
What should you do when your customers take your extra large fried food portions for granted? Wear a poster pointing it out is one chef’s answer.
When you do something nice for someone (or get a haircut), you at least hope that they notice, and a thank you wouldn’t go amiss either. One Japanese chef and restaurant manager waited more than a week for his customers to realise something was different with one of the items on the menu, and then, rather than say anything directly, decided to let them know with a printed note stuck to his back.
お客様が喜んでくれればと、ひそかにえびフライの中のえびを大きくして約1週間。どなたか気づいてくれるかなとドキドキしていたのに、だれも気づいてくれないので我慢できなくなったIQ30の店長がついに決行した作戦がこちらです。 pic.twitter.com/3Su50hDzoT
— まるかつ(奈良・大阪のとんかつ店)奈良本店・生駒店・天理店・大阪駅イチロクグルメ店 (@marukatsunara) July 27, 2018
At first glance it might appear to be an exceptionally long appeal to the person reading to do him the kindness of connecting the end of one of their lower limbs with his backside, but the note actually reads:
‘We’ve made the prawns inside the fried prawn substantially bigger, even though the price has remained the same!’
While the tweet also suggests the boss is the owner of an IQ of only 30, you might want to take that with a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon.
The photo was taken at Marukatsu, a restaurant in Nara that specializes in tonkatsu (pork cutlet), but serves other fried foods as well. According to the restaurant’s Twitter account (@marukatsunara), the deep-fried prawns, or shrimp (which, until we get to count how many pairs of legs have claws, will remain unclear), were larger than their predecessors, more delicious goodness for the same price. However, even if Marukatsu’s customers had noticed, they clearly hadn’t said so. The ebi furai fried prawns should have had customers rejoicing vocally, especially as even at normal size they’re well worth the 250 yen (US$2.24) asked (those are Marukatsu’s fried prawns pictured at the top of this article), but no.
Some Japanese claim to be able to communicate and understand each other with a minimum of communication, like a type of telepathy formed from an innate understanding of situations and how they should act. If such a thing does exist, it doesn’t extend to wordlessly thanking the chef for his generosity, or passively-aggressively complaining to customers about their ingratitude. Let’s hope that other customers also noticed the lengths the chef had gone to in order to enlighten his patrons to this noble man embiggening the smallest shrimp. It would be nice to think that his entire clientele wore signs on their chests next time they visited thanking him for the arthropodic increase, at no additional cost. And at least they paid for it, unlike at least one diner at a restaurant in Fukuoka.
And should you wish to thank the poor chap personally, there’s always the option of stopping by the restaurant yourself.
Restaurant information:
Name: Marukatsu / まるかつ
Address: Nara-ken, Nara-shi, Kodonocho 667-1
奈良県奈良市神殿町667-1
Open: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Website
Source: Twitter/@marukatsunara via Jin115
Featured image: Twitter/@marukatsunara
Top image: Marukatsu

We tackle a titanic bowl of pork cutlet katsudon and (just about) live to tell the tale
Visiting Ramen River, a Japanese restaurant that’s only open two hours a day
Eat a mountain of chicken katsu at this restaurant in Nara【Photos】
El Bulli-trained Japanese chef serves edible origami at gastro cafe Celaravird 【Pics & Video】
“Is Attack on Titan any good?” customer asks Japanese fried chicken chef – and for a good reason
Family Mart unveils new Japanese bread that elevates convenience store food to mocchiri levels
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Schoolkids learn life skills through shopping field trips at street markets in Kochi Prefecture
Famous koi ponds overwhelmed with tourists throwing thousands of coins in them
How to take your home ramen to the next level by making your own chashu pork in a frying pan
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Deer that appeared in downtown Osaka gets a new home, a new name, and a lot of snacks[Video]
Häagen-Dazs releases new Green Tea sandwich in Japan for a limited time
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Catch! Noodles and bowls fly through the air at this Japanese ramen restaurant
Big Cock Roll wows the taste buds at Japanese restaurant in Saitama
Yabai Ramen: What makes this Japanese ramen so dangerous?