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The staff ate it later

(en.wikipedia.org)
477 points gyomu | 2 comments | 02 Sep 25 15:24 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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juancn ◴[02 Sep 25 17:03 UTC] No.45105839[source]▶
It's related to the concept of Mottainai (もったいない, 勿体無い) in Japanese culture. Where any waste is considered bad, specially related to food.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottainai

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cwmma ◴[02 Sep 25 17:13 UTC] No.45105992[source]▶
I wonder if this is why they tend to have plastic food displays at restaurant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_model

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jkhdigital ◴[02 Sep 25 17:24 UTC] No.45106171[source]▶
I think the plastic food displays are due to high uncertainty avoidance, so patrons can see exactly what their meal looks like before ordering. Yes you could use real food but the hassle of periodically filling the display case with freshly cooked dishes would be silly.
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1. LeifCarrotson ◴[02 Sep 25 18:45 UTC] No.45107327[source]▶
Some American restaurants have real food displays, too. With a chilled display case and limited airflow (and choosing only meals that keep well - avoiding exhibition of garnishes or salads that wilt in hours), you can put the same dessert on display for days.

At the end, of course, you have to throw it away - it might not be safe for staff to eat by the point it's visibly decomposing from 3 feet away. I find that just knowing the food in the case is destined for the garbage to rankle, especially when I'm simultaneously looking at menu prices and wondering why the meal costs so much; it's interesting to learn that the Japanese make those meal displays out of plastic/wax for the same reason.

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2. account42 ◴[03 Sep 25 11:19 UTC] No.45114448[source]▶
How common is this? I have never seen real food used as a display only (as opposed to a buffet or other kind of display where the displayed food is actually served to eat), including in the US.

Sounds like a gimmick that is way too limiting to be a general practice.