Price of full Thali meals for one bowl of plain rice; Instagram reel from MasterChef contestant's "Meen by Chef Pillai" restaurant

KOLLAM: Suresh Pillai is a celebrity chef with a huge fan base. Many of his recipes are loved by Malayalis. International cricketers, film stars and other prominent figures from various fields are fans of Chef Pillai's culinary delights. Many people come to Chef Pillai's "Meen by Chef Pillai" restaurant in Thevally Palace Nagar, Kollam every day. Now, a person who came to eat from here on Monday has come forward with a complaint against this restaurant.

A group of three had come to Pillai's restaurant to eat. The complaint states that the restaurant authorities charged a bill for the second serving of rice. That too, the same amount charged for a full thali meal. An Instagram user named Rinso Reji George has shared this experience on social media along with the bill. The video has been shared on Instagram with the caption, "scamming continues (Pattikkal Thudarunnu)."

What the video says:

"If you say "scamming", this is the real scamming. This is an incident that happened the other day at Chef Pillai's restaurant in Kollam. Three of us went here to have lunch. We ordered three veg meals and an Ashtamudi meen curry. Aviyal, Thoran, Achar and Sambar were served with the meal. However, this is not the speciality here.

The first serving of rice served here is less than what is usually served in other restaurants. So naturally, people will ask for a second serving of rice. They will serve the second serving of rice in a small bowl, but you have to pay Rs. 100 for it! This is a unique feature not seen in any restaurant in Kerala. There is no need to pay for the extra rice in other restaurants.

Even a bottle of mineral water is charged at Rs. 57. Chef Pillai has now brought matters to the point of serving as he wishes after creating a brand value. Things are now moving forward to the point where no one will complain or question, no matter what amount is billed."

The Hotel and Restaurants Union office bearers have previously clarified that no uniform rate menu has been decided for restaurants in Kerala. Each restaurant is free to decide the rate according to the services and facilities provided there. However, there is widespread criticism on social media against charging money for a second serving of rice, which is given for free in other restaurants.

Meanwhile, the restaurant authorities informed that the customer had asked for kuthari rice which is costlier than the normal rice and that is why it was billed as an additional dish.