego that drives some chefs to believe their food is perfectly seasoned to every diner’s taste? Photo: Shutterstock

Is it insensitive to ask for more salt after the kitchen has already seasoned your dish? Photo: Shutterstock

Why do some places offer black pepper before diners even taste the food? Photo: Shutterstock

Thai named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2025, Tam Chudaree Debhakam, on her vision

Tam Chudaree Debhakam has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2025 by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. She talks about flying the flag for Thai produce at her restaurant, Baan Tepa. Photo: Baan Tepa

The main dining space at Chudaree’s Bangkok restaurant Baan Tepa. Photo: Baan Tepa

The heritage building that houses Baan Tepa has been in Chudaree’s family for three generations. Photo: Baan Tepa

The renovated two-storey house provides a sophisticated setting for the modern Thai cuisine Chudaree’s Baan Tepa serves. Photo: Baan Tepa

An important element of Baan Tepa is the garden where Chudaree grows aromatic herbs and plants for cooking. Photo: Baan Tepa

Chudaree was inspired by the women she grew up around, who maintained a strong work ethic and passion for their interests. Photo: Baan Tepa

Trump tariffs trigger food fights. Consumers everywhere risk being the losers

Canadian maple syrup is one of the products that will be affected by US trade tariffs. How will Canada, and Canadians, respond? Photo: Shutterstock

Mexico exports a lot of food to the US, and 90 per cent of the avocados eaten in America come from its southern neighbour. Photo: Shutterstock 

Will Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pass a law requiring French fries to be covered in curds and gravy? Photo: Shutterstock

After Culinary Class Wars, Netflix’s Chef and My Fridge is my latest television obsession

Edward Lee and Choi Hyun-seok are rival chefs in Korean cooking show Chef and My Fridge, which has received a timely reboot on Netflix after going off air in 2019. Photo: YouTube/Netflix K-Content

A “throw it all in” kimchi jjigae made with leftover vegetables. Photo: Charmaine Mok

A still from Chef and My Fridge. Photo: Netflix

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

What is it with chefs who take offence when diners ask for salt or other condiments? Thank goodness money talks in Hong Kong


What is it with chefs who take offence when diners ask for salt or other condiments? Thank goodness money talks in Hong Kong.


Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Mouthing Off

Mouthing Off | Why do some restaurants refuse to offer salt, while others push the pepper mill?

What is it with chefs who take offence when diners ask for salt or other condiments? Thank goodness money talks in Hong Kong

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