Influencer claims restaurant served woman in his group 'smaller portions' of food but charged her same money

A TikTok star has sparked outrage online by claiming a restaurant served the only woman in his group small portions of food - but still charged her the same amount of money as the male members of his friendship circle.

Filmmaker and food influencer Luis Carlos Alvarez Zaragoza regularly reviews restaurants and uploads videos about them on his TikTok page. However, the Brooklyn-born star was left less than impressed when he visited one eatery in New York, United States, as he found that the high price tag for the food didn't match up with the amount of food received for his female companion.

The food lover was so disheartned that he began his video by telling his followers that what followed was his 'first negative review in a long time,' and then explained that a meal at the restaurant, called Sushi Noz, costs '$700 (around £550) per person with a wine pairing'. He added that it was his 'sixth time dining here' and although the restaurant had been awarded a second Michelin star since his last trip, it was his 'worst' experience there so far.

In the video, he said: "First up, we noticed the wine pairing seemed a bit off, disjointed, pours came out awkward times and the choice to pair the wine with that dish was never clearly conveyed which for $200 (around £156) you expect to get a sense of why each one was chosen for that specific dish but this never happened."

What really left a sour taste in the mouth, however, was the alleged difference in the meals served to himself and the other men in his party compared to that served to the only female.

Zaragoza continued: "'Another aspect [the group] didn't enjoy was the 'only woman in [their] group' being told she would be getting smaller portions. We know this is a common practice in some places . . . but she didn't ask for it and if the price also hasn't been adjusted to account for the smaller portions then everyone should receive the same amount."

The group had visited a Japanese restaurant, where the concept of omakase is sometimes applied. It is used when ordering food and means 'I'll leave it up to you'. When this is the case, the chef will present a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and proceeding to the heaviest dishes.

Many people took to the comments of the video to express their shock and frustration at the apparent gender divide created. One woman said: "That part about the smaller portions for women boils my blood! Forced portion control in this day in age is actually insane and this is straight up sexism, especially as the price is the same as for."

Another female said: "Smaller portions for women? they’ll never be seeing me." One more said: "Women getting smaller portions is wild. Imagine paying pull price for less food just because of that."

A fourth said: "I've been to Michelin starred omakase and I've never been served a smaller portion as a woman. what a bizarre thing to do to your female customers!"

Some women, however, didn't see an issue. One said: "It’s usually smaller portion of rice, same amount of fish. I personally prefer it that way, so i can eat more pieces." Another said that they understood the tradition of omakase.

Zaragoza told Today.com: "It’s a nuanced issue because tradition is often viewed as something to be preserved and respected, but we had to draw the line when someone in our group, the only woman, was given less."

A spokesperson from Sushi Noz said in a statement to the publication: "The meal begins with five or six otsumami (small plates), which can be quite filling on their own. Before the sushi section of the menu begins, the chef will often ask first-time guests if they prefer smaller rice portions, an offer which they are more than welcome to decline.

"This is done out of consideration for the guest, to make sure they are able to enjoy the full progression of the omakase menu without becoming too full. In a traditional Japanese restaurant like ours, cultural and language barriers naturally lead to misunderstandings from time to time — that being said, this is the first time in six years that we’ve heard of these actions interpreted this way, which couldn’t have been further from the chef’s intentions."