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VinePair published a roundup of 10 chefs describing unusual customer requests, including well-done steak tartare, a steak cooked to two temperatures without being cut, and an egg-white omelet described as vegan. The accounts are individual recollections, not a survey of restaurant orders, and the report does not establish how common such requests are.
VinePair has published accounts from 10 chefs describing unusual meal-modification requests they received, including marshmallow fluff on steak, a well-done version of steak tartare, and a request to cook one steak half rare and half well-done without cutting it. The report offers a collection of chefs’ anecdotes about restaurant service; it does not measure how frequently such requests occur.
Among the examples, Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare in New York City, recalled a family bringing marshmallow fluff and asking staff to put it on the children’s steak, fries, and salad. Bucher also described customers asking for steak cooked in a deep fryer. These were presented as memorable requests, rather than standard menu options.
Tyler Murray, chef at Millstone in Lexington, Kentucky, said a guest asked to combine the restaurant’s smoked prime rib sandwich and farmhouse salad. The customer wanted the shaved ribeye, caramelized onions, provolone, greens, vegetables, and goat cheese chopped together and tossed with horseradish aioli. Murray said the request remained memorable nearly a year after the restaurant opened.
Other chefs described requests that challenged a dish’s usual preparation or the kitchen’s ability to fulfill it. Adam Plitt of Delmonico’s Hospitality Group recalled a request for well-done steak tartare, a dish traditionally served raw. Haley Duren of Long Count said a customer wanted a fried oyster mushroom sandwich without frying; staff roasted its ingredients instead, turning a dish that usually took under three minutes into one that took about 30 minutes, according to Duren.
When Custom Orders Test Kitchen Limits
The stories illustrate the tension between accommodating diners and delivering a dish a kitchen can prepare safely, practically, and as described. Some requests change only a side or seasoning; others alter a dish’s defining method or require substantial extra preparation. Duren’s account, for example, describes a longer cooking process after the customer rejected frying but still wanted the fried sandwich.
The report also shows why requests involving allergies and dietary restrictions require particular care. Clinton Snowling, vice president of culinary operations at Parched Hospitality Group, said one guest asked to see ingredient packaging to check for allergens while also requesting several changes. The account does not verify the guest’s medical needs, and it should not be read as evidence that allergy requests are unreasonable. It does show how staff may need to assess whether a meal can be prepared safely and whether requested substitutions can be supported.
For readers, the practical takeaway is that asking about a modification is not the same as being guaranteed it can be made. Restaurant staff may be able to adjust a dish, suggest an alternative, or explain that a particular request cannot be met.
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Anecdotes From Restaurant Service
The source is a VinePair interview roundup asking 10 chefs about unusual requests on restaurant order tickets. Its examples span different establishments and styles of food; the article does not provide a representative sample, a shared time period, or a count of how often any request was made. The accounts therefore describe individual experiences rather than industry-wide trends.
Many requests in the roundup are variations on familiar dining preferences, such as changing a steak’s doneness or removing ingredients. Others are more involved. Aarthi Sampath, chef and founder of Drāvida in New York City, said a guest asked for dishes without ginger, garlic, onion, or cilantro—ingredients she described as central to many Indian and South Asian dishes. Sampath said the kitchen made two dishes from scratch, using other herbs and spices and leeks in place of onions.
The source also lists requests for a prime rib sandwich mixed into a salad, an exact count of seven French fries, a hamburger not listed on the menu, and a Caesar salad without lettuce. The supplied article text includes only some of the 10 chefs’ full responses, so not every listed example has an accompanying account or attribution in the available material.
““We did it, and it was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.””
— Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare
What the Anecdotes Cannot Show
The report does not state how often unusual modifications occur, whether the chefs’ experiences are typical, or how the examples were selected beyond asking 10 chefs for memorable requests. It supplies no survey data, restaurant-wide order records, or comparison with routine modifications.
Some details are also incomplete in the source material provided. It lists requests such as an egg-white omelet described as vegan, a well-done tuna tartare, and exactly seven fries, but the full chef accounts and attributions for those examples are not included here. The material does not explain whether those orders were accepted, changed, or declined. Individual recollections should not be treated as verified accounts of broader customer behavior.
No Follow-Up Announced
The source material does not identify a follow-up investigation, planned data release, or response from the customers involved. The roundup stands as a collection of chef interviews, not a report of a policy change or a new industry study. Readers seeking details beyond the excerpts should consult VinePair’s original article, which is cited as the source.
For restaurants and diners, the next step in any individual case is practical: staff can clarify ingredients and preparation, offer alternatives, or say when a request cannot be met. The chefs’ stories do not establish a common rule for handling modifications, and no broader change is reported.
Key Questions
What is the news?
VinePair published a roundup of 10 chefs’ accounts of unusual customer requests to modify restaurant dishes.
Which requests did the chefs describe?
Examples include marshmallow fluff on steak and other foods, well-done steak tartare, a steak requested half rare and half well-done without being cut, and a fried oyster mushroom sandwich prepared without frying.
Does the report show that unusual requests are common?
No. It gives individual anecdotes from 10 chefs, with no survey, frequency data, or representative sample.
Were all the requests fulfilled?
The source says some requests were accommodated, including dishes made without several ingredients at Drāvida. It does not provide complete outcomes for every example, and some requests may be declined if a kitchen cannot prepare them safely or reasonably.
Source: rss
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