Thelife- A Toronto real-estate agent seeking a light bite said her waitress suggested a dish akin to tuna tartare or crudo.
- She was aghast when a $25 CAD plate comprising a can of tuna fish and potato chips arrived.
A Toronto real-estate agent seeking a light bite between showings was "shaken" after she said a local restaurant served her a literal can of tuna fish on a plate with potato chips. The dish apparently cost 25 Canadian dollars.
"Is inflation that bad?" Sophie Bokelmann says in a TikTok video she posted on Monday, which has now garnered 1.1 million views.
Bokelmann, who declined to reveal the name of the local business to Insider as she didn't "want to be associated with slandering a restaurant," said she didn't even look at the menu, but the waitress recommended something she claimed was similar to tuna tartare or crudo.
What arrived was shocking: "A can of tuna — they didn't even take the tuna out of the can," she recalled in her viral video. The canned fish was dusted with a green onion garnish and served with chips. "Twenty-five fucking dollars," Bokelmann said, which is roughly $18.50 in the US.
@sophiebokelmann I am shaken
♬ original sound - Sophie Bokelmann
"I'm not the person who would ever send something back, but I was like, 'This is so gross'," she told Insider. She added that the waitress was understanding and brought her a side of bread instead.
Viewers were outraged on Bokelmann's behalf, with many quipping that the platter seemed emblematic of the ubiquitous "girl dinner" trend.
"The green onion sprinkled on it sends me," one said. Another added, "$25 FOR FANCY FEAST AND LAYS!??!!??!!? "
Torontonians in the comments feverishly tried to track down the culprit, with many suspecting it was Bar Raval or Bar Isabel – two highly-regarded local haunts. Bokelmann was adamant it was neither business. She wanted to clear both of their names to not get barred by either of the restaurants, which she said were among her favorites in the city.
Alessandro Pietropaolo, a partner at Bar Isabel, told Insider that while "lots of restaurants are serving conservas right now," or tinned seafood that is made in-house or imported from Spain, Bar Isabel doesn't "serve any of them in the tin." Bar Raval also has preserved fish on its menu, but a rep also denied any involvement.
To be fair, tinned seafood and potato chips is a pairing that is "not uncommon" in Spain, per a 2020 article from Eater. The combo has even been touted by illustrious chefs like José Andrés.
At the end of the day, Bokelmann had no idea the video would cause such a stir. "I had like 50 TikTok followers who are all my best friends," she told Insider on Wednesday. "I didn't expect 600,000 people to see it."
As for the offending restaurant, she said she's always enjoyed eating there in the past, and will continue to go back.
"I would just never order fish again — I'm scarred," she said. "If they see my post, I don't think I can go back either, which is OK."