Hi everyone, this happened last weekend and I’m genuinely confused why everyone’s mad at me. I (45M) took my son (8M) and his cousin (9M) to a hibachi restaurant in Long Island for a fun dinner. I used to do a lot of backyard grilling and consider myself a bit of a “grill master,” so I know my way around a flat top.

Anyway, the chef starts doing the usual routine — onion volcano, shrimp toss, all that stuff — but I noticed that he was using vegetable oil instead of sesame oil, which I personally think gives a much better flavor. I figured he might appreciate the tip, so when he turned around for a second, I reached into my bag (I carry a small essentials pouch) and just quickly drizzled a ton of sesame oil from a bottle I brought with me onto the grill.

Well, something went wrong. The grill flared up like hell, a decently large grease fire happened, and a server had to use an extinguisher. No one was hurt but the chef got super mad, the manager came out, and now they’re banning me and threatening to press charges for “interfering with food prep”?? My sister is furious, my wife said I embarrassed the whole family, and the kids won’t stop telling everyone I tried to “fight the chef with spices.”

I was just trying to enhance the flavor and be helpful. AITA? I thought chefs appreciated customer feedback? I’m currently dealing with other legal issues right now and do not need this on my plate (no pun intended). I could be at serious risk of losing my job.