A Bengaluru food delivery order took an unexpected turn after a customer claimed he found a fully smoked beedi accompanying his pav bhaji.
Bengaluru-based Priyam Tahabilder reportedly ordered pav bhaji through Zomato, expecting a routine meal. Instead, when the order arrived, he noticed a used beedi placed on the plate alongside the food.
Tahabilder later shared a photograph of the bizarre discovery online, turning an otherwise ordinary food order into a viral social media moment.
Smoked beedi found alongside chopped onions
According to the image shared by Tahabilder, the beedi was lying on the plate over a portion of chopped onions served with the pav bhaji.
Sharing his experience, he wrote, “Ordered pav bhaji from Zomato and got a beedi for free. It was fully smoked though. Not the kind of freebie I’d have wanted, honestly. Zomato Care.”
The unusual post quickly attracted attention from social media users, with people divided between those questioning the restaurant's food-handling practices and others turning the incident into a joke.
Zomato reportedly offers ₹100 coupon
Tahabilder later provided an update, claiming that Zomato's customer support team had contacted him following the complaint.
He wrote, “Update: Zomato offered a ₹100 coupon for my next order.”
The incident also sparked a discussion about who should ultimately be held responsible when a foreign object is discovered in a food delivery order.
One user pointed out that Zomato generally acts as the delivery platform rather than the establishment preparing the food, writing, “Zomato doesn't do the packaging/preparing of the food you ordered...They provide service to deliver food from one source to another and they can take action against the restaurant from where you ordered,so why have you not mentioned the restaurant name in this post?”
Internet turns the incident into a meme
While some users focused on food safety and accountability, others couldn't resist adding humour to the unusual situation.
One person joked, “Extra smoke flavor Added.”
Another sarcastically commented, “This is what's wrong with today's generation. They don't look at the brighter side of things.”
Someone else took the incident as a reason to promote home cooking, writing, “It’s time to eat home cooked food. Peace.”
