The First Time I've Never Left a Tip: Zipangu

By Gustavo Arellano Fri., Jan. 16 2009 at 6:24 AM

Categories: Indigestion, Local Eats

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I used to like eating at Zipangu at the LAB in Costa Mesa. Yeah, it's sushi for hipsters, but I rather enjoyed their fusion rolls, loved the happy hour specials, and cracked up every time I saw some gabacho fall to the Asian persuasion. Gee, gaijin: when did you stop stealing our women?

But I'm not returning. I committed the grossest of dining faux pas, one worse than licking your plate in public: I didn't leave a tip. But it was warranted: after finishing my meal (which I received rather quickly), I didn't receive my bill for 45 minutes. I did everything possible to warrant my waiter's attention: placed the empty plates near the edge of the table, tap my empty water cup, even placing my chopsticks on top of my plate, which a cute girl once told me was lingua franca in Asian restaurants that this bird wants to fly.

Nothing.

It wasn't like Zipangu was slammed; busy, yes, but no more than other nights I visit. And that waiter was taking care of others around me, so it's not as if he was so slammed as to do a bad job to all eaters--just to me. I should've never made the mistake of ignoring Costa Mesa's many other sushi palaces, and neither should you.

Zipangu, 2930 Bristol St. # C, Costa Mesa, (714) 545-2800. And the crap mid-90s alt-rock is too loud, too!

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Jumpcut: Again, ponder my rhetorical question. Anon: Very true...
I have stiffed two people in my entire life. One person was back in 1991 and the other was a few weeks ago in Las Vegas. Both deserved it. When service is exceptional for me, I will leave 25 percent or more. I think one reason service has gotten so bad out there is that servers automatically expect a tip no matter what. We need to send a message and stiff when the service is absolutely terrible. On the other hand, people need to stop tipping only 15 percent when the service is incredible.
*Laughing at Anonymous* Go figure someone would leave a comment like that. Someone always has to be a know it all. Anyway, if it was 45 minutes at the Ritz, it would be one thing, but I'm afraid after thinking about it for a few days, I have to agree with the others. I would have asked for the check. I would have been likely annoyed to be forced to do so, and either a) said something about it to the manager or b) left a less than stellar tip but honestly... if the rest of my meal was good and the rest of the service was good, I likely would have done neither and forgotten all about it. You know, I guess it just comes down to the different things that are important to different people when we dine out. And no one is right or wrong. I know people who really care about decor and I NEVER do. Like, ever. *Shrug*
If you go to a sushi place, sit at the sushi bar. Never a table.
Hello Gustavo, I'm with you. Even if you didn't raise your hand or got up from your comfortable table to flag your server, the fact is you were ignored for 45 minutes. We go out to eat to have somebody else cook and serve us, and that includes making sure everything is ok and our glasses are filled. A good server makes sure their customers are checked on every once in a while. I've had some pretty busy servers and I'm always understanding if I'm neglected a little, but come on people, 45 minutes?
Gustavo, have you ever flagged down a waitress to get a refill for a glass of water? That wasn't so hard, was it? For the life of me, I can't understand why you have to stand on pompous ceremony in refusing to ask for the check. I guarantee that if I was eating there with you that day, we wouldn't have waited more than 5 minutes for the check....and we would have both left happy and left a good tip for the excellent food and service.
It seems most of you take issue with me not being more assertive in getting the waiter's attention. Here's a question, then: at what point do we forgive someone's incompetence and intercede? And by doing so, does that absolve the place of said incompetence? And if that happens, does the place still remain worthwhile?
sorry man, I gotta agree with the others. You should've taken better initiative to get his attention just by raising your hand or saying "excuse me" when he passes by. If I didn't do that on many occasions, I also would be as mad as you. But then it would partly be my fault for letting the situation get that bad.
I don't know, folks. It's one thing to get slammed and thus everything goes in slo-mo, quite another for the guy to ignore you for 45 minutes. You know how long that is? There's no reason why a done diner should not get their check within minutes.
Gustavo it seems that you did everything wrong with getting the waiters attention. Like hungrymomma says raising your hand, verbally asking for your bill, getting up and asking the hostess for your bill. --All which in fairness needs not to be done had the server been paying attention to his customers needs. --But tapping on your glass or listening to a cute girls bad advice on how to say "check please". You could have been tapping to la musica for all they know. A bad tip say $2 would have gotten the point across of bad servicio.
Bad form, Gustavo. You "did everything possible" except simply getting up and asking for the check. After stiffing your waitress -- especially after having no complaints about the food or it's timely delivery -- I wouldn't blame her if she put you on her sh*t list. It's a good place...too bad you can't go back.
Gustavo - tough critic there! I think maybe you should of done the old raise your hand trick. It usually seems to work. A more aggressive approach, but sometimes necessary. Or eye contact w/the waitress works on occasion too. I am just sayin' I like the 5 dollar deal they do here for happy hour, which is only an hour, a beer, edamamae (sp?) and a hand roll. Not the best but good when your on a budget.