From the dish of the day to fish and chips: These are the menu items you should never order in a restaurant
Waiters and chefs reveal the secrets restaurant owners don't want you to know
CHEFS, waiters and restaurant experts have issued stark warnings about the dishes you should NEVER order off a menu.
From fish and chips to the daily special, these are the options to avoid next time you're in a restaurant - according to the two dozen people who responded to the Quora thread.
If you want to avoid getting food poisoning, or paying for a pretty rubbish meal - you may want to keep this in mind...
Out of plaice
It may be a Friday, but if you're after a battered fish you should be heading to your local chip shop - otherwise, order something else.
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David Claydon explains: "Like with pizzas, any restaurant that does not specialise will always produce poor quality fish and chips.
"They don't use a proper fryer, and the portions are not big enough."
While culinary arts student Joran Karlsen claims you should never order fish on a Sunday, because it will not be fresh.
We guess fish mongers don't like doing deliveries on Sundays.
The not-so-special one
Chef, farmer and organic gardener Janara Soloven advised avoiding the dish of the day from the tempting specials board.
She added: "One of my chef instructors in culinary school advised you should NEVER order the 'special'.
"He said that as a rule the special is whatever old food they want to get rid of.
"On the other hand, he said that the 'feature' on the menu is usually a good choice, and includes seasonal specialities."
Cluck off
Former waiter and bartender Eric Sustad, who has 12 years experience in the restaurant trade, said customers should never order the chicken dish.
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He explained: "Chicken breast is usually the most boring item on the menu, included for indecisive people who are hungry but don't like the taste of food."
Kristen Leitner agreed, adding: "Every restaurant I've ever ordered grilled chicken at has disappointed me."
Don't seafood and eat it
Steve Lazarus said he wouldn't order seafood if he was more than 18 miles from the coast.
To put that into context, London is about 40 miles from Southend-on-Sea, in Essex, and 50 miles from Brighton, in West Sussex.
So that puts seafood firmly off the menu in the vast majority of Britain's restaurants.
Chef Sean Quinn agreed with Steve. He wrote: "I also tend to avoid seafood unless I'm at a place known for seafood or at a higher end place where I know they've sourced good seafood."
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Thai-tanic
Green curry may be your favourite, but you should never order Thai food in a Chinese restaurant - or vice versa.
Leonard Haid explained: "If you're in a Chinese restaurant, avoid the non-Chinese food.
"I once had mashed potatoes at a Chinese restaurant (don't ask) that were about 75% white flour."
While we're at it, don't order the steak roll in chicken palace Nando's, a salad in Pizza Express, or a burger in your local fish restaurant.
Kevin Doiron explained: "Generally, if the restaurant has something on the menu that doesn't fit their self-professed specialities, don't order it.
"For example, if you go to 'Bob's Steak and Seafood House', don't order the chicken or the pasta."