AITA for the way I ate at a buffet?

r/

I(18m) recently got into law school and am now an LLB student. My parents decided to take me to a special lunch at a buffet as a reward. My aunts, uncle and cousins were also there. My uncle gave me a labor law textbook as a gift.

Now I usually don’t eat a lot for lunch. I actually used to skip the meal or have just a banana to save money to buy books. But this was a buffet and they had some really nice dishes. I sampled many things and ended up wolfing down forty pieces of sashimi(I know because I went to the counter five times and got eight pieces each time).

My dad didn’t say anything but my mom later told me I embarrassed her by eating like a starving kid. That the amount I ate made it look like she didn’t feed me enough. She was very upset about it.

Comments

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    I(18m) recently got into law school and am now an LLB student. My parents decided to take me to a special lunch at a buffet as a reward. My aunts, uncles and cousins were also there.

    Now I usually don’t eat a lot for lunch. I actually used to skip the meal or have just a banana to save money to buy books. But this was a buffet and they had some really nice dishes. I sampled many things and ended up wolfing down forty pieces of sashimi(I know cause I went to the counter five times and got eight pieces each time).

    My dad didn’t say anything but my mom later told me I embarrassed her by eating like a starving kid. She was very upset about it.

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    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:

    > I might be an asshole for this since the way I ate like I was starving/not fed enough embarrassed my mom

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  3. ThistleglowDream Avatar

    NTA. Buffets are literally all-you-can-eat territory. Ppl who complain about how much someone else consumes at a buffet are just plain absurd

  4. SrslyPissedOff Avatar

    Congrats. You earned it. NTA.

  5. Kebar8 Avatar

    Lol we would be cheering you for getting our money’s worth ! 

    Nta. 

  6. DarkLadyNyara Avatar

    NTA – It was a buffet. I doubt anyone except your mom noticed or cared that you were eating a lot. (And if they did care, well. That’s kind of weird of them)

    Congrats on getting into law school.

  7. DuchessSussSucks Avatar

    NTA she shouldn’t go to a buffet if she’s not comfortable with large portions. That’s a her problem – not a you problem.

  8. LeahSimmer Avatar

    a guys gotta eat.. who gives a shit, its a buffet, I assume you still cleaned yourself up and minded your manners but “eating to much” at a buffet is crazy of someone to say. you got their moneys worth NTA

  9. slug-in-disguise Avatar

    NTA
    Only 40 pieces in this economy? You did yourself and your parents a favor taking yourself to flavor town like that. I don’t know why your mom was trying to pretend like going to a buffet wasn’t the move all along.

  10. LemonBlossom1 Avatar

    Unless they had to sit there and wait for you once they were finished, gorging is the nature of a buffet. NTA.

  11. Urbanyeti0 Avatar

    NTA it’s a buffet, they’d be annoyed if you’d only eaten 1 item for that price

  12. 12345vzp Avatar

    NTA! You don’t sound like that guy who ate the whole party sub lol, a buffet is literally made for gluttony. Your mom probably cares about “appearances”, my condolences man

  13. emmiepsykc Avatar

    NTA but more importantly…where is this magical land of unlimited sashimi?

  14. Chiron008 Avatar

    NTA. My children were never as hungry as they were when they were in college.

  15. be_loved_freak Avatar

    NTA but your mom is.

  16. yabyum Avatar

    There’s two society rules for buffets:

    Don’t overfill your plate and not eat it all.

    Don’t take a bite out of something and put it back.

  17. defense-contractor_1 Avatar

    Did you start college at 14? Which law school?

  18. shackndon2020 Avatar

    Tell your mum, your big brain is burning some serious calories…. She wouldn’t understand.

  19. jfartster Avatar

    NAH. Difficult to say. 40 pieces of sashimi sounds like quite a lot.
    But I don’t see why it couldn’t be eaten in a polite, civilised manner.
    Then again, your Mom’s reaction suggests that perhaps it wasn’t…

    Also, I feel like you really, really deserved this modest reward. And I think that creates some grace for over-enthusiastic eating. So, NAH.

  20. RazzmatazzOk2129 Avatar

    NTA

    It was a buffet and your 18 M.

    Most 18 yr old males always eat as if they have 2 hollow legs. If your growth hunger hadn’t kicked in before, welcome to the stage of the bottomless pit.

    As long as you dont overfil your plate and eat with manners, it’s all good. Go back as many times as you can.

    Im more shocked that you are in law school at 18. When did you start college and how long did it take to do your undergrad?

  21. SeattleSinBin Avatar

    NTA. I mean it’s a buffet, go nuts.

  22. sirplopdrops Avatar

    i’m calling BS. you’re telling me this homie ate FORTY pieces of sashimi plus other buffet plates? that’s an unholy amount of raw fish my dude.

  23. RaoulDukesGroupie Avatar

    this feels like taking a kid to an amusement park and then scolding them for having too much fun

  24. OkDragonfly4098 Avatar

    It’s a bit gross in volume, but INFO, did you chew with your mouth closed, avoid belching, farting, picking at your face/teeth, and keep your face, clothes, and hands clean?

  25. Setsuna00XN Avatar

    NTA. You do you!

    I’m exactly the same way at buffets. My family always looks at me weird when I go up for my 4th plate of salad, fifth plate of dinner, and 7th desert.

    Also, 40 pieces of sashimi? Were you on a diet?😁🍣

  26. Hopeful_Tea2139 Avatar

    NTA.
    Its a buffet.
    Thats the gimmick of buffets.
    As long as you’re not shoving food down your mouth hole while laughing, you are normal.

    Next time, tell them to fit in like everybody else.

  27. SLCPDSoakingDivision Avatar

    If she’s embarrassed about you being hungry, tell to send more money for lunches

  28. Haunting_Foot5782 Avatar

    I will remember my first buffet my stomach was so sore from overeating,

    So I definitely say NTA.

  29. OglioVagilio Avatar

    Your a male teenager at a buffet. If she feels so bad about you being a starving student, the fix is to feed you more. Not shame you for eating your fill when it’s all you can eat. Don’t feel bad about her projecting on to you.

    And if there’s good reason she can’t feed you, she should be happy you were able to get a full meal for once.

  30. speeder604 Avatar

    what is the point of a buffet if you don’t eat until you puke…especially if you’re younger. if I could eat 40 pieces of sashimi, I would. . .

  31. Alive_Double_4148 Avatar

    NTA And very well done indeed! That is some impressive eating. And you are only 18 so it’s also possible you could have one last growth spurt coming your way.

  32. SureOperation8979 Avatar

    OP is clearly not asian because this is a trophy level worthy achievement for eating over your moneys worth. well done OP. absolutely NTA this should be celebrated.

  33. TresWhat Avatar

    NTA. Your mom is wrong. It’s a buffet. Thats the point. Congratulations and all the best in law school!

  34. Stay_Over_There Avatar

    NTA. It’s one meal for a special occasion and you enjoyed it. Congrats on your accomplishments!

  35. LehmitCat Avatar

    NTA that’s literally the point of a buffet ? Gotta get ur moneys worth

  36. GoddessfromCyprus Avatar

    NTA, at least you didn’t grab some to take home, ask for a doggy bag or fill your serviettes and stuff your pockets.

  37. Valerialia Avatar

    NTA Man’s gotta eat

  38. UltraZulwarn Avatar

    If a young, presumably healthy late teenager doesn’t lay waste at a buffet, then there is something wrong.

    Now, perhaps OP can explain that they were really looking forward to the buffet and got excited to try various different things.

    Now If I may ask, is OP of non-Western culture? Such as Asia?

    My South East Asian parents often chided me for “making them lose face” when I don’t behave like a picture perfect human being, and one of their pet peeves was that I ate like a hungry kid, well duh I was hungry.

    They were likely embarrassed, or afraid that outsiders would think we were poor with starving kids at home.

    Some parents didn’t teach or told their kids to behave a certain way, then got upset that their kids didn’t act like they wanted.

    Sure, if you were making a mess and bother other diners then it warranted some criticisms.