New Steak House in Town

[bows00]

Menu looks good.  Will definitely check it out the next time I'm in town.

But yeah, I do have a question about tipping.  I normally go at least 20%, but when you do the math on the Prime Rib at $1950 P, wouldn't that equate to a whole days pay for a standard Filipino worker (around $390P)?

Do all you expats kind of tone down the tipping based on this?  Should I?

[i am bob]

I knew a young lady who worked in a restaurant that did "service charge" bit...  Staff got maybe a quarter of that...  So, if I go there?  I cross off the service charge and only pay what the bill would be without it...  And then I will slip the waitress a tip and tell her to share with the kitchen staff...  

[Tukaram (Tim)]

4 hours ago, bows00 said:

Do all you expats kind of tone down the tipping based on this?  Should I?

I have toned down my tipping.  They really only expect it from foreigners anyway... From talking to locals it sounds like the tip (if given) is not based on a percentage, like in the US, but a few coins or p20.

I was at one of regular restaurants and was talking to the waitress - a good one.  She said all tips are given to the manager and then split up among all the workers...the manager taking the lion's share.  I have tried slipping her some tip money unseen, but she says if she is caught not turning in tips she would be fired. So even if you slip to them unseen they will most likely still put it in the community tip.

I was at a Rotary conference and at breakfast almost everyone (locals) left a p100 tip on a p100 breakfast!  They were very showy about it though, so I think they were just showing off to each other.  All I ate was a bowl of oatmeal so I felt my p20 tip was more than enough

[chris49]

19 hours ago, bows00 said:

Menu looks good.  Will definitely check it out the next time I'm in town.

But yeah, I do have a question about tipping.  I normally go at least 20%, but when you do the math on the Prime Rib at $1950 P, wouldn't that equate to a whole days pay for a standard Filipino worker (around $390P)?

Do all you expats kind of tone down the tipping based on this?  Should I?

As JGF has pointed out earlier in the post, tipping is an American thing. And it should be further noted that US prices in restaurants are extremely reasonable as compared to other countries.

There's a place I go to in Michigan, franchise throughout the Midwest, I will not give the name. Very famous breakfast and all day menu, unlimited coffee, free newspaper to read and etc. I have been known to sit in there a few hours drinkiing coffee and maybe adding a few orders, running up a bill of not more than $40 for 2 people. No service charge, but 15% tip or 20% if so inclined. If ever you didn't tip and you went there again, they will freeze you out making you beg for each coffee refill.

Now translate that back to the Philippines, bows00, the same rules do not apply. If in the situation you describe ordering Prime Rib and in that case depending on the size of the party, no service charge. NB here if they did add a service charge of 15%, that's about 900/- on a 6000 bill and I would not go to such a place. But again assuming no service charge and running up a bill of 5000 or more. I invite all parties to throw something on the table and if a Filipina wife is involved that amount would be low. I figure a tip of 100 or over but not 200-300.

Now, again in the Philippines, if you had frequented a place, and you were getting excellent service, perhaps the same waitress on multiple occasions. I ask her if she keeps the tip or turns it over to management. If she keeps the tip and you feel she deserves it, that's the time you give her something extra.

[mogo51]

the last time I left a tip at a restaurant in Sydney - I left a note Race 4 No. 2 will win.

Bugger me dead if he took the tip, put a $100 on it and I forgot to back it. it won at 10/1, he picked up a grand and I got SFA.  He rang me and thanked me, I jumped off the 5th floor but landed on a bloody mattress.

Edited May 17, 2016 by mogo51
typos

[Jack Peterson]

3 hours ago, mogo51 said:

the last time I left a tip at a restaurant in Sydney - I left a note Race 4 No. 2 will win.

Bugger me dead if he took the tip, put a $100 on it and I forgot to back it. it won at 10/1, he picked up a grand and I got SFA.  He rang me and thanked me, I jumped off the 5th floor but landed on a bloody mattress.

[Sander Martin]

12 hours ago, chris49 said:

As JGF has pointed out earlier in the post, tipping is an American thing. And it should be further noted that US prices in restaurants are extremely reasonable as compared to other countries.

There's a place I go to in Michigan, franchise throughout the Midwest, I will not give the name. Very famous breakfast and all day menu, unlimited coffee, free newspaper to read and etc. I have been known to sit in there a few hours drinkiing coffee and maybe adding a few orders, running up a bill of not more than $40 for 2 people. No service charge, but 15% tip or 20% if so inclined. If ever you didn't tip and you went there again, they will freeze you out making you beg for each coffee refill.

Now translate that back to the Philippines, bows00, the same rules do not apply. If in the situation you describe ordering Prime Rib and in that case depending on the size of the party, no service charge. NB here if they did add a service charge of 15%, that's about 900/- on a 6000 bill and I would not go to such a place. But again assuming no service charge and running up a bill of 5000 or more. I invite all parties to throw something on the table and if a Filipina wife is involved that amount would be low. I figure a tip of 100 or over but not 200-300.

Now, again in the Philippines, if you had frequented a place, and you were getting excellent service, perhaps the same waitress on multiple occasions. I ask her if she keeps the tip or turns it over to management. If she keeps the tip and you feel she deserves it, that's the time you give her something extra.

Well said mate, well said! The thing with alot of the Americans (no offence guys) is that they forget where they are. You have to act accordingly. Now if you want to give a 10-20% tip, then its your free will. Its not a custome here and i think most of the tip you give will not end up to the people it was intended to here. When i am in the US, i will give atleast a 10% if the service was good. I know that the majority of their wage comes from tips. We are not in the US right now guys.

[mogo51]

the last time I left a tip at a restaurant in Sydney - I left a note Race 4 No. 2 will win.

Bugger me ead if he took the tip, put a $100 on it and I forgot to back it and it won at 10/1, he picke dup a grand and got SFA.  He rang me and thanked me, I jumped off the 5th floor but landed on a bloody mattress.

42 minutes ago, Sander Martin said:

Well said mate, well said! The thing with alot of the Americans (no offence guys) is that they forget where they are. You have to act accordingly. Now if you want to give a 10-20% tip, then its your free will. Its not a custome here and i think most of the tip you give will not end up to the people it was intended to here. When i am in the US, i will give atleast a 10% if the service was good. I know that the majority of their wage comes from tips. We are not in the US right now guys.

I am afraid it is embedded in the US custom Sander and it is too late. This restaurant in Angeles is charging even more than Aussie prices and they are paying wait staff $30-40 an hour, while US pay about $10.  This is the critical difference, as you rightly say Sander, is it a 'big noter' thing or is it just entrenched in their culture.  Regrettably they ruin the prevailing culture in the interim.

[frosty (chris)]

I have also stopped tipping as much as when I first came here and for two reasons, one we don't seem to go out as much now and the second reason is most of the service we have had here is only average to say the least, the staff seem more interested in gossiping or checking their mob phones. When we go to a place like Lantaw I am more than happy to tip, the service and food is always excellent and the staff more than helpful. If I do happen to tip elsewhere I usually just palm it to the service staff, you can usually tell if it's a share tip resto, I watch were the money goes and most times into their back pocket as their walking away.

Edited May 17, 2016 by frosty (chris)
spelling

[bows00]

I am really not a big dinner guy.  I save my stomach for the San Miguel's.  But I always start off the day with a hearty breakfast.. does anybody know what time this place opens?